So I'm paranoid about bugging the Gods. Really REALLY paranoid. I don't want to annoy Them or anything on my characters, because I don't want Them to get upset with me or anything. Ongaku's an Ouroborian Priest though, so there's no reason he should feel afraid to pray to Morgfyre for... whatever.

Does anyone have any advice for not being afraid to try and initiate RP with Gods? I really would like to be able to interact with my characters' Patrons (though so far it's only 1, since Lucan hasn't found one yet) without feeling completely anxious that They'll want to squish me.

I used to be really afraid of talking to Divine. I still am, a little.

I think the best way is just to make sure that while you're talking to them, you acknowledge on an OOC level that they were once players, just like you or me. They understand that they can be intimidating sometimes. They don't care if you make mistakes in spelling, or forget to capitalise Their name, or that your emotes aren't as elegant as the next Order member. They will -not- bite your head off (...unless it's Fain, I'd be petrified of him!) if you, on an OOC level, did something weird like turn an OOC clantell into a say while they're in the same room.

I know, it's really annoying when you're afraid to talk to the God when you're in their Order, but just practice and expose yourself. It'll be a good experience.

If you're afraid to talk to your own God, then it must be because your God wants you to be, and behaves accordingly. Maybe you should try to build on it instead of trying to avoid it. (And if that idea turns out to be absolutely, positively, unassailably impossible for you, maybe you're in the wrong order?)

Definitely, but I think that more applies when your character is afraid of his or her God.

The impression that I got was that it was an OOC fear.

I'm never really afraid of making typos or using incorrect grammar; I see gods do it themselves all the time!!

What really bothers me (and this is true of player interactions too) is when they respond slowly. That, to me, always imbues interactions with a certain minimum level of awkwardness

It is, in fact, an OOC fear. I'd be afraid whether it was Fain or... uh... who's currently the nicest God in the Basin? Maylea? Kalikai?

Regardless of who they are, I'd be freaked out. Not because I'm worried about typos or anything, but because I just don't want to get in Their way. I'm the same way with authority IRL (this only recently changed when I got my current job). I don't want to go ask them for things because I'm afraid they'll get upset with me for interrupting them or something.

Ongaku shouldn't be afraid of Morgfyre, as far as I'm concerned. From what I've seen, He's a pretty benevolent God as far as Magnagoran deities are concerned. Definitely a lot less scary than Fain, imo. >.>

That depends on what you find scarier: a wrathful god with the ability to end you in a variety of entertaining ways who really doesn't care about your existence or lack thereof, or a god who smiles a lot but is really a tentacled monstrosity with bits of undigested Elder Gods inside.

The former. >.>

You should totally get an alt in Elostians order.

You'll start to get over the nerves after the first few times he just joins the conversation.

While I haven't taken much chance to compare, I think Maylea's got a very likely lock on being the most approachable.

But yeah, if it's an OOC fear, then there's nothing for it but to think about the person behind the character. Yes, they have a pile of things to do. Yes, they tend to get piled on by a jillion people sometimes. Yes, they have to balance a lot of different jobs, most of them thankless. But also remember, they all were players once, and they all got off on interacting with other roleplayers, or they wouldn't've gotten the job. Getting to roleplay with you* is the only paycheck they get for their hard and often unseen work. So, as long as you're respectful of how busy they are rather than being demanding and pushy, they are going to love hearing from you*.

*Except if you're Arix.

Good thing I'm not Arix. ^^

Thanks for the advice!

Just what is that supposed to mean, Lendren?

When I first started out in IRE, I used to be afraid of talking to guilder and city leaders. The more you're exposed to them, the quicker the fear goes away, but the trick for me was when I got to a point of having to work with them and then when I became one myself and realized it was silly to be wary of bugging them--because nothing sucks more as a leader as feeling like you're not doing your job because nobody wants anything to do with you.

First off, two things to remember: the people behind these gods are real people, and they won't kill you OOC because you didn't act like they think you should. Chances are they're as starving for some RP as you are. However, you don't need to let this taint (heh, I made a funny) your actions in the game, and especially don't let it make you think of the god as your buddy.


I've never had a problem with approaching a god. Just make sure you have a reasonable RP reason, not "Hey, Morgy. I haven't seen you in a while, how have you been?". Send them a prayer, be respectful and to the point. The best times in Lusternia I've ever had were dealing with either Fain, Eventru, or random other gods.

I won't say it. Really.

Are you suggesting that nudity isn't the secret of good RP?

The Manse Owners' Association Lobby Group would like to have a word with you.

I find prayers are a good way of starting an interaction. As far as I can tell, they work like messages, but it feels like better RP if you offer a prayer instead of a message. In general, I'll use a prayer for IC things and a message for OOC things.

I would agree that it's probably the little things that give the God players as much pleasure as it does us. I'm no divine, just a guild leader, but even if I'm super busy with something and a little NOV comes up to me and we have a really nice, short RP conversation or interaction, my day brightens up. Plus, it has to be fun for the Gods to do all their fun god-like stuff around us anyway .

My God is an emo kid who listens to Bullet for my Valentine. That's how I picture Nocht at least. So I'm totally not afraid. Even though he chokes me with darkness sometimes.

I actually get really nervous when I have to talk to a god. (Edit: Even in the Twits thread, you see how I was thinking I shouldn't be a GM? Most likely because I heard Elo wanted to talk to me.) Probably part of the reason I stopped joining orders. Even Maylea had to spend time to not make me afraid of her, but there was one god who I was never really afraid of speaking to. I will never join Eventru's Order, but Ev never scared me enough to not talk to him either.

Double edit: So feel better, Ongaku, that you will never be as bad as me.

Ok, first, they aren't gods. Stop doing the divine pronoun thing OOC.

Second, they aren't "the best of the best." Most of them are very good at what they do, which is basically write pretty things in bulk and juggle a bit of digital paperwork while dodging man-sized high heeled shoes. They're still just players on a MUD.

Third, they can't take anything substantial from you. Zaps are funny more often than not. You won't get shrubbed for an RP mis-step.