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Forgotten Gods Mod Journal (forgotten_mods) wrote,
@ 2008-05-06 21:06:00

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frequently asked questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the game's relationship with American Gods? Can I play Shadow/Wednesday/Low Key?
The game's setting draws heavily on the world of Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods, but we do not follow the events and characters of the book. So while you cannot apply for Gaiman's version of gods such as Shadow, Wednesday or Low Key, you are welcome to come up with your own interpretation of Balder, Odin or Loki.

Do I need to have read American Gods to play?
Not at all! American Gods is the inspiration for the setting, but the characters and situations within are all of our own imaginations and the game is designed to be equally friendly to those who have not read the book.

How did the gods get to be in America?
Gods are essentially ideas, surviving - sometimes thriving - off belief. Most will have been brought to the Americas at some time in history by those who worship them, crossing the ocean in the minds of mortals. Some, such as Native American gods or New Gods may have come into existence in the United States. This entry contains a more detailed explanation of this, as well as a basic approximation of when, for the purposes of the game, different cultures and their gods may have reached America. (Of course, the pantheons didn't necessarily arrive in one boatload, so provided your character's mode of arrival is plausible you don't have to be tied to that timeline.)

Can the gods leave America?
No. Once the god has been brought to America and the idea takes root, they can't leave, they can only adapt. There are gods in other countries - for instance, the Norse travelled to America via Iceland, so it's quite possible they brought, say, Thor to both countries and that he is still roaming around both. However, while they are the same god, the same idea, they are completely separate incarnations and it would be quite common for them to have no contact at all with one another. Each might not even be aware the other exists.

What constitutes a "god"? Can I play another mythical being? A mortal hero?
Most mythic beings - for instance, the Norse dwarves and giants or the Irish leprechauns and bean sidhe - are accepted. Although not technically gods they, too, find their origins in human legend and like the gods they are reliant on continued belief. Major mortal figures in well-known legends are also allowed: Despite having quite famously died in their respective tales, heroes like Achilles and King Arthur were immortalised in legend and verse, even worshipped, and both had a supernatural aspect to them. Lesser-known and peripheral mortal figures can be a stickier case. If in doubt about a character choice, feel free to ask.

What constitutes a New God?
New Gods tend to be a product of new innovations (like technology), new fads and modern consumer culture. The kinds of things that humans have come to rely on or put their faith in in modern times. Don't think sweeping concepts, like gods of wealth and greed; think modern expressions of those concepts, like gods of Wall Street, banking, the American Dollar and capitalism.

I want to play a character from a pantheon not mentioned in the cast list. Is that allowed?
Absolutely! Pantheons for which we don't presently have any characters won't be listed, but that doesn't mean they're not open to application.

If I want to play a mythical creature like a faerie, do I have to find a pre-existing character from legend or can I create an original character?
We welcome any known characters from legend, but because there are often very few (if any) pre-existing options when it comes to many mythical species, you are welcome to create original characters, provided you stay true to the myth.

Since most Roman gods are essentially reinterpretations of Greek gods, are they being considered separate deities or the same?
For the purposes of the game, Greek deities and their Roman counterparts are one and the same.

Can I play a deity from a fictional religion, like Cthulu?
No. They must be deities from real religions.

How powerful are the gods?
A god's power is directly related to people's belief in them. So while a New God could toss around flashy displays of might probably without a worry, most old gods would only be able to do so much without dangerously lowering their stores of worship. Thus while the old gods are theoretically capable of everything that's described in the myths, most of them are limited in how much power they can actually expend due to the weakness of their positions.

Is there a limit on how many characters we can play?
Currently there are no limits. It's up to you as a player to ensure that you can keep up with the characters you take on.

Where can I find more information about different gods/mythologies?
The resources page should give you a few good general references.

Got a question that needs answering? Feel free to ask it here.

(Post a new comment)

	addictedness 2009-03-22 03:08 pm UTC (link)
	Is it possible to put mortals up as wanted characters? Particularly if there's a specific role/storyline that we have in mind. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	forgotten_mods 2009-03-24 03:57 am UTC (link)
	Sure, I don't see why not! (Reply to this) (Parent)

miss_midday
2009-03-24 02:29 am UTC (link)

When writing the history of a character, particularly a Greek character where many scholars and poets and writers have said so many different and conflicting things, how are people deciding which lineage to choose? Different sources suggest different siblings, parents, children, etc, so what if what you decide conflicts with another writer's interpretation of the character's supposed sibling?

For example:

God A's profile suggests God B is his/her sibling, but each cite different sources and scholars, and so God B's information suggests they are indeed, not related.

