I didn't want to derail the thread - cause it's a really interesting thread! But this comment made me just have to ask... why? Why're Divine Consulates set up where a Divine can only be affiliated with one city or commune? I mean, I could see the Patron only being able to Patron one city or commune, but the Divine Consulates are just affiliated Gods and Gods who're Patroning Guilds right? Why can't a God be affiliated with more than one place?

There have been some in the past. Lacostian had people from all organizations, Isune had some from Serenwilde and Celest, I think Hajamin had some from Serenwilde and Celest though I never was in that order. Sure there have been others too. Maybe Glom is just opposed to that? Dunno.

No, I don't mean why can't people join the Orders of Gods from all over. I mean, why can't Elostian (for example) be on New Celest's Divine Consulate AND Glomdoring's Divine Consulate?

Oh! I should read better.

The point of a consulate is sort of like citizenship from what I understand. You just can't be in both.

You can't have Lacostian be the patron of Aquamancers and Spiritdancers for example.

*twiddle* Ho hum, ignore that.

Ok, I suppose I get the citizenship analogy - though I'd have thought the Divine would be above that sort of thing. Are the Divine on Consulates always Patrons of one of the city/commune's Guilds? Or can it just be a God who's decided to be affiliated with that city/commune?

But you can have Lacostian be the patron of the Aquamancers and the Celestines. Why not multiple cities/communes too?

I doubt Isune is a patron of anything anymore. Or Lyreth. Both are still in Celest's consolate IIRC

Yeah, that's what I thought. So, it's just the 'citizenship' thing then? And as I mentioned before, why aren't the Divine above that sort of thing? I mean, if they can have followers in two different cities/communes, why can't they be on two different Divine Consulates?

I guess it just doesn't make sense to me.

Basically, the problem with gods that have followers or influence across orgs is that stifles any potential conflict in a big way, i.e., there's some serious conflict of interest. I've seen it happen several times in other realms and the cost is far greater than the benefit.

I suppose so. I just always wondered, especially considering how New Celest has several Divine in their Consulate and Serenwilde and Glomdoring only have like one or two.

I forgot how integrated Orders are into their cities/communes though as far as fighting goes - with shrines being used as weapons and so on. I can see how it could get pretty messy if Elostian were on the Divine Consulate of both Celest and Glomdoring and those two started fighting - who would use the shrines against who?

Not to mention unscrupulous use of the Order aether for spying and so on.

No love for the nature communes. Though a lot of the gods have disappeared and they've only really replaced two recently: Elostian - not so recent, I know - and Ayridion. Both chose to be part of the Divine Consulate of Celest. Have players/Ephemerals/whatever ascend into gods that like nature?

It happened here too with Hajamin's order. Isune's made Seren and Celest closer but it was never quite so bad.

That said, with "pacifist" Divine like Elcyrion or Lacostian aren't you bound to get situations like that cropping up? As far as "followers" are concerned, at least - which gives its own kind of influence.

Conflict of interest is good! Not every character needs to be draped in his org's colours and pushed into undying exclusive loyalty to his org.

Yes, they have. Charune and I would be examples of players/ephemerals/whatever that wanted to be gods in the communes rather than the cities. The decision on what organization you join as your God character is yours and yours alone to make.

Charune chose to go to Serenwilde just as I chose to go to Glomdoring.

I very easily could have decided to be Lady Pain, Mistress of the Whips and gone to Magnagora, but it's not what appealed to me at that time.

Looks like a good position now, doesn't it?

I'm sorry what? I'm legitimately curious as to how you came up with that thought. Did you base it on what you thought gods would be like generally or the actual behaviour of the gods in game?

It really depends. Imperian had the whole Ithaqua starting out as being the dark forest with Death, Wrath, Ruin, and Madness as their pantheon. Consequently, Stavenn, the dark evil city, had the same pantheon. Not really a conflict of interest there.

Later, when Ithaqua was forced into being anti-magic and anti-demon, essentially completely against Stavenn, it was quite awkward for the same gods to be working on opposite sides. Thus, Ithaqua slowly worked the entire founding pantheon out of its roleplay and now everything is just peachy.

In effect, Gods can work across organizations, but not when said organizations are completely opposed to one another. I see no problem with a primarily Celest god working with Glomdoring, or vice versa. But Glomdoring and Serenwilde should rarely work together, just like Celest and Magnagora should rarely do so.

I think more should be done to foster growth between Magnagora and Glomdoring, but I think I'm in a minority there.



Morgfyre and the whole tentacle thing have that covered.

I'm confused (prolly cause I'm tired and my brain stopped working hours ago), what're you asking?

Are you asking why I would have thought the Divine would be above being required to hold citizenship of some sort within a single org?