NOTES || Duat Residents: Deities

INTRODUCTION & COMMENTARY

Regarding the story and world of DEITIES Project, deities are divine beings whose existence help govern and influence the natural order within the Egyptian world. At the time of the main story, thousands of deities are known to reside in the overworld of Egypt and within the underworld of Duat.

Deities are highly revered beings among mortals, and many are recognized and worshipped as “gods” and “goddesses,” as well as other various titles and epithets. Some deities serve as the physical manifestations of natural phenomena and abstract concepts, while others are patrons and representatives that influence their given domains. Deities can range from major to minor divinities; from nationally-recognized to local gods; and from members of the divine royal family to those that serve as judges in the Council of Ma’at.

Ultimately, all deities hold a shared responsibility to regulate their designated domains, and to protect the lives of other beings from the constant threat of disorder and chaos.

[NOTE: The gods and goddesses of Egyptian mythology are also historically known by the Egyptian word netjeru (“divine power,” “divine one(s)”). For the purpose of maintaining consistency within the project’s story and lore, the gods will be commonly referred to as “deities” within DEITIES Project. Demons, mortals, and other divine beings are differentiated from the population of deities in additional notes.]

AREAS OF RESIDENCE

As Duat is considered the original homeland of the gods, many deities will primarily reside there among other divinities and mortal souls.

Deities also have the freedom to travel between realms via magic, and some deities will choose to inhabit the overworld. They may live within or near their temples, shrines, and monuments, and may less commonly disguise themselves to live among humans — either in their mortal forms or animal forms (See notes for Introduction to Transformation). Some deities may wander between different areas of residence, while others may prefer to keep to their given domains or territories, rarely leaving unless necessary.

TRAITS AND ABILITIES

In addition to their divine status and tasks with regulating the order of the world, there are several traits and abilities that help distinguish deities from other beings and residents of Duat.

The following traits are not necessarily exhaustive nor exclusive to deities — for example, other divine beings share the trait of agelessness, and demons also possess enhanced abilities and perception. Instead, these are a set of confirmed traits that all deities have the potential to possess.

[EX: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.]

[1] IMMORTALITY

Deities can naturally maintain indefinite, immortal lifespans, and many individuals are exceptionally long-lived. It’s common to find many individuals that have lived several hundreds of years, with some of the oldest deities living for thousands.

The main exception to this norm are cases where deities are lethally injured (and unable to be healed), or deliberately killed [EX: Case in point, Osiris].

[2] AGELESSNESS

Despite how long-lived deities can be, they do not always age in the same linear or static way as mortals. Following maturity, most deities age slowly, and often do not show obvious signs of advanced aging, so it’s common for deities to visibly appear “younger” than they actually are.

[EX: Horus — one of the youngest of the major deities of the pantheon — is around 1800 years old at the start of the story, but still appears and behaves as a young adult (~18-21).]

Additionally, while the chronological ages of deities are much longer than mortals, their ages do not necessarily dictate the way they appear in relation to each other. It is possible for an individual deity to appear more physically mature than an older counterpart, and vice versa. In some rare cases, some deities may maintain the appearance of a child past their maturity, or have the ability to adjust their physical age with magic.

[EX: Khonsu commonly appears in the form of a child, but is senior to most gods of the pantheon.]

[3] MAGIC

All deities have a natural affinity with using True magic, which they are able to access due to their connection with their ka aspect of the soul.

Certain types of magic may come more naturally to different deities, but all deities have the capacity to learn different levels of magic given enough training and practice (see notes for Magic System & True Magic and Affinities of Magic).

[4] STRENGTH AND PERCEPTIONS

Many deities possess supernatural skills, strength, and endurance — as well as heightened senses and specialities. These enhanced abilities may often correspond to their sacred animal. Some deities even have extrasensory abilities such as experiencing visions, but this often has to be aided with magic.

[EX: Anubis is able to rely on his heightened senses of smell and hearing when in his Jackal form; Mafdet can access enhanced agility and speed from her sacred feline forms; and Sobek is known for his high physical strength.]

[5] DURABILITY

Deities are able to more easily endure physical stress and trauma, compared to their mortal counterparts. While they are not naturally impervious to injuries (they bruise and bleed in the same manner as mortals), their bodies are able to endure more damage and strain, as well as resist permanent scarring or chronic impediments, if given ample time to recover and heal thereafter.

[6] ACCELERATED HEALING

Deities possess the ability to heal at a supernaturally fast pace from most injuries — again, compared to their mortal counterparts.

Minor cuts and bruises that might normally take a few days to fully heal, may only need a few hours at most — if not several minutes — to heal on their own. Larger injures or illnesses require more time, but are relatively faster for deities, and healing can be further accelerated with the use of medicines and/or magic.

[7] TRANSFORMATION

As an extension of their affinity with magic, deities have the ability to transform into sacred animal forms, as well as other multiple forms and states (see notes for Introduction to Transformation).

Deities can also use heightened magic to temporarily split and project their different aspects of the soul (see notes for Transformation: Aspects of the Soul).

[8] DIVINE REGALIA AND WEAPONS

Deities can appear in various types of clothing and regalia, both for ceremonial and practical purposes, as well as a way to identify their role among the pantheon (to be expanded in upcoming notes for Divine Regalia and Jewelry). The same can be said for certain types of symbols and imagery that are associated with a given god.

It is also common for deities to wield specific types of divine weapons for channeling their magic, as well as for combat (see notes for Divine Weapons).

INDEX || WORLD-BUILDING NOTES