The Definition of Deity
In Korentil, the five Prime Deities were created by the Unnamed God, a being so powerful and mysterious that no scholar alive or dead knows his name, not even the Prime Deities know his name. The Five were created to give guidance for mortals that followed them in the pattern of their lives before they were chosen to be deities. The deities are immortal beings, just like any other soul in the Realms of the Dead (the collective name for the Overworld, Underworld, Midlands, Plane of Law, and Plane of Chaos). As immortal beings, the only way they can be slain is by mortal hands, thus the powers that be, and those evil beings that would seize power from the Prime Deities often vie for favor among mortals and try to lure them to the Realms of the Dead in their often failed attempts to remove their deity. The first time this sort of thing happened was when Sheidlak was slain by a mortal; the result was the First War of Souls (really the only war of souls, but most scholars agree that another war of this nature is inevitable as the power of mortals increase, thus the name First War of Souls). The death of a deity is often seen in the mortal world through the spilling conflict across the ethereal wall (The ethereal plane is the easiest route from the mortal world to the Realms of the Dead).
Princes and Avatars of Deity
Each deity has servants, be they princes, lords, avatars, keepers or ambassadors. These beings are considered to be lesser deities, and are the source through which the domain powers relative to each Prime deity are given to mortals. Each prime deity grants the domain powers and spells relative to that deity’s alignment (Law, Chaos, Good, Evil, and The Balance), and it is through their servants that all other domains are granted to a priest. A priest may worship Duhran, but may also receive domain powers from Heron, the Avatar of Healing, and Ystera, Giver of Life (for a total of three domains). For this reason it is advisable that any priest also record the names of their respecive avatars, princes, lords, avatars or keepers on their character sheet. These servants are those from whom the next replacement vessel for the power of their Prime Deity master in the event of their demise; it may take a few centuries to sort out who is best for the job (through election, war, etc…) but a Prime Deity is never truly slain. His body can be destroyed, but the power granted from the Un-Named One is always there, to be re-focused through the body of another willing immortal. Although priests acknowledge the presence of the Un-Named God, there are no domain powers or spells granted
Of Angels and Demons
There is another class of creatures on the outer planes, and they are those without a true soul. They are creations of the deities and their princes - demons, angels and such. These beings are created for the sole purpose of helping advance the cause of their alignment in the Realms of the Dead, and in the Mortal Realm, if possible. Angels are created by the good and lawful powers, while Demons are created by the evil and chaotic powers. These beings have no soul, and are irrevocably slain whether they are killed by a mortal, immortal, or another angel or demon. They are the cannon fodder of any immortal army, and come in many a varied shape and form, limited only by the creativity of their creators.
Angels and demons may only travel the planes with the permission of their master, and may only enter the living realm with the permission of the Prime Deity they represent. If they ever lose the favor of their master, they simply cease to exist, or spontaneously combust. |
