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  1. #1

    A question about gods

    So in the boxed set it says that elves had never encountered priestly magic before humans came to Cerilia. Yet dwarves, goblins, and orogs can all become clerics. So where did the gods of these native races come from? Were they also champions at Deismaar?
    Last edited by Naughtical; 10-26-2013 at 09:37 AM.

  2. #2
    Senior Member teloft's Avatar
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    I have never thougth about that, reconstucting cerilia as it was before the colonial times. Was there no cleric with the other native races. It interests me.

  3. #3
    Ehrshegh of Spelling Thelandrin's Avatar
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    Moradin and Kartathok are Elder Gods (they predate Deismaar) and it's entirely possible that Elves never encountered Dwarven or Orog priests, as they live in totally separate areas. I would find it harder to explain the lack of Goblin priests though.

    Ius Hibernicum, in nomine juris. Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

  4. #4
    So then it must just have been a storyline oversight, and elves did meet priests prior to Deismaar?

    On a related note: If you need to be blooded to gain RP, and realm spells cost RP, and no one was blooded prior to Deismaar, then how were realm spells cast prior to that?

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    Site Moderator Sorontar's Avatar
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    The land had no blood attachment to the people so there were no realm spells. Such power was only in the hands of the gods.

    The truth is that the non-human gods really are up to the DM as there is nothing very canon about them, except that the elves didn't have any. God/s of the dwarves, snolls, goblins etc are not mentioned, IIRC. Personally, I can't see why they can all worship the same gods, but have different personages of them.

    Sorontar

  6. #6
    I don't understand what you mean when you say they're not mentioned. They're listed in the boxed set rulebook. They've got only slightly less of a blurb than the human gods do.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Naughtical View Post
    So then it must just have been a storyline oversight, and elves did meet priests prior to Deismaar?

    On a related note: If you need to be blooded to gain RP, and realm spells cost RP, and no one was blooded prior to Deismaar, then how were realm spells cast prior to that?
    I think the simple answer is that they weren't, and rulers were also not "invested in the land" as they were after Deismaar. This probably means that they ruled less effectively, and, when the more effective method of being bound to the land became possible, unblooded rulers were gradually forced out of power.

    As a side issue, note that it is perfectly possible to use the Birthright campaign rules in a historical seting, with very few modifications. You remove the rules for anything overtly magical (realm spells, sources, ley lines, etc.) but you really don't need to remove the bloodline and investment rules.

    Instead, bloodline and investment just become a measure of your legitimacy, by whatever the local customs of the time would condier legitimate rulership. Thus, investment for a medieval French or English king would simply involve a (non-magical) ceremony conducted by a bishop. Bloodline would be a measure of his legitimacy: a great bloodline might indicate that he is the firstborn heir of the present king, a major bloodline would mean that he was not the crown prince, but a younger sibling, a minor bloodline would be the king's cousin or uncle, a tainted bloodin would be a bastard of any of the above. Bloodline strength would not provide any magical powers, but would convert into a reaction rll modifier for any major political situations, such as determining whether the counts, dukes and earls would support the ruler or the pretender in a civil war. Appropriate marriages and victory in battle might increase bloodline strength, foolish actions and bad luck (famine, plague, indiscretions coming to light, negative propaganda campaigns, etc.) might lessen it.

    My aside to the side, this is an excellent thread. Clever thought.

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