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Athedia
2013-01-03, 02:13 AM
So I am trying to create a world for a campaign I want to run for some friends. Only problem is I can't bounce my idea's off them like I usually do. I created the basic religion for my world which centers around 4 gods. I took the idea of the elements and the balance and went where my mind took me.

The Gods small descriptions are in the spoiler below. This is very much a work in progress.

Key:
Color: Self explanatory
Element: As above
Season: Season dedicated to ____
Children: Who is referred to as a “child of ______”
Association: What parts of life they are considered part of
Domains: The five domains they control
Guardian of: The well known type ____ guards (the virtually unknown type ____ guards)

Rel:
Color: Red
Element: Fire
Season: Summer
Children: Humanoids born from Spring to Fall Equinox
Association: Chaos and Destruction, Rebirth
Domains:Chaos, War, Destruction, Fire,Healing
Guardian of: Humanoids (Monstrous Humanoids)

Yet:
Color: Light Blue
Element: Ice
Season: Winter
Children:Humanoids born from Fall to Spring Equinox
Association: Order and Cleanliness, Old Age
Domains: Protection, Water, Knowledge, Law, Luck
Guardian of: Plants (Fey)

Tal:
Color: Dark Brown
Element: Earth
Season: Spring
Children: Terrestrial and water-dwelling animals
Association: The Body
Domains: Animal, Death, Plant, Strength, Earth,
Guardian of: Animals (Magical Beasts)

Gat:
Color: Gray
Element: Air
Season: Autumn
Children: Avians and Insects
Association:The Spirit
Domains: Magic, Air, Sun, Travel, Trickery
Guardian of: Vermin (Dragons)

Grimsage Matt
2013-01-03, 02:18 AM
So, what do you need from us? Like;

Whats the Gods role? How do they inneract with the meterial world? Do they have some special servent/PrC associated with them? What are their arifacts/relics? Whats the Afterlife live? What are the abodes of the gods? Whats their form of holy water? Do they have a favored culture?

Ya know, stuff like dat:smalltongue:

Athedia
2013-01-03, 02:27 AM
So, what do you need from us? Like;

Whats the Gods role? How do they inneract with the meterial world? Do they have some special servent/PrC associated with them? What are their arifacts/relics? Whats the Afterlife live? What are the abodes of the gods? Whats their form of holy water? Do they have a favored culture?

Ya know, stuff like dat:smalltongue:

Well for one, someone to ask question like those.

The gods work as overseers of the planet. They didn't actually create the world, but they found it soon after it was created and decided to help shelter it against the raging planes. The world itself is mostly human with a very negative look on arcane spellcasters.

The Gods themselves have not been seen for decades, only the eldest people can remember the last time they visited.

They try not to interfer, mostly coming to a joint conclusion on what needs to be done, to keep the balance.

I haven't 100% decided where they live.

As for artifacts, there are stories of boons granted by them, but removed once the need for help is over. Nothing that would be around in this day.

The afterlife is more like a waiting room. All the souls wait until the day a new planet to guard is found, where they shall assist (in essence become) the guardian gods.

Wyntonian
2013-01-03, 02:44 AM
I like this, very balanced and symmetrical without seeming forced. Anything in particular you want to ask? I suppose we could collaborate on a holy text for each one, but that seems a little extreme as a starting point.

Frathe
2013-01-03, 02:52 AM
I think the children might seem more balanced if, instead of having two gods take Spring to Fall and Fall to Spring, you assigned each of the four gods a season that they have humanoid children born in. Yet (Ice) could have Winter, Rel (Fire) could have Summer, Tal (Earth), who has the Domains of Plant and Animal, could have Spring, and Gat (Air) could have Autumn, associated with the winds that blow before full winter sets in. Tal and Gat could retain the animal children they already have; perhaps Rel and Yet could have animal children too.

I'm not sure why Yet (Ice) is guardian of Plants (Fey); doesn't ice kill plants?

I think you could work on the names. Having all of them be only one syllable seems a bit much, unless that kind of naming (very short) is a consistent feature of the setting.

Debihuman
2013-01-03, 02:54 AM
Do your Gods have a gender? Are they related to one another? If so, are these pleasant relationships or adversarial? Is there a hierarchy of any sort? Are they equally active? Does Tal also have Undead as worshipers?

Debby

Frathe
2013-01-03, 03:01 AM
How did these gods originate? Are they avatars of primal elemental forces, existing from the beginning of time, or did they come into existence later and are simply associated with their elements?

When you say they try not to interfere, are they willing to grant powers to clerics and paladins in order to accomplish goals? Are any of them underhanded in doing so?

What alignments are these gods?

Athedia
2013-01-03, 03:05 AM
I like this, very balanced and symmetrical without seeming forced. Anything in particular you want to ask? I suppose we could collaborate on a holy text for each one, but that seems a little extreme as a starting point.

Nothing in particular, just thoughts and questions that came to mind.


I think the children might seem more balanced if, instead of having two gods take Spring to Fall and Fall to Spring, you assigned each of the four gods a season that they have humanoid children born in. Yet (Ice) could have Winter, Rel (Fire) could have Summer, Tal (Earth), who has the Domains of Plant and Animal, could have Spring, and Gat (Air) could have Autumn, associated with the winds that blow before full winter sets in. Tal and Gat could retain the animal children they already have; perhaps Rel and Yet could have animal children too.

The "Children of" doesn't actually give powers or anything and I was looking for something I felt was more human. It is more a thematic naming, no real consequences.


