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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kristivas" data-source="post: 6124854" data-attributes="member: 34179">Perhaps I should have been a little more clear.  4E isn't my favorite edition, but I really do appreciate their alignment system.  I like the simplicity of it compared to the earlier versions.The Six spirits are an embodiment of their essence, rather than specific powers.  A Shaman-type character who chose to worship the "Ancestor" spirit, for example, would be worshipping his own Ancestors and calling to them for power/aid/advice.  A Druid who chose Nature and Water would serve to protect those forces, but those forces aren't exactly set up as the pantheon.  There isn't one water God, and a fire God.  They're essences that imbue power to mortals who faithfully battle for their interests and protection, without the ego and central focus of a deity.The Black Queen was once part of The Unbound, and likewise had a sort of a counterpart/foe in the Rule of Order.  Just over a thousand years prior, she was able to fulfill an epic plan in which she murdered her foe and used his essence for two distinct, unholy purposes.1.  The first was to give herself enough power to hold off the assaults of the other Gods joining together against her after putting her plan into play.2.  The second was to imbue her 10 most loyal, most powerful followers.  This is where the High Necrolords were created.  More powerful than any other spellcaster previously seen upon Connoleath, the High Necrolords were able to use their newfound abilities to raise undead and evil demi-human armies in a very rapid amount of time.(Additionally, it is with some of these High Necrolords with whom she mated to create her demigod spawn.)Deities on Connoleath aren't listed as the traditional Greater, Intermediate, Lesser deities.  One is either a God, or they aren't (except in the case of a Demigod).  Their power levels are generally dependent on the numbers of followers that have.  Those within a Faction (such as the Unbound), also share some of their powers among themselves.  Even the deity with the fewest followers still gains additional strength just from a "shared pool" as the others within his or her faction.  Which is why it's generally better to be in a faction.  Sure, you're limited by what you're allowed to do based on the rules of the Celestial Conflict, but you at least have backup and more power than you'd have alone.It simply wasn't enough for The Black Queen.  She wanted it all, and she didn't want to wait forever.They're not really getting names because there isn't just one singular Spirit of Fire, or some God representing fire itself.A Cleric who had chosen Fire and Earth would pray to those aspects.  Casting Flame Strike, for example, he might speak along these lines."I cry out to the purifying Spirit of Flame!  Let my enemies be consumed in the righteous fire, their forms scattered to ash and cinder!  Let those remains feed new life, worthy to take steps upon this sacred land!"The Balance is just as concerned with power as the Rule of Order and The Unbound.  They don't want either of those two sides gaining too much of it and causing calamity (as The Black Queen did).  The Spirits don't care.  They don't care which Gods rule, so long as the Gods don't interfere with their aspect in the natural order.The Spirits of Water would rise up if you were polluting the oceans.  They wouldn't care if you're army is conquering cities and throwing babies over the walls.  They don't really have "morality" and "ego".  They seek only to preserve the world and their necessary place in it.I had intended for Shanir to oppose The Shade.  Where The Shade's assassin-minded followers destroy their enemies, Shanir's would seek to manipulate.  Using charm, trickery, blackmail.  Seeming to work "by the law", getting you by technicalities, rather than just having you killed outright.I saw the Steel Lady opposing Viasera.  Where Viasera is a careful planner and strategist, The Steel Lady is all about Courage and Glory.  They're both battle-minded deities, where you might view Viasera as a heavily armored warrior with sword and shield, carefully defending and waiting for an opening.  The Steel Lady, meanwhile, would be overwhelmingly wailing away with a two-handed axe or two weapons, throwing in all she had passionately.  Both methods seem to have their time and places during battle.Though, I shall give this some new thoughts based on your suggestions.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />He's kind of against the odds here, isn't he?  What's upsetting to the other deities is how quickly his worship has grown in 500 years.  As he was the first one to destroy one of the High Necrolords and set free one of the city-states, people have begun to flock to him.  While the other Gods have been helpless to prevent The Black Queen's sudden rise and domination on the mortal plane, The Pale Warden seems to be (though in truth, the others were trying) the first one to be able to do anything to help them.He knew that to align himself with a Faction would probably be his undoing.  After all, the factions had been unable to stop The Black Queen.  As she had betrayed her own faction, his joining one of them would swing them out of Balance, and he wasn't content to join with The Balance, since they seem to be the types to sit and debate, while he wanted to act.Being alone is kind of his thing.  All he needs, as far as he's concerned, is for the other deities to simply leave him alone.  Allow him to see the battle with the Queen to it's end.  One of his rallying calls for his followers is that all he needs, is their faith.Ironically enough, ignoring the other factions and focusing solely on the Queen probably would be the thing that gets him taken down in the long run.  