18: Comparing Divinities

Everyone was subdued because of the lecture by Felinia. It really struck home just how much they had to learn, and dangerous in some cases.

Eventually Garion recovered to ask “Harlen, Drenak, how close is what Felinia taught us to what you know?”

Harlen went first. “Some parts are similar, others are massively different.”

Drenak told them “My kind doesn’t Subsume. We can’t. That part about Auras shaping the world is new to me as well, some with controlling Residences. Never even had to think about blocking belief before, but I don’t think anyone back home had thought about trying it like that.

“Warlocks are also new to me, apart from the PHB we found. We would never bestow such power on a person, if we can.

“Shape shifting is something normally only reserved for tricksters or those who have Domains like were creatures or animals they can turn into. Only tricksters can do it freely,

“Avatars are a scary concept I have never had to face before. I do not know what Incarnations and Hosts are, and that worries me.

“Changing souls into other kinds of beings is not done in my world. We take them to our afterlives and let them stay with us. Eventually they may be reborn into other worlds as different kinds of beings, following the path they chose. Until they become a personification of that idea and merge with it

“Other things she had mentioned before include needing to Ascend. My kind does not do that. Then again, my kind of Deity relies on bloodlines boosted by being worshipped. This kind is focused purely on worship. Totems are new to me, at least in this form. Often they were just strong spirits people prayed to.”

Shaking his head he said “I can be of limited use. The more I see, the less I believe I know.”

Harlen was silent for a bit “I think I know what the term Host means, and I’m worried I am right. I have heard of it before in a potentially similar use, but not for Deities. Those in my world don’t do it. I don’t know about Incarnation.”

Jane whispered softly, yet they all heard it. “I have heard of Avatars and Incarnation, but what are Hosts?”

Harlen told them “When someone is possessed they are a host to whatever is possessing them, ghost, Demon or whatever. However, being stuck in a mortal body is something most Deities would avoid if they can.”

Jane breathed in, and it drew their attention. She quietly told them, “but what if it was only part of their awareness. Legends from my world speak of a type of Demon called Legion, for it can possess a thousand bodies at once, with part of its awareness in each. Imagine having many bodies they can control?”

They were pale, and Garion said “There has to be a limit, right?”

Drenak told him “I hope so.”

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Going back to Jane “What are Incarnations and Avatars?”

Jane got serious. “That game this power is based on was based on real religious systems. I guess my world was close enough to it so I might know this. An Avatar is a living manifestation of a greater power. It might be for the God as a whole, or in part. Imagine if you could make a bird that is an extension of yourself. You can see through its eyes, feel what it feels. Control its actions as easily as if it was your own hands. That is what an Avatar is.”

Drenak and Harlen looked at each other and Harlen told them “Never heard of this before either. Are you saying that there may be fake beings we don’t know about here?”

“Possible. Do you think Felinia and Gallen wouldn’t?”

They all frowned. That was a possibility.”

Drenak asked “What is an Incarnation? I mean, it sounds like it is a spell, but from what she said it’s more than that.”

“Imagine a Deity has some of its essence born into a mortal body. The child would in fact grow up with a lot of power and serve the Deity’s interest. They could also get followers by appealing to people the main part of the Deity would not get due to how people perceived them.”

“Really? I can’t see it.”

“There was a faith that worshiped a single deity, but he was considered a harsh and unforgiving Deity with everyone being born with sin. He had some of his Essence born into the world via a virgin. He preached of the Deity’s mercy to those who seek forgiveness, and rebuked the established church as hypocrites. He went among those who turned from the faith and had given up hope of appeasing the Deity, and taught them that the Deity still cared for them and wanted them to turn from Evil.”

Then she smiled and gave a nasty chuckle. “Of course, if you study the religion the word Avatar comes from in my world, you might encounter things like the Incarnations of a mother and son getting married while the Son also acts as a Host for his mother’s brother on occasion, and the parents of one of the incarnations might be an Avatar of the son’s child. You might not, but trust me; the old records get pretty twisted. It’s hard to keep track! According to some records, a few Deities are their own grandfathers, without time travel.”

They all looked at her and she got a bit embarrassed.

Garion changed the subject. “In what ways was Felinia’s system like yours?”

Harlen went first. “Power coming from belief. The rule against too similar Domains make sense considering what We and even you have see with those other godlings. Able to make lesser Deities is another bit.

“The unaging and resistances is correct for my way. I have resistance to poisoning, including food poisoning from off food.”

Drenak piped up “Necromantic magic and energies for me.”

Garion frowned. “I think relying on your past experience could mess us up. Felinia wants us to think right? Do you think she would just let those who had Deity experience before have an easy ride?”

Drenak and Harlen stiffened and Drenak started swearing in many long dead and ancient languages even the magic there could not fully translate.

When he was done, Garion asked him “How come I couldn’t understand a fair bit of that?”

Drenak got a sheepish look on his face. “There are a few flaws with general translation magic. One is that it relies on the people having the same concepts, just in different languages. It fails if someone uses words for concepts they other doesn’t have. It has its advantages, but also its weaknesses.”

“ . . . . So those words I did not understand?”

“Yeah. Trust me; you probably don’t want to know! You’ll have to wait until you can understand 5 dimensional physics before you can start to learn them.”

“OK. Back to similarities just to get off that!”

Harlen was grateful for that.

“Domain Awareness works for my kind. Magical contracts have to be knowingly made on both parties sides. I haven’t gotten any worshippers so I am not sure about hearing their prayers and dealing with them. Expressly the priests.”

Drenak shook his head. “I don’t know either. I taught my students to be good on their own and deal with things themselves. People wanted my help with some? They came to my workshop.”

Garion was grim. “Everyone’s mind is fried. However, there is something that has been overlooked.”

“What?”

“The Earth Motes. After today we can alter them, and she told us how to do it, in a way. However, we can’t just do that.”

There was silence. Garion was right.