Demigod of Everything

[Dust Raven]

I don't normally post in the Fantasy Hero Board, so hello to any of you I might not know.

 

Here's the backstory: I'm working on creating my own fantasy campaign world. I'm using some old AD&D suppliments because, well, I happen to have them and there isn't any actual AD&D rules in there (other than a list of races, which can easily be replaced with races I plan to use anyway). So currently I'm creating the pantheon of the campaign area, make a few random rolls and come up with something interesting. Among a bunch of major deities with specific portfolios relating to nature, healing and storms, I get this lowly demigod and roll Everything for his sphere of influence.

 

So how can a demigod be the deity of Everything when there are much more powerful deities running around covering everything already? My first impulse was to toss out the result and reroll, but then I thought it would be kinda neat to have a little god that did have a share of everything. Maybe he's the god of a lot of very specific things, like the spruce tree, fireflies, tubas and carrots (among others). Then I thought, maybe I can just make him the god of some minor force or concept that actually affects everything else. So maybe he's not the Demigod of Everything, but of something that's important to everything else.

 

The question is, what would that something be?

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

I wouldn't toss that one out...I'd run with it! It's just too good to ignore.

 

Hmmm...I don't know anything about the mythos you're creating, but how about this?

 

The demigod in question is old...very, very old. He's outlived not only his original pantheon, but several more since then. (Maybe he's an "immigrant" diety from another reality, or has made a habit of doing this when his 'current' pantheon dies or gets wiped out.) In his immeasurably long life span, he's ended up hold most every portfolio there is at one time or another. Heck, in his original pantheon, maybe he was the heach honcho diety (since they tend to have portfolios as long as your arm).

 

The downside to this very long life and his "pantheon migration" habits is that...well, each time there are fewer and fewer followers or worshippers who know about/of him, so his power has been steadily declining over the eons.

 

Perhaps he doesn't really mind the reduction in power...perhaps he's in the position of being a "semi-retired" diety, or something like a "professor emeritus" at a college. Maybe he's the one the other dieties come to with problems and questions that seem to have no answer, because he's seen it all and done it all before. Perhaps he enjoys being "retired" and mostly left alone to "putter", traveling the mortal realm incognito and taking up for a time whatever profession catches his fancy. Probably at this point he has no strong urge to build up a church or following, being content with his immortality and demigodhood. For that reason, the other (newer, more powerful) dieties don't see him as a threat (i.e. he's not jockying for a share of the available worshippers) and so largely ignore him.

 

What do yo think of that idea?

[sinanju]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

...or maybe he's the father of all the other gods and goddesses. Once upon a time there was just him. He was god of everything. Then he became a father*--and all of his children surpassed him in power. He's still god of everything, but all of his children can trump him _in their individual sphere of influence_.

 

He's the "jack of all trades" of the gods.

 

*How? Seduced mortals women, maybe. Turned stars into godlings. Who knows.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

I'm actually reminded of Lugh of the Tuatha de Danaan, who was called "the Long Handed" because he was the master of all crafts and skills. Doesn't mean he supplanted any god who specialized in a particular area. Mind you, he was one of the greatest gods of pagan Ireland, so that's not quite the same as your demigod.

 

Here's a thought: why not play up the difference between knowing something and doing it? All these other greater gods have much more power in their given spheres of influence, but this demigod is the one who knows everything about all those fields? He may not have as much power over plantlife as the goddess of agriculture, but he's the foremost authority on herblore, farming techniques etc. Perhaps he's not as brilliant a craftsman as the god of the forge, but is unsurpassed in the science of metallurgy. He can't sing as magnificently as the patron god of bards, but he knows all the ancient legends and lore backwards and forwards.

 

Essentially, this is the guy that the gods come to when they're stumped and need answers.

[Dino]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

I know someone who wrote up a three-god pantheon for a live action fantasy game. The first god was the god of everything in the universe that was big. The second was the god of everything small. His character's patron was the god of everything else .

[Dust Raven]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

I wouldn't toss that one out...I'd run with it! It's just too good to ignore.

Oh, I'm definately not tossing him (or maybe her, not sure yet) out! It's too unique to pass up.

 

The demigod in question is old...very, very old. He's outlived not only his original pantheon, but several more since then. (Maybe he's an "immigrant" diety from another reality, or has made a habit of doing this when his 'current' pantheon dies or gets wiped out.) In his immeasurably long life span, he's ended up hold most every portfolio there is at one time or another. Heck, in his original pantheon, maybe he was the heach honcho diety (since they tend to have portfolios as long as your arm).

 

(etc.)