Not to mention that the Queen isn't an easy foe.  If practically all of the other Gods didn't hate her already, she likely could have destroyed the Warden well before he got himself established.But, he's young (as far as Gods go) and zealous.  A brooding hero, standing alone, that young men strive to be like.I think gaining a special follower or underlings like that could be something awesome to happen further along in the story.  Especially after his "tide of kicking ass" starts to ebb and the battle becomes more drawn out.Yes, the Law portfolio was a mistake left over from an earlier incarnation.As for re-arranging herself and Shanir, I explained above why they're where they are, though am considering ways to move them to bring them more in line.You're quite right that she belonged in the Unbound, and very much was, until she turned her back on them.  While her domains don't necessarily say "Gimme Power", her personality (paranoid, violent, vain, etc) does.  She's like an evil, spoiled child.  She wants to claim as many Domains as possible, in order to spread her influence.  With as far as she's gone already, there isn't a chance to turn back now.  None of the pantheon would forgive her.  She's locked into her plan.The Tyrant wants to impose his views on anyone he can, in whatever manner.  Mysticism has to do with an order devoted to him that uses magic (or psionics) and alchemy to gain control over important individuals.  What better way to influence the world than to control a Senator before a critical vote, or using a Monarch as a puppet on the day of a big announcement.Thanks.  Though the number of demi-god followers wasn't done intentionally.  The simplest reason for her having so much more than the Warden was for it to look like an overwhelming and extremely one-sided conflict, which.. quite honestly, it is.  She has so much, while he stands alone, and still continues to fight.  It's one of the things that has drawn so many mortals to him in such a short time.Yeah, answered the above.  The Six aren't gods, they're simply the embodiment.  Fire, for example, will answer when called.. but the alignment of the representative it sends isn't for certain.Details for the deities are being written.  The names, short details, and the blurbs explaining are by no means the end.  I really wanted to make sure I had an interesting layout and placement before I started to fill in the individual entries and history.Got the first two questions answered above.The Valathoss are indeed related.  Kale and Kora are twins, while Shanir is their younger sibling.  Shanir turned from The Balance, lured away by her ex-lover, the Tyrant.As for where they came from, I have two different cosmology ideas.  I'm not sure which I'm going for.A.  Is along the lines of Connoleath being a very old world, that once ended in calamity and was rebuilt, with the new (current) gods either being the children or creations of the previous gods, who were forced to give up their power for their failures (the world being destroyed).(part of the campaign focus would be finding the remnants of the Old World.)B.  Would be your standard cosmology of a "designer" who created the world and the Gods, and set them into play before stepping away.  A friend asked me if I were going to have a "Lord Ao" or the "High God" watching over, and I said no.  Even if The Black Queen wins and kills everyone else, there's no "Angry Mother or Father" who will come sort the mess.I'll look into this.  I've no idea why I started giving them last names as I have.  I guess I really wanted the factions to be different from each other.  The Unbound deities pretty much describe them by name.  The Bloodletter, even without knowing his portfolios, you can guess he's a pretty angry, badass guy.  He wears his "heart on his sleeve", while Viasera Bloodmourn is a little hard to figure out in name only.I do see your point, however.I really do appreciate you taking the time to give me some feedback here.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Man didn't create the Gods, though the Gods and Man are tied together.Man needs the Gods (so the gods would tell it).  Not only for faith/hope/etc and aid in day-to-day life, but to give them principles.  More importantly than that, to guide their souls after death.The Gods need Man (true, even if the gods don't wish to admit it).  The more loyal souls a God has, the more power.  As Man tends to be fickle, the factions were formed based on self-interest.  A God who didn't wish to perish when her follower count dropped for whatever reason, needs allies.  They need power until they can "get back on their feet".Some folks, rather than pray solely to one god, will often pray to the faction.  For example:The Fighter Milgrahm Foehammer follows the Steel Lady in the Unbound.  One fateful eve Milgrahm's allies convince him to try sneaking into a well-guarded lair, rather than brawl his way in.  So, the ordinarily loud, reckless Milgrahm offers a silent prayer to The Shade for aid in sneaking into the aforementioned lair.  The Steel Lady isn't offended by this, because Milgrahm was still begging aid from her faction.During massive or dangerous undertakings, folks often pray to the entire faction of the God they worship."I pray by the grace of the Rule of Order that I am able to defend my homestead from those marauders."The rest of your questions are more easily answered in upcoming papers I plan to write.  I intend to fill in histories and answer a lot of the questions above, I was simply getting my "base" in order before trying to build atop it.Thanks for posting, and I hope I answered everything.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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