BR Gods(long)

[Tommy Ashton II]

Baelyzen wrote:
>
> Well, the BR rulebook, I haven't had a chance to peruse the Book of
> Priestcraft. Maybe that's my fault, but I don't feel like a person has >to buy every supplement to stay ahead of the game so to speak. If the >basic corebook does little to garner interest then it's almost a sure >bet that no one will buy the supplement to said subject matter. Your >assessment of the book makes one mighty curious however.
Well I have to agree with you there. I don't like having to buy a
hundred modules to get a complete campaign setting ( the reason I
dropped RIFTS). But, it is just my opinion okay, that the original
designers of Birthright left the Gods so generic because the didn't want
the Gods running the campaign. This not Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms
where there is Gods for everything from sewing to sewage management.
;) Take in account I am not bashing this, I love mythologies and gods
appearing in the campaign (a devotee of mythology) but this isn't a high
magic world. These gods just don't get involved in the affairs of their
worshippers to a degree. I think the Original designers such as Baker
just wanted to have these gods on the periphel of the campaign, there
but not really used. Birthright is closer to real life than most
campaigns, so while the gods are there for flavor, they really have no
part as the PC regents are the Divine Rulers of the Game.

Now this changes a little with the leaving of Baker and beginning of
the era of the Master Ed Stark and The Wonderful, Beautiful, Goddess of
Birthright, Ms. Bebris. Their BOP and following supplements hinted at a
more of a divine intervention in the affairs of mortals, though again
not at the level of other campaign settings. But Nesiree shows up in
TLotHK's, by Ed to name the most prominent example, others are hinted
at.
Hell they started introducing the probability that blooded individuals
could possibly make it to Demi status. Ed also introduced the Age of
the Monsters where Giants and Dragons fought. I think that there were
gods involved in this one too. I like to think of Cerilia as having
cycles:The Age of the Monsters, Pre Deismarr, and probably a second
Deismarr in the future.

Now we can always take the Gods how we see them and expand them out
ourselves. If you think about it there a lot of IMPORTANT portfolios
left out there that some god or something should be taking over, Death
being the most promising one and talked about on the list. Neserie is
mentioned possibly taking over the death portfolio in BOP. I could see
this but I also couldn't. Heres how I see the Gods:

Haelyn: I see him being placent and not moving forward. He is grieving
that his precious Anuirean empire and the Roeles failed. Plus his
factions fight within themselves so I see him disgusted and stationary
for now that is.

Avani: She I also see as placent, she would druther set and talk out
her theories with the Discourse than do anything else.

Kirche: Kirche is an active warlike god and is expanding greatly. I
also see him maybe being corrupted in the future by Ela. He is
differently probably going to but heads with his father at sometime in
the future. Maybe take the pantheon head?

Nesiree: Supposedly she is taking the portfolio of Death but I don't
see it. She is still too wrapped up in mourning the loss of the
Masetians. Maybe one day.

Belenik: Expansion oriented but doesn't hide his ways. Evil but not
supreme evil.

Kriesha: Perfectly evil and laying foundations for things we don't know
about and will never will until too late.

Ela: I see Ela as the Loki of the Pantheon. She is border line true
evil now, but given the right set of circumstances she could turn out to
be the new Azrai or be his bride when he returns.

Ruornil: I really disagree with this god being a lesser God. I think
that Ruornil should have paladins and is probably the most active god in
the pantheon at combating the shadow world and the evil Gods. Plus how
can he do what he does and not have been wiped out long ago by Belenik
and Kriesha if he was a lesser God. Doesn't make sense. I could see
him take the Death Portfolio in the future.

I see your point but I think the Gods have evolved under different
management. :)

Just my two cents.
T




> It's hard to get books where I live. Everyone assumes that if you >like A.D.+D., or r.p.g.'s in general you must be a satanist, or at least >a pagan heathen who's out to corrupt, and impregnate every fourteen year >old within a fifteen mile radius.To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.imagiconline.com
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[Bob Cauthron]

> snip some fine comments <

I believe that most game systems, let alone campaign worlds, have bland
deities, and that may or may not change as the line is developed. I like
birthright's approach, as the gods are generic in the main, but the
religious churches are flavorful enough for personal development. I really
do like them.

