Mortals and the notion of immortality - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Mortals and the notion of immortality

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
spellweaver
Apr 28, 2005 4:39:37 How do you handle mortals' attitude towards the notion of immortality in your campaigns?

I mean, Al-Kalim, Ilsundal, Mealiden, Halav, Petra and Zirchev, just to name a few, were all well known mortal leaders who rose to immortality but whose followers still remember and tell tales of their mortal days.

So IMO it should be fairly well known that it is possible (but near impossible) to rise to the ranks of immortality?

So how do you handle it? Is it a common obcession among mages and clerics to seek immortality? To quest for it?

Are most people aware that they are not so exceptional as to even bother to try the quests?

How does knowing that the immortals in most cases were mortals and walked the earth affect the relationship between mortals and immortals?

:-) Jesper
#2
kheldren
Apr 28, 2005 4:58:12 I would play it that most people do not think of it as possible. In most cases legendary figures did it - who people may believe to have been divine in the first place (or whatever the appropriate word for an immortal is) in the same way Hercules was the son of a god.

Al Kalim is an odd case, especially as there are tales of his journey towards immortality...
Option 1 (based on Gaz 2) - his followers don't realise he IS an immortal - they just think they are following his teachings on how to honour the immortals.
Option 2 (based on WotI) - people who know the stories realise that it is possible, in the sense that it is possible that they are about to become king of Thyatis by popular vote, but it is not something they could consider happening to them
When people make it to Master level, then they start to realise that they are as good (or better) than the legendary figures they have heard of, and that is when they start thinking "could it be me?"
#3
agathokles
Apr 28, 2005 5:24:29
I would play it that most people do not think of it as possible. In most cases legendary figures did it - who people may believe to have been divine in the first place (or whatever the appropriate word for an immortal is) in the same way Hercules was the son of a god.

OTOH, it is quite possible that people believe that dead political/religious leaders still protect/help them, as they have been granted powers after death by whatever powerful beings they believe in. More or less like the prophets/religious leaders of the RW.

Most Mystarans may simply not realize that Immortality is obtained in life, not given out after death (thereby confusing it with Exalted status, which IIRC can be conferred by an Immortal to a powerful follower who could not become Immortal in life).
#4
zombiegleemax
Apr 28, 2005 5:41:18 Well, suppose you are a Christian and answer this:
How do you think of yourself in comparison to Christian saints?
How do you consider the Christian saints?
Do you strive hard to follow their path and become a saint?

The answer is pretty easy: many people recognize some people can become saints, but few people actually follow that path.

Same applies with Immortals I believe. Many people know that some mortals have become so enlightened or heroic that they reached the ultimate state of existence thanks to their virtue and power. By reaching immortality they have been granted the status of deity and the worship of mortals, because they are not mortals anymore but all-powerful uber-beings.
Obviously not all of the mortals dare to think they might become immortals: only few of them (the most powerful ones) may strive to reach the ultimate goal, but even among them, most just think about holding on the power they've gathered in the years and live comfortably.

The pulsion towards immortality is a rare and thus precious feeling indeed that manifests only in those individuals who are larger than life ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 spellweaver Apr 28, 2005 4:39:37	How do you handle mortals' attitude towards the notion of immortality in your campaigns? I mean, Al-Kalim, Ilsundal, Mealiden, Halav, Petra and Zirchev, just to name a few, were all well known mortal leaders who rose to immortality but whose followers still remember and tell tales of their mortal days. So IMO it should be fairly well known that it is possible (but near impossible) to rise to the ranks of immortality? So how do you handle it? Is it a common obcession among mages and clerics to seek immortality? To quest for it? Are most people aware that they are not so exceptional as to even bother to try the quests? How does knowing that the immortals in most cases were mortals and walked the earth affect the relationship between mortals and immortals? :-) Jesper
#2 kheldren Apr 28, 2005 4:58:12	I would play it that most people do not think of it as possible. In most cases legendary figures did it - who people may believe to have been divine in the first place (or whatever the appropriate word for an immortal is) in the same way Hercules was the son of a god. Al Kalim is an odd case, especially as there are tales of his journey towards immortality... Option 1 (based on Gaz 2) - his followers don't realise he IS an immortal - they just think they are following his teachings on how to honour the immortals. Option 2 (based on WotI) - people who know the stories realise that it is possible, in the sense that it is possible that they are about to become king of Thyatis by popular vote, but it is not something they could consider happening to them When people make it to Master level, then they start to realise that they are as good (or better) than the legendary figures they have heard of, and that is when they start thinking "could it be me?"
#3 agathokles Apr 28, 2005 5:24:29	I would play it that most people do not think of it as possible. In most cases legendary figures did it - who people may believe to have been divine in the first place (or whatever the appropriate word for an immortal is) in the same way Hercules was the son of a god. OTOH, it is quite possible that people believe that dead political/religious leaders still protect/help them, as they have been granted powers after death by whatever powerful beings they believe in. More or less like the prophets/religious leaders of the RW. Most Mystarans may simply not realize that Immortality is obtained in life, not given out after death (thereby confusing it with Exalted status, which IIRC can be conferred by an Immortal to a powerful follower who could not become Immortal in life).
#4 zombiegleemax Apr 28, 2005 5:41:18	Well, suppose you are a Christian and answer this: How do you think of yourself in comparison to Christian saints? How do you consider the Christian saints? Do you strive hard to follow their path and become a saint? The answer is pretty easy: many people recognize some people can become saints, but few people actually follow that path. Same applies with Immortals I believe. Many people know that some mortals have become so enlightened or heroic that they reached the ultimate state of existence thanks to their virtue and power. By reaching immortality they have been granted the status of deity and the worship of mortals, because they are not mortals anymore but all-powerful uber-beings. Obviously not all of the mortals dare to think they might become immortals: only few of them (the most powerful ones) may strive to reach the ultimate goal, but even among them, most just think about holding on the power they've gathered in the years and live comfortably. The pulsion towards immortality is a rare and thus precious feeling indeed that manifests only in those individuals who are larger than life ;)