Bonus Chapter: Lore on the Gods (2/2)
What makes one god greater than the other? Why are some gods considered "high ranking", while others are "low ranking"?
The answer is simple, yet dissatisfying.
Basically, what makes one god better or worse than another is entirely based off of how "Extraordinary" they are… which is quite subjective, and thus, can't be measured properly.
However, there are clear qualities that makes one god mightier than another…
…As to what those qualities are, it entirely depends on which type of god they are – which virtue they used to ascend.
---------------------
Dravar: Dravar means "External Power". Thus, Dravar is control over your environment, and other people.
Thus, dragon gods get stronger when they control more territory, and when they defeat stronger opponents. The stronger and more numerous their followers are, the stronger the god is as well.
Thus, when dragon gods think about fighting each other, they'll compare the size of their domain, the quality of their followers, and the history of their battles.
Dragon gods rank themselves and all other existences based off of how much of the universe they can destroy if they go all out. A Galactic Lord can destroy a Galexy. A Nebulous Lord can destroy many stars. A Star Lord is a dragon who can destroy a star. A Planar Lord can destroy a world. An Overlord can rule a world uncontested. (Fheldin is an Overlord.) A Continental dragon can destroy a continent. A dragon king can destroy a nation.
…They don't bother to rank anything weaker than that. Peons that pathetic aren't worth paying attention to.
Perhaps it's because of their pure arrogance, but the dragon gods apply their own ranking system to all other gods, no matter how unfitting it is. To them, it doesn't matter if your Divinity is unique and unbreakable. If you can't beat them in a direct fight, then they'll think you're low rank trash, even if you're technically higher ranked.
---------------------
Drawyn: Drawyn means "Internal Power". Thus, Drawyn is control over yourself. It means that you've built things up for yourself that can't be destroyed by anyone but yourself, like a wise mind, a skill, or a mastery over your craven instincts.
What makes one Master or Sage better than another? It's pretty impossible to tell. One reason is because a lot of Masters specialize in completely incompatible skills. A Master Smith and a Master Enchanter can't exactly be compared, right? Plus, you'd only become a "Master Smith" if you're the best Forgemaster in existence.
Thus, you really have no one to compare yourself too. Trying to rank a Drawyn god will just make you sound silly.
---------------------
Rehvar: Rehvar is the "External Heart". This is the feelings you place in the outside world – your emotions. To have Rehvar is to have intense feelings – an intense WILL for the things around you. Revhar is what moves your spirit – what drives it to action.
Because of how Rehvar gods are made (A/N: see previous bonus chapter) how Extraordinary they are completely depends on which higher being gave them their Heart. Obviously, if you are Loved (or Hated) by a high ranked god, then you'll be a high ranked Rehvar god in turn.
---------------------
Rehwyn: Rehwyn is your "Internal Heart". It's the connections and threads the world has tied to you. Your family relations, other's expectations, and even the similarity between people… This is all Rehwyn.
These "Ancestor" gods can be compared in the same way nations can be compared. After all, an Ancestor god gets their Extraordinary virtue from their relations – their descendants – the size of their posterity, and the power of their clan. Thus, comparing Ancestor gods is the same as comparing clans.
…And there are no objective measurements to show just how big of a difference there is between 2 countries. There's nothing so stupid as a "high ranked country", "mid ranked country", and "low ranked country". Instead, some countries are just agreed by everyone to be superpowers, while others are just forgotten about by the majority of the world population.
I mean, this happens in every world; some clans / nations grow huge and globally famous, while others are tiny and forgotten. Trying to rank superpower nations will usually just start unsolvable arguments, though some do try.
---------------------
Mayvar: As stated before, no one knows anything about May gods.
---------------------
Maywyn: Ditto.
---------------------
Yiirvar: Yiirvar is "Unstable Place". This is Time – Events – Happenings.
The only way to compare Yiirvar gods is through their Significance. One Yiirvar god may be a mysterious Seer who is given just the right ability to point a young hero in the right direction. They may be a champion chosen by Fate to destroy an evil empire.
Essentially, the more ways their chosen Event effects other people, the more Significant it becomes. A Yiirvar god who effects a nation isn't as great as a Yiirvar god who effects a planet…
… Yiirvar gods like Haalfrin are INANELY powerful because they are involved in events spanning the entire universe (like the destruction of the World Tree, and the slaughter of the gods).
As for how to measure this Significance? You can't do it with numbers; Comparing Yiirvar gods is more intuitive.
---------------------
Yiirwyn: Yiirwyn is "Stable Place". This is space – physical location, realms, domains, place, and even unchanging Fate.
The way to Yiirwyn gods compare themselves to each other is the same as Yiirvar gods; it's too subjective to have a worthwhile discussion about. Yeah, some gods are more Significant than others, but who's to say who is more important than another?
---------------------
Felvar: So little is known about Fel gods that they don't have a ranking system.
---------------------
Felwyn: Ditto.
---------------------
Sylvar: Sylvar is "External / Unstable Law". These are codes, beliefs, and artificial rules.
These "god-kings" can really only compare eachother based off the size of their following, as well as how faithfully people follow their teachings.
Much like Rehwyn / Ancestor gods, a god-king's place in the hierarchy depends on his church or kingdom. Some god-kings are confined to a small following in some corner of a world, some have overtaken a nation, some have a world full of believers, and some have even stretched their Faith into many worlds.
---------------------
Sylwyn: There are no (currently known) Sylwyn gods. Don't bother trying to rank something that doesn't exist.
---------------------
Arvar: Arvar gods are gods because they are one of a kind. They possess SOME trait that nobody else has. They fulfill a role so bizarre that trying to rank them is silly.
Sure, some of the Arvar gods are good at fighting, but some are actually no stronger than a normal human, save for a few strange abilities.
For example, one known Arvar god is a woman called Nara. Nobody really knows her background, but she's often called "The merchant who can buy anything." You can trade away your youth, talents, or even divinity with this "Acquirer of strange goods." She can also sell you anything you want.
"Do you want to be prettier? Do you suddenly want to be good at something? Do you want someone's past? What about their Destiny? I can get that for you." Yeah, she's a little creepy, but she's also one of a kind.
The point is, is that it's stupid to try comparing a god like her with a dragon god; she's not a fighter; she's her own person with her own role in the world.
---------------------
Arwyn: There is only one true Arwyn god, and she's the Goddess Lessa – the wife of Mora, and the goddess of Existence.
Obviously, there is no ranking for Arwyn gods, since she's the only one.