The Gods of Sedena are beings of tremendous power and purpose, dedicated to achieving goals that are incomprehensible to mortal beings. They are objects of worship and fear, wonder and supplication. Even the Ogres are careful of the Gods, respectful of their power and position.
How the Gods deal with their mortal followers is a matter that varies from God to God. Some meddle constantly, attempting t shift things in their favor. Others stand aloof, pursuing their goals in other, more mysterious ways.
Gods in Sedena exist regardless of the cults that worship them. They draw no power from worship, humans, or anything else. Their power comes from their place in the Pattern of the World. If all of a God's followers were to disappear, he would still exist and be able to perform his function.
A cleric is someone who works for one of the cults in Sedena. He may be a magician of great skill, a caring human being, or a vicious bastard. His position and powers are purely social, no matter what he may claim. Anyone with the ability to see auras can clearly see that the God has not gifted him with powers.
Cults are organizations that claim to serve one or more Gods. How closely a cult's doctrine relates to the God's will is open to debate. Most cults (even large national ones) are beneath the notice of the Gods and their priests. Occasionally, if the God feels that he needs direct representation in the area, a priest will be dispatched to lead the cult for a time.
There are thousands of cults in Sedena, most organized on either a local or national scale. These cults often provide much needed services for their communities. A few are dedicated to their own aggrandizement. In cases where such cults spring up and use a God's name for things the God disapproves of, a priest may be dispatched to 'deal with' the situation.
For more information about the cults specific to each nation, please refer to the culture in question.
A Priest is someone chosen by a God to be his servant in the world. In return for obedience and aid, the God provides the Priest with remarkable powers; similar in some ways to the power wielded by some magicians. A priest maintains a direct connection with his God, acting as his hand in the world of Mortals.
Each God has a different relationship with his Priests. Almost all communicate with them only when necessary, leaving their agents to deal with issues as they see fit. A few are known to personally offer assistance in times of trouble, although this is an understandably rare event.
Every Priest has a Servant of <His God> level based skill. This skill must be a Vocational skill, even if the character is not of the Priest Vocation. This skill represents the Gods favor, and cannot be taught or learned, only given by the God. The higher a character's Servant skill, the more favored he is in the eyes of his God, and therefor the more power the God gives him. Highly favored priests are also likely to be selected for dangerous or difficult tasks.
A member of the Priest Vocation has chosen to walk the path of his God, to the exclusion of almost everything else. This dedication to the God makes the character more powerful, but also limits his activities. Those with the Priestly Vocation must go where their God wills, acting on his behalf under all circumstances. To some extent, they become embodiments of the God, expressions of his power among mortals.
The twenty-six gods of Sedena fall into six categories: