Divinity
Deities are extremely powerful beings hailing from the Spirit World. They have the ability to make their powers manifest in the mortal world and accrue worship and influence among mortals.
Most of them are granted the honor of ascention because they have broken the Taboo and amassed significant enough power, worship or both. In an eruption of force a previously mortal creature is elevated by the forces of Law to the status of a true immortal and ascend into the spirit world.
Rarely, the three Kings may directly create a deity or uplift a mortal without them needing to fulfill these requirements. They mostly do this to fix an imbalance.
Domains
Deities gain a sphere of influence within the spirit World, a place where they may rule and house the souls of their deceased followers. This is where they are most powerful, and they can shape their domain to their whims, but they also need to contantly defend it from wild spirits or other deities.
The Names of Gods
Deities can hear whenever their name is spoken, including the prayers of their worshipers. They generally pay only a minor amount of attention to this. However the deity does hear every single prayer and if it finds one noteworthy they may respond in whatever way they deem fitting. They also hear insults and curses adressed to them, which may end poorly for those that slight them.
A Deity is not lightly angered and a mortal should beware their wrath.
Still, a deity is not omniscient, even when it comes to their own followers. They can be tricked and deceived, their teachings corrupted and their high-priests can use their powers in ways a deity would not approve of if the deity is not vigilant and attentive.
Divine resource managment:
Deities have a limited amount of 'power' at their disposal. They can regain their power over time if they spend it, and even grow their maximum over time by various means. Amassing mortal worship is but one method among many.
However deities also expend their power in the defense of their spirit realm, in their granting of magic to their loyal priests and/or cultists and most of all if they choose to manifest in the mortal realm directly.
As a result, though deities are powerful, they are mostly unable to directly affect the mortal world and are forced to act mostly through mortal agents. They are also limited in the amount of power they can grant and to how many followers they can grant such.
Even then, that only applies to deities that even care about the mortal realms. The number of gods that do not amass worship and never manifest in the mortal world is far greater than those who do.
However if that is simply not enough, a deity can enter the mortal world fully. Usually this is done in times of extreme necessity and after substantial sacrifices and rituals by their followers to make their manifestation less taxing for the deity.
The manifestation of a deity is a being of nearly unrivaled power in the mortal realm. Such an avatar can shatter mountains, move faster than the eye can see and use their authority over their domain to shape the world like clay. They also cannot be slain by any mortal weapon, merely banished back to the spirit world.
A risky gambit:
While the manifestation of a deity is an incredibly powerful thing that can turn even the most dire situation around, it is not without risks. While a deity is on the mortal world, their spirit domain is unguarded. Expending great amounts of their power will also leave the deity greatly weakened for a time. Both of these possibilities will provide an opening their rivals may take advantage of.
Additionally if the manifestation is actually defeated on the mortal world they can be sealed away and imprisoned, making them nearly powerless until they manage to escape. Worst of all, a rival deity may try to devour the deity after they have exhausted themselves either in the mortal world or in the spirit world.
Of course, few beings can truly threaten a deity in terms of power. The main candidates to defeat a deity are other gods, Elder Dragons, Angels or Demon lords.
Still, most deities will not manifest in the mortal world unless absolutely necessary, and even then only for as long as absolutely necessary.
Deities will pursue these obligations in addition to their personal goals. Obstructing another deity in the pursuit of their obligations or taking advantage of their absence is forbidden by divine law. So long as the gods meet their obligations, the agents of order let them deal with one-another as they please.
Thus gods end up organizing into factions and power blocks, claiming territories and forming nations, making the spirit world not so different from the mortal world.
Greater deities are not ascended mortals, they are half-sentient manifestations of concepts. Greater deities aren't people, they are forces of nature, leashed by the forces of Law into behaving. They can be intelligent, they can even feel emotions, but they cannot be thought of as living, thinking beings.
The Divine Domains of a greater deity can encompass the divine domains of dozens or sometimes even hundreds of lesser deities. Their divine domains are also simply more powerful and broader, granting greater deities much more flexibility and power. Greater deities do not command lesser deities, though lesser deities also make sure not to oppose them in the execution of their tasks.
Greater deities are given important taks in the maintenance of the brass realms, in both the spirit world and mortal world. They each in their own way ensure that the system built by the three kings remains functional. They cannot take action in the mortal world directly apart from their given tasks and as such their influence is mostly constrained to the spirit world.
However all of them attract mortal worship due to their sheer presence in the spirit world and their importance to the Brass Realms. They do not much care for mortals, but their spirit-servants often advise or outright manage these mortal churches to subtly benefit their superior.
Their worshipers and champions may be able to bring one of their more powerful servants into the mortal world, but greater deities are simply too large and powerful to enter physical reality.
The Three Overgods are: Rao, Primus and Asmodeus.
They are the only Tier-3 Administrators with unrestricted access to the mechanisms of the divine machine.
Deities
The overwhelming majority of deities are mortals who are granted the mantle of godhood by the Divine Machine. They are called "Tier-1 Administrators" by the agents of the divine machine, though mortal scholars simply call them 'True deities'Most of them are granted the honor of ascention because they have broken the Taboo and amassed significant enough power, worship or both. In an eruption of force a previously mortal creature is elevated by the forces of Law to the status of a true immortal and ascend into the spirit world.
Rarely, the three Kings may directly create a deity or uplift a mortal without them needing to fulfill these requirements. They mostly do this to fix an imbalance.
Powers
Deities gain control over an aspect of reality called an "Authority". Needless to say this makes them very powerful. Deities are strongest when working within their authority and grow weaker the more removed their current task is from it. A fire deity could easily rain fire upon a city but would struggle to freeze a lake, for the task of freezing is very far removed from the deity's authority of "Fire".Domains
Deities gain a sphere of influence within the spirit World, a place where they may rule and house the souls of their deceased followers. This is where they are most powerful, and they can shape their domain to their whims, but they also need to contantly defend it from wild spirits or other deities.
