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plutherusI need a new pantheon.
No, not in real life, more than enough gods there already. I want a new pantheon for my D&D world. And, as laziness is one of the prime virtues of a good DM, I'm enlisting the aid of everyone reading this to help me create one.
So, here's what I want everyone reading to do, if you want to help me out: (c'mon, it'll be fun!)
Create a single new deity for me, by answering a few questions. A word or two or a page or two, it's all good. Skip some questions, add others, whatever you want. Remember, you're not being graded on your answers, so feel free to go crazy. Give as much or as little detail on anything that you want. Maybe just a name. Feel free to answer more than once if the mood strikes you. Come back again next month and answer again. I'll leave the post open so if you read my lj but aren't on my friends list, feel free to play along. You can post anonymously if you don't want anyone to know it's you.
No experience of D&D is necessary. In fact, it's best if some of you who've never played a role-playing game chip in - lends a whole new fresh perspective as it were.
The world I use is loosely based on all the various heroic fantasy literature out there. Of course, Lord of the Rings figures heavily, as does Conan the Barbarian, and the works of Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, and Guy Gavriel Kay. Throw in some Tokugawa Shogunate, Arabian Nights, Olmec mythology, Templar legends, and Blue Oyster Cult, and you got a pretty good idea.
Of course, some gods aren't even from the world originally, perhaps they were spontaneously formed and were never mortal at all, or maybe they are from other universes entirely and recently expanded their influence into the realms. It's all up to you.
So, imagine if you will that you are a Great Hero, (or maybe a Heinous Villian - after all, the world needs evil deities, too) recently ascended to godhood, tell me about:
Your deeds: what were you known for in your mortal life? Describe one or two famous things you did before your apotheosis.
Creation: did you have a hand in making the world? Do you claim to have done it all yourself? If you were involved at all, how did it go?
Your closest followers: Maybe they became your high priest or priestess, or perhaps they're now demigods who serve you. Who are they? What do they do for you? And why?
Spheres of influence: what are you the god of? Magic? Travel? Itinerant performers? Shopkeepers? Blacksmiths? Bludgeoning? Law? Order? Chaos? Love? Hate? War? Crime? Don't feel limited to just one if you don't want to.
Your artifacts: Is there any one particular item you're especially known for carrying/wearing/owning? How about a famous item you used to own while mortal but now is out in the world somewhere? Would anyone seek it? What will it do for them if they find it, and what would they have to go through to get it?
Your followers: who are they? Why do people worship you? What do you do for them?
Your temples: what are they like? Where do people worship you? And how? Do they gather once a week in stone buildings where your priests lecture them? Or do they dance skyclad in the forests? Or in the city squares? Do you have giant halls? Mobile Huts? Special trees? People's basements?
High Holy Days: What are they? Name a holiday. Maybe two. Why is it special? Did you perform some great miracle on that day? A day of one of your great victories? Or failures? How is the day remembered? Raucous parties? Solemn rememberence? Fearful huddling?
Friends and enemies: Who are they? How about one of each. Why is the one your friend? Why is the other your enemy? What'd you ever do for/to them? How do you get along with the other gods/goddesses/triumvates/whatever in general?
Assuming you're not the first person to answer this (and assuming anyone does), look up in the thread - tell me a short bit about some interaction you've had with some of those who are already posted here. (Yeah, I'm being optimistic, I know :)
What else do you want to tell me about this deity:
Now list an additional question that everyone who hasn't posted yet should answer:
And, thanks for playing! Maybe if you ever play D&D with me, you'll get a chance to meet some of these deities. Or their followers. Or, who knows, maybe I'll just use them to start a new religion to fleece the masses, like L. Ron Hubbard did.
No, not in real life, more than enough gods there already. I want a new pantheon for my D&D world. And, as laziness is one of the prime virtues of a good DM, I'm enlisting the aid of everyone reading this to help me create one.
So, here's what I want everyone reading to do, if you want to help me out: (c'mon, it'll be fun!)
Create a single new deity for me, by answering a few questions. A word or two or a page or two, it's all good. Skip some questions, add others, whatever you want. Remember, you're not being graded on your answers, so feel free to go crazy. Give as much or as little detail on anything that you want. Maybe just a name. Feel free to answer more than once if the mood strikes you. Come back again next month and answer again. I'll leave the post open so if you read my lj but aren't on my friends list, feel free to play along. You can post anonymously if you don't want anyone to know it's you.
No experience of D&D is necessary. In fact, it's best if some of you who've never played a role-playing game chip in - lends a whole new fresh perspective as it were.
The world I use is loosely based on all the various heroic fantasy literature out there. Of course, Lord of the Rings figures heavily, as does Conan the Barbarian, and the works of Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, and Guy Gavriel Kay. Throw in some Tokugawa Shogunate, Arabian Nights, Olmec mythology, Templar legends, and Blue Oyster Cult, and you got a pretty good idea.
Of course, some gods aren't even from the world originally, perhaps they were spontaneously formed and were never mortal at all, or maybe they are from other universes entirely and recently expanded their influence into the realms. It's all up to you.
So, imagine if you will that you are a Great Hero, (or maybe a Heinous Villian - after all, the world needs evil deities, too) recently ascended to godhood, tell me about:
Your deeds: what were you known for in your mortal life? Describe one or two famous things you did before your apotheosis.
Creation: did you have a hand in making the world? Do you claim to have done it all yourself? If you were involved at all, how did it go?
Your closest followers: Maybe they became your high priest or priestess, or perhaps they're now demigods who serve you. Who are they? What do they do for you? And why?
Spheres of influence: what are you the god of? Magic? Travel? Itinerant performers? Shopkeepers? Blacksmiths? Bludgeoning? Law? Order? Chaos? Love? Hate? War? Crime? Don't feel limited to just one if you don't want to.
