Well, for a steampunk game, I had one idea in my previous campaign.
Basically Gnomes were steampunk tinkerers in a world otherwise a gargantuan jungle. Their culture was not ancient but there was a clear division between "old" and "industrialised". For example, Gnomes received their names according to the occupation of their most revered ancestor - an easy way to distinguish between the newly acknowledged like Clocksmiths and the old nobles like Knights.
As a result of the shift towards technology, their deities had received new portfolios. For example, the god of war had adopted siege weaponry and transport. If I remember correctly, the god of magic had also become the patron of innovation, although the need for magic had waned due to the increasing influence of technology (Of course, this is not a necessary development and the Gnomes had also enchanted their machines. I've always been a sucker for the idea of enchanted firearms.)
My personal favourite is the Halfling triad of gods from the same campaign, though. The Halflings themselves were nomads with a very distinguished tradition of naming (the gods themselves reflect this, although they might sound corny out of context). I especially enjoyed their god of everything nasty (one was good, one neutral and one evil).
The god of evil was called Splinterheart the Dark (actually, I'm not sure about the Dark-part but it's secondary). Essentially he was an ambitious god who sought to increase his influence over the living by bleeding his own essence into their hearts. Before this act of betrayal he had fought off the ancient gargantuans that threatened the newborn race of Halflings alongside the other gods. When caught in action, he was smashed into splinters which were scattered all around the world. However, beasts fed on the pieces and they became integrated in the cycle of life, causing darkness to always stick from the heart of everything alive, polluting them with dark desires. Essentially the god is like pollution: the higher you are in the hierarchy of life, the more you accumulate. Thus intelligent beings and those with might are the likeliest to succumb to Splinterheart's allure.
Basically Gnomes were steampunk tinkerers in a world otherwise a gargantuan jungle. Their culture was not ancient but there was a clear division between "old" and "industrialised". For example, Gnomes received their names according to the occupation of their most revered ancestor - an easy way to distinguish between the newly acknowledged like Clocksmiths and the old nobles like Knights.
As a result of the shift towards technology, their deities had received new portfolios. For example, the god of war had adopted siege weaponry and transport. If I remember correctly, the god of magic had also become the patron of innovation, although the need for magic had waned due to the increasing influence of technology (Of course, this is not a necessary development and the Gnomes had also enchanted their machines. I've always been a sucker for the idea of enchanted firearms.)
My personal favourite is the Halfling triad of gods from the same campaign, though. The Halflings themselves were nomads with a very distinguished tradition of naming (the gods themselves reflect this, although they might sound corny out of context). I especially enjoyed their god of everything nasty (one was good, one neutral and one evil).
The god of evil was called Splinterheart the Dark (actually, I'm not sure about the Dark-part but it's secondary). Essentially he was an ambitious god who sought to increase his influence over the living by bleeding his own essence into their hearts. Before this act of betrayal he had fought off the ancient gargantuans that threatened the newborn race of Halflings alongside the other gods. When caught in action, he was smashed into splinters which were scattered all around the world. However, beasts fed on the pieces and they became integrated in the cycle of life, causing darkness to always stick from the heart of everything alive, polluting them with dark desires. Essentially the god is like pollution: the higher you are in the hierarchy of life, the more you accumulate. Thus intelligent beings and those with might are the likeliest to succumb to Splinterheart's allure.
