The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: NomadicSounds a bit like the Daedra from the elder scrolls.

I wouldn't know, since I never played those games and Wikipedia doesn't have any info on the Daedra.

Quote from: SilvercatMoonpaw

Quote from: NomadicSounds a bit like the Daedra from the elder scrolls.

I wouldn't know, since I never played those games and Wikipedia doesn't have any info on the Daedra.

Sounds like you're just looking on the wrong wiki.

Quote from: Luminous CrayonSounds like you're just looking on the wrong wiki.

In that case the two are nothing alike: the gods walking my world are the ones who care about the people (in some way, a given god may not care about all the people), have actual forms, and are probably not as powerful as that page made the Daedra sound.

The Daedric Princes really aren't that powerful in terms of godhood. They can even be "killed" by mortals. And while most of them are a bit selfish and alien a couple do honestly care about others (at least their followers... in the case of azura though there is even care for mortals in general) and the daedric princes do have actual flesh and blood forms (they can just change them if they choose). That wiki makes the daedra seem a bit more evil and powerful than they actually are in the game (well except the real "evil" ones like Mehrunes Dagon).

Gonna post non-Daedra content up in here.

Here is a pretty old thread about some Jade Stage gods. I keep going back to it, though; it's a valuable resource for me.

- How important is religion in your setting?
My campaign has a slight focus on personal choices, ideologies and philosophies so religion plays a large role; if not internationally then at least for the individual character in the setting.

- Do gods really exist? Are they really gods? Do people know they exist, or just believe?
Actual living gods in the setting are a major black mark in my book. I think this ruins the entire concept of a god; gods are mysterious, distant, and incomprehensible. Also, unproven divinities make room for one of the most interesting and controversial of human concepts: faith. If the existence of gods is a fact then you can't talk about faith; only devotion, idealism and loyalty. Therefore i try to avoid known gods in my own settings.  

- Do you like abstract or personified gods more?
I enjoy toying with the concepts and possibilities inherent in abstract religions, but a well-made personified god can be plenty good. I do prefer them to be bestial or unnatural though; I'm not much for anthropomorphic gods unless particularly well constructed.  

- Any other thoughts on religion?
My major issue is that people forget that religion is so much more than gods; religion and faith can be any kind of system of belief, whether it involves gods, spirits, ideals, ethical concepts, or ancient demonic beings from the infernal infradimensional netherspace of dimension 9. Most religions in settings seem to involve around basic pantheons with simple anthropomorphic gods and the occasional monotheistic theocracy. We can do better than that :)

Religion and Spirituality is core to Kaidan, even though the actual cosmology is an artificial construct created by a dark powerful god-like being from the Far Realm (?) Kaidan itself was a land created and placed by this dark being onto an existing Prime Material Plane, with its own cosmologic consequences to those who die on its islands.

Because Kaidan came into existence from another oriental setting (actual Japan, April 1185 AD) much of its culture was developed prior to the existence of Kaidan, however all memories fade before the date of the founding of the empire, 816 years ago.

The Wheel of Life planar Construct - is a sentient god-like construct that maintains the endless cycle of reincarnations, created by the greater evil being that enabled the curse uttered in the creation of Kaidan. Karma achieved through the deeds of life feeds the construct at the moment of death, thus full, eventful lives is encouraged by both society and the Wheel of Life itself.

There are both ancestral spirits and nature spirits, both occupying pockets within the construct itself, yet in greater and lesser ways are deities as well, that can travel between their realms and the prime material.

The question becomes, since heaven and hell are part of the same construct, as are the castes in society, to include the barbarians and shape-changers, actual divine spirits inhabit it, yet it is clearly understand that the Wheel of Life construct is a perverse reflection of any such cosmology real or presumed, created by a powerful extra-planar being of great evil - is Kaidan's cosmology and religion real or contrived? I'm not sure of the answer.

GP

Quote from: PhoenixVaguely related

 This is pathetic. Anybody who hasn't read this has to. Then google Jediism. Even though their principles are good, their entire way of life is based off a fricken sci-fi movie! I love Star Wars, but come on!