| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Aravine |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 18:02:22
Okay I was just rereading the FRCS. according to that (going on memory on this one) AO created the two godesses, Selune and shar. they began to fight and thus the Gods came about. why is it that Selune, an Intermediate Diety, is fighting Shar, A greater diety? did selune get demoted by AO, or what? you'd think that the two godesses that were there from the beginning would both be Greater Dieties. I'm just trying to understand this. |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Hawkins |
Posted - 05 Jan 2008 : 00:07:06
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
Keep in mind that at the end of the Time of Troubles, Ao tied the power of a deity to the number of here followers.
Well, this isn't exactly true because Ed has said before that there is more to the power of the deities then just their worshipers. So, the power of their worshipers is one part of how much power deities have but it's not the only factor.
I tried to convey that with the "at least in part" clause in the second sentence, but I thank you anyways for pointing it out.  |
| The Sage |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 23:18:58
Ed did say 'Mystra is the most powerful deity of the Faerūnian pantheon, by virtue of the fact that Toril is so overwhelmingly governed, sourced, and powered by magic.' There's no question that worship is only part of what determines a god's power, since the order of most-worshipped gods isn't the same list as most-powerful. Just look at Waukeen, Shar and the other evil deities, Horus-Re, Lolth, and the elemental lords.
Ed doesn't talk much about the inner workings of the gods, about angels-dancing-on-the-head-of-a-pin theology which no mortal knows for sure and DMs don't need to know either. The question of what constitutes worship is also largely moot because people tend to pray in proportion to their concerns and activities. For instance, almost all mages deliberately worship Mystra, and probably more than half give her primary devotion, including those of evil alignments, such as Manshoon.
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| Kuje |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 20:05:21
quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
Keep in mind that at the end of the Time of Troubles, Ao tied the power of a deity to the number of here followers.
Well, this isn't exactly true because Ed has said before that there is more to the power of the deities then just their worshipers. So, the power of their worshipers is one part of how much power deities have but it's not the only factor. |
| Hawkins |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 19:34:00
Keep in mind that at the end of the Time of Troubles, Ao tied the power of a deity to the number of here followers. So Selune is weaker, at least in part, during her 3e years probably because she had fewer followers. Anyways, Rich has hinted on the WotC boards that Selune may be upgraded to a Greater Goddess again with the death of Mystra (via the reabsorption of some of her energy that had created Mystryl, and then was passed on to Mystra versions 1 and 2). |
| Ayunken-vanzan |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 19:27:08
I am not sure, but I think in the beginning they were both greater deities. But when Selune fought with Shar, Shar greatly weakened her. When Selune threw a portion of her magical essence at Shar ripping of some essence from her, too, and thus creating Mystryl, she weakened herself to the core, as Faith and Pantheons states, and since then her power waxes and wanes, whereas Shar's power retains much of her ancient strength. That explains why Shar is a greater goddess and Selune only intermediate. |
| Mazrim_Taim |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 19:11:08
What Kuje said. When they actually "fought" things were simplified in terms of light (Selune) and darkness (Shar). It's a whole different kind of fight now, at least I think. |
| Kuje |
Posted - 04 Jan 2008 : 18:21:23
Well, I've always read that as not as truth but as one of many creation myths. It might be true, it might not be.
However, if you want it to be true, I'd go with what Ed and others have said. Selune's power, like the moon, has waxed and waned. So at one point she could have been a greater deity. And actually during the time of Netheril, at least according to the Netheril box set, she was a greater deity. |
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