Young Gods
Were Gonna Be Legends
Divine Origins
Young gods first began appearing during the later years of the 8th century and since then the number of young gods has steadily climbed to uncontrollable levels.
The established divinities are divided heavily on just how to handle them, as it seems their appearance is controlled by whatever power created them. Young gods appear in a number of ways, and every time they do it sends a wave of change in the metaphysical world. Some simply appear from The Aether, popping into existence, alone and confused. Others are created by the thoughts and whims of mortals, fueled by the stories they tell. There are those who are reborn, old gods born anew to make their marks once more. Then you have The Outsiders, strangers from elsewhere, beings who come into our existence fleeing their own failed multiversal timeline.
The established divinities are divided heavily on just how to handle them, as it seems their appearance is controlled by whatever power created them. Young gods appear in a number of ways, and every time they do it sends a wave of change in the metaphysical world. Some simply appear from The Aether, popping into existence, alone and confused. Others are created by the thoughts and whims of mortals, fueled by the stories they tell. There are those who are reborn, old gods born anew to make their marks once more. Then you have The Outsiders, strangers from elsewhere, beings who come into our existence fleeing their own failed multiversal timeline.
Aetherborn Gods
The Aetherborn gods are those who appear from The Aether without ceremony. One moment they don't exist, and then there they are, staring out of The Aether into our multiverse with confusion and wonder.They speak the language of gods, capable of being heard and understood by anything that hears them. They know what they are, they know what they must do to become more, but beyond these things, they know nothing. They are innocent and impressionable and these precious moments are most crucial as what they see and learn will shape the kind of gods they become. The moment they emerge into reality from the Aether, taking a step through some metaphysical threshold, they are bombarded with the history of reality. They will focus on things. It could be war, or peace, maybe love or hatred. It could be specific elements of these high concepts as well.
Lust, sexual and fleeting love, vengeance, self righteous or justified hatred, serenity, peace of mind, or possibly the sword or machine gun, weapons of war.
What they see and focus on will become their domain and what they can interpret these concepts in any number of ways. They are the most common form among the young gods, and are also the most feared. Old gods find it unsettling that such a blank slate can pass judgement on their every action, and worse still, they could even learn from it, for better or for worse.
Legendary gods
Myths and legends have always been a quintessential part of human culture. These yarns we have spun over many countless years, over a long enough time, begin to have a life of their own. These young gods are those created by these stories. Song began as mortal men and women living out average lives. That something happens at some point that begins to spark imagination. The story gets told and then retold and at some point the Storyteller may I have their own embellishment to the original making a new story entirely that gets told and retold again.
This creates a cycle that fuels the young god's power. From tall tales to folklore, mythology to urban legends, these young gods are the product of stories. Sometimes their powers come from their titles, attachments to the very name. Sometimes they don't need titles, allowing their stories to evolve and spread as time goes on. They're unique among the young gods as they do not require worship to gain their power. They do however require their stories to be told as often as possible. Many don't even realize they are young gods and never will, making their way through the world as most humans do. Those who do know they are a living legend often believe they are the only ones. The powers gained by these living legends are usually attached to legends themselves. If the legend changes so too does the power they possess.
This creates a cycle that fuels the young god's power. From tall tales to folklore, mythology to urban legends, these young gods are the product of stories. Sometimes their powers come from their titles, attachments to the very name. Sometimes they don't need titles, allowing their stories to evolve and spread as time goes on. They're unique among the young gods as they do not require worship to gain their power. They do however require their stories to be told as often as possible. Many don't even realize they are young gods and never will, making their way through the world as most humans do. Those who do know they are a living legend often believe they are the only ones. The powers gained by these living legends are usually attached to legends themselves. If the legend changes so too does the power they possess.
Gods of Yore
It is impossible to kill a god, in a literal sense. When a celestial being "dies" it returns to its domain and reforms. This process can take anywhere from days to centuries. if your particularly thorough, eliminating followers, stories, and other trappings that keep a god alive, you can eliminate them for even longer.
There are rumors of a device created during The Antediluvian Age that could obliterate a soul, and by proxy, celestials, as they are simply remarkably powerful souls.
This is likely just a rumor as such a device would break so many laws of reality that it's hard to believe it could exist. The divine settle for less. They do not consider a celestial "dead" until they have been removed from existence, meaning they are sent back The Aether, which has shown to reliably efficient. Sometimes though, just sometimes, these gods of yore may emerge from the either, born again.
These gods have no memory of who they once were, but retain their old domains and strength. The only thing they know is that they were "killed" and many swear an oath to exact vengeance, despite not knowing who or what is responsible for their "death." Their lives are spent in search of who they once were, collecting fragments of information through faded inscriptions on lost temple walls and through flashbacks of their past life bestowed by forgotten artifacts.
