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What do Gods get out of providing a afterlife?
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I get why gods want worshipers, that's a lot of power send there way. I get why they say that they provide the various heavens - to attract the worshipers and cement their devotion.
Why actually do it though? Why not simply discard, eat, or use the souls to power some kind of monstrous furnace to expand their power? What do they get out of it?
If you think about it, there seems to only be downsides to it. First IIRC it was implied in another thread that the souls are provided mana bodies in a vaguely similar process to demon making. While I'm sure each one is no problem for any deity worth the name, that would start to add up to a lot of power quite quick, especially for the more popular deities. Next you would have to provide living space - that means a expanding plane of existence, which I imagine isn't cheap to maintain much less expand even by divine standards. Then you have to keep a eye on your worshipers provide them with some purpose or activity or your going to end up with a awful lot of bored immortals, if that isn't a recipe for a knife in the back I don't know what is. While no one being would be a problem, even a god would have to worry that one of the multitudes would somehow figure out a way to overthrow him.
With all the downsides why wouldn't a god just say that he was going to take care of your afterlife and quietly chuck all the souls into the divine garbage disposal?
It seems they must get some advantage by keeping all them around, but what?
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Rank: Arch Demon
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Heh heh... You are, of course, exploring a big chunk of what's happening in Book II!!!!! <HUGE SPOILERS--STOP READING NOW>
DON'T LOOK BELOW
The headaches you describe are a big problem for some down on their luck gods, and we'll see how and why they deal with these issues as they prepare to enter the battle....(actually they are already in the battle, having suffered huge casualties in Book I--consequently expending lots of mana on their followers) Suffice to say, there are multiple factions/groups of mortals, demons and pantheons as the curtain continues to rise....
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Rank: Demon
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Originally Posted by: Anskier It seems they must get some advantage by keeping all them around, but what?
My first guess would be, they get an Army.
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Rank: Sprite
Groups: Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 5/24/2014(UTC) Posts: 9
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Soul recycling. Where do you think past life experiences come from?
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Rank: Arch Demon
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Total Bingo on the army...but not usually a first priority...
Yes, reprocessed souls are much more likely to continue in the faith than "new souls" thus you send them back, when they are ready and they are more reliable and more useful worshippers. 'Old Souls' tend to advance more quickly than 'new souls' and thus start raking in more mana sooner.
However, there are also a couple other reasons that tie out to another discussion in these forums....but I'm not at liberty to disclose that yet.
You know, I've got this contract with the author and if I "leak" information I have to pay a penalty.
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Rank: Demon
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In regards to the whole army thing, what does the current population of astlan look like on a global scale, about how many demons are their, and what happens to other races when they die?
The Sidhe are returned to nature, and what happens to beings like what are summoned by necromancers? What happens to demons is vague and i have no idea how having one's soul tampered with fits in with the world.
Also since Tom can follow a chain could he view a person's afterlife based upon their belief? Could he become a god among demons by allowing them to reverse summon themselves to their masters while they are asleep, vulnerable and without protection?
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Rank: Arch Demon
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Well, I think one big thing to keep in mind, the demons in the Abyss tend to pay more attention to Astlan because it's about the biggest pain in their butts...however, it's not the only mortal plane they have to deal with.
Not all demons in the abyss were summoned by Astlanian wizards, some (many) were summoned by and enslaved to masters in other worlds beside Astlan.
So for example, one might ask, why aren't more higher ups involved with this deal? Simple answer, because there are a very finite number demon princes, but quite a few ArchDemons and most are busy with stuff on other planes.
There is basically only one Abyss for a huge number of "planes of men" same with the realms of gods.
yes, every mortal on every plane thinks they and their world is the center of the universe...but really...they aren't.
The other races have their gods and they all have contracts to deal with them. The Sidhe are a bit more of an exception than most, as you point out. However there are Sidhe gods and some, presumably, do after life contracts or other deals. I personally don't know.
As to the last...well...not in book 2.... :)
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Rank: Greater Demon
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Whaaa! The books story world is way way big. The author could get easily lost with everything demanding attention. Hope the story don't become so boringly and confusingly complex that my mind go numb and exhausted with all like many books that I have read. Please don't make that happen!
By the way how many planes are there, especially the ones that have enslaved and use demons?
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Rank: Arch Demon
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Yes...it's huge and complex.
