42: Aspects and Masks
The following morning Felinia entered and smiled at the students. “I hear there was a nice lesson on different ways Domains can be used yesterday outside of the library. There was also one on thinking things through and planning things properly so you are not stuck in a niche sub-Domain. We will cover them latter, but they can also touch on today’s lesson: Aspects and Masks.”
People settled down, and Felinia calmly told them “Firstly we must figure out what they are. They are facets of you. Everyone has different facets to themselves., some are just more dominate then others. A motherly Deity may have a warrior Aspect in defense of children. While one Aspect focuses on caring for children, the other Aspect focuses on protecting them. A Deity of War might have Aspects focusing on viciousness, and strategy, maybe one of Skill.
“Then there are the other Aspects, formed from absorbing others. These one have to be dealt with carefully and in a different manner.
“A Mask may be considered a type of Aspect you do not admit to having, possibly for a variety of reasons.
“For ease of explanation I will consider all the personalities, including the main one as Aspects, because things can change. The main one will be called the Prime Aspect
“There are two main ways to get them: Developed and Absorbed. There are advantages to both, and weaknesses, so I will try to go through them in a logical manner.
“For a Developed Aspect, you focus on part of yourself that you wish to have promoted to a specific audience. After all, not everyone is going to be interested in following the whole package. A Deity of Justice may have an Aspect focused on Protecting the innocent, and one that focuses on Punishing those who follow Evil. There may even be an Aspect of Redemption or Atonement for those who seek to change their ways and make amends for their actions in the past. Maybe there is an Aspect for Vengeance, or another for Social Justice?”
There was nodding at this as it actually did make sense.
Felinia continued “However, there are two main risks. The first is that it dilutes the message you seek to deliver if instead of pushing for one clear objective you focus on all these minor parts of it, and not have them working together. For example, the Punisher Aspect’s followers are not very likely to work well with the Redemption Aspect’s followers. Expressly if they had harmed some who now follow the Vengeance Aspect.
“Another risk is how they influence you. When people worship an Aspect of yours they empower it, making it stronger, and thus you. However, it is possible that an Aspect takes over as the Prime Aspect and the now former Prime Aspect becomes a minor Aspect. This can really mess with how they other Aspects are.
“In theory if there is large enough mental clash, it is possible for an Aspect to break loose as a minor Deity, or even be Absorbed by another Deity. That is something not discussed in detail here for now.
“As to how such a large sudden shift may occur? Well, imagine if an area that worships your Prime Aspect was to suddenly die in a massive disaster, or were slaughtered by invaders? Maybe taken over by another faith? Or one interesting version is that the rulers are told that your faith is a disguise used by an Evil faith, and by allowing it, they are empowers the evil faith. For example, of Trade might work as a disguise for a Deity of Greed. In my world, a Deity that used to be very important and the patron of a kingdom, which got absorbed with another kingdom, ended up losing the political fighting, and eventually his faith was banned, with his main temple given over to a small cult from another country as an insult. What only came to light over three thousand years later and after a monotheistic religion took over the area for 1500 years, roughly, was that he cult actually served an Aspect of that God. They just used a different name because of translation issues, and pronunciation.”
There was an outburst of shock at that!
Felinia got back on track “Other reasons for loosing followers really fast include publicity. It is possible that there were just some pretty bad scandals in the church. Speaking from how things are back in my world, let’s just say never mention choirs boys, church funds and expensive resorts in the same sentence around a supposedly celibate Catholic priest.”
Without going into detail that was enough to make some people there wince.
After a bit she continued
“Absorbed Aspects are simple put, beings you absorbed and are using their identity. You absorbed their Essences and power. By absorbing them, not only are you more powerful, but may be able to also expand into their Domains.
“Of course, this may make things interesting if they had Absorbed other beings themselves as Aspects. Thus you may have a Deity of Horses being Absorbed by a Deity of Travelers being Absorbed by a Deity of Cats, being Absorbed by a Deity of Hunters, being Absorbed by a Deity a Assassins. In theory this can happen, but I’ll explain what is actually likely to occur latter.
“However, there is always the chance of, well, them bursting forth from you and destroying you as they regain all their power and glory after using you as an incubator and power source. They may even use your identity and take your followers.
“Also there is the chance of them fucking with your minds. Now, they will affect you the ways you are most similar with. For example, a Deity of Murder being absorbed by a Deity of Justice? Not exactly easy. However, it may lend itself to Executioners, Vigilantes, and Goodly Assassins. It may also make the God of Justice more likely to favor the Death Penalty when it came to sentencing. He may also be less lenient and more harsh in his sentences.
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“A Deity of Romance Absorbing a Deity of Art? It may make artists and bards depict things more romantic, and romances to become more like something from a story, this includes the obstacles and dangers.
“The same dangers I mentioned before apply. However, Absorbing something as an Aspect may mess up your mind faster, making a lesser Aspect become the Prime one. So be careful. Just remember, it is fine to have different personalities up there, just as long as they can get along with each other.”
People were getting a bit worried now.
Felinia chuckled at that.
“Next come Masks. These are identities you use while pretending they are not you. Or more simply put a disguise or Mask you wear. I think most of you can guess how they got their name.
“They can used for many reasons. Someone offs a rival of yours, but the locals are up for grabs? Pretend to be that god, or an Aspect of theirs. Maybe a Deity of Murder sends a message to some people, pretending to be a God of freedom, and wants them to murder the tyrants oppressing them, and to spread word of him. Soon his has a large following of murderous vigilantes, and expanding his Domains and following without any realizing who is actually responsible.
