2 - [Voice]

[winds_voice]

It seems we have had more new arrivals to Luceti since I first arrived here. I believe it is appropriate to greet and welcome them so... welcome. My name is Eleytheria. I am a Wind Spirit. I do not know how I can be of help to you but you are welcome to approach me and... ask any questions.

[He doesn't sound too sure about that but hey, he's trying!]

[He pauses. There has been something on his mind of late, what with a new temple surfacing. Perhaps he should ask a few questions. Jane had told him to be more forward and talk to people after all...]

To everyone who is listening to this I have a rather... personal query. You are under no obligation to respond to it, but I would like to learn from you and learn from your worlds. Before coming to Luceti, I had no idea so many more worlds existed, each with their own forms of 'gods' and 'spirits', their own methods of worship. Even in Luceti it seems that there are spiritual beings residing. In my world, we Spirits were born to regulate the environment, though some newer Spirits were also born from other means... intense emotions for example. I govern the sky, the wind and the clouds. I am also a deity of sorts to the people of the floating kingdom of Agkelos. We help one another and have a strong relationship with one another.

So tell me... what do you worship? What do you believe in? How seriously do you take your religion? More importantly... have you ever stopped believing? If so, why?

Comments

[luredbypower]

In my world we have twin goddesses who we worship and who also rule our land. Ys is also a floating island, in fact.

For the people of Ys, it is impossible to not take our beliefs seriously. We can see and speak with our goddesses. We live to protect and serve them. I have learned this isn't the case with all here that they have had the honor to meet the ones they worship.

[winds_voice]

Your goddesses interact directly with your people then? Interesting... Usually I will only talk with the Royal Family of Agkelos, and even then they have never seen me. At least not in this form.

I am glad you seem to respect those who rule over you. I have to wonder though, how do the goddesses treat you in return?

[luredbypower]

They do. Though only certain people can speak with Ladies Reah and Feena on a regular basis, we all still have seen them and spoken with them and they know each of us by name.

They treat us with respect as well. They prefer to guide us and let us make our own decisions and offer guidance rather than saying what we should do.

[winds_voice]

Yes, that does seem similar to how us Spirits converse with the humans in my world.

Are you one of the people who speak with them regularly? Perhaps you could tell me more about your role in all of this. You mentioned protection, what do they need protection from?

[video]

[idealism]

[Oh, the stories he could tell.]

It's complicated.

[voice]

[winds_voice]

Complicated? In what way? I have time to listen.

[voice]

[idealism]

I think things gets muddled when you get close to your gods. I can't not believe in them, you know?

[Video]

[complicatedliar]

I am a god. I do not worship others.

But I've also been quite... well traveled.

[voice]

[winds_voice]

Another god? Then tell me more... what is your role in your world? How far have you travelled?

[voice]

[complicatedliar]

I was a god of magic. It seems now I'm a god of mischief and lies.

[He doesn't seem all that bothered by this.]

I've traveled often between realms, and lately much farther afield than that, into unknown space.

[Voice]

[de_bel_survivor]

[Ah, all the things he could say.]

In my world, many different gods for different religions exist. However, the majority doesn't have a chance to meet or speak to their god, so they just worship them.

[For his other questions, well, Kouki stop believing. He knows they exist and it's useless for him to worship.]

[Voice]

[winds_voice]

You say the majority do not have a chance to contact them... there are exceptions?

[Voice]

[de_bel_survivor]

Yep. There are communicating or summoning rituals for certain people, usually those with the knowledge and resources.

[Voice]

[puubuu]

Um... I dunno if it really counts as "worshipping," but we Puffskis have our Mama. Lots of us have seen her, though, so of course we believe in her!

[Voice]

[winds_voice]

You are a... Puffski? I have never heard of such a thing. And your mother, do you mean this literally? I know that some humans name their goddesses as a 'Mother' though they are obviously unrelated.

[Voice]

[puubuu]

Well, now you have! Hee hee! Anyway... Mama created most of us, except for those of us who were born naturally. I'm one of the ones created by Mama! So... I don't know if that means we're related or not, but she still made us.

[mountain_sage]

Hmm...

In my world, Magvel, there are monks, clerics, and bishops who worship the divine, though it has no given name. As for the people of my village, Caer Pelyn, we pay homage to the Great Dragon.

[winds_voice]

Great Dragon? Interesting. My people often depict me as a dragon. It has become one of my most frequently used forms...

Tell me more about your Great Dragon. Do you hold it in high regard yourself? Do you follow the traditions of your people?

[mountain_sage]

The Great Dragon deserves the highest regard. It was he who saved our world from evil long ago. However, most of the world has forgotten our sacred debt to him. I fear the people of Caer Pelyn are the only ones who carry on his memory.

As for myself, I live each day according to our culture. Serving the Great Dragon is what gives my life meaning. Were it not for him, I would not exist.

[voice]

[mydearapple]

I don't believe in things like that. Where I'm from, gods and spirits are little more than a myth. They don't have physical bodies, so their existence hasn't been proven. There are plenty of people who do believe in things like that, though.

[voice]

[winds_voice]

I see... Then what if you were to meet a god or a spirit here in Luceti? Would you think they were lying to you? That they are just visions? What would change your mind?

[voice]

[mydearapple]

It'd be really rather difficult to deny what's right in front of me, don't you think? [There's a smirk in his voice. It's a somewhat teasing question.] I've seen some pretty amazing things here, so it would be foolish of me to think that someone like that was lying. There might not be much evidence of such things in my world, but there's no reason they can't exist in anyone else's.

[ofwesternwinds]

[That's an interesting question... And also interesting to know. He hadn't quite known those details about where Eleytheria was from and all.]

Well... on Filgaia, where I'm from, we have the Guardians. People usually have their own ways of worshipping, but that's what most people tend to believe in.

[If they're the religious sort, anyway. It's also true not everyone on Filgaia put much stock in the Guardians' power, but it's hard not to believe in them when you've seen them for yourself.]

[winds_voice]

Guardians?

[It was a rather empowering name. Now he was curious.]

I see. And just what do these Guardians do for your world? Judging by their name I would imagine they are protectors. In that case it is no wonder humans would worship them. The real question is... do the humans show them the appropriate respect?

[Speaking to others it seemed that there were many whose belief had faltered over the years. Similarly there were many who still respected their gods and spirits. It was somewhat reassuring to know that there were those who still stood by their deities... both worrying and a little comforting to know his world was not the only one where belief was dwindling.]

[ofwesternwinds]

Well, you've mostly got it in one there. They help keep the world sustained, and regulate the enviroment like you mentioned. But, well...

[Hesitantly, he trails off, wondering if he should really touch on this topic. There's a few brief, hesitant pauses before he continues.]

Some say their powers have been weakening as Filgaia does the same. Honestly, I've heard more than one explanation for why that's happening. Some people's faiths have been dwindling because of that, but there's still a lot people who believe in them.

[Cecilia would know more about this than him, really, but she's on a mission at the moment. Sorry, Eley! As far as learning about Guardians goes, you'll have to deal with Rudy for now.]