Tons of information answering questions of the origin of the Prydaen, what the Triquetra are, and several other facets of traditional Prydaen religion.
Enjoy!
https://elanthipedia.play.net/mediawiki/index.php/Prydaen_Gods
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NaOH+HI
DR-NAOHHI
LIURIDR
SCHULTZS3
Re: Lore release: Prydaen Gods
01/02/2016 08:19 AM CST
Load of stuff I already expected, added details and theories, but more questions arise.
The part under "Why the split" was a surprise in that I never really thought about it before. I guess that a comparison would be comparing Paleolithic humans to Neolithic humans? At some point we had to have gone from roving bands of clever but not abstractly thinking apes to thinking abstractly of things such as the afterlife and forming religion, making shelter instead of finding shelter, gathering food in one spot and forming farming/husbandry as a way of getting food easier instead of foraging, organizing society at more than a tribal level and forming cities, math and writing to keep records, etc.
On favors:
>Favors from the Triquetra come at the cost of recent memory, all of which fuel Eu.
This amuses me greatly because I'm sure lots of people have asked over the years why the immortals want field experience and what they do with it.
>The Barrier did not just seal off the West physically, it also sealed off the gods. Thus, Prydaen arriving in the East were forced to seek favor from the Eastern gods out of desperation, because to them, it didn't seem like the Wheel worked anymore -- and it didn't.
But if the Triquetra couldn't come east, and most everything west died and became undead except a tiny handful of warriors, who was left to turn the wheel?
Kaeta Airtag
"I have faith in the current crop of GMs to not screw people over"
>>Actually an opinion cannot be changed or corrected. Nice try back of line.-VERATHOR
>>But it can be wrong.-Starlear
The part under "Why the split" was a surprise in that I never really thought about it before. I guess that a comparison would be comparing Paleolithic humans to Neolithic humans? At some point we had to have gone from roving bands of clever but not abstractly thinking apes to thinking abstractly of things such as the afterlife and forming religion, making shelter instead of finding shelter, gathering food in one spot and forming farming/husbandry as a way of getting food easier instead of foraging, organizing society at more than a tribal level and forming cities, math and writing to keep records, etc.
On favors:
>Favors from the Triquetra come at the cost of recent memory, all of which fuel Eu.
This amuses me greatly because I'm sure lots of people have asked over the years why the immortals want field experience and what they do with it.
>The Barrier did not just seal off the West physically, it also sealed off the gods. Thus, Prydaen arriving in the East were forced to seek favor from the Eastern gods out of desperation, because to them, it didn't seem like the Wheel worked anymore -- and it didn't.
But if the Triquetra couldn't come east, and most everything west died and became undead except a tiny handful of warriors, who was left to turn the wheel?
Kaeta Airtag
"I have faith in the current crop of GMs to not screw people over"
>>Actually an opinion cannot be changed or corrected. Nice try back of line.-VERATHOR
>>But it can be wrong.-Starlear
GAMERGIRL151
Re: Lore release: Prydaen Gods
01/02/2016 09:30 AM CST
>>The Barrier did not just seal off the West physically, it also sealed off the gods. Thus, Prydaen arriving in the East were forced to seek favor from the Eastern gods out of desperation, because to them, it didn't seem like the Wheel worked anymore -- and it didn't.
>But if the Triquetra couldn't come east, and most everything west died and became undead except a tiny handful of warriors, who was left to turn the wheel?
IIRC when the barrier went up, not everything and everyone in the west was completely dead at that point. It took some time, but eventually all that remained were the undead of Lyras and a few Claw of Tenemlor warriors and others protected directly by Tenemlor. So for awhile there would have still been a small trickle of power to turn the wheel, but nothing like normal. There may have been the odd lucky survivor or small group for a few generations, it's a big area, but they'd would have been hard pressed to survive.
The Claw of Tenemlor who showed up once the barrier "fell" and Lyras crossed over, as well as the NPCs on the Beyond the Barrier quest are examples of life in the west well into modern times. The Claw of Tenemlor GMNPCs mentioned during the Lyras War having to do things like eat the hearts of slain undead creatures in order to sustain their bodies enough to continue to fight, as there were no fresh game in the west or clean water (and they did have to kill the undead anyway...) I doubt there were any children at that point replenishing the numbers in the west.
For the most part though, it probably didn't turn much at at all for those long years. I imagine Eu-Demrris-Tenemlor were very happy when the barrier finally weakened to the point they could reconnect with their people. The whole thing is kind of interesting, considering they helped create the barrier, that they wouldn't be able to easily cross it... Makes me wonder what kind of truly powerful voodoo that barrier is.
(Of course, Naohhi will tell me where I'm wrong here.)
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
>But if the Triquetra couldn't come east, and most everything west died and became undead except a tiny handful of warriors, who was left to turn the wheel?
