Palimpsest

Palimpsest is an alternate, urban fantasy Earth, in which Christianity never became the dominant religion of the world and MAGIC was discovered rather than nuclear energy. Up until "The Syncretism," the term inhabitants use to refer to the moment MAGIC manifested in Palimpsest, history in Palimpsest largely resembles our own-with the major exception being that many religions that we now consider mythologies in our present world continue to thrive beyond when they expired in our world. This allowed for some of the specific cultural associations that came with these mythologies to loosen over time, as society became more globalized, mirroring our own world.   Yet, even without Christianity's proselytizing influence dominating the religious landscape of this world, all is not peaceful in Palimpsest. Before MAGIC changed everything forever, a war known as the "Interpretatio Graeca" was fought over which pantheons of Gods were most worthy of worship. Like in our world, worship in Palimpsest is ever-evolving. Newer pantheons form over time, mixing and remixing divine titles and roles, reiterating and recombining stories and figures, recycling and reimagining and reinterpreting the heavens, the earth, and the afterlife. Eventually, humanity began to disagree over which pantheons were most correct in their explanation of the world's phenomena, leading people to politicize the act of worship.   Slowly, the entire world became embroiled in the conflict. Restaurants and other businesses began refusing to serve people based on their owner's religious views, discriminatory attitudes were harbored towards folks who worshipped different pantheons, and eventually the terms "New Gods" and "Old Gods" were coined to distinguish all formerly pre Greek pantheons from the Greeks and all pantheons following theirs. This even further removed the Gods from their specific cultural associations, and as families were torn apart and tensions escalated, armed conflict began. As the war waged, people took to renaming themselves for their "Ren" or a God in their personal pantheon that they identified with, as a symbol of pride, indignant rebellion, or righteous reclamation.   The Interpretatio Graeca raged across the land of Palimpsest for quite some time. Then, in the middle of it all, a new force was discovered. All at once, MAGIC appeared in Palimpsest, and it did not pick a side in the ongoing war. The already chaotic battle sites saw a sharp increase in casualties as Old and New God worshippers alike suddenly manifested incredibly destructive magical capabilities. And both sides saw this not as an opportunity to dominate the other, but rather as a harbinger of their mutually assured destruction.   Thus, The Syncretism shortly brought an end to The Interpretatio Graeca, following which the Syncretic Accords were signed to officiate the war's conclusion. Eventually, the Magical Revolution kicks off as scientific breakthroughs make MAGIC more accessible than ever before and fundamentally change daily life. That said, not all the wounds from the time of the Interpretatio have been erased, and now the illusion of peace covers the constant structural threat of civil unrest. Post-war social dynamics are heavily skewed by power imbalances across multiple axes, and now people are beginning to question whether MAGIC is the great equalizer Palimpsestian society once thought it was...