Religion

From Mizahar Lore

Revision as of 17:19, 23 April 2009

General Overview

The Gods and Goddess of Mizahar are powerful immortal beings that are however vulnerable to the weaknesses mortals sometimes have. They can experience protectiveness, creativity, fear, pain, love, hatred, jealousy, lust, and any number of other emotions which drive their actions. And while left to their own devices, they will live forever, mortals can and have plotted to destroy deities. Some have even succeeded. Mere mortals have indeed ascended to divinity either through their actions or the granting of divinity by other divine creatures. As such, the Mizaharian Pantheon has experienced change throughout its lengthy history and will continue to do so in the future. However, the Gods of Mizahar possess tremendous power, both upon Mizahar and within Ukalas – The Realm of Divine and home of the Gods. And while they can appear as normal as an ordinary mortal, each and every one possess a measure of Divine Presence which invokes a sort of awe that they can regulate in order to make themselves known or keep themselves concealed. The mortal races of Mizahar are conscious of one simple thing; The Gods and Goddesses walk among them. In several places, these deities rule as sovereigns over an entire culture or geographic area. Some even rule over a season of the year. While yet other divine creatures rule over specific races or types of powers. More so than anyone else, mages and others that wield magic (especially gnosis) within Mizahar are conscious of divinity and those that hold it. For it is often a force or level of practice they strive for - yearn for - and a rare few ascend too.

The Alvina ~ Children of the Gods and Mortals

Often, among the mortals and Gods there walks those that have the blood of each. These Alvina are the combinations of mortal and divine interaction – love, lust, rape, and common dalliances. Their name means ‘children of the heavens’ in the ancient Mizaharian Tongue. And while they might have access to both Ukalas and Mizahar, they don’t quite fit either place. Instead, they make their own rules and dwell in the halfway gray lands, touching each world, yet not truly a part of it. The Alvina hold ranks just as the Gods do... though normally at lower levels.

The Ukalas ~ The Realm of Divine

Information Forthcoming.

The Ranks of the Divine

Deities fall into four ranks. Those ranks consist of the following:

• Rank 1: Supreme beings of enormous power and scope. These creatures often take no notice of mortals and care nothing for worshipers. They only rarely gift Gnosis Marks, and often times those gifts are to the lesser gods themselves only. More often than naught, these Divine Beings and their names are unknown to Mizaharians, though they do have the ability to grant divinity to those born merely mortal.

• Rank 2: Considered the Greatest ‘known’ deities, these Gods and Goddesses have by and large the vast majority of followers upon Mizahar. These deities often oversee other lesser deities and hold them accountable or force them to carry out their will. Rather than having one singular domain, such as disease or healing, these deities govern larger more broader categories like Life and Death.

• Rank 3: These deities fall into the category of specialized influence. For example, seasonal Goddesses and Gods, those overseeing fertility, famine, vengeance, and love fall into this category. These deities often have very limited but powerful followers and are more than likely to control cults or have cities or races dedicated to them. Much more comfortable in the presence of mortals, Rank 3 deities often live upon Mizahar and openly interact with its citizens. They have also been known to create races as well.

• Rank 4: These creatures cannot truthfully be considered full Gods and Goddesses. A more accurate description is perhaps that of a demigod or demigoddess. Mizaharians call them Alvina. These Alvina often have mixed blood, meaning they are the product of mortal and divine couplings. Alternatively, these deities have also in rare cases been raised from mortal status through their own ambitions, and the power that numerous followers can grant them.

God/dess List