From: Gary V. Foss
>I'd agree with this concept in principle. It does raise two major
questions in
>my mind, however. How does one become a god in a non-BR setting?
Shouldn't
>the Gorgon have reached that level a LONG time ago? He's been running
around
>doing bloodtheft for 1,500 years. If a mortal can become a demigod, the
Gorgon
>should have been able to do it thirty times over by now. Why isn't he a
divine
>being by now?
>
I actually think the Gorgon got enough bloodline at Deismaar to be a god,
and stayed for the same reason he still stays: his obsession with his
brothers, and later with their creation the empire, keeps him too tightly
tied to the world for him to ascend. If he would only meditate a little,
try some Zen or yoga, he'd be there already :)

Daniel McSorley- mcsorley.1@osu.edu
>The Gorgon is the only creature that I have seen that is noted as having a
>bloodline strength of 100+. Just what the @#$* does that mean? His
bloodline
>is 101? 201? 1,012? I'm thinking, however, that 100+ is all the
information
>we really need. The Gorgon has all the divine essence in him to ascend,
but
>something is keeping him back.
>
>I've been saying that I think the domain rules for BR should be translated
into
>the core rules of AD&D by having characters collect regency equal to their
>experience level + bloodline + any magical items that increase one's
bloodline
>power for the purpose of collecting regency the same way certain times do
that
>in Birthright. Characters can spend RPs to increase their "bloodlines"
even in
>non-BR worlds. In effect, spending regency gained would "create" a
bloodline,
>except in a non-BR world this would have to be called something else.
>Kingship, Rulership, Regal Power, or something like that. It will act in a
>similar manner to a bloodline, but only BR bloodlines spawn blood powers
and
>have a derivation based upon the battle at Deismaar.
>
>Only BR characters are able to store unlimited RPs indefinitely and
transfer
>them to their heirs. A non-BR character cannot store more RPs than he has
>levels of experience. Any RPs above that number must be spent during the
>domain turn, or they are lost. This is to reflect that in a non-BR world,
the
>effects that create RPs; favors, accolades, hero worship, etc. all fade in
>time. In the BR setting, these things are stored up by the bloodline and
can
>be kept indefinitely.
>
>If someone can raise his bloodline or "Rulership Power" to 100+, then I
think
>he could potentially become a god. Why hasn't the Gorgon? Well, my
solution
>is that it requires something else in addition to divine essence. Here's
what
>I think someone should have to do to become a god:
>
>1. Raise his/her bloodline (or "Rulership Power" in a non-BR world) to 100
or
>higher.
>
>2. Meet all the requirements for divine ascension noted in Legends & Lore.
>(Except the 18 charisma one. I still think that's bunk.)
>
>3. The character must accomplish some individually tailored, monumental
task
>that is known only to the DM. Maybe the gods know what task this might be,
but
>the character does not unless he is somehow told by one of the powers or
their
>intermediaries. Scholars could guess at it, but no mortal could discover
it
>for sure. This task should be epic in every sense of the word. The Twelve
>Labors of Heracles is a good example. (After all, he did ascend, didn't
he?)
>
>#3 is why the Gorgon cannot ascend. He does not know what his monumental
task
>must be. What is this task? I think it should be that the Gorgon must
restore
>(read: conquer) the Anuirean Empire and rule it in his iron fist for a
>century. He must make it as dark and evil a force upon the face of Cerilia
as
>it once was a force of good. If he pulls that off, he becomes a god.
>
>But the Gorgon does not know this. Why? Because no one will tell him.
Only
>the gods could do that, and it is hard to imagine any of them doing so.
The
>good aligned gods would keep it quiet for the "good" of all humanity. The
evil
>ones out of spite.
>
>In thematic terms, this could be rockin' good fun. It explains why the
Gorgon
>seems to be driven to conquer. It takes into account his history and how
his
>frustration at not becoming a god is based on factors that begin with his
own
>illegitimate birth. Imagine how the Gorgon would react if he ever
discovered
>what it was that has kept him from ascending? He is the epic tragic
anti-hero
>of all time. All these centuries he has been on Cerilia, and the one thing
>that has kept him from godhood is something should have been his as his....
>BIRTHRIGHT!
>
>Gary
>
>************************************************* **************************
>>'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.
>