2/11/14

Montporte Cosmological Notes: On the Divine and the Mundane

The sages, philosophers and theologians of Aarde (the plane containing Montporte) are fond of dividing the known world into two spheres or provinces: The Mundane Sphere and the Divine Sphere. The Mundane Sphere includes the physical plane of Aarde and all those who dwell on the plane. It does not include the four other planes (see On the Planes). The Divine Sphere is where the gods of Aarde are believed to dwell.

The Divine
The gods of Aarde are thought to dwell in the Divine Sphere, but the reality is that no mortal being of Aarde can know this as a certainty. It is a commonly accepted idea that the gods are transcendent--they cannot manifest themselves physically on Aarde nor can the mortal beings of Aarde approach them. The gods can (and do) influence events on Aarde through their followers. It is thought that the gods gain nourishment and strength through the influence they wield on Aarde, but religious opinions vary widely on this particular topic.

The Gods
There are many gods. The sages believe that the mortals of Aarde only know a small fraction of the total number of gods. It is not known if all gods know all the other gods, although it is clear that the gods that are part of a specific religion's pantheon are related. Different religions answer this question differently.

Religions
The religions of Aarde are complicated. Some are related to each other, based on schisms, splits, differences of opinion or new revelations. Most have little in common. Some rise while others fall. Some religions are tolerant of others and a few even embrace religious ideas from other religious. Most religions are less open towards other faiths. The majority of religious folk view themselves as enlightened, blessed, or chosen, while viewing others as ignorant, cursed, or damned.

Further Reading
Cosmological Notes (Overview)
On the Planes
On the Elements
On the Energies