Mysticism/Forbidden Journal/Appendix

The Appendix of the Forbidden Journal

As recorded by the Demon Prince Bowie Ironsides while resting in Balance's Retreat. All of this was told to him by the Castle itself, which is an elite god.

This is the religion the Castle said we must worship, the absolute religion.

“Mysticism”

Mystics accept a multitude of gods, both animistic and anthropomorphic. The gods can be great titans, celestial bodies, elements and even humans. Also, the entire world is full of gods from the smallest phenomenon to the greatest. There is no limit to the variety and reach of the gods. The rushing wind over a particular field can be one god, the field itself can be another, and the region this field inhabits can be ruled by even another god still. It is important for a worshiper to know whom they are praying to. This faith is flexible because it believes in the Soul.

The Soul

Mystics believe everything has a soul and that the soul is the most basic unit. Everything has a soul from living beings to inanimate objects, and since everything has a soul everything can potentially be worshipped. Once a soul is registered it becomes a god, then it begins to build its strength and challenge the hierarchy. If the god is strong enough, its challenge will succeed and it will rise to the next position.

A soul must first be declared by worshippers in order for it to be inducted to the registry and be considered a god. A human’s soul can only be worshipped if they enter the registry, which can only be done through the Soul Trade.

• Please read the Origin of the Soul supplement by the Rogue Mystic.

• Added to the Forbidden Journal is the Path of the Mystic, a text detailing one way for a mystic to climb the hierarchy.

Hierarchy of the Gods

Just as there is a feudal hierarchy for humans, there is an obeyed order for creation and all souls must fit into it. The positioning of a god depends on its strength, which is determined by how many followers and temples it has devoted to it. For example, if a whole realm worships one particular god, then that god will be a higher position than another god that is only worshiped in one city. If a human becomes the object of worship, and faith in that mimic spreads, he or she can earn a recommendation from a god and join the registry. Recommendations are only gained through the Soul Trade.

The registry keeps count of who worships what and where.

The Hierarchy

The Paramount God, the ultimate, supreme, unchallenged, unequalled, unexplainable god. There is only one. No one knows who or what it is, yet. The Paramount is everything and everywhere, nothing and nowhere. The Paramount is best described as the ocean with all other souls as drops of water. There are of course theories and myths, but none can be certified.

Transcendent Gods, rule over intangible zones such as space, time, emotions, activities, the mind, life, or death. They are considered elite gods in the hierarchy and can be of either class.

Dominion Gods, rule over a certain domain such as a sea, a desert, a mountain range, a collection of regions, a star cluster, or even the weather. They are considered greater gods in the hierarchy and can be of either class.

Mandate Gods, rule over one domain such as a region, a city, a star, a lake, a building, or other limited environments. They are considered lesser gods in the hierarchy and can be of either class.

Power Gods, are the variety of angels, demons, minions, spectres, or fantastic creatures that roam and interact with the land and people. The Power Gods are most often formed gods and are constantly striving to climb the hierarchy. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail. They use a variety of maleficent or benign methods.

Demigods are renowned humans who have their soul registered. This is often considered the real beginning of the hierarchy, since this is the entrance to divinity.

Mimics are simply humans. Mimic is a pejorative term for humans because they based their entire society and lives off of the gods but have none of the incredible powers or abilities. Mimics will do anything to climb the ladder. They can do so by participating in the Soul Trade. This is the very bottom of the hierarchy.

• Please read the Divine Realm supplement by the Rogue Mystic.

Class of Gods

Much like humans, even the gods have a class system. There are two classes a god may take: formed and formless.

Gods with forms also have names, but gods without forms often do not. Gods with forms are able to live and roam about the land, or are fixated objects like a star or a mountain, whereas incorporeal gods are only voices, or elements (like fire or wind), or forces of nature (like a storm). It is possible, for example, for water to be one god, but the rush of water down a mountain (a waterfall) to be a different god. This is so because in this example the god of the water is either a Dominion God or a Mandate God (the god either rules over that specific water or the area where the water rests) but the rushing water is most likely a Transcendent God (because the movement of the water in that particular way is an activity, and activities are transcendent). The water is a formed god and the rushing water is formless. Dominion and Mandate Gods are often at the whim of Transcendent Gods, especially when natural disasters occur. It is entirely possible for a rock in the middle of a field to be the god of an emotion, because it is simply a Formed Transcendent God. The lesser gods surrounding it must defer to its authority no matter their claim. The Dominion God of the field or the Mandate God of the field itself are subjects to the rock because it is a Transcendent God.

How and Why to Worship the Old Gods

To worship a god, you must pray and devote time to it. Building shrines and temples is also vital for worship. These structures provide sacred space for dedicated offerings, or prayer gatherings or however a certain following chooses to worship their god. Through praying and structure building a worshiper is increasing the strength of their god and hoping for it to rise higher in the hierarchy. The higher their god is, the more the congregation will receive from the god. Gods can offer blessings, miracles, protection, or even assaults against your enemies. Some gods do nothing but seem active, others are very interactive, and others still will only sway things subtly. Anything that the worshiper needs the god should provide, but the potency of which depends on the god’s strength. A Power God cannot capture a city for an army, but a Transcendent God almost certainly will. Most important for a mystic, the more you worship and build structures, the better your chances of earning a recommendation become.

• Please read the supplement on the interpretation of religion by the Rogue Mystic.

• It is also advised to read the Sacred Geography supplement by the Rogue Mystic.

The Soul Trade

A mimic’s soul can only become registered as a god if another god recommends them. Some gods do offer leverage or sponsorship programs for certain worshipers (such as building x amount of temples will grant one a recommendation) to join the hierarchy after death. A god may also offer a human soul a recommendation if they see that the human is worshipped by enough followers and is beginning to gain strength. Though some gods have deceived their worshipers by saying they will make you a Dominion God or a Mandate God but are really using you to build their own strength and are in fact hiding their true position from you. In that situation, they may at best be able to offer you a position as a Power God like themselves when you die. Not so bad, but you might be disappointed when you die expecting your own Dominion but find yourself a satyr in a forest, or a phantom in a lonely castle. This is what’s called the Soul Trade (the attempt for mimics to join the hierarchy by earning recommendations), and it can sometimes be criminal. Once a worshiper fulfils the requirement or task given by a god, or is noticed enough by the gods, the god or gods may give you a recommendation to be registered. They don’t have to, and you will never know until you die, but the possibility is the best a mimic will ever have. Some mimics worship multiple gods hoping to secure at least one recommendation. All you need is one and you will be a demigod.