(This is my attempt at expanding the concept from the Deities are fake thread, it may have gotten a little out of hand.)
Let me clue you in on a little secret: the deities aren’t real. Oh, they exist, sure, but they didn’t create this world, and they’re not half as powerful as they’d have you believe. They’re constructs made by the world’s true creators, designed to take attention off of the little ways the real deities keep the world spinning every day.
Who are these real deities? You’ve met them before. Probably spoken to some of them today. You know Tomo, right? Fiona? Baldwin?
I know, I know, but hear me out.
We don’t know where the true deities came from, but there was nothing here when they arrived. They build Sornieth from the ground up, everything from the rocks to the animals to the magic that flows through it.
But making a world takes a lot out of you, and the deities power has limits. They were left without much more power than you or me, and even after centuries, they have yet to regain their full strength. So a plan was devised to watch over their creation.
First, they used much of their remaining power to create the eleven, who would present themselves as the world’s creators and rulers. These false deities could watch over their sections of Sornieth, and provide a means to easily guide dragonkind down a good path.
Second, the real deities assumed draconic disguises and hid themselves among the world’s inhabitants. Slowly and subtly, they could continue to shape the world they had made, and no one would be the wiser.
Or so they think.
Now that you know this, you could keep serving your false deity. You should probably pay them lip service, anyway, to keep the real deities from discovering we’re on to them. But wouldn’t you rather follow one of Sornieth’s real creators?
I thought so.
Only one question left, then. Who do you want to follow?
(This is my attempt at expanding the concept from the Deities are fake thread, it may have gotten a little out of hand.)
Let me clue you in on a little secret: the deities aren’t real. Oh, they exist, sure, but they didn’t create this world, and they’re not half as powerful as they’d have you believe. They’re constructs made by the world’s true creators, designed to take attention off of the little ways the real deities keep the world spinning every day.
Who are these real deities? You’ve met them before. Probably spoken to some of them today. You know Tomo, right? Fiona? Baldwin?
I know, I know, but hear me out.
We don’t know where the true deities came from, but there was nothing here when they arrived. They build Sornieth from the ground up, everything from the rocks to the animals to the magic that flows through it.
But making a world takes a lot out of you, and the deities power has limits. They were left without much more power than you or me, and even after centuries, they have yet to regain their full strength. So a plan was devised to watch over their creation.
First, they used much of their remaining power to create the eleven, who would present themselves as the world’s creators and rulers. These false deities could watch over their sections of Sornieth, and provide a means to easily guide dragonkind down a good path.
Second, the real deities assumed draconic disguises and hid themselves among the world’s inhabitants. Slowly and subtly, they could continue to shape the world they had made, and no one would be the wiser.
Or so they think.
Now that you know this, you could keep serving your false deity. You should probably pay them lip service, anyway, to keep the real deities from discovering we’re on to them. But wouldn’t you rather follow one of Sornieth’s real creators?
I thought so.
Only one question left, then. Who do you want to follow?
Tomo - True deity of wisdom
Tomo knows even more than she lets on. She was there when Sornieth was made, coordinating the efforts of the other deities, and, despite her claims, she remembers all of it perfectly. Then why spend her time asking questions she already knows the answers to? To teach others without giving too much away, and to spread false information as needed. Everyone knows which four dragons shaped the world, it’s just common knowledge, beyond questioning. Tomo’s followers fall into two main camps. Some are scholars seeking new wisdom, others are teachers passing that wisdom on to others.
Crim - True deity of destruction
This one may require some explanation. As you may have guessed, Crim’s collection is fake. All those items you’ve sold her? Gone. Erased from existence. She served a crucial role during Sorneith’s creation, cleaning up after the other deity’s rough drafts and keeping the world from getting overcrowded. She still helps maintain the balance by putting out requests for items that are too common or past their expiration date, and quietly destroying them. Followers of Crim take a more direct role, gleefully unmaking anything they think the world would be better off with fewer of.
