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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    The planet Earth is made up of one giant supercontinent that all of humanity live on. The landmasses are separated by jungles, deserts, mountain ranges, large rivers, and other geographical barriers. However, They are all connected through portals called Realm Gates, which are scattered thoughout the supercontinent. The portals vary in size, from those which could only transport several people at once, to larger ones that can move hundreds or even thousands. These gates exist across different different countires. Their people have their own cultures, traditions, and celebrations, but all follow one organized faith.

    Realm Gates are controlled by the organized religion, which exists in some form across these countries on the continent. Priests are the only ones who can activate or de-activate the portals. Churches spring up around these gates, and control access to them. They are considered sacred gifts from the gods, and destroying one is considered sacrilege. The knowledge of these portals are known to the public. These gates connect to each other as well as to the Main realmgates at the country's capital. This gate controls all the other gates in the country, and connects to the realmgates of the capitals of other nations.

    The world exists alongside a parallel reality that is equivalent to hell. This realm is filled with creatures called daemons that cross over into the world. The only thing keeping the daemons out is a thin barrier that exists between realms. This barrier is powered by human worship. Because of this, The religion wants to maintain a unified church without splitting into different factions like the monotheistic faiths of today, such as christianity and its many denominations. Since there are numerous countries on the landmass, each with its own people and cultures, it would be difficult to keep the faith consistent without causing misinterpretations and unwanted additions.

    How can I credibly describe how this church maintains its unity across a supercontinent without splintering?

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    BlackDragon

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    Default Re: A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    All the priests train or learn at one particular temple/school, and then spread out from there.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Lacuna Caster's Avatar

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    Default Re: A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    Quote Originally Posted by Sharad9 View Post
    The world exists alongside a parallel reality that is equivalent to hell. This realm is filled with creatures called daemons that cross over into the world. The only thing keeping the daemons out is a thin barrier that exists between realms. This barrier is powered by human worship...

    ...How can I credibly describe how this church maintains its unity across a supercontinent without splintering?
    Well, you've already described cheap, effective, long-distance methods of travel and communications controlled by the church- I don't see centralised administration of religious doctrine being a problem. The real question is how splintering could even occur.
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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    jqavins's Avatar

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    Default Re: A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    Here IRL, no matter what god(s) one believes in or not, it is hard to deny that there is a lack of deities walking among us or taking direct actions in our affairs. In IRL, the gods do not throw rocks through the windows of atheists.

    In a fantasy world with (an) absolutely real and present, active god(s) splintering such as you've described is nearly impossible. (And Lacuna is right that rapid, reliable long range transport makes it even less likely.) Consider what happens when a particular cleric decides that, I don't know, coconuts are not abominations after all. IRL that could cause a religious schism. But in a fantasy world where the god(s) are present and active, (a) god comes down, booms out "OH YES THEY ARE!" and throws a big coconut through the heretic's window, perhaps inflicting a fatal head wound (depending on just how nasty this god is feeling).

    So, splintering is not a problem.
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  5. - Top - End - #5
    Troll in the Playground
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    Default Re: A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    Quote Originally Posted by jqavins View Post
    Here IRL, no matter what god(s) one believes in or not, it is hard to deny that there is a lack of deities walking among us or taking direct actions in our affairs. In IRL, the gods do not throw rocks through the windows of atheists.

    In a fantasy world with (an) absolutely real and present, active god(s) splintering such as you've described is nearly impossible. (And Lacuna is right that rapid, reliable long range transport makes it even less likely.) Consider what happens when a particular cleric decides that, I don't know, coconuts are not abominations after all. IRL that could cause a religious schism. But in a fantasy world where the god(s) are present and active, (a) god comes down, booms out "OH YES THEY ARE!" and throws a big coconut through the heretic's window, perhaps inflicting a fatal head wound (depending on just how nasty this god is feeling).

    So, splintering is not a problem.
    The gods don't even need to be anywhere near that interventionist. So long as the deities can be contacted, and that multiple contacts will provide consistent answers splintering becomes effectively impossible.

    Also, in this specific setting, a religious schism will result in the barrier failing and daemons rampaging across the world leading to countless horrors. History would therefore document that religious schisms are bad and there would be a massive pro-unity force.
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    Titan in the Playground
     
    Nifft's Avatar

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    Default Re: A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    If you follow the tenets of this religion precisely, your ritual magic works.

    If you don't follow the tenets precisely, then the magic fails.

    That's all you'd ever need, across any distance.

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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    Have it's deity be real and in contact with their followers
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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Everyl's Avatar

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    Default Re: A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    Make the worship-barrier non-uniform across the world. In places where worship is weak and/or improper, the barrier weakens, letting demonic entities slip into the world. This creates a highly obvious way for local priests and worshipers to get negative feedback when they do it wrong, and for the centralized authority of the church to figure out where to send inquisitors.

    I would think that such inquisitions would be less violent than real-world ones. After all, most heretics would probably willingly repent their heresies when they see that demons are getting loose in the countryside. I'd imagine it would be more like a remedial religious training program to get everyone back on the right path. The tangible threat of demons is the stick, the church only needs to offer a carrot.

    This would also help explain why there are few overland trade routes that circumvent the Realm Gate network. Who knows what horrors roam the godless wastes?
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    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    The big questions are, how actively interventionist are the deities, and how specific does faith have to be in order to keep the nasties out?

    Other people have mentioned that interventionist deities tend to create more cohesive churches, by simple dint of the fact that they can speak for themselves if they need to clear things up. They also covered the fact that you have cheap, instant, long-range transit, which helps reduce the amount of cultural drift that happens when two regions aren't in contact for a while.

    Assuming an Eberron-like system where most people believe that the gods exist but you can't just cast Commune for a direct line, greater religious tolerance and an attitude of "we won't let small details distract us from the fact that we ultimately worship the same god" will wind up spreading. It might be that people see demonic invasions as clear punishment for lack of faith. (A not unreasonable interpretation of events, since lack of faith is what opens the door to the demons even if there isn't actually any being doing anything with punitive intent.) It might be that church higher ups know the real mechanics, but still play nice because religious conflicts come with a built in mutually assured destruction clause. But if people in one town believe that God wants you to be vegetarian except on feast days, while people in another town always wear something yellow because they believe that God finds the color pleasing, they'll be strongly incentivized to focus more on the "don't lie, cheat, steal, or kill" basic tenets and overlook the trivial details.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Planetar

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    Default Re: A unified religion existing across a supercontinent

    Building on a previous idea, perhaps the barrier is weaker in certain locations around the country where heresy historically occurred. Perhaps include tieflings as descendants of these heretics, treated as lepers and shunned from society to serve as living evidence as what happens when the gods are shunned/demons are worshipped.

    Bonus twist, the church is responsible for the weakened barrier at these locations via nefarious conspiracy along the lines of utilizing fear of Evil over love of Good.
    Last edited by Paeleus; 2018-01-31 at 12:12 PM.

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