IIRC when the barrier went up, not everything and everyone in the west was completely dead at that point. It took some time, but eventually all that remained were the undead of Lyras and a few Claw of Tenemlor warriors and others protected directly by Tenemlor. So for awhile there would have still been a small trickle of power to turn the wheel, but nothing like normal. There may have been the odd lucky survivor or small group for a few generations, it's a big area, but they'd would have been hard pressed to survive.
The Claw of Tenemlor who showed up once the barrier "fell" and Lyras crossed over, as well as the NPCs on the Beyond the Barrier quest are examples of life in the west well into modern times. The Claw of Tenemlor GMNPCs mentioned during the Lyras War having to do things like eat the hearts of slain undead creatures in order to sustain their bodies enough to continue to fight, as there were no fresh game in the west or clean water (and they did have to kill the undead anyway...) I doubt there were any children at that point replenishing the numbers in the west.
For the most part though, it probably didn't turn much at at all for those long years. I imagine Eu-Demrris-Tenemlor were very happy when the barrier finally weakened to the point they could reconnect with their people. The whole thing is kind of interesting, considering they helped create the barrier, that they wouldn't be able to easily cross it... Makes me wonder what kind of truly powerful voodoo that barrier is.
(Of course, Naohhi will tell me where I'm wrong here.)
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
GAMERGIRL151
Re: Lore release: Prydaen Gods
01/02/2016 09:39 AM CST
Oh and I hate replying to myself, but - I should note that the "living" status of those Claw of Tenemlor members and those sustained by Tenemlor in that fashion is somewhat debatable. What I mean by that, from what they said their unnaturally divine-sustained had some unusual symptoms, so I'm not sure if they would really count as alive at that point from a conventional standard, but their returning most likely still "turned the wheel."
There's a reason they were referred to as Eidola, ghosts.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
There's a reason they were referred to as Eidola, ghosts.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
DR-NAOHHI
Re: Lore release: Prydaen Gods
01/02/2016 10:10 AM CST
>>(Of course, Naohhi will tell me where I'm wrong here.)
To be honest, it's pretty spot on. There are only a few pieces I could elaborate on, such as "why did the Triquetra help raise the Great Barrier if it was going to block them out?" To that, I say.. current lore says the following: It has been said that the Great Barrier was "part magic, part god-wish" and that when the last of those who created it died, the Barrier would fall.
The primary objective of the Triquetra is fostering the Prydaen race. When a massive amount of Prydaen are suddenly combining their magics and begging for assistance to seal off the land, and this is after you've already taken notice of a great loss of Prydaen from the Wheel/Rebirth/etc, the Triquetra granted it. It's entirely likely they were not aware it would seal them off as well, and if they did know, it was probably done with a great sadness and with the objective of saving what was left of the Prydaen by ensuring nothing could cross the Great Barrier.
In fact, it likely wasn't just the Triquetra that helped with the Barrier, but I'm not certain how much on that topic I can release, since it's not specifically Prydaen lore.
Another spot to ego-stroke/elaborate on would be life in the West. Life in the West continued on really small levels. If you're familiar with The Walking Dead, you can akin it to life in that world. It's not pretty, it's not easy, births are extremely low, if they're happening at all. Primarily, the only people left were Claw of Tenemlor members that chose to be there, and a few others.
>>who was left to turn the wheel?
There were still souls in the Wheel that were just barely keeping it going. So long as the Wheel is not empty, it can turn. Proper balance of incoming and outgoing souls keeps it moving much better, but yeah, at this point, the Wheel was damaged, moving very slowly, and no Prydaen were being born until after the barrier went up.
Now what if the Wheel actually stops, what happens then?
Worst case scenario, if the Wheel stops, that means it's completely devoid of souls. It means that no Prydaen are taking final death, and if the Triquetra are NOT using offerings to craft new Prydaen souls, then no new Prydaen would be reborn. If the Wheel never began moving again, this means each of the Claws would slowly dwindle until they ceased to be.
But the Triquetra are immortal, right, so would they die? Not quite. More like torpor until Prydaen began taking final death and souls returned to the Wheel. Absolute worst scenario, the Triquetra could reform into its original form. What would happen at that point... well, I don't really know. It's possible that entity would abandon the Prydaen. It's also possible that entity would be powerful enough to change the Wheel, fix it, or change how Prydaen are reborn. It's also likely the Claws would slowly cease to be real and the way they are currently known would pass into legends of powerful Prydaen chosen by the gods and whatnot.
But hey, this is just some fun lore theory.
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NaOH+HI
To be honest, it's pretty spot on. There are only a few pieces I could elaborate on, such as "why did the Triquetra help raise the Great Barrier if it was going to block them out?" To that, I say.. current lore says the following: It has been said that the Great Barrier was "part magic, part god-wish" and that when the last of those who created it died, the Barrier would fall.
