The gods of Nuterra are very real, and always changing. The worship of their followers and the books they grant can have a profound effect on the world around the players. For this reason we'll be covering the origins and evolution of Nuterra's gods,how they interact with mortals, and even how to create your own pantheon.
In the beginning there was nothing but dust and magic floating in empty space. As these particles got closer together three beings came to be The Great Star Bird, The Great World Turtle, and The Fungus. Eventually the Great Star Bird flew too close to the Great World Turtle and was stricken by a piece of debris from the Turtle's shell. This collision burned away the Star Bird’s wings, leaving behind only a single feather. From this feather sprang the oldest gods.
Today, the existence of gods is dependent on mortals and their faith. So much so that sufficient belief in or worship of a concept or deity can give birth to a whole new god. In addition, renaming a god can also create a new, derivative god. To give a real-life example, the goddess Athena is a goddess of war, wisdom, and crafts. If a sufficient number of people chose to worship only Athena's aspect of wisdom, that concept of Athena could become its own goddess. Likewise, renaming Athena "Minerva" could also give birth to its own derivative goddess.
Unfortunately for the older gods, this also means that some of their following has been lost and, in turn, some of the god's power. Because of this symbiotic relationship with mortals, a forgotten god is a dead god. Naturally, this makes godhood in Mortal Reins a cutthroat existence. In order to remain alive and relevant the gods bestow power upon priests and prophets, showing off with miracles and impressive displays of power. To step back and allow another god to outperform them could mean death.
Because of the fluidity of this system, even players who want to play with Nuterra's lore have the opportunity to create their own pantheon of gods. This can feel like an overwhelming task, so we've compiled some ideas here for those in need of inspiration.
It's a good idea to begin with base assumptions about your dieties. These are considerations like the relationships between dieties, how "good" interacts with" evil," or if the cultures these dieties belong to even believe in such distinctions. You may also consider the level of involvement dieties have with mortals. In the base lore, dieties have minimal direct influence over mortals, except through the conduits of their chosen prophets. Historically, more direct contact has had disasterous results.
Culture can also be a huge influence on what sorts of dieties a society worships. Consider things like family structure, views on different genders, the general level of education in your society, cultural values, and common day-to-day activities. An agriculturally based society prone to forest-fires is more likely to have gods of harvest and fire, for example, than a seafaring society of amazon warriors.
This actually brings me to my final objects for consideration- geography and natural phenomena. The world immediately surrounding a society can be influential in the creation of a diety as well. A god of the mountains may exist in an area of frequent rockfalls, born of followers praying for protection from a rocky grave. Alternatively a society may pray for a resource they need, such as a desert culture worshipping a goddess of rain. There's plenty of room for creativity, so let your mind run wild.
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