> Well here's how I'm seeing the whole process of development for
> "post-mortals." As they get into the 4 mastery range with abilities that are
> starting to become magical themselves without being magic from another
> being, what's going on is that they're starting to create their own magic.
(Nice discussion of becoming a Hero Cult/Subcult/etc snipped)
> If/when the cult suddenly "outgrows" the god that the new potential divinity
> worships, if there is a ritual to do so, that seems like the point where
> apotheosis occurs. At that point instead of a Hero Cult, what the followers
> pass down is the knowledge of how to obtain the full powers of the
> otherworld being. A full set of Aspects and feats (as opposed to the sub-set
> that heroe's have).
I think you jumped a bit far here. We honestly only have a few gods we know of that have aspects. (Orlanth. Ernalda. It seems Humakt might. I presume the Red Goddess has them.)
But lots of gods have subcults. And I think this is where these demi-god people seem to be headed. Which, according to the Hero Quest book itself (on page 121), is what is going on.
"Lunar deities often seem to operate similarly [god/subcult], for many are mortals who were elevated to godhood by the patronage of a more powerful deity. These gods generally partake of one or two of their patron's affinities, then provide one or more that stems from their own divine attributes."
For instance, Selven Hara has two of Etyries' affinities, and one of her own. Mind you, Etyries herself is described as a woman who became a god, so I'm not sure where her affinities came from. There does seem to be a way of apostating yourself in the Lunar tradition, and keeping some of the magic from the god you used to worship, but now in a Lunar fashion. Yanafal Tarnils still has combat, Irippi Ontor had Literacy, Etyries has Trade. If I recall, the first was Humakti, the second Buserian, and the third of Issaries. Not exact matches, but certainly derivative of the magic they already had.
> The point here being that I think a cool way to run Jar-Eel is with that,
> dare I say it, hubris, of getting out from under Natha, and starting to look
> forward to becoming her own goddess. Oh, it might not be any time soon. But
> to say that she worships Natha, might be incorrect at this point. Natha
> might still be the source of much of Jar-Eel's power, but on a more and more
> equal level where Jar-Eel is almost demanding (might be too strong a word,
> but you get the drift) the respect of the goddess.
Mind you (as I think Jane points out), the Lunar way is Full of this. In fact, I can't think of many Lunar gods that *aren't* mortals who underwent apotheosis outside of the Goddess herself.
> Make sense? Or are there big holes in the idea?
Oh absolutely, something like that is going on. But it seems to be actively encouraged in the Lunar case. In the Orlanthi, with their more conservative bent, it seems you rarely get beyond hero cult status. (At least since the Dawn.)
LC
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