The primary objective of the Triquetra is fostering the Prydaen race. When a massive amount of Prydaen are suddenly combining their magics and begging for assistance to seal off the land, and this is after you've already taken notice of a great loss of Prydaen from the Wheel/Rebirth/etc, the Triquetra granted it. It's entirely likely they were not aware it would seal them off as well, and if they did know, it was probably done with a great sadness and with the objective of saving what was left of the Prydaen by ensuring nothing could cross the Great Barrier.
In fact, it likely wasn't just the Triquetra that helped with the Barrier, but I'm not certain how much on that topic I can release, since it's not specifically Prydaen lore.
Another spot to ego-stroke/elaborate on would be life in the West. Life in the West continued on really small levels. If you're familiar with The Walking Dead, you can akin it to life in that world. It's not pretty, it's not easy, births are extremely low, if they're happening at all. Primarily, the only people left were Claw of Tenemlor members that chose to be there, and a few others.
>>who was left to turn the wheel?
There were still souls in the Wheel that were just barely keeping it going. So long as the Wheel is not empty, it can turn. Proper balance of incoming and outgoing souls keeps it moving much better, but yeah, at this point, the Wheel was damaged, moving very slowly, and no Prydaen were being born until after the barrier went up.
Now what if the Wheel actually stops, what happens then?
Worst case scenario, if the Wheel stops, that means it's completely devoid of souls. It means that no Prydaen are taking final death, and if the Triquetra are NOT using offerings to craft new Prydaen souls, then no new Prydaen would be reborn. If the Wheel never began moving again, this means each of the Claws would slowly dwindle until they ceased to be.
But the Triquetra are immortal, right, so would they die? Not quite. More like torpor until Prydaen began taking final death and souls returned to the Wheel. Absolute worst scenario, the Triquetra could reform into its original form. What would happen at that point... well, I don't really know. It's possible that entity would abandon the Prydaen. It's also possible that entity would be powerful enough to change the Wheel, fix it, or change how Prydaen are reborn. It's also likely the Claws would slowly cease to be real and the way they are currently known would pass into legends of powerful Prydaen chosen by the gods and whatnot.
But hey, this is just some fun lore theory.
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NaOH+HI
DR-ARMIFER
Re: Lore release: Prydaen Gods
01/02/2016 10:30 AM CST
>>This amuses me greatly because I'm sure lots of people have asked over the years why the immortals want field experience and what they do with it.
Bearing in mind that the Triquetra and the Immortals may or may not be of the same "god stuff" or class of entities.
Bearing in mind that multiple types of entities have claimed some authority over the Life/Death cycle.
Bearing in mind that Temple theology states the standard afterlife for 99% of creatures claimed by the Immortals is dissolution into the immortal godhead. At best sort of like the fate of humanity's individual bits in Asimov's "The Last Question."
...it's kind of premature to assume that the Immortals eat the same cereal as the Triquetra, when the implied answer is (true or not) so much worse.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
Bearing in mind that the Triquetra and the Immortals may or may not be of the same "god stuff" or class of entities.
Bearing in mind that multiple types of entities have claimed some authority over the Life/Death cycle.
Bearing in mind that Temple theology states the standard afterlife for 99% of creatures claimed by the Immortals is dissolution into the immortal godhead. At best sort of like the fate of humanity's individual bits in Asimov's "The Last Question."
...it's kind of premature to assume that the Immortals eat the same cereal as the Triquetra, when the implied answer is (true or not) so much worse.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
GAMERGIRL151
Re: Lore release: Prydaen Gods
01/02/2016 10:40 AM CST
>Armifer's mysterious and awesome god lore
I'm now picturing all the various Elantian gods sitting around having breakfast. Urrem'tier is chasing after Demrris, who has taken his sock puppet (again) when Xerasyth asks politely if someone can pass the fruit loops. Rutilor shouts at him, asking who keeps letting him in their breakfast room and kicks him out.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
I'm now picturing all the various Elantian gods sitting around having breakfast. Urrem'tier is chasing after Demrris, who has taken his sock puppet (again) when Xerasyth asks politely if someone can pass the fruit loops. Rutilor shouts at him, asking who keeps letting him in their breakfast room and kicks him out.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
BICKFORDS3
Re: Lore release: Prydaen Gods
01/07/2016 05:49 PM CST
>>This amuses me greatly because I'm sure lots of people have asked over the years why the immortals want field experience and what they do with it.
This question leads to incredibly interesting role played discussions in game.
Prydaen prayer for the hunt:
http://pastebin.com/fRrP52H7
This question leads to incredibly interesting role played discussions in game.
Prydaen prayer for the hunt:
http://pastebin.com/fRrP52H7