Pinkerton - True deity of chaos
What impact can giving away one random object per person per day have? A lot. The junk, and occasionally valuable items, that Pinkerton tosses into the world create unpredictable ripples that keep Sornieth from getting too stale. Pinkerton helped Sornieth attain its incredible diversity by introducing an element of randomness, and now his giveaways continue to spread that crucial bit of chaos day by day. Followers of Pinkerton are difficult to pin down, because they believe in acting on pure impulse, and are very erratic as a result. I’m told it helps Sornieth. Somehow.
Swipp - True deity of order
Small amounts of chaos keep the world from stagnating, but too much chaos and it would become uninhabitable. That’s where Swipp comes in. When Sornieth was made, Swipp set up a network of interlocking cycles to keep things running smoothly, and his trades maintain those cycles to this day. Five silver ores for a gold. A stack of salt and a steam gyre for a pair of wings. Round and round again. Only he knows how it all fits together. Nearly all of Swipp’s followers are fellow merchants, and they prefer to integrate into existing clans, managing trades, settling disputes, and keeping things orderly.
Roundsey - True deity of fate
You might be wondering if Roundsey should be the deity of luck, not fate. Well, according to her followers, they’re the same thing. Whether good or bad, your fortune is what fate had in store for you all along. Roundsey gave Sornieth’s fate a “pull,” which is why events usually play out in a way that makes sense, or at least makes for a good story. Her raffles are a way of putting some extra good luck into the world, and a nice reward for those fate favors each week. Her followers see themselves as fate’s helpers. Some reward kindness and punish wickedness, others scatter gifts, trusting fate to guide them to the right recipients.
Baldwin - True deity of creation
Ever wonder how Baldwin’s cauldron works? Fun fact for you, that green liquid is the raw stuff of creation, a pool of primordial energy that can be used to form anything out of nothing. Baldwin made all the inanimate matter of Sornieth using it, and saved a bit so he could keep making new things. Melting your items does nothing, he discreetly passes whatever you give him on to Crim. But he regularly invents and creates new items, and delights in giving them out to dragons who ‘help’ with his brews. Many of his followers are avid alchemists, but they will accept craftsdragons of any kind, so long as they spend their time making new things.
Galore - True deity of magic
The spark of magic Galore gave to Sornieth runs through every place and creature, and is so crucial to the nature of dragonkind that they can’t live without it. Nowadays, he only has the strength to introduce new magic through artifacts, which he gives away to preserve the balance between elements. Most are small in scale, but the long-planned first batch of banescale dragons was a great success he takes pride in. Followers of Galore revere all magic and spend their time strengthening their own, training others in its use, and seeking to understand the many magics of Sornieth.
Fiona - True deity of life
Fiona’s role should come as no surprise to you. Every living thing, from tiny mushrooms to massive Rocs, was her creation. She even shaped the physical forms of Sornieth’s dragons, though they were a joint project with several other deities. Fiona cares deeply for each and every one of her creations, and even in her weakened state, cares for as many of them as she possibly can. She’s not as overwhelmed by them as she lets on, but encourages Sornieth’s dragons to help her to build their own appreciation for living things. Fiona’s followers follow her example as stewards of life, taking in strays, tending gardens, and encouraging other dragons to live in harmony with nature.
Joxar - True deity of time
The turning of seasons, the passing of years, the slow forward march of time. All thanks to Joxar. This simple but very important feature was his contribution to Sornieth, and apparently doesn’t require much maintenance on his part. Instead, he mainly marks the passage of time through festivals, helping dragonkind see cause for celebration in every season. No one knows for sure where he goes outside of the festivals, but his followers have suggested that he doubles as the god of death, and spends most of his time in the underworld. Followers of Joxar act as record-keepers, and tend to throw extravagant parties in their spare time.