“Maybe a nature God wants to help convince the rulers of a city not to log some forests and grow crops there, at the bidding of a Deity or farming or trade, so they make a Mask of a Deity of animal shifters and get the rulers to enjoy it for a fad, becoming animals for a while and using the woods as their playground. Even if they fail, they will have gotten a fair bit of power and expanded their Domains into animal shifters and were creatures.
“Maybe Deities of the Seas and the Moon are arguing over who controls the Tides, so the Sea Deity uses her followers to create a Mask of a Deity of Community, which cuts into the Moon deity’s following, thus weakening the moon Deity.
“I read about one case a God of travelers annoyed a Goddess of Bad Luck so she sent followers into an area he did not have travelers yet, and pretend to serve a Cruel Trickster Deity that used the same name as him. That means his followers and following would be banned from a large area and denying him access to them.
“If you are being hunted and you have a Mask no-one knows is really you, you can survive using it, even if the rest of your following is killed off and all records of you destroyed!
“It is also possible to create a Mask and latter openly accept it as an Aspect.
“If you remember what I said before about your Clerics in worlds you are not officially a Deity and a local there pretends to be you? This is what is officially happening.”
There was muttering at that as it tied in with past lessons and they were only just realizing why she had mentioned it before.
“There is one official limit on what you can do with a Mask. It still has the same Domain limitations that you do. If you convince others that it does not, then you may be able to expand your Domains.”
Now she grinned widely. “This is part of why I recommend using Masks when creating a new race of worshippers. As their creator you have Domain over them. You do not want to be limited to the same Domains you had in your other Pantheon, do you?”
That was a major bombshell!
Felinia continued “Not only can you absorb other beings into yourself, but you can use the same process for altering bodies and manipulating Essence to create bodies for the Aspects.
“There are two main uses for this. The first is it allows you to make them into their own Deities, expressly if you can no longer stand them, either personally, or businesswise. Maybe you had a Domain of Sailors and traders, but as your people went inland you have to give up Sailors, so you make it into its own Deity. Maybe the Prime Aspect was a minor one that’s taken over and is something other parts can’t accept, so they want to leave. Rather than just ignore those Domains and allow rivals to move in, it creates a Deity to take care of them, and get rid of the Aspects it doesn’t want any more.
“The second is much rarer, but is very useful. If the Aspects are all you, and someone tries to destroy your main body and it can’t be stopped, it is possible to use the Scatter method, where you make every possible Aspect of you can and they try to flee, hoping that at least one will manage it In this way you can succeed, expressly if they all identify as part of you.”
There was some interested nodding at that.
“Now, as to what else to do with Unusable, wanted, or desired Aspects.
“A second thing to do is to just ignore them, and eventually lose them to others over time. However, while you have them, your enemies may consider killing you as an easier way to get claim over those Aspects and their Domains.
“A third thing is to give them away. Yes, just give them away. Say a Deity of Murder knows it is going to killed by a more power Deity of Rogues, it might make an Aspect of Goodly Murders, Executions and other such people, and hand them over to a God of Justice. This way there is still opposition to the Rogue even after the Murderer is killed. Maybe a Life Deity is going too aligned with agriculture; they might give some of its Nature Aspects to other Nature Deities.
“A fourth thing is to chance the church and following to be more suitable for you.”
“Any questions, so far apart from my own Aspects?”
Some twit called out “Yeah, how many does Gallen have?”
Felinia shuddered. “Don’t ask, just don’t ask! For the love of all that’s decent and decently indecent do not even begin to contemplate what going on in that head! All I know is it is so horrible that while he was mortal a Demon of Corruption tried to possess him, but ended up fleeing in horror at what it saw. I hear that it screamed and beg for mercy all the time Gallen drew it back in using will power! I implore you, do not even start to think about his mind.
“What I can tell you is that in life he was a role player, and believed in doing his best to become the character he was acting as. You know how he can change gender? Before he got that ability he had still won a bikini contest! Do not ask! I know I don’t!”
She was horribly shaken at what they had asked, and that terrified all of them. Felinia was known to be mentally twisted, but to do this with that simple question? That was bad news for everyone.
Felinia continued the lesson. “As to why you should develop Aspects, I will name some now.
“One is it allows you to focus on different groups. For example, a Deity of Wisdom might include planning, include strategy. Thus get military leaders praying to them for guidance. As you spread your influence, what is acceptable in one area may be unacceptable in another, so by using different Aspects for them, you end up managing to get both, instead of only one.
“Another reason is that it allows you to expand your Domains. You all know how we have trouble with the Dead we wish to reincarnate, both gathering and sorting them, with therapy thrown in. The Psychopomp technically acts a Guide, which is an Aspect they could make. Protecting them may be a warrior or Protector Aspect. Then comes to dealing with the dead to recruit them and helping them pass over. That may make a few more.
“They in theory could use the Domains for the Guidance and protection to help Astral Projectors. I would recommend coming with your own name for this, because the only term I can think of for someone who guides and protects other, off the top of me head, is Escort, and Escort of the Dead may get you some, let’s say kinky followers.”
There was a lot of crude laughter at that. She smiled, “There’s a saying ‘You can’t spell necromancer without romance.’”
There was more laughter at that. When it finished she told them, “Tomorrow I cover Avatars, where I teach how you can go fuck yourselves.”
There was amused outrage at that!