 

I rather like this. It might even fit into the pantheon (not sure, cuz it's not done yet). If nothing else it's certainly inspiration for some truly ancient mythology from "way back when." He'd probably be the God of Grumpy Old Men or the God of Grandfathers or some such, at least officially, and have all of that "when I was your age" charm. He might not have lost power due to losing followers over so much time, but simply because things are just done differently now ("We didn't have no dangfangled spellbooks you modern wizards tend to like so much.. why, back in my day we had to rub two sticks together to cast a fireball spell!" )

[Dust Raven]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

I'm actually reminded of Lugh of the Tuatha de Danaan, who was called "the Long Handed" because he was the master of all crafts and skills. Doesn't mean he supplanted any god who specialized in a particular area. Mind you, he was one of the greatest gods of pagan Ireland, so that's not quite the same as your demigod.

 

Here's a thought: why not play up the difference between knowing something and doing it? All these other greater gods have much more power in their given spheres of influence, but this demigod is the one who knows everything about all those fields? He may not have as much power over plantlife as the goddess of agriculture, but he's the foremost authority on herblore, farming techniques etc. Perhaps he's not as brilliant a craftsman as the god of the forge, but is unsurpassed in the science of metallurgy. He can't sing as magnificently as the patron god of bards, but he knows all the ancient legends and lore backwards and forwards.

 

Essentially, this is the guy that the gods come to when they're stumped and need answers.

 

An associate of mine at work said something like this. A god of answers or a god of knowing how sounds kinda neat. The only problem is that I've already got a god of knowledge... of sorts. More of a god of learning actually, rather than actual knowledge. Hey, maybe I could switch them! Have the powerful deity be the God of Knowledge, and there'd be a Demigod of Learning, partron of teachers and students.

[tancred]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

I wouldn't toss that one out...I'd run with it! It's just too good to ignore.

 

Hmmm...I don't know anything about the mythos you're creating, but how about this?

 

The demigod in question is old...very, very old. He's outlived not only his original pantheon, but several more since then. (Maybe he's an "immigrant" diety from another reality, or has made a habit of doing this when his 'current' pantheon dies or gets wiped out.) In his immeasurably long life span, he's ended up hold most every portfolio there is at one time or another. Heck, in his original pantheon, maybe he was the heach honcho diety (since they tend to have portfolios as long as your arm).

 

The downside to this very long life and his "pantheon migration" habits is that...well, each time there are fewer and fewer followers or worshippers who know about/of him, so his power has been steadily declining over the eons.

 

Perhaps he doesn't really mind the reduction in power...perhaps he's in the position of being a "semi-retired" diety, or something like a "professor emeritus" at a college. Maybe he's the one the other dieties come to with problems and questions that seem to have no answer, because he's seen it all and done it all before. Perhaps he enjoys being "retired" and mostly left alone to "putter", traveling the mortal realm incognito and taking up for a time whatever profession catches his fancy. Probably at this point he has no strong urge to build up a church or following, being content with his immortality and demigodhood. For that reason, the other (newer, more powerful) dieties don't see him as a threat (i.e. he's not jockying for a share of the available worshippers) and so largely ignore him.

 

What do yo think of that idea?

He's the Demigod of "Been there, Done that, Got ALL those T-shirts."

 

I also like the "Back in my day" idea. "You young whippersnappers..."

[shadowcat1313]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

the character of Lorien from Babylon 5 comes to mind when I think about this idea, hes been around since the begining, gave up on the younguns and found a good place to hide and contemplate the universe, til for whatever reason he was needed to intervene again

[OddHat]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

I'd make him the Buddha. He's a calm, smiling, friendly little man, mild, peaceful, and immortal. He knows a little bit about almost everything, can do any sort of minor magic, and has made it his mission to teach people to look past the lie that is Desire, and to accept that there is an end to all things, even gods.

 

Demon Prince of Storms: "My miracle is to call down lightning from the sky, and to call up fire from the Earth!"

Demigod of All: "My miracle is to eat when hungry, and to sleep when tired."

 

And the Demon Prince was enlightened, and joined the small god on his journeys.

[Savinien]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

It's Tom Bombadil!!!

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

It's Tom Bombadil!!!

[Dust Raven]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

I'd make him the Buddha. He's a calm, smiling, friendly little man, mild, peaceful, and immortal. He knows a little bit about almost everything, can do any sort of minor magic, and has made it his mission to teach people to look past the lie that is Desire, and to accept that there is an end to all things, even gods.

 

Demon Prince of Storms: "My miracle is to call down lightning from the sky, and to call up fire from the Earth!"

Demigod of All: "My miracle is to eat when hungry, and to sleep when tired."

 

And the Demon Prince was enlightened, and joined the small god on his journeys.

 

That's a pretty cool idea... It reminds me of a book I read long ago and just found again: The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. Maybe this Demigod is like Pooh the taoist, just a simple minded deity who is too much at peace with himself to worry too much about anything. The God of Simple Things, or Simplicity maybe.