Sorry. Late. Confused. Trying to touch up an application for a Greek. Too complicated!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

forgotten_mods
2009-03-24 04:33 am UTC (link)

Generally we'd go with the most commonly-accepted myth, but yeah, it can get confusing, particularly in cases where there are various conflicting accounts. (The Moirae gave me quite a headache in that regard - in that case I went with Nyx as their mother since it seemed to be one of the more common versions of the myth, and it fit with my interpretation of them.)

It's probably preferable if you work with what's established in game, though if your interpretation of the character takes you elsewhere it's not a big problem. We haven't been super-strict about it.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Anonymous)
2009-04-01 06:58 pm UTC (link)

I have a few questions and one that I'm not all too sure how to word, so bear with me! The mortals that die, they come back to life when they've been immortalized by the tale they're featured in, correct? Would they be the age they were at that time, as they're most widely seen, as they would like? Would they appear where they were buried or any random spot before they travel over to America? I was also toying with the idea on the About page, where it mentions the characters that have fallen into madness and it made me wonder, are any of them able to forget? At heart they would know who they were and if they were forced to recall, they would. But after all this time and things they've had to endure (whether it be from being alone, grief, guilt, depression, etc), they've just pushed it out of their mind? Like they know their name, that they're immortal, but the rest is just a fuzzy mess that they don't want to recall. I think that's it for the moment but fdjklsfj I cannot be sure! I just want to make sure I get everything straight before I start fixing up a character.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

forgotten_mods
2009-04-02 06:47 am UTC (link)

That's right, the mortal myths are immortalised by the repetition of their tale. Since they, like the gods, are the creation of human belief and perception, they'd probably appear as they're most widely imagined to be. (Hence we've got one or two folklore characters who in reality died in their old age - but in the game appear youthful, as they're more likely to be depicted.)

In terms of where they first manifest, I guess they're similar to the gods in that they're anchored by belief. They're brought (back) to life by their stories, so they'd manifest wherever their stories originated.

I think it's definitely plausible for a god to forget. Especially in the case of the old gods - between their ever-dwindling power and any number of traumas they might have undergone, it's quite likely that some have lost their grip on reality, or even on their own identity.

Hope that helps! Feel free to give me a poke if you've got any more questions.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	(Anonymous) 2009-04-03 02:25 pm UTC (link)
	This may sound like a stupid question, but...does the mythological figure have to be animate? I had at one point a concept for a character who was the humanized incarnation of Excalibur and I thought it might be fun to bring her over, but I'm not sure if it'd be allowed in this setting. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2009-04-03 03:33 pm UTC (link)
	Also, while I'm asking-- what about mythological non-human creatures? I get the idea that they'd be all right given the Firebird and such, but I want to be certain before I put the time into putting together an app. ^^ (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

forgotten_mods
2009-04-06 05:26 am UTC (link)

We don't allow personifications of inanimate mythological objects, though we have got Pandora's Box in the game as a semi-sentient NPC/accessory (our resident baku uses it to store her choicest nightmares) - but that doesn't sound like quite what you're after.

Non-human creatures are certainly welcome, though! We've got several Norse wolves in human form, for instance.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2009-04-06 08:49 am UTC (link)
	Makes sense! Thank you. ^^ (Reply to this) (Parent)

	(Anonymous) 2009-04-07 07:15 pm UTC (link)
	Question: What all counts as activity? Journal entries, threads, I imagine, but do comments count? Also, can players survive off of just journal entries for a couple weeks while they get comfortable? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	forgotten_mods 2009-04-09 09:12 am UTC (link)
	Threads are what I tend to judge activity on when it's time for activity checks, because that is where the bulk of RP happens and it's expected that everyone gets involved in threads. But journal entries and comments are fine in a pinch, and I don't think it'd be a problem if you were to stick to those while you were getting your bearings. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	litigious 2009-05-11 09:41 pm UTC (link)
	I know I should be finishing off the apps I have first, before even considering another (and they're almost done, promise!) - but I just had this awesome idea that won't leave me alone ;) Would Eliot Ness be playable as a character? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	forgotten_mods 2009-05-12 12:08 am UTC (link)
	Ooh! Sure, he should work as a US Folklore figure, bearing in mind the continuing fascination with him and the Untouchables, particularly in popular culture. Want me to hold him for you? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	rulesthewaves 2009-05-12 08:44 pm UTC (link)
	Hmmm...well, I should probably get my others off the round first. But why not? Hold him with a tentative PB of Steven Weber, and we'll see how things go :) (Reply to this) (Parent)

cosmicrhythm
2009-05-16 07:02 am UTC (link)

Hi! I've got a few questions and I'm not sure if I missed something out in the game info, so I hope you don't mind me asking:

Regarding Gods and their powers:
a) Once Gods disappear from the public consciousness completely, what happens to them?

b) Can't Old Gods expand their domain of power (e.g. be a bit more flexible in terms of how their concept might be interpreted) to be able to remain powerful?

c) Would concepts like atheism/science/alchemy/eugenics/medicine/euthanasia/public relations work as Gods? ...Maybe a rickroll, hmmm (j/k).

