Deities

This guide was last updated on April 27th, 2024. Sections that have been added/edited are marked with a star (★).

About Deities

• With the exile of the five gods previously in charge of Ognos, new gods have been assigned to the island.
  • The previous gods were Aomete, Huxu, and Dzoana, female Valka deities, and the human deities Hivhur & Ymius.
    • There was minimal interaction with mortals by these gods in the last versions, except for taking a small handful of Chosen and Aomete meddling with a pregnancy.
• New deities are currently roaming New Ognos in order to further stabilize the island and help set the returning Ognoshu up for success.
• There are many lesser gods currently exploring the island as well; characters can discover new gods through regular gameplay and mini-games/events.
• Deities can freely interact with mortals and are potential posting partners both in and out of disguise.
  • There is a very good chance that your character will meet and interact with a deity at some point -- even if they don't realize it at the time.
  • Deities may give out tasks or quests, recruit followers, grant rewards, curse evildoers, collect prayers, and much more. 
  • Some deities do not have a great grasp on what it is to be Ognoshu, so they may perform deeds or blessings, or curse others, due to miscommunications/misunderstandings.
  • Interacting with gods should be done carefully, and death or curses are valid potential outcomes if you do not treat them with respect.
  • Deities are geared towards finding a mate, who they will be with for the duration of the mate's life; they are also very likely to grieve for some time before finding another partner.
• Most deities have a Divine Beast, a close animal ally that acts a lot like a Companion for the deity.
  • As Beasts can be summoned to their deity at will, they are often permitted to wander Ognos; these are exceptionally powerful, mythic-level creatures who can help or harm those that cross their path.
• Deities cannot directly interfere with free will or radically alter destinies; they can only influence mortals in various ways. 
  • For more direct interference, they may recruit Chosen to do tasks for them.

Hierarchy

• Each major deity has several minor deities that report to them; usually these minor deities oversee a specific aspect or physical area on behalf of their supervisor.
  • Ex: the God of the East River and the Goddess of Dolphins may both report to the Goddess of the Sea.
• Gaining enough prayers/followers could allow a minor deity to become a major one, but could risk offending their supervising gods.

Oaths

• A deity's words must always be very carefully chosen, as they are bound to, and by, them. This is an ancient phenomenon called "The Oath".
• Breaking an oath can result in backlash to the deity, ranging from minor inconveniences/annoyances to a temporary loss of their divinity or even the death of their vessel.
• A god would be unlikely to say "I will protect you" because that could be interpreted to mean protection from all harm, including accidental injury. The god would be breaking their word if the person then stumbled and scraped their knee, even though the god did not cause the accident directly. Instead, the god might say "I will aid you when called upon" to avoid an overly broad interpretation that restricts their actions.

Prayers

• Deities grow more powerful and can perform greater feats the more prayers they receive.
• If they go without any prayers for a very long time, deities may disappear completely; this means despite their immense power, they still rely on followers.
• Prayers are not only life-sustaining, but have an addictive quality to them -- most deities don't want to give up, or even share, prayers with others if they can help it.
• Characters can more directly make requests from the deities through the Divine Encounters mini-game.

★ Religions

• Worship is entirely optional; your character can be religious/spiritual or not, and neither would be considered unusual or preferred by general society.
• If you decide to make a religious character, they may worship deities from New Ognos, follow an Earth-based religion, or have their own belief systems. This is entirely up to you!
• In New Ognos, worship is often individual-focused and personal, but organized religions may exist/be created. Created religions can be found in the Organizations Database.

Forms / Vessels

• Each deity has a "divine form"; this form is very much themed after their domain and is often a powerful and terrifying sight to behold.
  • Witnessing the full, true form of a deity is said to be such an intense experience it can drive some people mad.
• When in the Mortal Realm, deities inhabit vessels -- mortal bodies they've taken over.
  • These bodies are often from recently dead or dying individuals, but there are other circumstances that would permit the takeover of a body. 
  • These bodies can sometimes retain their mortal memories, influencing the emotions, fears/strengths, and personalities of the god inhabiting it while in other cases the remnants are completely consumed/destroyed when the deity takes over. This is not a conscious choice, and no one is quite sure why one body would retain bits of consciousness while another does not.
  • While their bodies are enhanced by their divinity -- meaning the often heal quickly, are extremely strong, etc. -- they are only mortal and as such, can be killed. If the body they inhabit is killed, there will usually be a waiting period while they recover from the connection being severed and look for a new suitable vessel.
• Minor deities have more freedoms when it comes to interacting with mortals, what is required to take over a vessel, etc. but are more closely watched than the major deities and can be punished/destroyed if they cross certain lines.