 

Of course, a simple God of Enlightenment may be interesting. I plan on using monks (martial arts types) in my fantasy world, so maybe he's also the god of martial arts, but only because he's the one-with-the-universe ideal rather than knowledgable about fighting.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

Actually, IMHO Oddhat's God of Enlightenment, Dr. Anomaly's Eldest God, and my God of Knowledge/ Learning would conflate very nicely. That would be one kicka$$ background for a deity!

 

"Starts furiously making notes."

[Dust Raven]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

Actually, IMHO Oddhat's God of Enlightenment, Dr. Anomaly's Eldest God, and my God of Knowledge/ Learning would conflate very nicely. That would be one kicka$$ background for a deity!

 

"Starts furiously making notes."

 

I agree... so far I'm leaning toward the Enlightenment Deity. He only gets one portfolio (only a demigod afterall), so he can't also be the god of knowledge/learning, but I don't see any reason he can't be a parton of students and teachers despite that. And I can always say he is the eldest deity who has given up his power for a simple life of peaceful meditation.

[Asperion]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

Here is a fun concept to run away with:

 

All the gods were initially started off with equal ability but then specialized in one particular area. However this God of Everything came along quite reciently (only a few thousand years ago) after all the nieches were filled. As a result, he did not have any particular area and decided to try his hand at everything. This just proved how inept he truely is at anything and is seen more as a Jester God by the other Gods. He does not like this distiction and is always trying to prove compotence in everything but is not strong enough for physical endouvers, magic not good enough for those areas, not fast enough for being a runner, whatever else the requirement were higher than he could manage. Keep in mind that he is still a GOD, as a result he can still out-perform an wimpy normal in any endouver.

[Vondy]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

What if he's the catch-all pagan focus of worship? Not of everything, but the go-to guy for everything that isn't covered by someone else's portfolio. Kind of like a pantheistic handy-man. "Well, you could always entreat..."

[Guest WhammeWhamme]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

What if he's the catch-all pagan focus of worship? Not of everything' date=' but the go-to guy for everything that isn't covered by someone else's portfolio. Kind of like a pantheistic handy-man. "Well, you could always entreat..."[/quote']

 

Oooh... "Biff, the God of Understudying".

 

He handles the little prayers. And fills in when anyone is busy.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

The substitute god?

 

 

[Intrope]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

Oooh... "Biff, the God of Understudying".

 

He handles the little prayers. And fills in when anyone is busy.

 

Stunt-Double, god of filling in? Hey, even god need some 'me' time every once in a while

[Vondy]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

Oooh... "Biff, the God of Understudying".

 

He handles the little prayers. And fills in when anyone is busy.

 

Pretty much

[Rick]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

He's much like Shinsei from L5R...

 

Perhaps it's more of a state of being that's passed from one mortal coil to another. There is always one mortal in the world some where that has all or is even wiser then all of the gods in existence. Perhaps the forces that created everything made sure there was this little check in place to keep the gods in line. So this is the essence and enlightnement of the Prime Factor, it finds it's way to a new soul every several generations or so. Always at peace, always learning and always calmly waiting to be needed.

 

This also makes it so the Demi-god could be male or female depending upon which incarnation it chose this time.

 

It's not worshipped persey, but everytime the mortal world is on the verge of cataclysm some nameless ageless sage or monk appears with all of the answers.

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

You've had some pretty cool ideas given you already but your initial request had me thinking. Sure you have all of these specialist Gods that worshippers want stuff from, what does this demigod of everything have that requires his presence in the pantheon?

 

I was thinking that he might be the representation of life/sentience, without these the need for Gods disappears but because worshippers have life/sentience they do noit worship him. He does notr have the power to grant life/sentience to individuals, just ensures that it exists in the universe...he will never recieve the worship necessary to become a major god but the gods need him lest they too wither and die from lack of worship.

 

 

Doc

[Dust Raven]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

I'm going with a generic Demigod of Enlightenment. He is a patron of internal style martial artists, meditatitive monks, sages, the elderly and the dahnin (a race similar to hobbits/halflings). He's skilled in several styles of martial arts (things like tai-ch'i, aikido and similar), knows everything and tends to speak in riddles and metaphores. I haven't got a symbol for him yet. I think he's gonna live in the mortal world on a remote mountain top where he can continue his meditation, and occasionally take a student to lead into divine enlightenment.

 

He'll have worshipers, typically martial artist, monks and dahnin, but few dedicated temples. Typically nothing more than an alter in a monestary or dojo, or perhaps a portrait or statuette in the home of a worshiper.

[Rick]

Re: Demigod of Everything

 

As far as symbols go, how about:

 

An empty hands, held up in peace,

 

Or since he's on a mountain top, what about the Plum Blossom which can flourish in the cold of winter, like enlightenment illuminates ignorance.