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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mustrum_Ridcully" data-source="post: 9526117" data-attributes="member: 710">It also is kinda like it works in real life, at least from an atheist perspective - religions only have power if they have worshippers that follow their traditions. (Though obviously, for an atheist, there is just the religion, no deity, and no "supernatural" powers. Just what the community of worshipers can accomplish together.)I am very partial to the Discworld version of belief, though I don't think it's a prevalent among game settings.I also like the idea for world-building that gods can exist independent of worshippers, but they actually gain something from them. Of course, that definitely means they aren't omnipotent or anything. Just powerful.My idea for the Demigod Destiny in my D&D 4ified Arcana Evolved is that the Demigod gains the ability to teleport to places of worship from its domain, and back to its domain. Of course, that' just their demigod stage, who knows what gods actually do.The story of the Diamond Throne setting suggests at least one group of gods that interacted with mortals a few centuries back, 3 adventurers that found an artifact and became the Hanavere Trinity. But they had limited power, they were apparently killed by the Demonic-Draconic Dramojh conqueroers when they tried to defend their nation or city. But most larger religions seem to worship gods seem to be the distant kind that no one interacts with ever. Though the Faen apparently often pray to minor, possibly personal gods of the moment. And the Giants seem to be more into ancestor worship than deities. [SPOILER="Campaign Ideas"]I think for my campaign I will go for the idea that the original gods left. Some kind of war broke out, either between the gods or against the Primordials or a combination, and when they realized it could destroy the world, they left.it is believed only mortal souls can go where they are. The immortals that served them couldn't follow them, however. New gods might still be born later, but they might not have the power the original gods have - but even that can't be certain, because they can't interact so far.The immortals left behind split into the demon, devil and angel factions. The angels tend to the divine machinery left behind by the gods and they guide good, noble souls to what the Immortal consider the Gates of Heaven, places where mortal souls can pass through, presumably to wherever the gods are waiting for them. They seem to gain power the more noble and old the soul is. They hope that if they send enough such souls, the gods will return for them.The devils try to keep souls with undue ambition and selfishness from going to heaven. If they find them, they nourish their dark passions to see how far they will go, and on death, will punish them for their transgression, until al their guilt has been depleted and they can be sent to heaven, with the devils gaining power from this process. They seek to use this power to create and fuel their own machines of creations.The demons found the abyss, and they discovered this object of malevolence and destruction could be strengthened by adding vicious and destructive souls to it. The souls wander through the abyss, releasing power to the abyss, until they reach the Gates of Haven, but the demons don't really care about that anymore. They seek to empower the abyss. Demons love to incite violent conflicts, hoping to find the souls they need that way. With enough power, they believe it can destroy the world, though the demons don't really agree on the ultimate goal - some belief it will finally allow them to die and find peace, others believe it will allow them to break the gates of heaven and punish the gods for abonding them. In fact, even devils and angels internally do not entirely agree on what to do when they manage to reconnect with the gods - will they continue to serve, will they demand a new role, or do they seek revenge?The devils and angels worry about the demons plan and the abyss, it could defeat what they are doing.The demons and devils worry that the Ancient Machines of Creation in the hands of the Angel could eventually hinder their plans, stopping the growth of the abyss or the punishment of evil souls.The demons and angels worry that the hells could finally create new machines of creation that could be blasphemous to the gods, or help protect the material world from destruction by the abyss.[/SPOILER]</blockquote>

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