The story I am telling him is pretty straightforward though. I'm trying to keep him from getting distracted. He's like a kid in a candy story sometimes.
One goal is that he'll do some additional stories, or short stories, and that eventually others will want to write in the world as well.
A big reason for the encyclopedias (which are also time consuming) is so that others have the information necessary to tell their own tales.
Assuming they can get their hands on a crystal ball or a demon who's been there to dictate to them.
I can guarantee you that anyone who manages to summon Antfalken will get enough tales to write for a hundred plus years.
As to how many planes...well I don't know, but let me remind you that every plane actually has multiple worlds/planets stars.
That's why it's hard for demons to count. Sometimes you might get summoned to the same plane, but a completely different world, say on the other side of the galaxy, or the other side of the universe in a galaxy far far away...I remember when I was a youth, a long long time ago, working with this really great animage named Yoda...
But that's another story...
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Rank: Greater Demon
Groups: Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 6/19/2014(UTC) Posts: 468
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Oh! So he likes to have fan stories? I was planning on a fan art but fan writing sounds good too.
Also are there summoners from Tom's earth? maybe Tom could let someone from there to 'capture' him just to see how things go there.
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Rank: Arch Demon
Groups: Administrators, AoD Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, ITN Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 3/14/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,966
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Fan Art and Fan Stories are all good things.
He's trying to think of the best way for people to upload stuff.
The Council of Wizardry Tumblr is one possible mechanism, particularly for art.
Stories--could be done in a forum with each story being a topic, or each author...or maybe come up with better module.
Summoning from an Earth, at this point in their timelines is very hard...see the topic on...oh shit...that's not a topic, that's book 2.
Well, for a spoiler scroll down:
Incubae and Succubae are very useful when it comes to demonic infiltration of low mana worlds. (hint they are the only beings capable of extradimensional sex--from the Astral Plane to the Planes of Men--very hard to defend against dream sex, particularly for virgins)
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Rank: Greater Demon
Groups: Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 6/19/2014(UTC) Posts: 468
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They might be the reason for those wet dreams.
I'm looking forward for the accomodations for the fan artists and writers. And the earth summoning thingy.
And also hope that the book would give us fresh things to talk about. We are going to run out of topics soon you know with just one book to supply them.
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Rank: Arch Demon
Groups: Administrators, AoD Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, ITN Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 3/14/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,966
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Yes...of course fan works would also give discussion points.
There are various gallery features built into the site...the forums have albums but also all users have storage space and can, in theory upload images and there should be some standard way(s) of showing them....
Really need to explore that....
The forum's albums are easy enough with the "photo" button at the top of the screen and then the double picture thing in the editor toolbar lets you pick an item from the album.
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Rank: Greater Demon
Groups: Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 6/19/2014(UTC) Posts: 468
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Hmm. Planning on making a 3d fan art. Has some months before the second book is out. Lot of time for a project.
Not that good and skillful yet do so might not be that good.
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Rank: Arch Demon
Groups: Administrators, AoD Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, ITN Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 3/14/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,966
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Give it a try! I find it therapeutic even when it doesn't turn out like I want...
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Rank: Greater Demon
Groups: Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 6/19/2014(UTC) Posts: 468
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yeah, I find it relaxing too... except when someone interrupts.
I'm not that good, as I stated but my weakest is with textures. When it comes to textures, everything just goes wrong! Hate it so much! Still, working on it though. Would work it out one day.
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Rank: Arch Demon
Groups: Administrators, AoD Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, ITN Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 3/14/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,966
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Capturing demonic textures is particularly difficult...lighting in the Abyss is pretty crappy and everything appears flat and red...
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Rank: Demon
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Does that mean a demon could impregnate a virgin by sleeping with them in their dreams? If so I have a lot of hypothetical questions about so many things.
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Rank: Arch Demon
Groups: Administrators, AoD Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, ITN Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 3/14/2014(UTC) Posts: 1,966
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That question is answered, by me, explicitly and exactly, in Chapter 86.
:)
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Rank: Greater Demon
Groups: Beta Demon, Heavenly Host Beta Demons, Registered, Registered Users, Subscribers Joined: 6/19/2014(UTC) Posts: 468
Was thanked: 6 time(s) in 6 post(s)
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Eh? That is in the next book.
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Tizzy Talk
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What do Gods get out of providing a afterlife?
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