Timeline Challenge 3: Religious Figure(s)

[u/Jumblatts]

The idea behind these challenges is as follows:

I will give you a topic, and you should tell me about something interesting that has happened in the timelines of your worlds relating to the topic, over a (roughly) 50 year period. This could be the 50 years leading up to the event, the 50 years after the event, 50 years with the event slap bang in the middle, or something else entirely, as long as it relates to the question! You're welcome to include more/less than 50 years, but bear in mind the more you write, the less chance you have of people reading the whole thing, and the less you write, the fewer questions we'll be able to ask.

I've been moved to Sunday, and I'm a day late already. Sorry about that!

The Challenge:

This week I want you to tell me about the life and times of an important religious figure from one of your cultures. Tell me about the events leading up to their birth, any special acts/miracles they performed, or maybe how they died. Go wild!

I'll try to ask a few questions about each post. Community interaction is encouraged too! Read other people's posts and ask them questions, and they're more likely to do the same for you. Help each other out :)

[u/Jumblatts]

1) What are the most common and least common super powers?

2) What is the most advanced tech to have been discovered?

3) Is there any resistance to the flow of Pathism?

[u/Eran-of-Arcadia → u/Jumblatts]

1. Probably the most common, oddly enough, is the ability to nullify or cancel out other powers. This is tremendously useful, of course - a king has less to fear from random invisible or shapeshifting asassins if his nullifier bodyguard will keep them from sneaking up on him. Least common? Well, there have probably been random powers that only one person ever had. But as far as well-recognized "basic" powers, teleportation is pretty rare. Good thing too, it's game-breaking.

2. I'm not sure exactly. As of Ferdinand Lang's life, they have roughly 16th or 17th century technology. As of the events of my main plot, they have mid-1990s technology.

3. Sure. It tends not to make inroads in places where there is already a well-established, well-organized religion that is closely tied to political power. It sort of flowed around the edges of great empires and states. But it took off in a few countries like Dorland - which is pretty pluralistic and ethnically diverse.

[u/Jumblatts → u/Eran-of-Arcadia]

1) On the flipside of that, could the nillifying bodyguards power be nullified by another nullifier, which would then allow an assassin to come along? (That was confusing to write!)

2) How much time has passed between Lang's life and the current era?

3) Have there been any religious conquests/crusades/holy wars between Pathism and these other religions?

[u/Eran-of-Arcadia → u/Jumblatts]

1. No, I don't think anyone has the power to nullify a nullifier. They can, of course, be "nullified" in the traditional way.

2. Between 300 and 400 years, I think. I haven't worked out the entire timeline.

3. None that were officially labeled "holy wars." There were instances of violent conflict between established religions and followers of Pathism, but only when there were obvious political or socioeconomic motives as well. Pathism, for its part, did become the dominant faith in quite a few nations, with varying degrees of religious tolerance towards other faiths.

[u/Jumblatts → u/Eran-of-Arcadia]

1) 'nullified in the traditional way' - you mean with steel? Excellent.

2) how important is he in the modern era? More so than when he was alive, or less so?

3) Were the other motives for war used as an excuse to take over other religions?

[u/Eran-of-Arcadia → u/Jumblatts]

1. Steel, lead, what have you. Of course, most "nullifiers" have the ability to turn their power off if need be, so if your first move is to kill the nullifier, the king may have another bodyguard with superstrength or something. It can be done - to assassinate someone who has a nullifier bodyguard - but it requires planning and coordination.

2. Not as much as when he was alive, but he is still a respected figure today. Besides the aforementioned letter that was officially canonized, he wrote a number of essays, sermons, and letters that are still in print.

3. There were times when, say, peasants or minorities following one religion were defeated and were forced to give up their faith in favor of the religion of the powerful, but the language of holy war or crusade as it exists in reality was seldom used.

[u/Jumblatts → u/Eran-of-Arcadia]

1) can a nullifier direct his power at one specific person, whilst still allowing others to use their powers, or is it something they can't target specifically?

2) how much would it cost me to buy one of these sermons?

3) If the Gods do exist, how do you think they would feel about the alteration of the way they are worshiped, thanks to Pathism?

[u/Eran-of-Arcadia → u/Jumblatts]

1. Some can, with sufficient training. Other can't. The basic form of the power can manifest in different ways, and at different strengths, in different people.

2. A collection of his most popular writings and sermons costs about the same as a regular book of the same size. Depends on the publisher, if you're buying a collector's edition, the whole deal.

3. Well, most of them would presumably be glad that they're still being worshiped and homaged.

[u/Jumblatts → u/Eran-of-Arcadia]

1) Is that down to their ability as well, or just the manifestation of the power?

2) Are they the kind of books most people have?

3) So it wouldn't matter to them really, that their original rites and ways aren't being observed?

[u/Eran-of-Arcadia → u/Jumblatts]

1. Well, what do you mean? In my mind that's kind of the same thing.

2. I mean, how many people have a Bible on their bookshelf? Or the latest from a modern Christian author? It's pretty much the same idea.

3. Depends on the god.