>True. But a god can indirectly affect it -- if Chalana Arroy never ever
>answers the sacrifice of a living being, and Shargash always answers a
>human sacrifice, people will adapt their way of worship accordingly.
Just a further elaboration on this. The gods are outside of time, but I don't think that necessarily means they can't react -- as opposed to act. Challana Arroy knows everything that her worshippers tell her and some stuff about all people who need healing, are being healed, etc... Based on that information, and according to the patterns that are Challana Arroy she can do something with this information. Her actions are limited because she can't change herself, but within that limit she can do whatever is allowed to her by the great compromise. Just in game terms, for example, she can decide *exactly* how she answers the next divine intervention call in the area she is concerned with. The next divination may include some extra information. Prophets spring up all the time according to the events charts in Genertela, so she can inspire one. When the next allied spirit is called she can have that spirit take a message (as Orlanth did in Cults of Prax). And so on... If she really objects to how an initiate (who has a tie to her) worships, (say he does a human sacrifice), well she can send her spirits of retribution or perhaps even something worse.
Not to allow the Gods at least this much ability to act is to make them little more than pawns of heroquesters and reduce them to nothing more than cosmic principles manipulated by their worshippers. This is still interesting but IMHO it is less interesting... It is also a version of what many atheists think. Finally, as a last thought, it does seem possible through HeroQuests to summon some of the lesser gods (such as Waha). Once he gets to the world, and is inside time, I think he would have some free will and ability to act as he chose. You may have summoned him -- but it is purest hubris to think you can control him now that he is here!
Ian
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