Shattered Kingdoms

I've made priest recently and was shooting for the faith of death. I've looked for members online the past couple days, but haven't found any and I have a couple of good questions before I start getting down on hardcore RP, to make sure I have my facts straight.

First off, this is more OOC than IC, but are there any followers at this time? I'm sure there are, but are thier numbers that few?

Second what is the general census on what happens to your character (or his soul) when he's dead for good? Is his soul, for all intents and purposes, property of his patron deity? What about those who are panthiest?

This all, I guess stems from the question, what do gods stand to gain from spreading there spheres or followings in the lands? Do they gain power from it at all, or is it just a hobby? Do they gain power from awareness or acknowledgement in the realms, as in power associated by belief in them, or is it an ends to a mean, a marketing tool to hook mortals so that they are 'branded' and thier souls forfiet in the afterlife, and this is where they gain thier power, a sort of mongering for souls?

If souls go to thier respectable deity upon death, what about achernar? If this were the case, yeah, he would get the souls of his following, but following said logic (if you can call it that), would he have 'jurisdiction' over all that die, if not, at least temporarilly?

The way I see it, there are plenty of ways to spin it. Is Achernar content so long as death occurs, regardless if he gets souls, or is he like the grim reaper collecting the dead for his own (or for the rest of the pantheon, and if so, does he get a cut)? Or is he more focused on the powers of the netherworld?

Would Achernar be interested in trying to sway followers from other faiths, or intervene in some way to lay claim to souls already claimed, or is he 'paid on salary' so to speak, he doesn't care who follows him because regardless of your souls destination, it comes to him at one point or another?

I guess a better question would be, is he a god lording over a particuliar sphere such as death, or is he death incarnate? Does he get off on death because he is enamored with the concept of it all, or does he get off on death because he is death, because it's his touch you feel when you die, and he trapes off with your soul cackling all the way to the netherworld.

I realize these questions may seem ridiculous, maybe uncharted territory, irrelevant, or flat out indefinite because that's how the imms like it, no definite answer and lending a sense of mystery. I'm looking for any insight, because I don't want begin RP'ing half-cocked, preaching one way, and being way off.

Thanks.

Are you serious? For the first time after a long period, the church has a rather decent number of members. Check better on the who list before you rush, and seek for that minstrel of mine, Gasbah, IC.

Check better on the who list? yeah, whatever...

Check yourself. I didn't say noone was on. I said noone was on when I was on, and it's been that way for days.

As far as I have seen, that religion is rather active. There are other religions that have almost none in, but death has quite a few followers.

Perhaps it's just the timezone cathan, if you really want to be invested and can't get in for some time due to timezones, send a PM to the IMM and try to pray from a temple of Achernar.

Re. ACTIVITY
Over a dozen members, and nearly all of them active within the last 6 days.

Re. DEATH
My response to your question wouldn't be an actual answer... put simply, how would a mortal ever learn the definitive answers to such 'big' questions? Some ghosts who die of old age may provide limited knowledge, but eventually they are no longer sensed even in the afterlife (ie, OOCly delete) - and therein lies the gap

Like all things inexplicable, the small pearls of wisdom gleaned from RPs since SK began are all you'll ever be able to put together - interpreting others' interpretations of events long ago. If you're lucky, you might even be able to put some of your questions to an immortal in your lifetime - and you'll be then able to add your own 1st-hand account to the ongoing study of Death and Eternity.

By the way - as far as RP being 'correct'... I'm not sure what you're afraid of exactly. Regardless of whether your character's RP ends up making him/her the most favored priest in the history of Achernar, or an utter heretic - both are valid forms of RP.

Granted, if you are excommunicated and blemished by a priest who disagrees with you would make playing the game a bit rough -- but I'd like to think our players at SK are more willing to accept a faction within a church as 'not the mainstream', and yet an acceptable offshoot (since, let's face it, you're all doing the good work of investing more and more young folk into the worship of your god ).

As a god, I'd probably prefer splinter groups working in parallel for the betterment of the church, rather than bickering at each other and losing followers as a result.

As a former HP of Achernar, I followed the schizophrenic explanation. I saw that every kingdom was recognizing Death and Time in their own way. I would simply be satisfied with the recognition of the passage of time, and its influence to change our life, and the recognition that our greatest change is embodied in Death. I remember posting many long diatribes in every kingdom to this affect. I even went outside the long standing tradition of demonizing the undead. I chose to see them as another realm under Achernar's influence and not as blasphemy to the Lord of Death. Before and since, I believe necromancy was against the tenets of the church.

E

Endrial would be the non zealot faction for the church of Dulrik, unblemish me Dammit!!!! Sorry, couldn't resist.

*starts the Unblemish Endrial campaign, since he's been blemished for F'in' months*

*chuckle* Gods, I probably shouldn't post while still at work on a busy day.

Ha ha, you have to seek Juggernaut.

Why would he?