Domain Rules (GoE)

Domains are those spheres of influence that a god has a particular interest in and control over. They may represent abstract concepts, physical things, or elemental forces. For example, Aphrodite is a goddess of love while Hera is a goddess of marriage. Odin is a god of war and magic while Thor is a god of strength, thunder, and lightning.
When a god or goddess claims a domain, it is a public statement that this god represents the interests of that domain in the world and will actively promote it. A god of Halflings, for example, is promising to heed the prayers of Halflings. A god of fire is promising to promote fire in the world, possibly by creating volcanoes, efreets, and other fire-oriented things.
=How does one claim Domains?=
Domains are gained in two ways.
The first domain that any god will have is the one that they start with (all gods start with one domain). This domain, perhaps more than any other domain that the character will claim, helps define what the god is.
All other domains are gained through play. A "Forge Domain" action is available to formalize a concept and a god's control over it; however, this action must be backed up through roleplaying. A god that has never done anything related to water, and never will do anything with water, should neither create nor claim the Water Domain. 
Domains are not exclusive; more than one god may have the same domain. A god may choose to share a domain with another god, another god may steal a portion of it from them, or it might be ripped from a defeated foe. It is not usually allowed for another god to re-create a domain that is already in existence, but exceptions are possible if discussed in the OOC thread first. The point of these restrictions is that domains should be a point of interest and conflict: if there are two gods who control the life domain, there should be a story behind that.
Generally, two domains that cover essentially the exact same thing are not permitted. That is, if there is a already a Light domain in the game, creating an Illumination domain wouldn't be allowed as a loophole to the above. It would still be permissable, however, with discussion in the OOC.
=How do Domains affect the game?=
Domains are abstract concepts that serve to help guide a participant’s actions in the game. These also serve to help other participants gauge what a particular god’s goals are in the game. There is no rigid, mechanical affect of domains on the game world other than fluff.
That being said, domains are a great way to flavor a god's low-level actions in the world. See the cantrips section of the actions page for more information.
However, having a domain is like staking out your territory. Other gods are free to enter that territory (that is, do things that might fall under the jurisprudence of your domain), but doing so is essentially trespassing. Another god might become a usurper, claiming the same domain; this is effectively one god challenging another’s authority (much in the same way that the Raven Queen, Vecna, and Orcus squabble over the Death domain in 4e ). 
=Domain Order of Entry=
The following list represents the expected order in which domains/new gods will enter the game. When a slot for a new god comes up, the admins will ask players to either take the next domain in the list as their starting domain, or to offer a reason why a different domain is necessary for the world. When a new god enters the game, they should be bringing something to the world. It is fine to deviate from the list (with discussion in the OOC thread), but it is still asked that players focus on what the world needs.
==Domain List==
Category: Rules (GoE)