A series of notes have made their way to local sources of knowledge on the sword coast. There curious in that they are often left outside doors like cast off notes, and any sign of the person who left them is nowhere to be found. If any witness came forward they mention seeing small winged creatures out of the corners of there eyes. They are all signed Herbert North
"
A Question to the Divinity of the Gods.
When it comes to the matter of gods, i hold many doubts. The cosmology holds many powerful creatures, many demand worship. While the faithful flock to such power with their palms together, i ask the question, Should they be worshiped? It is likely that there are many Fey, Demons, Devils, and Angels that hold power on what we see as godly. It is perhaps in foolishness that we worship such things and call them gods. This worship leads to the casting aside of our own potential.
Opposition to such ideas i've stated may ask about the so called gods abilities to give spells to their followers. While this is indeed a fairly impressive display of power, it ignores that fact that Fey and Devils have granted such spells as well. It calls into question the very notion that the god you are praying to is even the same being of power that is giving you such spell as you foolishly give them access to your mind.
The matter of the so called soul is another interesting topic when it comes to "gods". Perhaps the biggest reason for worship of gods is the promise of an afterlife. The "gods" in all there great power will protect your soul, and give you a place in their domain, such power must be proof of divinity no? Such ignorance, it is often forgotten that Devils often control and herd souls on similar power of that of the "gods". Is there truly a difference other then motive? The soul is something even us we so lowly are able to control, trap, hide and protect.
There is no evidence that suggest that the ones worshiped as gods are any more than powerful outsiders. There motive in gaining worship may vary, but perhaps like the devils they seek to claim the soul. Wizards learn more about the soul everyday, and we can protect it from hungry gods and devils.
-Herbert North"
“Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad.”
A reply to these "musings" is left outside The Shelf of Many Books in Baldur's Gate by a woman clad in azure blue.
Such ramblings are proof that some wizards have not learned anything of use from history.
A God is much, much more than a "powerful outsider", a God is a fundamental cornerstone in the great building that our world is. Gods regulate aspects of our life, such as climate, birth, death, arts and crafts. Without them, the whole world would disgregate under the unrestrained assault of entropy and primordial chaos - something that some fiends and fey would rejoice in watching.
Should they be worshiped? Yes, because they give us a point of reference, a model to emulate. Would there be honorable knights and rulers without the Evenhanded Tyr dispensing his wisdom to his followers? The same holds true for tyrants and murderers, that is true. As much as it is true that the world is kept in balance by these struggles. And here comes another aspect of the worship of a God: By regulating the flock of souls, by assigning them eternal rewards or punishments for their behavior in this life, they act as the final, ultimate tribunal in the universe.
Devils control and herd souls, this is true. And they do this as a main way to propagate their own species as well as uphold a primeval pact with the gods of order. As much as they control and herd souls, they still act as agents ready to test the mettle and morals of mortals, and as weights in the great scale that is keeping our world in balance.
This is what faith in a God is all about: a lonesome road of introspection and spirituality, one fraught with peril but also with many rewards in the afterlife.
And while some wizards may think highly of their ability to control souls, they should remember that the souls they so blasphemously manipulate like a toy are the most prized possessions of an individual. If they want, on the other hand, to live as godless beings, they should keep in mind that the Wall of the Faithless awaits. And some of them are so cowardly that they choose the final act of cowardice: transforming themselves into undead abominations just to avoid the fitting punishment for their arrogance, thus becoming eternal fugitives.
I have always found amusing the defiance and disrespect of some practitioners of the Art, so adamant in believing in "their own potential" as to forget that the force they cherish the most, the Art, is the gift of, amongst all beings...a God! Is it not a bit hypocrital to claim to not need the gods at all, when your powers and abilities, your so called "one's own potential", are directly dependant upon them?
There was a time wherein the race of Man stood so proud of its accomplishments, of its control over the Weave, that they believed the Gods to be useless, to the point of one of them actively trying to become one through the use of magic. Needless to say, it did not go well for him, because in his Folly, he not only managed to inflict grievous injuries upon the very fabric of reality itself, but he doomed his whole nation to destruction and annihilation.
That one fool was Karsus, "wizard extraordinaire", and he got the punishment he deserved for having endangered the world with his arrogance.
Beware, ye who question the Gods and their right to exist as divine beings, because you are treading a dangerous path, and your hubris will beget you retribution when your hour will come.
The note is signed with "A worshiper of the Gods, and happy about it"
Shamshir wrote:It seems that when coming to RPGs nowadays, common sense is like the Abominable Snowman: everyone knows what it is, but none has really seen it.
*A reply to the last note is left, as if something was watching for reactions."
"The Gods are indeed powerful, there is little question of that, but are they the creators of the universe, are they truly "Gods"? You grant morality as the a creation of the gods, but the gods themselves are not even the most moral of beings. In fact you forget all the gods of so called "evil" are Bane, Bhaal, Grumbar things to look up to and strive to be like? More often than not the gods are busy fighting each other. With such a long list of so called god, of such varying powers, and varying morality is a god even the right term? There are gods that are in fact Fey or Devils taking up the name, is there any proof that this is not standard of all the creatures we call god?
You speak of the wall of faithless as a threat, but forget it is also the gods who allow and protect it. You speak of Karsus, and forget his reasons for such. Where where the gods to protect his people from the Phaerimm? But perhaps the biggest question the story of Karsus brings up is this, if one that is considered mortal can kill a god, is it a god? The weave is indeed a gift from the gods of magic, but the raw magic that powers the weave is not. "
*A separate and seemingly unrelated note is left. *
"Incomplete body parts are still worth the cost, i can still make some use of the scraps for other experiments.
-Herbert North"
“Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad.”
"Perhaps someone has not paid attention enough. Gods of evil, despite their baseness, are needed to keep the universe balanced and functioning. The immoral gods exist, as much as immoral people exist. And their existence is needed to act as a counterpoint to good, as chaos is needed to counteract order. Without conflict between good and evil, no one would be capable of praising a benefactor for having donated all of his possessions to an orphanage, because no one would create poverty.
Why would the Gods intervene to save a nation that has nothing for them, but scorn and mockery? One whose ruin was brought by its own pride, in conjunction with the doings of others who manipulate the art? And Karsus did not kill Mystril; 'twas Mystril who sacrificed herself to avoid further, irrecuperable damage to the world. Something that a devil, fiend or fey would not do. She uphelded her duty to the very last, at the cost of her own existence.
Everyone deserves a place in the afterlife, be it a place of punishment or a place of reward, and that is what the gods regulate and do. If the wall exists, it does so to punish the ones that are unwilling to serve the Gods, the same beings that keep the universe from crumbling into total anarchy. There were some rules laid upon the world during its creation, a covenant stipulated between Gods and Mortals during the universe's creation. Never taking sides besides one's own, in a world shaped by actions and forces constantly struggling, is a direct breach of the ancient Covenant.
Breach that Covenant, and there shall be consequences."
Shamshir wrote:It seems that when coming to RPGs nowadays, common sense is like the Abominable Snowman: everyone knows what it is, but none has really seen it.
*Attached is a reply written in a different script from both the original letter and the responses so far.*
There is wisdom in questioning what others take for granted and there is wisdom in seeking to understand that which seems improbable.
As you have stated, the gods are not the most "moral" of beings from our mortal perspective but I would put it to you that the gods are not meant to be so.
Consider every aspect of mortal life to be like a single shard of a larger gem. Separately, each shard has value and power but it is still only a piece of the larger whole. Now picture these shards as being possessed by the beings of great power that we call "gods." Each "god" becomes a protector or an overseer (if you will) of whatever shards they possess, granting them dominion over that aspect of mortal life. Consequently, each shard would be coveted by those gods whose own personality and mindset most reflects and relates to that shard's aspect.
It becomes easy to see how the gods themselves come to embody the traits and aspects they govern over and easy to see how the gods could become engaged in conflicts with one another to obtain shards they seek to control. When you understand it in this way (or similar to this way) you will realize that the gods are not "moral" in the sense that we mortals understand morality, they are each representatives of various aspects of mortal existence and an embodiment of that aspect.
Consider if you will also that all of these entities that you have named are vying for control and possession of mortal souls and lives yet the "gods" maintain them. It would easily suggest that the "gods" are the most powerful among the beings seeking to control and regulate mortal life, otherwise their control would be taken from them by those beings which are greater than they are.
You seem learned, so I would put it to you that you need not look further than the ordered and hierarchical structure of the Hells and the Heavens to begin to understand the relationship of power between these beings.
With that said, mortals worship beings greater than themselves for a number of reasons. Perhaps it is the promise of power in return for service. Perhaps it is the belief that such a being would protect and harbor them both in life and death. Perhaps it is simply a feeling of reverence and awe for a being of such power and maybe an appreciation that such a being would even be concerned with mortal life. Perhaps it's the fear of the Wall of the Faithless. Perhaps it is an understanding the gods establish and maintain a hierarchy required to facilitate mortal life and afterlife and that should such a hierarchy be usurped then the realm would come to ruins.
Whatever the reason, these beings are great and powerful and viewing them from the limited perspective of our mortal constraints not only blinds us to the nature of their existence but breeds in us a hubris that hinders any pursuit of the truth. I pray you will find answers you seek and that they will lead you to the truth.
On her way to the Shelf of Many Books, Telia Navra finds the notes and reads them. As she finishes reading, she's frowning and shakes her head at the writings and steps inside the library to return a book of poetry.
"I don't want to pretend at magic anymore. I want to be magic."
Telia Santraeger - Emotional sorceress & priestess of Mystra. [Retired]
Hoihe takes great interest reading the notes, agreeing with some parts and disagreeing with others. Before he could pin his own reply upon it, he decides not to. "I'm not a priest, nor a theologist. Best leave it to these people to discuss. I'll keep an eye out though, looks interesting! What do you say, Al? Mind watching out for whenever a new note is posted?" Hoihe looks to his familiar, Alquedrah the cat, who in turn nods and lies down lazily nearby. "Just avoid the dogs, and don't oversleep. Got it?" Afterwards he looks to his holy symbol and mutters: "Suppose I fall into the "Promises of after-life" and "Protection" types of worshippers, though the protection is not for me.."
He then goes on with his business.
For life to be worth living, afterlife must retain individuality, personal identity and memories without fail - https://www.sageadvice.eu/do-elves-reta ... afterlife/
A character belongs only to their player, and only them. And only the player may decide what happens.
*Another note finds its way into the public. Anyone watching would notice a small winged homunculus is the one delivering the notes before flying off into the air. *
"The Plane of Death
The plane of Death, also known as the negative energy plane is a subject of much fascination. The very energy of the plane expels life. Such hatred of life makes one wonder if the plane itself has a will of its own. Negative energy is the power source of undead, causing corpses to move like puppets on a string or even have some display a degree of consciousness they had in life. Such undeath is even know to happen on its own without outside manipulation. The Plane of death is useful to the undead looking to avoid the living that unprotected from its life sucking nature and lack of breathable air.
Perhaps the most interesting type of undead I have encountered are the Quell. Holding such hatred of the gods they have an ability called intercession. Useing this ability they can cut off users of the divine from there dietys power. I am reminded of the absorbing zombie, an undead that is able to absorb the weave that is cast at him. Perhaps by manipulating the emotional state of a living subject I can create a mix of the two in undeath.
-Herbert North"
“Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad.”
Hearing of the notes, and that responses have been given to replies left outside the Shelf of Many Books, Talisen decides to leave a note of his own. Written in plain but clear script, it reads:
Dear Sir North,
If you wish to discuss the honor due to the gods, perhaps you should come have a chat with me in person. You won't, of course, because you are a coward, afraid that you might learn the true meaning of respect. We will see how you feel about 'your own potential' when a member of our local population of self-righteous tin-cans catches up to you, or when the gods finally tire of laughing at you. When that day comes, I hope that you enjoy your stay in The Wall.
"Early experiments with the Quell have yielded useful information. Working together they prove far more effective than alone. Once separated from there gods sample subjects showed signs of great discomfort, confusion and anger, often dropping to ground crying . The sample Druid fled, making continuing observation difficult. The absorbing zombies where less effective, while confusing the sample arcane users who's magic held little effect, they where defeated easily after the realization physical combat was needed.
-Herbert North"
“Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad.”
"I was recently approach by a man looking to collaborate research, while talking the concept of blood memory was spoke of. I couldn't help but recall an incident in my youth. I recently taken a young healthy girl as a subject for experiment. The subject was noisy and made concentration difficult, so I decided to gag her. In my youthful ignorance I used a leather gag, she suffocated to death sometime during the night. After I discovered her fate some time had passed, long enough for her brain to become useless as happens quickly after death. I decided to make use of the corpse anyway and changed her to undeath. To my surprise the subject gained an ability to simulate suffocating in targets. Such a thing suggested a clear carryover from emotions and circumstances of death to the undead. I've been researching such a phenomenon since.
-Herbert North"
“Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad.”
"Wheeps are undead that express sorrow. Whatever created such powerful sorrow in life has passed to undeath. They ar eyeless and out of there empty sockets they cry tears of poison. Its tears and sorrow can seep into the minds of any around it and shaken them. There image is almost unmistakable.
-Herbert North"
The note includes a drawing
“Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad.”
"It seems my studies may change of late. A group from the underdark has taken my phylactery, likely to make use of me and my research. Perhaps with any luck with will come to a understanding and a working relationship. However even i can't venture a guess where this will lead.
-Herbert North"
“Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad.”
"The people of the coast are foolish and impatient. Perhaps if they slowed down their lives they take the time to learn things. However i suppose time is a killer of all things, even am not completely immune to its effects, however unlike the foolish who hold my phylactery, i dont need to sleep."
-Herbert North
“Knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting in your fruit salad.”