(Reply to this) (Thread)

forgotten_mods
2009-05-16 07:00 pm UTC (link)

No problem!

a) They die. Gods are essentially ideas - they exist only as long as their names and myths are believed or remembered.

b) Not exactly. They can certainly draw some power from modern movements/concepts that come close to their domain (eg. a nature god might gain some strength from environmentalist movements), but again, they're essentially ideas - that means their nature is determined by human perception. They can attempt to alter human perception. Hades at one stage tried to popularise a new interpretation of Greek mythology which cast him rather than Zeus as the king of heaven which, had it been accepted, would have profoundly changed the pantheon. However, that kind of action is likely to be extremely controversial and draw the ire of others in the pantheon.

c) Atheism is one I'd be very careful about since it's rather contradictory - gods are defined by belief and atheism is the absence of religious belief. We certainly have gods relating to aspects of science and medicine (eg. Nuclear Power, Pharmaceuticals...); and alchemy - that could be quite an interesting one, as a much older, fading New God. Eugenics could definitely work. Euthanasia would be plausible, too - though again, I'd be very careful in considering such an app, since is such a controversial and emotive issue.

Hope that helps!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Death of Gods.

the_411
2009-05-22 10:59 pm UTC (link)

I'm greatly curious about this "killing of Gods", mainly coming from a conversation I was having with another player, but here it goes!

Is it possible to kill a God? What I'm mainly curious about is if another God were to come after (I'll use my character as an example) Paparazzi, considering she's at the height her her power right here, and now, would it be possible to kill her? I know the question above me asks about God's disappearing from public consciousness and dying, but what about Gods who are "worshiped" by the public now? Would it be possible for them to be killed?

I hope that's not all... confusing. If it is, let me know!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Death of Gods.

forgotten_mods
2009-05-23 08:54 pm UTC (link)

It's definitely possible to kill a god's physical form. It might be harder for a particularly powerful god - they might be able to withstand greater damage than an ordinary human - but the form still has its limitations.

Killing their body isn't the same as killing their worship, though. For a particularly weak being, who's using every scrap of belief simply to hold onto what they've got, that might be enough to push them over the edge into oblivion. But in most cases a god can draw on their worship to revive/heal their body or create a new one.

For a powerful god like Paparazzi, that wouldn't be such a hard task - for gods who don't have that kind of power immediately at their disposal, it's harder. When Marijuana was killed, he revived within hours. On the other hand, when Lethe died it took about a week for her to scrap together enough power to create a new body.

Does that make sense?

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Old Gods, new faces?

vyoshere
2009-06-14 10:06 pm UTC (link)

I'm considering apping an Old Godddess (really, really, really old) and I'm curious how to interpret the fact that her name has been taken and used in current times in a couple of different venues (a game, and a book series). The people that are fans/worshippers of the book and the game character, would they technically be worshippers of hers? Or is name-recognition not enough to fuel her?

Also, is a god/goddess whose myth ends with them being killed still fair game?

Please forgive me if this is the wrong place to ask these questions.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Old Gods, new faces?

forgotten_mods
2009-06-14 10:47 pm UTC (link)

Name recognition is definitely one form of worship, though a less potent one than bona fide belief or sacrifice. Still, she would likely be able to draw some power from it.

And it's no problem if her myth ends with her death, we've actually got a number of characters who fall into that category - Baldr and Adonis immediately come to mind, as well as other formerly mortal characters who've died but have been deified through sustained human belief or interest in their legend.