The Names of Gods
Deities can hear whenever their name is spoken, including the prayers of their worshipers. They generally pay only a minor amount of attention to this. However the deity does hear every single prayer and if it finds one noteworthy they may respond in whatever way they deem fitting. They also hear insults and curses adressed to them, which may end poorly for those that slight them.
A Deity is not lightly angered and a mortal should beware their wrath.
Still, a deity is not omniscient, even when it comes to their own followers. They can be tricked and deceived, their teachings corrupted and their high-priests can use their powers in ways a deity would not approve of if the deity is not vigilant and attentive.
Divine resource managment:
Deities have a limited amount of 'power' at their disposal. They can regain their power over time if they spend it, and even grow their maximum over time by various means. Amassing mortal worship is but one method among many.
However deities also expend their power in the defense of their spirit realm, in their granting of magic to their loyal priests and/or cultists and most of all if they choose to manifest in the mortal realm directly.
As a result, though deities are powerful, they are mostly unable to directly affect the mortal world and are forced to act mostly through mortal agents. They are also limited in the amount of power they can grant and to how many followers they can grant such.
Even then, that only applies to deities that even care about the mortal realms. The number of gods that do not amass worship and never manifest in the mortal world is far greater than those who do.
Manifestations:
Deities almost never leave the spirit world, for that would mean leaving their spirit domain unguarded and open to attack by their rivals. If their intervention is needed on the mortal world they much prefer to act by empowering a mortal champion or by manifesting a miracle.However if that is simply not enough, a deity can enter the mortal world fully. Usually this is done in times of extreme necessity and after substantial sacrifices and rituals by their followers to make their manifestation less taxing for the deity.
The manifestation of a deity is a being of nearly unrivaled power in the mortal realm. Such an avatar can shatter mountains, move faster than the eye can see and use their authority over their domain to shape the world like clay. They also cannot be slain by any mortal weapon, merely banished back to the spirit world.
A risky gambit:
While the manifestation of a deity is an incredibly powerful thing that can turn even the most dire situation around, it is not without risks. While a deity is on the mortal world, their spirit domain is unguarded. Expending great amounts of their power will also leave the deity greatly weakened for a time. Both of these possibilities will provide an opening their rivals may take advantage of.
Additionally if the manifestation is actually defeated on the mortal world they can be sealed away and imprisoned, making them nearly powerless until they manage to escape. Worst of all, a rival deity may try to devour the deity after they have exhausted themselves either in the mortal world or in the spirit world.
Of course, few beings can truly threaten a deity in terms of power. The main candidates to defeat a deity are other gods, Elder Dragons, Angels or Demon lords.
Still, most deities will not manifest in the mortal world unless absolutely necessary, and even then only for as long as absolutely necessary.
Duties
The duties of a Tier-1 Administrator as decreed by the Divine Machine can vary greatly. They may be assigned to watch over the mortal world, defend the borders of the brass realms, police the spirit world or in other ways serve the goals of the Transcendant Mechanism.Deities will pursue these obligations in addition to their personal goals. Obstructing another deity in the pursuit of their obligations or taking advantage of their absence is forbidden by divine law. So long as the gods meet their obligations, the agents of order let them deal with one-another as they please.
Divine politics
In the spirit world the gods squabble amongs each-other much like the mortals do. They organize into factions, fight for supremacy, engage in territorial disputes and more. Most simply wish to rule their own domain and turn it to a paradise for themselves and their followers, but some are conquering tyrants that wish to usurp the divine domains of other gods.Thus gods end up organizing into factions and power blocks, claiming territories and forming nations, making the spirit world not so different from the mortal world.
Greater deities
Greater deities are known to the agents of the divine machine as "Tier-2 Administrators" and are the deities of such strength, power and influence that they are clearly a step above other 'common' gods.Greater deities are not ascended mortals, they are half-sentient manifestations of concepts. Greater deities aren't people, they are forces of nature, leashed by the forces of Law into behaving. They can be intelligent, they can even feel emotions, but they cannot be thought of as living, thinking beings.
The Divine Domains of a greater deity can encompass the divine domains of dozens or sometimes even hundreds of lesser deities. Their divine domains are also simply more powerful and broader, granting greater deities much more flexibility and power. Greater deities do not command lesser deities, though lesser deities also make sure not to oppose them in the execution of their tasks.
Greater deities are given important taks in the maintenance of the brass realms, in both the spirit world and mortal world. They each in their own way ensure that the system built by the three kings remains functional. They cannot take action in the mortal world directly apart from their given tasks and as such their influence is mostly constrained to the spirit world.
However all of them attract mortal worship due to their sheer presence in the spirit world and their importance to the Brass Realms. They do not much care for mortals, but their spirit-servants often advise or outright manage these mortal churches to subtly benefit their superior.
Manifestations:
Greater deities cannot manifest a true avatar in the mortal world, it is impossible.Their worshipers and champions may be able to bring one of their more powerful servants into the mortal world, but greater deities are simply too large and powerful to enter physical reality.
Overgods
The Overgods are the 3 supreme divine beings that make up The Triumvirate. They are the founders of the brass realms and its metaphysical heart. They are completely eldritch to mortal minds, as they might as well be omnipotent, yet they are shackled by their powers into near impotence, or at least so it can seem.The Three Overgods are: Rao, Primus and Asmodeus.
They are the only Tier-3 Administrators with unrestricted access to the mechanisms of the divine machine.
Comments