Worshipping a Dead Power

Fatal

This is more of a Lore question then anything, don't know where to post this since there isnt a lore thread. Infact I have a lot of lore questions but I'll start with this one.

Bhaal is a dead power (according to http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Bhaal ) and many other gods/goddess are dead powers also. As topic say, is it possible to still worship these powers?
Would Clerics and Blackguards be able to cast divine magics for these dead powers and be granted powers from them?

ZanathKariashi

They can't grant spells, but if a "Dead" power gains enough followers it can forcefully take back it's portfolios, whether the current holder likes it or not.

Some gods like Gilgleam only have 1 devout worshipper and has almost no chance of returning.

Bhaal might could, though the majority of his worshipers were killed off by Bane and Mykrul during the time of troubles, so he's in a big deficient of followers at the moment. It takes around 10,000 fervent worshipers (or several hundred thousand more casual believers) to potentially empower a god, but that's for the absolute weakest level of demi-god. They couldn't manifest avatars, they could only grant spells up to the 3rd level, and they'd be EXTREMELY vulnerable to attacks by deities whose powers they were encroaching on. While it's totally possible for deities to share portfolios, their overall power is weakened as a result and some take great offense to that.

The Bhaalspawn arebit of an exception, since the majority of Bhaal's power was hidden away BEFORE AO changed the rules that determine a divinity's overall strength.

Kozah is still very much alive, active and one of the current greater powers (contrary to what that professor guy says about him), since Kozah was just an alias to being with.

Amunator is still around..though just barely. But has grown so weak due to having only a tiny handful of followers he can't manifest outside of their enclave or grant spells.

Also most evil deities tend to assimilate or destroy the priesthoods of those they gained the powers of to prevent stuff like that from happening. And the more zealous good tend to do the same as well, in an Inquisition style purge.


And the main god of psionics was actually was rendered dormant due to the majority of psionic beings being extremely introspective and focusing on their own powers then divinities (Excluding Deep Dura and the Illithid god since they've got highly dedicated cults).

Fatal

Thanks for the info! So if I'm reading everything correctly, Bhaal lost his power to Cyric and now he takes command of his portfolio so those that have worshipped Bhaal should worship Cyric now?

ZanathKariashi

Yeah pretty much. When Cyric took over for the dead three, he basically gave all their current worshipers a convert or die ultimatum. Some of Bhaal's followers of course kept a low profile and continue to this day, but the vast majority converted. Having a dead deity is almost as bad as having no god at all...which leads to some pretty horrible consequences when you die. Of course, thankfully, you're not really Faithless or false, you simply have no where else to go, so your soul would end up wandering the city of the dead forever (of course since at the time Cyric was ALSO the ruler of the city of the dead....yeah....even death was a losing proposition).

The_Cheeseman

Deities are very rarely permanently gone. As examples, Amaunator was eventually revealed to have been merely slumbering, and in fact Lathander is his avatar. Myrkul, who died during the Time of Troubles, plays a role in the plot of Neverwinter Nights 2, and I've lost track of how many different Mystras there have been.

mlnevese

@The_Cheeseman The last one to die in 4th edition was the 3rd Mystra. Looks like being the god of magic is a dangerous job for a god

ZanathKariashi

Can't wait till they retcon 4th edition from the records.

The days of 4th edition come to a close....

Mean while in the Cynosure,

Lord AO turns on the lights and steps away from the divine Wide Screen HD TV.

"And that concludes our hypothetical outcome to Mystra being assassinated on the fabric of creation. Any Questions?....*sigh*...yes, Cyric?"

"This is Bull%&$* and you know it!? You're just saying that petulant whore is more important then ME!? That's all this crap is..."

"Cyric, out in the hall, NOW!?"

*Cyric leaves the room grumbling to himself*

"Ahem, any further questions? *several hands begin to go up* That aren't base ranting by a bunch of self-absorbed children! *all the hands drop*, Thought so..."


THE END.

Fatal

Lol
The Avatar(Novel) series have a lot to do with Cyric huh?

Kurumi

Fatal said:

Lol
The Avatar(Novel) series have a lot to do with Cyric huh?

Yes. And I can only recommend to read that series !!!

Drugar

3rd Edition even has some options for worshipping dead powers, which I found interesting. Check out Lost Empires of Faerun if you get the chance.
The 2nd Edition book Faiths and Avatars provides more lore on them though, good book.

jcdenton11

Drugar, is Lost Empires of Faerun the only 3rd/3.5 that deals with the matter? I have the gods and pantheons book, and I don't recall seeing it there, but I might track down lost empires if there's some neat bits in there.

LadyRhian

Amaunator is also remembered among the Bedine as At'ar. I don't know if that counted as worshippers or mere believers, though. And to them he was the merciless sun, and basically just this side of evil.