H e r e s y

[MelodyMusica]

I'm still really new to the server (just under two months playing now) so I've been trying to absorb the information over races and cultures first and am going to slowly start trying to get my characters figured out in religious aspects.
Honestly right now my character's religion hasn't come up IRP yet so I'm just rolling with it until I get the waters figured out.

 

[NIAH]

During the Unease event, the presence of the Divines in our world literally screwed with our daily existence. So they left our world and things got better without them. Crops stopped rotting. Winds stopped howling. Money stopped disappearing.

Why worship something like the Divines when we're better off without them?

That's some logic, at least.

 

[BoredBrit]

During the Unease event, the presence of the Divines in our world literally screwed with our daily existence. So they left our world and things got better without them. Crops stopped rotting. Winds stopped howling. Money stopped disappearing.

Why worship something like the Divines when we're better off without them?

That's some logic, at least.

because since then we've had a huge undead invasion and demons enter the realm

 

[Spirit]

I got something but give me a bit, Brit

 

[Jazzper]

The undead invasion was, to some people, also because of the gods. People wanted to revive the gods; we get gobsmacked by Skraag.

 

[NIAH]

because since then we've had a huge undead invasion and demons enter the realm

Because of mortals removing wards to "save the gods" at the word of a looney. Also could be blamed on religion.

 

[Jazzper]

I have two casual worshipper chars, one char who worships a non-pantheon god and a pious Korog follower.

The two casual worshippers grew up in places where the gods were worshipped, but they've never seen them.
The 'heathen' worships his race's god yet doesnt attack anyone for worshipping the 'lesser gods'.
The pious person has had interactions with gods, has lots of info about them and therefore is a priest to Korog.

I agree with the aforementioned statements that the gods have done bad stuff (like Korog, being the reason why he's not as popular among Dwarves who are aware) or have never been seen by certain chars.

 

[Immerael]

We literally caused the undead invasion by removing the wards at the word of crazy man as Niah mentioned. The last direct words from a Divine that I am aware of that addressed the whole server was Silas telling us all they'd be taking a step back. Then when they take a step back everyone loses their shit and breaks our magic anti undead shields to bring them back.

That level of childlike hissyfit that mom and dad left likely didn't endear religion to some of the already less devout folks. Also to add on during all of that it was Shoreless an elemental not a Divine that helped us.

My character is technically a heretic is secret but he doesn't deny the existence of other Divines. He's seen Rahas, and Silas (though he doesn't know this last bit). He simply believes the Divines are more like the Greek Gods and thus incredibly falliable.

He worships She Who Is beyond all Names cause the Divine Law leads him to believe she isn't truly dead and that the Pantheon fears her powers. Also when Harateth died but just before Ignis was born the sun blinked out of existence or so he's been told. So if SWIBN was truly 100% gone he thinks magic would be gone as well but as a mage he knows this is false. Given the Divines are a prideful lot if a Divine held the domain of magic he believes 100% they would be advertising that fact to get more worshippers. Even so he isn't as devout as any human Ignis worshipper but that's just following base Silver Elf lore. They aren't as devout in comparison to the other races.

 

[Blorbis83]

There is only one true God. Me.
Blorbo- supreme meme.

But in all seriousness- Theo worships the gods but doesn't care who you follow, so long as you're not a destructive or malicious person

 

[Immerael]

In addition I kind of like the atmosphere more now where you don't have to watch your back for fear of being burned a heretic. I know some folks found that whole bunch of RP fun but it wasn't my preferred way of play.

In a fantasy world where Imm wrote the server lore I'd use this as an excuse to wipe the Divine Law and draw up new Divines. If a current Divine had enough followers to justify their continued existence keep them and reward the folks who do that kind of RP. If a Divine can't pull a crowd of any kind wipe them and through some events have a new Divine form that takes parts of them etc etc.

In an ideal world I'd like it so groups could write their own Divines and if they managed enough followers to will them or a similar being into existence. The idea sounds weird I'm sure but there is some precedence for it and it is so far from what server lore under Mich/Nael had in the realms of possibility.

 

[ToastySpam]

Wait, did people used to get burned as a heretic if they didn't support the gods IC? I don't know whether I'm happy or disappointed that I missed that period of the server.

 

[Spirit]

Alright, now that I'm at a PC I can just type out what I honestly do and think when it comes to all this Pantheon bidnis.

Alright, it's best to explain by telling people the full story behind the Chicken Society- no I'm not memeing, they were a serious thing I was doing and I was building up a story for people to look through. A quest of sorts. Chicken God wasn't a made up god or anything, He was a normal man who reached out to others with no where else to go or nothing else to look forward to in their lives. He took people in, he did good deeds, and he accidentally started a cult. After the cult came into place he referred to himself as Chicken God due to the amounts of feathers and masks and such the cult used. He didn't WANT to start a cult, but he couldn't get people to calm down. So it just happened. And because the Chicken Society was too crazy and open about how much they praise 'Chicken God', they were shut down.
The man's message wasn't that the current Gods don't exist and all that, Chicken God was trying to tell people that "The Gods are holding us back, they're not around to do anything to help us, we need to take matters into our own hands." That's what he was all about. Be sadly, my story was cut short when he was murderlle urdlled.

