Religion

Summary

In Marosia there are gods and goddesses who watch over the world in various capacities. Played by staff, they are primarily used as plot devices, able to make the impossible possible and uplift stories using extraordinary powers.

The Gods

There are exactly twelve gods and goddesses each acting as a warden of their domain. Gods are three-dimensional characters, each with their own personalities, agendas, and relationships. They are some of the most powerful individuals within Marosia, and are able to help or hinder to a significant degree. They are not quite omnipotent or omniscient, and different gods are capable of different things.

The Domains

Marosia has domains which work with and against each other to strike balance in the world. Most information about the domains is to be found out in game, but below is a brief and surface-level summary to help you engage and plan your own storylines and characters, as well as contribute to discussions within the Official Discord:

Ambition: accomplishments, goals, competition
Chaos: exuberance, luck, carpe diem
Death: remembrance, balance, respect
Destruction: endings, forgetting, desolation
Freedom: identity, emotions, creativity
Justice: protection, harmony, fairness
Knowledge: curiosity, truth, honesty
Life: fertility, serenity, bonds
Nature: environment, travel, dedication
Order: structure, efficiency, protocol
Strife: conflict, strength, willpower
Vice: gratification, luxury, vanity

There is also ‘other’ should your character wish to worship something outside of the pre-existing domains. The history and current purpose of this domain is a secret, and should be discovered in game.

Powers

Most of what gods are capable of is to be found out in game. They can bless or curse characters equally, and sometimes significantly. This said, the domains are intended to balance each other out and different domains have different abilities.

Gods may also assign Avatars with various powers of their own.

Praying

One of the ways to garner the attention of a god is through in-game prayer. This can be done through an altar which can be made anywhere using twenty-five stone. Once made, the altar can then be dedicated to one of the domains, and all prayers made through it will immediately go to that god. You can also offer a tribute alongside your prayer which can then be collected by the god, should they so wish.

Disclaimer

When interacting with gods it is important to remember that actions have consequences. While staff are hyper aware of how gods should add to stories and not detract, it is still possible for some particularly nasty things to occur to your character - including death. You should not proceed with the assumption that gods must be nice and kind at all times. This said, if one god is causing too much trouble in-game, there are systems in place in order to rein in the mayhem. We ask you to trust us, and if there’s something you think we need to be aware of, then please put in a report.

Expectations

Each god is primarily played by one member of staff, and like everyone else, they have periods where they are more busy and unable to play. Prayers are guaranteed to always be read, though we cannot guarantee that they will always be responded to, due to both IC and OOC reasons. OOC reasons being the player is busy, and IC reasons being that the god does not feel the prayer warrants a response. Responses to prayers are rarely instant. You should also not expect a god to be constantly monitoring your character. There is always a chance that a god is watching, but it is never a guarantee.

Favouritism

The god system within Marosia has, in the past, been the subject of significant controversy and critique. Staff are aware of previous mistakes and are trying hard to ensure they are learned from. Favouritism as we define it is solely focusing on player favouritism. That is to say that a player is given special treatment across numerous characters due to an in-real-life friendship with a member of staff. This is strictly not allowed, and should you have any suspicions of this occurring, then please submit a report so it can be properly investigated.

Player favouritism is not the same as character favouritism. Character favouritism is where a character is given special treatment by another character for in-game reasons, such as their personality, past, or skills. Like other characters, gods are allowed to display character favouritism, though it needs to always be justifiable. Staff are held to a high standard and monitor each other's actions to ensure that all activity from gods is legitimate. If you find yourself suspecting that a character is being shown favouritism, then consider the in-character reasons why this might be the case. Please do not automatically assume it is due to player favouritism. Of course, if you suspect it is, then please report it.

FAQ

Is there a limit to how much my character can pray?
No. Your character can pray as much as they want to as many gods as they want.

Is there a limit to how much attention my characters can receive from gods?
No. There is no cap on how much god attention one account can receive. Just because you have one character receiving a lot of attention from one god, it does not disqualify your other characters from also receiving attention.

Why has my prayer not been responded to?
There are many reasons why a prayer may have not been responded to. These include but are not limited to: the god does not believe it warrants a response, the god in question was particularly busy at the time of the prayer, the player of the god is busy in real life, the prayer does not link to the domain, the offering was insufficient.

How can I increase the likelihood of my character receiving a response?
Again, this can be done in many ways. Consider praying more than once to show devotion, including better offerings, or trying a different tone, style, or approach. A response is never guaranteed, but these things can make it more likely.

Do I have to engage with the gods?
No. You are not required to engage with the religious side of Marosia.

Will a god kill my character without warning?
No. It will be made very clear to you if you are at risk of character-death, giving you time to react accordingly.

Are god actions permanent?
No. If something can be done, then it can also be undone, though not always by the same god who originally did it.

Can gods lie?
Yes. Like any other character, gods are capable of deceit and other nefarious actions. However, staff are careful to ensure this is always done with a purpose to contribute to the story, rather than for kicks.

Do god characters take up a character slot?
No. As these characters are staff characters and not personal characters in the same way regular player characters are, they do not count towards the maximum of 5 characters that each account is restricted to.