Gods

A God (Or sometimes Goddess) is a Divine being of unimaginable power, capable of reshaping the world and creating their own. Every God has a particular area in which they thrive, a thing they wish to impart or control, this is called their "Domain". Gods are empowered by both the number of Followers they have, and the amount of their Affinity that is within their realms- a God of Harvest is stronger and more likely to influence the world during the harvest season, for example.

Gods are worshipped either by themselves, or sometimes in a Pantheon group called a religion. Every race has at least one pantheon, but there used to be a great many more, and in some places there still are. They do not often take physical form in the mortal realm, as to do so they would have to become partially mortal, an avatar of their will.

However, not all Gods are *good.* Although the term is most commonly used for good and neutral powers, those who rule over the hells, and seek the suffering or destruction of the folk of the mortal realm are known as Sins.

## Domain

A Domain is an area of life or death which a God draws power from. Each God seeks to promote their Domain, spreading it to as many people as they can. Domains can be benevolent, evil, or just ordinary.

## Realm

A God's realm is both where the God "Lives", and is also a physical manifestation of a part of that God. It is the one place a God can freely act without regard for others.

Realms are inhabitted by the God's "Divine Host", who are supernaturally powerful creatures that take a form of the god's choosing, known as Angels. A God will take the souls of their most devout believers into their realm and reincarnate them as one of their Divine Host, allowing them to keep their memories and enter into a paradise of their devotion. The more souls a God has in their realm, the stronger their power.

Gods may also try and trick mortals into freely entering their Realm, especially if those mortals have angered them. Even if they did not follow that God, should a mortal die in their Realm, that God is able to claim their soul. In this way, the God can enact eternal vengeance on those who defied them. This is also used by some dark Gods in the form of ritual sacrifice, where a dying creature's soul is sent to their realm instead of their real resting place, augmenting the God's own power.

## Boons

Boons are special feats granted to the most devout followers as a reward for earning their god's favour. These feats can grant powers, immunities, or resistances.

## Artefacts

Sometimes, though rarely, a God or Sin will interact with the mortal realm, and bless an Artefact. These items, bestowed with a small essence or "blood" of the god, allow great power to be had and wielded. Strangely, reports of artefacts existing even centuries before their initial creation exist, implying that once blessed, they do not exist in our timeline the way we do.

Not just powerful, artefacts of a god can bestow blessings or curses upon the friends or enemies of the wielder, often attracting great attention, songs of praise... and of fear. They can range from a +5 Weapon, to items that allow the casting of the most powerful and unique of spells, to even holy objects capable of healing wounds deemed incurable, or stopping death for as long as it is in your possession.

Artefacts, however, are fickle. They will trade masters freely, and often disappear as they see their duty at an end. Winning the loyalty of such an artefact requires devoutly following the creed of it's creator, and without it's loyalty you may find it not in it's scabbard when you need it most...

## Gods

Gods are devoted to either good or neutral causes in the world. They seek to spread these causes peacefully, or as peacefully as they can.

Most Gods are part of a Pantheon, and get a share of the worship given to that Pantheon. These are the basis of religions. Each Pantheon may have a different god of Storms, for example, but it is unclear if these are all different gods, or if they are all facets of the same powerful divine being, with each religion worshiupping a different part of the same whole. Those who are not part of a Pantheon are often called "Lesser Gods", and tend to have only a few worshippers.

## Sins

A Sin is a God that is devoted to the upheaval and destruction of the world as it is. This makes them inherently contradictory to the nature of life, and as such are considered "Evil". They can be considered as having a pantheon of their own, a dark and twisted pantheon whose worshippers seek to undo the goods

Sins will often have a domain based around something that most Folk detest- Cruelty, Vengeance, Nightmares, and Chaos are known Sins, and in various areas these thrive. Each Sin has a realm that is home to either Demons or Devils, but as those two species despise one another, rare is a Sin who could command both.

While many Sins have been named and are known, many more still exist that are unknown, plotting their evil takeovers and power gains.