Your artifacts: Is there any one particular item you're especially known for carrying/wearing/owning? How about a famous item you used to own while mortal but now is out in the world somewhere? Would anyone seek it? What will it do for them if they find it, and what would they have to go through to get it?
Your followers: who are they? Why do people worship you? What do you do for them?
Your temples: what are they like? Where do people worship you? And how? Do they gather once a week in stone buildings where your priests lecture them? Or do they dance skyclad in the forests? Or in the city squares? Do you have giant halls? Mobile Huts? Special trees? People's basements?
High Holy Days: What are they? Name a holiday. Maybe two. Why is it special? Did you perform some great miracle on that day? A day of one of your great victories? Or failures? How is the day remembered? Raucous parties? Solemn rememberence? Fearful huddling?
Friends and enemies: Who are they? How about one of each. Why is the one your friend? Why is the other your enemy? What'd you ever do for/to them? How do you get along with the other gods/goddesses/triumvates/whatever in general?
Assuming you're not the first person to answer this (and assuming anyone does), look up in the thread - tell me a short bit about some interaction you've had with some of those who are already posted here. (Yeah, I'm being optimistic, I know :)
What else do you want to tell me about this deity:
Now list an additional question that everyone who hasn't posted yet should answer:
And, thanks for playing! Maybe if you ever play D&D with me, you'll get a chance to meet some of these deities. Or their followers. Or, who knows, maybe I'll just use them to start a new religion to fleece the masses, like L. Ron Hubbard did.
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P'uchik haah!
Date: 2006-11-17 08:39 am (UTC)I would be Oxp'el Xook P'uchik "Three Count Strike", (made up) goddess of Maya weaponry. I'd be robed in a knee-length huipil that was made of interlocking flint and obsidian and jade tiles. Sandals are made of rubber, sisal and jade. My headress is a simple top-knot with arrows sticking out in three directions representing the three overlapping worlds of Maya mythology. My ceremonial stance would be a side view with a bow on my back, my left hand weilding an obsidian sword and my right hand at mid-section level making what superficially looks like a weak or relaxed 2/peace sign but with the thmb pointed out. My followers are anyone having to wield a weapon for any reason, weather to fight or hunt or simply survive, but I'm not worshiped the way the main deities like Itzamna or Cha'ak are and when I am, the worship is very small and lacks the pomp associated with other rites. I am a practical goddess and prefer prescise, honest worship through simple ritual of weapon recognition and respect. I'm mostly predominately recognized in the Yucatan, but had my origins in the Rio Bec region north of Tikal. In the highlands, I am sometimes called by other names. I also am a protector women in childbirth. My artifacts: any weapon but mainly an obsidian sword. I am mainly a neutral goddess, but will come down hard on anyone abusing the power behind the artifacts that represent me, i.e. weapons.I have no enemies save some of the lords of Xibalba. I distrust their loathsome manners in that they like death for death's sake of destruction and rot. Violence is an end to a mean in some cases, and I loathe wanton waste. I was not one of the 7 deities responsible for the creation of the 4th world, but as my loyalty is unwavering in the face of honerable beings I did serve as a guard to protect them as they created this current world. I have no specific high holy days although third hours in third days in third months are more special to me. Battlefield invocation to me: "P'uchik haah!" or "Strike True!". I like spiced chocolate spiked with balche (Maya mead). Actually, all of us including the star demons do, so never mind.
I will try to draw a representation and post her later. ^_^
We Who Know Our Way.
Date: 2006-11-17 06:17 pm (UTC)-- Li Kahn -- LG
-- Chen Tooy -- LN
-- Soon Ken -- LE
Chien Koon was a fighter of great skill (15th?) but after the great battle of xxxx became disillusioned to war. After much contemplation (Cleric 5) he became convinced of the curse of things. The swords and armor became the focus of the warrior and diverted him from the true way.
He renounced violence and spent his hours in contemplation. (clr 8)
While walking to the village for supplies, he saw that the village was under attack. Helpless in his vows, he watched as the raiders put to waste every man woman and child.
He renounced his vows of non-violence and began to develop[ a system of war that bypassed the curse of things. (Mnk 1)
Guided by the Gods, he created the discipline of the Monk and came to the aid of many villages in his area.
After one battle (Mnk 10), he found 2 women and a man requesting he teach them the Way. They were Li Kahn (F), Chen Tooy (M) and Soon Ken (F).
Upon Chien's death, his first three disciples argued and formed their own schools, the White(LG-LN/G), Red (LN/G-LN/E) and Black Hands (LN/E-LE). Every Monk belongs to one of these schools & venerates the Father of the Way and his Favorite Disciple (who happens to be the founder of their school).
No artifacts -- those are things. Followers are Monks. Clerics are multiclassed Clr/mnk & sometimes mnk/clr/ftr. Temples are Monastaries, Monstaries are military fortresses. Main floor is a reception hall with a main temple containing Chien and the sect founder. Typically, there are smaller token shrines for the other (lesser) disci0les of Chien.
No Holy Days, though you can pick one for Chien's day or realization (the raid of the village). THe sect would celebrate as per their alignment (helping others or contemplation of the way). The Sects are in clandestine warfare, always seeking to undermine the influence of each other. The Red & Black hands have multiclassed thieves in honored positions, and the Black has assassins. THe White is usually allied with a Paladin group. Each sect is semi autonomous & divided into smaller segments (as with Christian churches of yesterday) SOme of the larger (e.g. the WHite hand Sect has several subsects, each having one to 10 monasteries. The same is true for the others, thogh the Black hand seldom has more than one monastery per subsect).
PS: This is lifted from my notes for the Monk structure in my world -- assuming I ever do anything with it.