Marva - True deity of joy
You probably know Marva from her annual events, something every April to make everyone smile. But she’s active year-round, on a smaller scale. She stays on the move, and changes her form regularly, playing tricks and lifting spirits wherever she goes. If you’ve ever met a wandering dragon that fit that description, you just might have had a run-in with her. Her followers have a nice task, to spread happiness. The most important lesson they’ve taken from Marva is to not take things too seriously, so jokes and light-hearted pranks are both common from this bunch.
Scribbles - True deity of ???
I’ll be honest with you, not even we know what Scribbles does. All we know for sure is that they’re definitely one of the true deities. Some speculate that they’re the leader of the true deities, or, given how much trouble we’ve had figuring it out, the deity of secrets. Scribbles’ followers are convinced that the answer to this question, and to all the questions about the deities, are hidden in Scribbles’ notes and drawings, and devote their time to understanding them. They tend to draw wildly different conclusions, but each seems utterly convinced that they’re the one to figure out the truth.
Tomo - True deity of wisdom
Tomo knows even more than she lets on. She was there when Sornieth was made, coordinating the efforts of the other deities, and, despite her claims, she remembers all of it perfectly. Then why spend her time asking questions she already knows the answers to? To teach others without giving too much away, and to spread false information as needed. Everyone knows which four dragons shaped the world, it’s just common knowledge, beyond questioning. Tomo’s followers fall into two main camps. Some are scholars seeking new wisdom, others are teachers passing that wisdom on to others.
Crim - True deity of destruction
This one may require some explanation. As you may have guessed, Crim’s collection is fake. All those items you’ve sold her? Gone. Erased from existence. She served a crucial role during Sorneith’s creation, cleaning up after the other deity’s rough drafts and keeping the world from getting overcrowded. She still helps maintain the balance by putting out requests for items that are too common or past their expiration date, and quietly destroying them. Followers of Crim take a more direct role, gleefully unmaking anything they think the world would be better off with fewer of.
Pinkerton - True deity of chaos
What impact can giving away one random object per person per day have? A lot. The junk, and occasionally valuable items, that Pinkerton tosses into the world create unpredictable ripples that keep Sornieth from getting too stale. Pinkerton helped Sornieth attain its incredible diversity by introducing an element of randomness, and now his giveaways continue to spread that crucial bit of chaos day by day. Followers of Pinkerton are difficult to pin down, because they believe in acting on pure impulse, and are very erratic as a result. I’m told it helps Sornieth. Somehow.
Swipp - True deity of order
Small amounts of chaos keep the world from stagnating, but too much chaos and it would become uninhabitable. That’s where Swipp comes in. When Sornieth was made, Swipp set up a network of interlocking cycles to keep things running smoothly, and his trades maintain those cycles to this day. Five silver ores for a gold. A stack of salt and a steam gyre for a pair of wings. Round and round again. Only he knows how it all fits together. Nearly all of Swipp’s followers are fellow merchants, and they prefer to integrate into existing clans, managing trades, settling disputes, and keeping things orderly.
Roundsey - True deity of fate
You might be wondering if Roundsey should be the deity of luck, not fate. Well, according to her followers, they’re the same thing. Whether good or bad, your fortune is what fate had in store for you all along. Roundsey gave Sornieth’s fate a “pull,” which is why events usually play out in a way that makes sense, or at least makes for a good story. Her raffles are a way of putting some extra good luck into the world, and a nice reward for those fate favors each week. Her followers see themselves as fate’s helpers. Some reward kindness and punish wickedness, others scatter gifts, trusting fate to guide them to the right recipients.
Baldwin - True deity of creation
Ever wonder how Baldwin’s cauldron works? Fun fact for you, that green liquid is the raw stuff of creation, a pool of primordial energy that can be used to form anything out of nothing. Baldwin made all the inanimate matter of Sornieth using it, and saved a bit so he could keep making new things. Melting your items does nothing, he discreetly passes whatever you give him on to Crim. But he regularly invents and creates new items, and delights in giving them out to dragons who ‘help’ with his brews. Many of his followers are avid alchemists, but they will accept craftsdragons of any kind, so long as they spend their time making new things.
