Belief Systems

[Ehndras]

I have decided I'd like to create a Priest who will foster a new belief system. I'm trying to choose between my personal Panen/Pantheistic beliefs or my novels' fictional polytheistic model, but that does not truly matter.

I do wonder, though, how the various religions came about and who created them. Were they player-created, or stemmed from a real-world spiritual system and put in place by the GMs? Was the world without religion when the game first launched if the players created all religion, or were there a few umbrella-faiths for the sake of availability?

The idea of having in-game faiths is quite interesting indeed.

I just wrote a little poem and it got me into one of those thinkin' moods.

Well, just in case someone inquires about the poem, here ya go: http://maximilian-aurea.deviantart.com/art/Datastream-303258045

But I digress... BM faiths!

[LilWolf]

Well, I've pretty much written two religions for BM. All the religions in the game are player created. Don't think there's any GM introduced, save maybe for Daimon Worship that goes on on Beluaterra(?)

First one of my religions being Darkanism. It's largely based on some tidbits that were already there before religion was even introduced in the game as a mechanic(so, yes, there was a time when the game didn't really have any religions). It was pretty much written to give a bit of extra meat to some things that were already there so we could have a proper game mechanics supported religion.

The second religion was Estianism. Sadly I think it's dead by now. I quite liked the druid feel of it. This one has a lot more touch to real world beliefs with the whole cycle of life thing etc.

Mostly I just pulled stuff out of my head for both of them without really considering whether they reflect some real world religion in some way.

[Anaris]

I do wonder, though, how the various religions came about and who created them. Were they player-created, or stemmed from a real-world spiritual system and put in place by the GMs? Was the world without religion when the game first launched if the players created all religion, or were there a few umbrella-faiths for the sake of availability?

All religions in the game were created by the players. Religion was a relatively late entry into BattleMaster, coming in in (IIRC) about 2006, when almost all the game worlds were already well-established.

[Ehndras]

Ah, good to know!

[Draco Tanos]

You also can't just create a priest.  You have to be a member of a religion to do so (or found one as a region lord, which turns you into a priest automatically).  Many wouldn't take too kindly to you forming your own religion inside them, mind you. :P

[JPierreD]

Many wouldn't take too kindly to you forming your own religion inside them, mind you. :P

There are many places in where a new religion would be very welcome.

[Draco Tanos]

Perhaps, but that requires gold, trust, a lordship, etc.  It is certainly not something that can simply be done.  At least, not in any sane realm.

[vonGenf]

Perhaps, but that requires gold, trust, a lordship, etc.  It is certainly not something that can simply be done.  At least, not in any sane realm.

Who wants to play in a sane realm? Sane is boring.

[JPierreD]

Perhaps, but that requires gold, trust, a lordship, etc.  It is certainly not something that can simply be done.  At least, not in any sane realm.

What is insane about starting a new religion? ???

[Anaris]

What is insane about starting a new religion? ???

No, what's insane is just handing a Lordship and the gold required to start a new religion over to some random newbie.

[JPierreD]

No, what's insane is just handing a Lordship and the gold required to start a new religion over to some random newbie.

Ah, well, Lordships are not that hard to get, and it's not really expensive to start a new religion.

[Perth]

Ah, well, Lordships are not that hard to get, and it's not really expensive to start a new religion.

Up until our recent surge of new players (past 2-3 weeks) all you had to do in Terran to get a Lordship was show and wait two or three days and put your name in an election and you would usually win by default.

[Ehndras]

Well that certainly makes me feel better about having won the favor and trust of Terran Lords enough to get a 4-times majority vote on Lordship of Vassar <_<

But aye. One more person joining Terran in... 10 minutes. I've been convincing a lot of random people to join the game lately, I think I've recruited over 20 in the last 3 weeks, 10 of which I know are still playing. Whenever I meet fellow strategy gamers somewhere, I shoot them an invite and a little description of the game and its base mechanics. I even have a few of my rivals from Haven and Hearth playing :P One of them joined Kabrinskia, which is hilariously ironic.

I'm not looking to destabilize a region by creating a religious power-vacuum. I've played hundreds of such games over the last decade and have led my share of top-ranking factions and nations, and founded dozens of my own. I may be new to BM, but I'm not new to the genre or the playing style.

Should anyone be looking for a way-too-active noble who takes his RP very seriously, yet is capable of having fun, let me know. Things are FINALLY heating up in Hammersett/Atamara in my area, Terran/Dwilight has been a blast since day-1, having met many very good folks who make the game worth playing, and I'm going to be donating this week so I can unlock another noble slot for my Priestly deeds, or whatever it is I decide to go forth with.

Also, my apologies for the run-ons and terrible grammar, I just woke up and can barely see straight.

[Ehndras]

There are many places in where a new religion would be very welcome.

I'd most definitely like to be informed if such a place becomes available. =)

[JPierreD]

I'd most definitely like to be informed if such a place becomes available. =)

Riombara, Beluaterra. :)