I'm not sure why Yet (Ice) is guardian of Plants (Fey); doesn't ice kill plants?

Ice or water. Part of each god is the different aspects of the god. Plants are very ordered and set in their paths (one thing I have always admired in my biology classes) Since Yet is associated with order Plants fit best.


I think you could work on the names. Having all of them be only one syllable seems a bit much, unless that kind of naming (very short) is a consistent feature of the setting.

The names are short for a couple reasons. 1. I want them to be easy to remember and say for the players. 2. There is a pattern to the names with shared Middle or End letters. and 3. As of now these are just a lot easier to write.

Do your Gods have a gender? Are they related to one another? If so, are these pleasant relationships or adversarial? Is there a hierarchy of any sort? Are they equally active? Does Tal also have Undead as worshipers?

Debby

I thought of them as siblings, but genderless. They could appear as male or female but in reality they do that only so they can be understood by mortals.
It is a mostly pleasant relationship, the problems are not caused by the gods, but by peoples actions. They must be equally active, to keep balance although not everyone sees them being active. Tal does not have Undead as worshippers because undead do not generally exist. The ones that do are formed through arcane magic and fall outside the gods.

Athedia
2013-01-03, 03:11 AM
How did these gods originate? Are they avatars of primal elemental forces, existing from the beginning of time, or did they come into existence later and are simply associated with their elements?

When you say they try not to interfere, are they willing to grant powers to clerics and paladins in order to accomplish goals? Are any of them underhanded in doing so?

What alignments are these gods?

The origin story is that as long as they have known, they have existed as they are now. They are associated with the elements because that is how they split the land. Each element to the one it fit most.

Those who can use divine power are call "touched" and taught in the churches or temples. All four gods must chose the child for it to be "touched" and then they let the child decide its path. In times that the world is out of balance, such as due to the work of arcane magic, they have lent extra powers or items to those they deem worthy (not just clerics and paladins).

The religion is odd in that I want to make conflict come not from the gods, but from humans interpretation of such.

I also don't follow normal alignment guidelines. I would consider the gods neutral, outside good and evil. Air and Fire tend to be more chaotic, while Earth and Ice tend to be more lawful. Going by standard alignment anyway.

Midwoka
2013-01-03, 03:21 AM
Seems like Gat should be guardian of vermin, having insects as children. Tal would be better suited to animals anyway, since more of them are terrestrial or aquatic.

Frathe
2013-01-03, 04:19 AM
If you don't want to change the children, you could add a "Season" association like the Color one.


Rel:
Color: Red
Element: Fire
Season: Summer
Children: Humanoids born from Spring to Fall Equinox
Association: Chaos and Destruction, Rebirth
Domains:Chaos, War, Destruction, Fire,Healing
Guardian of: Humanoids (Monstrous Humanoids)

Yet:
Color: Light Blue
Element: Ice
Season: Winter
Children:Humanoids born from Fall to Spring Equinox
Association: Order and Cleanliness, Old Age
Domains: Protection, Water, Knowledge, Law, Luck
Guardian of: Plants (Fey)

Tal:
Color: Dark Brown
Element: Earth
Season: Spring
Children: Terrestrial and water-dwelling animals
Association: The Body
Domains: Animal, Death, Plant, Strength, Earth,
Guardian of: Vermin (Magical Beasts)

Gat:
Color: Gray
Element: Air
Season: Autumn
Children: Avians and Insects
Association:The Spirit
Domains: Magic, Air, Sun, Travel, Trickery
Guardian of: Animals (Dragons)

Morph Bark
2013-01-03, 04:38 AM
Why is Tal the guardian of vermin, if they're children of Gat? Are there lesser gods? Is Water also an element in your world, or just Ice? (Since Water might make more sense for a god who is the guardian of plants.)

Athedia
2013-01-03, 11:40 AM
Seems like Gat should be guardian of vermin, having insects as children. Tal would be better suited to animals anyway, since more of them are terrestrial or aquatic.

You are right, that does make more sense. I was thinking about those insects on the ground but there are far more in the skys.

If you don't want to change the children, you could add a "Season" association like the Color one.


Rel:
Color: Red
Element: Fire
Season: Summer
Children: Humanoids born from Spring to Fall Equinox
Association: Chaos and Destruction, Rebirth
Domains:Chaos, War, Destruction, Fire,Healing
Guardian of: Humanoids (Monstrous Humanoids)

Yet:
Color: Light Blue
Element: Ice
Season: Winter
Children:Humanoids born from Fall to Spring Equinox
Association: Order and Cleanliness, Old Age
Domains: Protection, Water, Knowledge, Law, Luck
Guardian of: Plants (Fey)

Tal:
Color: Dark Brown
Element: Earth
Season: Spring
Children: Terrestrial and water-dwelling animals
Association: The Body
Domains: Animal, Death, Plant, Strength, Earth,
Guardian of: Vermin (Magical Beasts)

Gat:
Color: Gray
Element: Air
Season: Autumn
Children: Avians and Insects
Association:The Spirit
Domains: Magic, Air, Sun, Travel, Trickery
Guardian of: Animals (Dragons)


That is a good idea. Thanks.


Why is Tal the guardian of vermin, if they're children of Gat? Are there lesser gods? Is Water also an element in your world, or just Ice? (Since Water might make more sense for a god who is the guardian of plants.)

First question addressed above. There are no lesser gods. Water falls under Ice, I see water as an aspect of Ice.