> Now this changes a little with the leaving of Baker and beginning of
> the era of the Master Ed Stark and The Wonderful, Beautiful, Goddess of
> Birthright, Ms. Bebris. Their BOP and following supplements hinted at a
> more of a divine intervention in the affairs of mortals, though again
> not at the level of other campaign settings. But Nesiree shows up in
> TLotHK's, by Ed to name the most prominent example, others are hinted
> at.

I strongly agree with the idea of the less divine intervention, the
better. That is why the various churches are so influential, and they can be
guided by the gods, if they wish to do so.

> Hell they started introducing the probability that blooded individuals
> could possibly make it to Demi status. Ed also introduced the Age of
> the Monsters where Giants and Dragons fought. I think that there were
> gods involved in this one too. I like to think of Cerilia as having
> cycles:The Age of the Monsters, Pre Deismarr, and probably a second
> Deismarr in the future.

Some of these are solid ideas, but I do not like the thought of someone
trying to be a god because they are blooded (and using the Mt. Deismaar
example). The Serpent is acceptable becuase I think there are enough
boundaries as to make this difficult to do (and, well, because it was
written into the game at the start).

> Now we can always take the Gods how we see them and expand them out
> ourselves. If you think about it there a lot of IMPORTANT portfolios
> left out there that some god or something should be taking over, Death
> being the most promising one and talked about on the list. Neserie is
> mentioned possibly taking over the death portfolio in BOP. I could see
> this but I also couldn't. Heres how I see the Gods:

That is puzzling as to why death is left out, but in game terms perhaps
the designers saw that as not being of true importance any longer
considering what has happened. Or perhaps they chose to deal with it later,
but the with the line being canceled, that did not occur.

> Haelyn: I see him being placent and not moving forward. He is grieving
> that his precious Anuirean empire and the Roeles failed. Plus his
> factions fight within themselves so I see him disgusted and stationary
> for now that is.

I can see this. Also, he is disappointed in his followers, who tend to
place their personal desires over the dictates of the god, with some who
cannot even see that or will not admit to it. He seems to remember the past
as something to be restored (?), forgetting the idea that there were many
people who had reason to dislike the empire.

> Avani: She I also see as placent, she would druther set and talk out
> her theories with the Discourse than do anything else.

Here I disagree. I see her as more of a hands-off deity, seeing her
position as powerful, but using her authority with restraint. She does favor
rationality over emotions, though.

> Kirche: Kirche is an active warlike god and is expanding greatly. I
> also see him maybe being corrupted in the future by Ela. He is
> differently probably going to but heads with his father at sometime in
> the future. Maybe take the pantheon head?

This is reasonable, perhaps likely. A difference of opinion is bound to
happen. The question is, how will it take form?

> Nesiree: Supposedly she is taking the portfolio of Death but I don't
> see it. She is still too wrapped up in mourning the loss of the
> Masetians. Maybe one day.

Mourning, yes. Too wrapped up? I do no know about that. I see her as
being careful, patient. She has her goals, but does not want to initiate any
immediate conflict.

> Belenik: Expansion oriented but doesn't hide his ways. Evil but not
> supreme evil.

Agreed. Evil more in the sense of harshness and brutality. He seems
simplistic, but in my view he is looking to the future and is using
misdirection to further his goals. Open conflict between Kirche and himself
is likely.

> Kriesha: Perfectly evil and laying foundations for things we don't know
> about and will never will until too late.

Yes indeed. This is one diety with many plans, numerous backups, and
modifiable agendas.

> Ela: I see Ela as the Loki of the Pantheon. She is border line true
> evil now, but given the right set of circumstances she could turn out to
> be the new Azrai or be his bride when he returns.

My definition of evil is different than most. I see her as at a
crossroads, hesitant about which direction she will go, but determined that
she will do something and enjoy herself in the process.

> Ruornil: I really disagree with this god being a lesser God. I think
> that Ruornil should have paladins and is probably the most active god in
> the pantheon at combating the shadow world and the evil Gods. Plus how
> can he do what he does and not have been wiped out long ago by Belenik
> and Kriesha if he was a lesser God. Doesn't make sense. I could see
> him take the Death Portfolio in the future.

The death aspect could work here. IMC, Ruornil is a very active deity,
but from behind the scenes. He is quite concerned about Cerilia, and
believes there are duties that ALL of the gods should perform, in the
interest of the world and the self-survival of the gods.

> I see your point but I think the Gods have evolved under different
> management. :)
>
> Just my two cents.
> T

That's an interesting way to put that. I will have to remember the
phrase.

Bob
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