Galore - True deity of magic
The spark of magic Galore gave to Sornieth runs through every place and creature, and is so crucial to the nature of dragonkind that they can’t live without it. Nowadays, he only has the strength to introduce new magic through artifacts, which he gives away to preserve the balance between elements. Most are small in scale, but the long-planned first batch of banescale dragons was a great success he takes pride in. Followers of Galore revere all magic and spend their time strengthening their own, training others in its use, and seeking to understand the many magics of Sornieth.
Fiona - True deity of life
Fiona’s role should come as no surprise to you. Every living thing, from tiny mushrooms to massive Rocs, was her creation. She even shaped the physical forms of Sornieth’s dragons, though they were a joint project with several other deities. Fiona cares deeply for each and every one of her creations, and even in her weakened state, cares for as many of them as she possibly can. She’s not as overwhelmed by them as she lets on, but encourages Sornieth’s dragons to help her to build their own appreciation for living things. Fiona’s followers follow her example as stewards of life, taking in strays, tending gardens, and encouraging other dragons to live in harmony with nature.
Joxar - True deity of time
The turning of seasons, the passing of years, the slow forward march of time. All thanks to Joxar. This simple but very important feature was his contribution to Sornieth, and apparently doesn’t require much maintenance on his part. Instead, he mainly marks the passage of time through festivals, helping dragonkind see cause for celebration in every season. No one knows for sure where he goes outside of the festivals, but his followers have suggested that he doubles as the god of death, and spends most of his time in the underworld. Followers of Joxar act as record-keepers, and tend to throw extravagant parties in their spare time.
Marva - True deity of joy
You probably know Marva from her annual events, something every April to make everyone smile. But she’s active year-round, on a smaller scale. She stays on the move, and changes her form regularly, playing tricks and lifting spirits wherever she goes. If you’ve ever met a wandering dragon that fit that description, you just might have had a run-in with her. Her followers have a nice task, to spread happiness. The most important lesson they’ve taken from Marva is to not take things too seriously, so jokes and light-hearted pranks are both common from this bunch.
Scribbles - True deity of ???
I’ll be honest with you, not even we know what Scribbles does. All we know for sure is that they’re definitely one of the true deities. Some speculate that they’re the leader of the true deities, or, given how much trouble we’ve had figuring it out, the deity of secrets. Scribbles’ followers are convinced that the answer to this question, and to all the questions about the deities, are hidden in Scribbles’ notes and drawings, and devote their time to understanding them. They tend to draw wildly different conclusions, but each seems utterly convinced that they’re the one to figure out the truth.
i'm just loving the idea of jus walking into the trading post and seeing a crowd of like 23 dragons gathered around tomo listening to her talkin about colours, lions and urchins, tryin to work out what cryptic clues these are
i'm just loving the idea of jus walking into the trading post and seeing a crowd of like 23 dragons gathered around tomo listening to her talkin about colours, lions and urchins, tryin to work out what cryptic clues these are
[quote name="Falinks" date="2020-02-27 11:06:09" ]
i'm just loving the idea of jus walking into the trading post and seeing a crowd of like 23 dragons gathered around tomo listening to her talkin about colours, lions and urchins, tryin to work out what cryptic clues these are
[/quote]
On a similar vein, I'm imagining a group of Joxar's followers that take his death part way too seriously and wander around dressed like the grim reaper...but wearing a party hat
i'm just loving the idea of jus walking into the trading post and seeing a crowd of like 23 dragons gathered around tomo listening to her talkin about colours, lions and urchins, tryin to work out what cryptic clues these are
On a similar vein, I'm imagining a group of Joxar's followers that take his death part way too seriously and wander around dressed like the grim reaper...but wearing a party hat
