Mythology
As I have created a scenario that involves Gods, albeit Greek or Roman Gods. This applies in ways to the Di Consente, I will update their status as I can. Most of the credit goes to the author, noted at the end. Keith
After reading different books about the World of Darkness, confusion can arise about the nature of the Gods. Were there simple Vampires (or other supernatural creatures) using their powers to appears a gods, as is implied in the Vampire sourcebooks? Of there is other entities, spirits that embody what we could call Gods, and which served this purpose?
I've read some of the Werewolf's book (even if I don't personnaly play the game), and my conclusion will surprise most players and Storytellers, decreasing the divine prestige of some creatures the Vampire players would like to be true gods...
I hope this will clear any doubt about the mythology.
Contents
About the Structure of the Mythology of the World of Darkness
Above everything, there is three principles, at first not even conscious forces. It is called the Triat: The Weaver, elemental principle of Order, the Wyld, elemental principle of Chaos and the Wyrm, elemental principle of Entropy. The Weaver build, putting some order where the energy of the Wyld would accept none, and thus enable life itself. To keep the balance between the two, the Wyrm destroys the work of one or other, when needed. The fact the Weaver reached intelligence (I would say in a quasi Neural-Network-style, that is: A brain!) increased the pace of construction, overwhelming the Wyrm, which became caught in the web of the Weaver, and thus, became mad and forgot its work of Balance to embody the Corruption and Oblivion. The wyld, by its own nature, was protected by the influence of the two others. Still, the Tellurian (the universe) is unbalanced, and will soon be destroyed. What was one became two, with the physical world separated from the spiritual one by the Gauntlet (Or the Shroud).
Among the spirits which were born from the Triat where the Celestine, direct creation of the Triat: The Greater Celestine were Gaia (the Earth), Helios (the Sun) and Luna (the Moon). The Lesser Celestine were spirits almost as powerful as the Greater, and most were worshipped as Gods.
Children of the Celestine, the Spirits known as Incarna were to be considered as Demi-gods. They are the Totems of the Garou, as they are gods to mortals, too. They are usually serve the Celestine who created them. Sometimes, by gathering enough spiritual energy (also known by the Garou as Gnosis), they can claim the title of Celestine.
The Jagglins are spirits created from the Incarna, and serve them. Some Jagglins serve as pack totem to the Garou. The Gafflins are spirits created from the Jagglins, and serve them. The Gafflins' power and conscience is such that sometimes they are not even considered conscious beings.
The Celestine
No God of Egypt was a Greater Celestine, or a member of the Triat. The more powerful are Lesser Celestines, or Incarna. Ra (as is Atum, Aton, etc.), as the Sun, is a Lesser Celestine of Helios. Shu, as the Breath of Life, is a Lesser Celestine of Gaia. Tefnut, the Moisture and companion of Shu, was another Lesser Celestine of Ra. Shu and Tefnut had two Incarna children, which atteigned the status of Lesser Celestine: Geb, the Earth, and Nut, the sky.
Ra, which feared the multiplication of Gods, used his powers to prevent them from having children of their own. Geb and Nut still loved each other, and soon Incarna were born, but unable to quit Nut's womb, causing her much pain.
Another Lesser Celestine, born from the Celestine Luna, Thot, used the light from the moon to help her, and so, the Gods of Egypt were born.
The Incarnas
Most Gods of Egypt were Incarnas. Osiris, Isis, Nephtys, Set and Horus the Elder were born from Geb and Nut. Anubis, Horus the Younger, were Incarna, too.
Most other Gods were also Incarnas, but their origin is mysterious: Wadjet, Nekhbet, Sechat, Hathor...
Amon was a special case: Born from a Lesser Celestine serving the Wyrm, his Celestine creator was destroyed when the Wyrm became caught in the web of the Weaver. Keeping a low profile until the New Kingdom era, he remain far from the influence of his creator...
The Jagglins (a.k.a.: Avatars)
Most Egyptian Gods decided to create mortal incarnations to serve them on Earth. They choose mortals with potential (i.e.: with the corresponding Avatar Background). The first to do that was Ra, who built the proto-Egypt whose ruins disappeared in the western desert. Ra was a Mage, with the power of True Magick, while the others were at best good warriors or sorcerers. One of them, Isis, made profit of the corruption which weakened Ra's mind to learn True Magick (or Ra Hekau) from him.
But Magick's power started to weaken, and the link between the gods and their Jagglins (or Avatars, as they called them) weakened. Most then choose to keep their mortal bodies immortal, through any means. The most known chose either Vampirism (created by another Lesser --and rather arrogant, jealous and ego-centered-- Celestine), or the Rebirth (discovered by Isis and Nephtys). But either way, these mortal bodies cheated the life and death cycles, and thus were corrupted by the Wyrm from the begining...
Apep, Egyptian incarnation of the Wyrm
Apep is known by the Garou as the Wyrm. It have been recognized as either the Defiler Wyrm or the Eater-of-Souls.
Egptian's vision of the Triat
It can be seen as irony, but Egypt was a dying land form the begining: Since the end of the last flood, the temperature of earth was increasing, and what was before green lands was slowly won over by desert. To keep surviving, Egyptian had to be organized, and thus would have favored the the Weaver over the Wyld or even the Wyrm. Note that Set would have been seen as a spirit of the Wyld, because of his raw power and violence, but not as a spirit of the Wyrm (it was Apep).
Thus, Order was more important, and Chaos led to death.
Maat
Of all the Gods of Egypt, this is the most mysterious. Believed to have been created from Ra, but considered more as a principle than a sentient being, Maat is in truth a Greater Celestine whose power decreased under the attacks of the Wyrm. Some philosophs believe Maat is the original Wyrm, or more probably the Greater Celestine, sister to Gaia, who embodies Justice and Truth instead of Life. Maat has no physical or even spiritual incarnation anymore. Instead, she is now in the heart of every sentient being. Some believe the Wyrm is at the heart of the Vampire's Frenzy (and Garou's Wolf Frenzy), and that Maat is at the heart of the Vampiric Golconda. The fact a Discipline of control of one's Beast was called Maat leads to think the contrary (the Discipline Maat doesn't lead to Golconda, or it leads there through a very twisted way).
Set & Sutekh
One must accept once for all that Set and Sutekh were not, at first, the same being. Set was the name of the original Egyptian Deity. Sutekh was a Deity brought by the Hyksos from the East. Because of politics and religious intrigues, Set and Sutekh were merged as one Deity. It was the reason Set became so unpopular in the following centuries, despite tries to give him back his old nature.
The fact Set and Sutekh are one after the 1700s BC can be seen, in the World of Darkness, as an act of diablerie. One of them, perhaps Sutekh, but more probably Set, diablerized the other.
Credit to the Author
Raoul 'paercebal' Borges paercebal@hotmail.com