★ Divine Parentage

• Deities are capable of having mortal children, though the circumstances of conception affect the nature of the resulting child. There are three known ways this can occur:
  • A deity may conceive while inhabiting a Vessel, in which case the child is biologically the Vessel's, carrying the Vessel's DNA. These children are always born with a faint touch of divinity, similar to a demigod.
  • A deity may bless a mortal with a pregnancy without any physical union taking place; this produces a similar result to the above, though it is generally considered the milder and more common of the two methods.
  • Finally, a deity may procreate with a mortal directly, in their true divine form, rather than through a Vessel. This is a significant taboo among deities and is rarely done, but it is not impossible.
• In any of these cases, a child's divine touch may be latent / suppressed. This is sometimes intentional — a divine parent (or another deity acting on their behalf) may block a child's abilities to protect them, particularly if the parent has made enemies or come to harm. In other cases, suppression may be imposed as an extension of punishment, such as when a taboo union is discovered and another deity intervenes. A child in this position may still receive occasional signs or fragments of insight into their nature, even if their full abilities remain out of reach.
• Players interested in a demigod character should reach out to Support to work out the specifics.

★ Database

You can visit our new on-site database here.

★Follower System

• Characters can choose to focus on building a personal relationship with a specific Ognoshian deity. You can add a character as a follower of any deity in our database by adding the deity's name in the "Follower Of" character profile field. Some characters will worship multiple deities, but you should select a "primary" deity to focus on depending on the perks you're most interested in for them.
  • Characters can stop following a deity, or switch their primary deity, at any time; use your private support channel to request the update! There is no cost to remove a character as a follower, or to switch primary deities, but all accumulated Devotion Points will be lost in the transition.
• Followers will earn 3 Devotion Points per post in which they reference their character's patron deity; this can include but is not limited to, discussing their religion, sending prayers to their deity, performing rituals, thinking about their deity/their connection, etc. The more points collected, the better their relationship with their deity and the more perks they can access (explained in the next section).
  • Characters may also gain devotion points by participating in mini-games, events, and by interacting with their deity's Vessel in-character.
• As followers ascend through the stages of dedication to their deity, they may unlock abilities that significantly influence gameplay; please make sure to review the Powerplaying section of the Guidebook to ensure fair and enjoyable play for everyone. Additionally, as followers reach higher stages and gain more impactful powers, coordination with the Support team will be required. This includes obtaining permissions for major game-changing activities and planning any major interactions with deities so we can maintain game balance and storyline integrity.

★ Follower Stages

Additional information, including examples of what each deity may grant followers, can be found on the deity's profile page.

Prospective Follower [0 Devotion Points]

Set your deity on your character profile; notify Support if deity's stages have not been set!

• Characters start noticing subtle signs and omens related to their deity. This stage acts as a hint of divine favor, nudging the character towards deeper mysteries.

Awakened [6 Devotion Points]

• Characters gain a minor, passive boon related to their deity's domain. Abilities are focused on utility and survival, reflecting the character's growing connection. The deity, and/or lesser gods, divine beasts, etc. associated with them, are far more likely to respond positively to the character participating in the Divine Encounters/Prayers mini-game.

Kindled [27 Devotion Points]

• The divine favor becomes tangible. Characters can invoke a divine favor that may be called upon a set number of times per real-life month, or might recharge on a specific holy day or under certain conditions.

Enlightened [42 Devotion Points]

• Characters develop a deeper understanding and control over their deity's domain, allowing further manipulation or control over aspects. Additionally, their physical appearance could start to reflect their deity. The deity, or those associated with them, may be more likely to appear to the character during mini-games, or subtly influence them; however, enemies of the deity may also be more likely to show interest in the character.

Illuminated [60 Devotion Points]

• At this stage, the character gains a significant divine mark or artifact related to their deity. This could be a tattoo, weapon, piece of armor, or tool imbued with magical properties. Additionally, their presence may affect the environment subtly.

Radiant [81 Devotion Points]

• The deity can be summoned into the character's threads or interactions at will, offering guidance, warnings, or demonstrating their power through the character. This may be a post-style interaction, or Support will pop in with some information about how the deity responded to the character's request(s) depending on Support availability and player preference.

Ascended [105 Devotion Points]

• Reaching this pinnacle, characters obtain demigod-like status, complete with a new title of their choosing and a move to the Emerald District. An aspect of their appearance also becomes permanently altered to signify their elevated status, and they gain the ability to transform at will into a powerful form that embodies their deity’s essence. They also receive a set of Blessings, talents, or abilities that allow them to protect, nurture, or command their deity's domain. Upon their natural death, characters may have the option to be canonized as a Saint or ascend to the status of a Lesser Deity.

Known Deities

You can read more about all deities here!