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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jfdlsjfd" data-source="post: 8729447" data-attributes="member: 42856">What would be the point, for the people in-setting? If they are practicing a ritual-based religion, they expect X if they perform worship act Y. It literally doesn't matter if your good crops are granted by Demeter or Dave, the 2 HD talking turnip. The first might be propitiated nationwide by public offerings of 100 oxen, you can propitiate the latter with a weekly cup of milk but for the local peasants, the end result is the same: did you achieve what you needed by performing religion? If it's yes, Demeter = Dave for all intent and purpose. If not, you'll trust the practice that works most often, or do both just in case you weren't asking help from them but just placating them to prevent them from ruining your crops just because they can.I think that's one of the first missing questions in the list of the OP, and one that should be answered first when designing a mythology: defining the relationship to the supernatural in the context of a fantasy universe. This isn't only a question of believing in gods or loving/hating them (or being forced to take part in public worship). The distinction about "meriting" awe and reverence is a modern one, and not something that would work in all culture and universe. When the Romans did rituals to literally bribe their opponent's gods to desert them before a battle (evocatio), did they assuage wether, say, Tanit was meriting reverence? Even if they were absolutely convinced the Carthaginian gods were unworthy (and they would have a point if they concluded they were untrustworthy since any random enemy army can make them desert their people), the Romans held their part of the promise of games and a temple. Let's say the bar for meriting worship was more "this thing can help me, so it merits my worship".Really? Why? If the 2 HD radish spirit could grant "Good Turnip Harvest" if you bath yourself in a pool of turnip soup on a specific night of the year, most holy to the turnip spirit, wouldn't you grant him reverence after a bad year where you and your family only survived on turnips ? Would you say "OK, thanks for the turnip but you do not merit awe, guy!" and risk insult him so he stops blessing the pool of turnip soup next year? Or would you just add him to the millions of little gods you already proptiate as part of your daily life? God is a very apt term for "supernatural entity you can bargain with through religious (=binding) rituals".This views also fits the way clerics in game are often played. I am pretty sure clerics, when played by players, totally and fully expect their spells as part of the bargain of being a cleric. I seem to remember that Ao doesn't grant spell in the FR (or maybe he didn't at some time?) and as a result I expect to see very few clerics of Ao in play (despite being totally awe-inspiring).</blockquote>

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