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<blockquote data-quote="Mystaros" data-source="post: 4042764" data-attributes="member: 3921"><p>To answer the rest of the questions...</p><p></p><p>The whole syncretism issue never really occurs, as mentioned before; this is because the gods of Aerth are the gods right out of Deities & Demigods, i.e., they are not metaphysical ideas so much as real beings with unique natures. A bit of oddness can happen, as a god can break of a part of his being and create a scion (a la Shimrod and Murgen of the Lyonesse stories). There is a scion of Hermes/Mercury who was taught at the knee of Thoth, for example, who is quite favored as a patron by wizards. Then, as mentioned, at times gods have died, and their powers subsumed by other deities or even by mortals (Atum-Re), or when a god gives part of his power to another deity (Horus-Ra).</p><p></p><p>True blending of the pantheons can occur, through marriage and other relations, as well, though it was uncommon before the Great War of the Gods, and is still relatively rare. Aphrodite, of course, has caused no end of troubles between pantheons over the centuries ever since she finally walked out on Hephaestus; she's got bastards (some fully divine, others half-mortal) all across the globe... and Heracles' bastards give no end of headaches to the Greek Patriarchs (he is very much his father's son).</p><p></p><p>Religion itself, though, is mostly up to the mortals... so you can find some religions that are a bit of a mix of pantheons, others that are more purely pantheonist, and others yet which are effectively henotheism verging on monotheism (many Shamish followers of Shamash have this belief). So while overriding beliefs and rituals are guided by the gods, they work within the mortal temple structures and mortal beliefs... which of course means there can be schisms and fights even within a temple revering the same gods.</p><p></p><p>Greco-Aegyptian syncretism was much more limited in Aerth, as Aegypt much more readily assimilated the Ptolemaic Greeks than our world did; rather than going halfway, the Ptolemies became wholeheartedly Aegyptian, as did most of their followers, while other Greeks remained Greek. Aegypt remains classically Aegyptian into the 51st century AA (21st century AD our time), though now and again Lower Aegypt and even Middle Aegypt have been held by Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Yarbans; Upper Aegypt has always remained free and Aegyptian. In 4130 Lower Aegypt it is held by Yarban theocracy dedicated to the Moon God Nana-Sin (making it the enemy of pretty much all other Yarbans, who hold Shamash to be ascendant at the time). Middle and Upper Aegypt are a single kingdom under the Pharaoh; the Free City of Ascalon is also still held by Aegyptians, though they are rather more secular, as the ruling council is made of Wizards.</p><p></p><p>As to Mithras, he never really made it into Rome; the Empire developed the Roman Church early enough to stave off major foreign mystery cults, though a few existed here and there, but remained mere cults without any major political power.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mystaros, post: 4042764, member: 3921"] To answer the rest of the questions... The whole syncretism issue never really occurs, as mentioned before; this is because the gods of Aerth are the gods right out of Deities & Demigods, i.e., they are not metaphysical ideas so much as real beings with unique natures. A bit of oddness can happen, as a god can break of a part of his being and create a scion (a la Shimrod and Murgen of the Lyonesse stories). There is a scion of Hermes/Mercury who was taught at the knee of Thoth, for example, who is quite favored as a patron by wizards. Then, as mentioned, at times gods have died, and their powers subsumed by other deities or even by mortals (Atum-Re), or when a god gives part of his power to another deity (Horus-Ra). True blending of the pantheons can occur, through marriage and other relations, as well, though it was uncommon before the Great War of the Gods, and is still relatively rare. Aphrodite, of course, has caused no end of troubles between pantheons over the centuries ever since she finally walked out on Hephaestus; she's got bastards (some fully divine, others half-mortal) all across the globe... and Heracles' bastards give no end of headaches to the Greek Patriarchs (he is very much his father's son). Religion itself, though, is mostly up to the mortals... so you can find some religions that are a bit of a mix of pantheons, others that are more purely pantheonist, and others yet which are effectively henotheism verging on monotheism (many Shamish followers of Shamash have this belief). So while overriding beliefs and rituals are guided by the gods, they work within the mortal temple structures and mortal beliefs... which of course means there can be schisms and fights even within a temple revering the same gods. Greco-Aegyptian syncretism was much more limited in Aerth, as Aegypt much more readily assimilated the Ptolemaic Greeks than our world did; rather than going halfway, the Ptolemies became wholeheartedly Aegyptian, as did most of their followers, while other Greeks remained Greek. Aegypt remains classically Aegyptian into the 51st century AA (21st century AD our time), though now and again Lower Aegypt and even Middle Aegypt have been held by Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Yarbans; Upper Aegypt has always remained free and Aegyptian. In 4130 Lower Aegypt it is held by Yarban theocracy dedicated to the Moon God Nana-Sin (making it the enemy of pretty much all other Yarbans, who hold Shamash to be ascendant at the time). Middle and Upper Aegypt are a single kingdom under the Pharaoh; the Free City of Ascalon is also still held by Aegyptians, though they are rather more secular, as the ruling council is made of Wizards. As to Mithras, he never really made it into Rome; the Empire developed the Roman Church early enough to stave off major foreign mystery cults, though a few existed here and there, but remained mere cults without any major political power. [/QUOTE]
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