Deities in ILH1 (Patrik)

From: Mark Galeotti <mark_at_...>
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2003 20:59:42 -0000


Just catching up on some of the points raised, though Martin has fielded them admirably.

Patrik:

The deities in the Homelands spreads are, as you say, just indicative. Many of the deities you mention )Oria, Oslira, Entekos, Dendara) are indeed important, but don't peg obviously with one of the occupations there, but they are certainly not going to be ignored.

Pantheons do still have multi-regional catchment areas, but they are also not fixed. Just as Lunar deities are found all over, there is also 'bleed' across pantheons or local pattersn of worship. Deities such as Odayla and Barntar are worshipped all across the Provinces and up into Sylila, Erissa is respected across Peloria and Pelanda, etc. As Martin said, though, with only one sample deity per occupation per homeland, we wanted to give people new stuff rather than just duplicate.

At the same time, remember just how thin and fragile the seeminlyrobust  membrane of Empire really is. Sure, Lokarnos merchants, Buserian scribes, IO scholars, etc are a common sight across the Empire, but local traditions and beliefs are powerful, and there is magical, political and practical advantage in not losing your own distinctive deities (who, after all, are probably best-suited to local conditions - a Savasukan animist who can speak to the waters is more help getting goods across a Darjiini swamp than a Lokarnos wagonneer!), even while taking advantage of the new, Imperial/Lunar/DH ones.

Tables of % of worshop are dangerous things, not least given the way that not everyone worships *a* deity. Remember that in much of the Empire, especially Peloria, initiation is rare. Whereas Orlanthi tend to commit to a single deity, Pelandans may well just worship a pantheon or may instead worship several appropriate deities as communal worshippers.

All the best

Mark

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