Hope that makes sense. Just let me know if you've got any more questions!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	Set tamesismassri 2009-09-18 08:42 am UTC (link)
	How are you viewing him in this setting? There are many myths about Set, and seeing he's not always the bad guy, I wanted to clarify your viewpoints before I decide if I want to apply for him. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Set forgotten_mods 2009-09-18 09:27 am UTC (link)
	You're welcome to apply your own interpretation to the character. I'm aware that a lot of there are a lot of myths surrounding most of the major gods, some of them featuring conflicting accounts - my position has always been more or less that if you can justify a characterisation choice in the context of the mythology, you can play it. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	langwidere 2009-09-19 08:00 pm UTC (link)
	I know there's a bunch of specific drug affiliated gods, and then there's Rehab, of course, but would an drug addiction/abuse god be allowed? (Reply to this) (Thread)

forgotten_mods
2009-09-20 01:39 am UTC (link)

I'm afraid not; New Gods personify the subject of human reliance/addiction as opposed to the reliance itself. The drug use, dependence and addiction are what give the drug-related gods form and power - it's essentially a form of worship, in the same way that blood rituals and prayers are a source of power for old gods. If you're interested in exploring drug addiction and abuse, though, there are plenty of drug gods still available - you might find a few ideas on the character suggestions page. :)

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	langwidere 2009-09-20 10:42 pm UTC (link)
	Makes sense! Thanks! You will be getting a hold request from me as soon as I make a username. (Reply to this) (Parent)

sort of a lot of questions in one!
(Anonymous)
2009-09-20 10:19 pm UTC (link)

How is power determined? This may be a question that's been asked in different ways already, but I'm thinking more specifically. With the old gods, we know that power depends on human faith and belief, and when those both subside, so does the god/idea. But with New Gods, is there one that would be considered 'the most powerful' and if so how is that determined/judged? Are there group discussions about it, is it implied? I can just see that sort of being a messy idea (I guess what I'm getting at is the potential of power-play to the extreme?) to contend with and am wondering what you/the players do about it?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: sort of a lot of questions in one!

forgotten_mods
2009-09-25 12:47 am UTC (link)

That's a good question. I think for the most part, players have been mature enough to apply realistic limitations to their characters' power; where there's been any uncertainty over the extent of a god's influence or their level of power we've talked it out.

Power comparisons can be a bit murkier. Within 'family' groups there's often a reasonable understanding of power structures: of the Drug Family, Marijuana is unquestionably the most powerful god as it is the most-used illicit drug in the country - though none of the illegal drugs would be as powerful as legal cousins like Alcohol and Tobacco. Among the political gods, the Democratic Party is foremost at the present moment, followed closely by the Republican Party - the minor parties are of course far weaker.

On a broader level - ie, determining who is the most powerful New God - that's not something that's been extensively discussed, though maybe it is something to talk about. I am aware of the potential for power-play, though, and that is something I keep an eye out for. Usually any major disruptive exertion of power gets run by me before it goes into play.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	omnisciency 2009-09-24 06:49 pm UTC (link)
	Okay, I've been debating, but I just have to ask... what a New God of Tea be allowed? I know Coffee is Caffeine and, well, Starbucks, but given some of the coffee vs. tea thing and the tea ritual/teahouses/etc. all... I don't know; I thought I'd ask and be safe. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	forgotten_mods 2009-09-25 12:17 am UTC (link)
	I don't see why not. They're both caffeinated drinks, but they have quite different histories and cultures associated with them. And tea did play a rather notable role in the formation of the US! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	subtexting 2009-10-12 02:27 am UTC (link)
	hi! I've got a question -- if a new god is young or, well, new, such as facebook, do their incarnation needs to be young in age as well? i.e. can a thirty-something man/woman be the god of twitter, or do i need to find a teenager pb for it? thanks :) (Reply to this) (Thread)

	forgotten_mods 2009-10-12 02:45 am UTC (link)
	No, their physical form doesn't have to reflect their actual age. I guess you could say their appearance is partly a reflection of their concept, and partly simply the way they choose to present themselves. (We briefly had a Twitter whose PB was in her late 20s.) (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	subtexting 2009-10-12 02:50 am UTC (link)
	Thank you! :) I shall begin my search for PBs. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	rulesthewaves 2009-10-28 01:22 pm UTC (link)
	Just a quick toying with a few ideas - would a new God of Folk Music be acceptable, or would that be stepping on the toes of a few in-game music gods, like Classic and Blues? (Reply to this)

	thevampirebill 2009-11-07 12:22 am UTC (link)
	Hello, I have a quick question for you. Since the gods are now ideas surviving off of belief, would their current personalities be shaped off of how their believes in America view them? Like say a character use to be viewed as being dishonorable or honorable, but now their worshipers in America see them other wise? (Reply to this)

	recklessate 2009-11-11 01:53 am UTC (link)
	Question! When we talk about the gods being unable to leave America, are we talking just about the United States or North America? Are Canada and Mexico no go zones. And if it's just the USA what exactly - if it's been discussed in game - keeps them from moving around? (Reply to this)