There are rumors of a device created during The Antediluvian Age that could obliterate a soul, and by proxy, celestials, as they are simply remarkably powerful souls.
This is likely just a rumor as such a device would break so many laws of reality that it's hard to believe it could exist. The divine settle for less. They do not consider a celestial "dead" until they have been removed from existence, meaning they are sent back The Aether, which has shown to reliably efficient. Sometimes though, just sometimes, these gods of yore may emerge from the either, born again.
These gods have no memory of who they once were, but retain their old domains and strength. The only thing they know is that they were "killed" and many swear an oath to exact vengeance, despite not knowing who or what is responsible for their "death." Their lives are spent in search of who they once were, collecting fragments of information through faded inscriptions on lost temple walls and through flashbacks of their past life bestowed by forgotten artifacts.
Outsiders
Out of all the young gods, none are more feared then the outsiders. They have, on many occasions, altered the landscape of power among the divine. They are eldritch by nature, coming from a multiversal timeline radically different from our own. When they arrive they are met with a painful experience as reality forces the outsider to conform to its rules, a process that can completely destroy the outsider, ripping it apart at the seems. If they struggle hard enough, they can rip a hole in reality that would inevitably render all of the multiverse non existent. Luckily they are the least common among the young gods, only a handful exist, though many suspect there are more hiding under the radar.
The outsiders are beyond understanding. Their agendas are seemingly without purpose, making the task of finding worshipers difficult. The Red Maiden is the most widely worshiped and only has a thousand or so followers worldwide. Outsiders tend to focus on very specific, often strange perspectives when it comes to their domains. Some, like the previously mentioned Red Maiden, create their own, building a demiplane that is hidden away in a larger domain. Outsiders are not found lingering among humans.
Their true eldritch form has to be contained and While they do their best to reform themselves in a way that appears normal when they arrive in existence, our reality is just as alien to them as they are to us. They often fail miserably, creating forms that bring great discomfort to those who look at them. For this reason, they create human avatars to avoid the inevitable effect of their eldritch forms on those around them.
The outsiders are beyond understanding. Their agendas are seemingly without purpose, making the task of finding worshipers difficult. The Red Maiden is the most widely worshiped and only has a thousand or so followers worldwide. Outsiders tend to focus on very specific, often strange perspectives when it comes to their domains. Some, like the previously mentioned Red Maiden, create their own, building a demiplane that is hidden away in a larger domain. Outsiders are not found lingering among humans.
Their true eldritch form has to be contained and While they do their best to reform themselves in a way that appears normal when they arrive in existence, our reality is just as alien to them as they are to us. They often fail miserably, creating forms that bring great discomfort to those who look at them. For this reason, they create human avatars to avoid the inevitable effect of their eldritch forms on those around them.
The Old Gods Vs. The New
Established divine have trouble dealing with young gods. They don't know why they exist nor how they come to be. Some actively seek them out for one reason or another. The gods are divided in what they should do if they encounter one. Some believe they should be exterminated, and do so with extreme prejudice.Others try to assist them, leading to a further rift that divides the divine. Those who assist often do so to recruit them, offering a place in their pantheons.
The young gods are never sure who to trust, as doing so can easily lead to their death.
Cults
a Primary drive of all young gods is the need and desire to be worshiped. The only exceptions are the legendary gods, who replace this drive with the need to spread the stories that grant them power. This is instinctive for them and oftentimes they cast themselves doing it without fully realizing it. Those they are able to successfully convert, or those they leave an impression on to the point to where they will retail their stories, will begin to feel an attraction to all things related to their patron.Cultists will often do whatever it is that they are asked when asked by their patron. They do this in an attempt to gain favor which is a direct response to their loyalty. Gaining favor from one's Patron will usually be in the form of powers, wealth, services, and anything else that may be within their patrons ability to do. Colts are a bit of a difficult thing to manage for the young Gods as they require power to sustain.
All young Gods Must invest their power into their worshipers and this drains them. As a result many gods who seek to gain power quickly will overextend their power creating cults that are far too big for them sustain. This can lead to a series of negative consequences such as loss of followers who cannot gain any favor due to a lack of power.
It can also lead to a series of unfortunate incidents where the young God attempts to exercise their power and cannot do so as they have been stretched thin. One must balance their investment and Ensure they still have the ability to protect themselves from those who would do them harm.
Ascendants and legendary gods mean that there could be a Florida Man god.
Theoretically yeah. I've played around with many options. Never tried Florida man tho.... hmmmm thanks for the like on this as well my friend!