A Multiverse of Deities: An Introduction to the Irreverents
By Sage Althea

One remark that I've heard before several times -- and usually from youngsters who are dragged before me by answer-seeking parents -- is this one: "I bet gods don't have to listen to their parents!" Sentiment and amazingly squirmy conduct aside, the statement does bring up a valid question: Do younger gods obey their elders?

If you're familiar with the lore, cultures, and religions found within your own world, you may know that some feature multiple deities -- many gods who have great power and control. These beings work together or against each other (or both), and they each have their own strengths and their own followers. (This belief system is often called polytheistic, but I digress.) Well, consider this: What if a group of deities (a pantheon) had specific responsibilities (called portfolios) in multiple universes (or multiverse) and that these responsibilities included such things as destruction or nature or truth. And what would happen if younger deities assisted these elder gods? Would these godlings follow the alliances of their greater brethren and perform the duties assigned to them? Would they rebel against those who had more control?

Would they seek a way to peek behind a door that they shouldn't open?

Before we explore these lesser beings, let's go over a few basic things first.

Pantheon: Both the elder gods and younger gods form a group of gods called a pantheon.

Portfolio: Each elder god has control and responsibility for some part of existence (such as destruction or beasts); they often assign parts of their portfolio (such as slow oxidation or cats) to the godlings.

Multiverse: The multiverse is a set of multiple universes.

Followers and Gods: The belief of a god's mortal followers determines the power of a god. Some gods seek to gain the belief of another god's followers, which creates conflict between the gods. Sometimes, though, conflict within the multiverse happens for other reasons.

The Titan Wars: Not everything is as it was. Some legends state that the current pantheon of gods exists due to conflict that occurred at the dawn of the multiverse. We call this conflict the Titan Wars. The godlings came into existence after their elders won the conflict. While the young gods undoubtedly know more of this than we do, several of my fellow sages theorize that some aspects of the war and its outcome remain a mystery even to them. Some, of course, have other thoughts entirely about the Titan Wars, but I hardly think that it took the form of a food fight in the celestial cafeteria. (One must respect one's elders, of course, but I believe Sage Erlean was joking when he said that yesterday. At least, I hope so.)

And thus we come to the present, where we explore the question of these younger gods. My answer to the question of whether they obey their elders is simple: Each god is an individual, just like you and I are individuals. They will follow their own inclinations for good or ill. As for that door that they shouldn't open, well, you'll have to read on to learn more about that.