OOCly and ICly, I've been having that sort of mentality, even when Spirit was around. Yes, his entire family worships Sallana- butt even then Spirit did say "We need to take matters into our own hands and stop trying to depend on and call for beings that aren't around." Yes, they technically /are/ around, but the point was that they're not really doing anything huge to help us out. That's also why the other day, Soul called a depute over worship is 'Petty'. Because at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. They're not doing anything huge for us, we all still die in the end, and to my understanding- "Everyone's God is either a liar, jerk, or both."
It's Soul said "If they're a heretic openly... fuck 'em." because he knows and realizes that we will all just die in the end anyway and that we should spend whatever time we have now enjoying our lives and spending time with our loved ones. Not trying to lynch all the heretics and burn all the babies.

 

[French Roast]

In an ideal world I'd like it so groups could write their own Divines and if they managed enough followers to will them or a similar being into existence. The idea sounds weird I'm sure but there is some precedence for it and it is so far from what server lore under Mich/Nael had in the realms of possibility.

Sounds a little bit like the Chaos Gods of the Warhammer 40k universes. It wasn't so straightforward but the gods literally were formed because of a core aspect of life that was widespread across the galaxy and so had a huge impact in the warp. They were almost literally willed into existence. I.E. Khorne formed because violence and bloodshed is a core aspect of society that has existed basically since the dawn of sentient life. I've always loved this sort of idea though I see what you're proposing is more of an intentional creation of a god by a cult.


Tryg is a devout Theodra worshiper and that is partially because of his upbringing, and partially because he views the rest of the gods as being, for the most part, not worth worshiping. Hell, he's even outlawed the worship of the more evil gods in Stoltfar. But that said, he's married to someone who doesn't worship the gods and though he's made attempts to change her mind in that regard, he doesn't see her as lowly for being a heretic. In a way he thinks she indirectly worships Theodra simply by upholding the same sort of ideals she represents. He cares less about divine law, because it is something used by all the gods when he only worships one of them.

Veriswen is non-religious but she does believe the gods exist. Again partially because of her upbringing, she wasn't raised in a traditional Moor household and so she doesn't feel any particular inclination to the Grey Lady. The other reason is it's just in her nature to not tie herself down to an ideology, order or commitment like that, especially when it could be a burden in the future.

I can't speak for the reasons of others but I tend to mainly use backstory to explain my characters' religious inclinations including those who aren't religious. I largely share your sentiment BoredBrit and would love to see more religious devotion and orders. Maybe not ALL fanatics that enforce divine law everywhere, but something more than what we have.

 

[Baron]

Players have made their own gods in the past, which have taken roles in server goings-on. Also SWIBN is definitively dead, and at current no god appears to have the "magic" profile locked in, making it a freebie for someone who wants to make their own god.

 

[BoredBrit]

 

[Luam]

Heretics. Heretics everywhere.

EDIT: WE DID NOT DO THIS ON PURPOSE

 

[Magiik]

If I may slightly divert the conversation, but hopefully in a way that still maintains the original goal and topic:

Why do characters, even ones that are only somewhat religious, forgive heretics so easily? In a world where the gods are real and their influence is once again growing, why do people oppose the individuals that try to punish heretics? Isn't the divine law fairly straightforward in regards to that?

I'll offer my own reasoning in a bit, but I am curious what others have to say.

 

[Spirit]

If I may slightly divert the conversation, but hopefully in a way that still maintains the original goal and topic:

Why do characters, even ones that are only somewhat religious, forgive heretics so easily? In a world where the gods are real and their influence is once again growing, why do people oppose the individuals that try to punish heretics? Isn't the divine law fairly straightforward in regards to that?

I'll offer my own reasoning in a bit, but I am curious what others have to say.

I think I technically gave away my reason why.

"Arguing over gods doesn't matter, we all die in the damn end, anyway."

 

[BoredBrit]

I think I technically gave away my reason why.

"Arguing over gods doesn't matter, we all die in the damn end, anyway."

and then your soul gets fudged for eternity by animancers unless.. unless great igni synnovi protec. Lannis

 

[MelodyMusica]

If I may slightly divert the conversation, but hopefully in a way that still maintains the original goal and topic:

Why do characters, even ones that are only somewhat religious, forgive heretics so easily? In a world where the gods are real and their influence is once again growing, why do people oppose the individuals that try to punish heretics? Isn't the divine law fairly straightforward in regards to that?

I'll offer my own reasoning in a bit, but I am curious what others have to say.

Both of my characters that I've had out and playing since I joined are too nice to hate people over if they're a heretic or not. They more judge you on how you treat them and both of them aren't treated too badly.