Dagath and the Cycle

[Isadora]

If Dagath rules over the recycling of mortal souls then why does his realm of power exist alongside deathplanes? Excluding whatever special exception there is for our PCs to return to life, do the mortals of avlis have a choice in being reincarnated or is there an automatic process? Are the deathplanes just waiting areas for this process?

And if Dagath was born a demigod and then filled his role later on, what was mediating the souls of Avlis before? Just the gods themselves?

Overall is it safe to say that Dagath's "cycle of life" is really just the job of a middle man between the soulkeeping outer planes of the Gods and the material plane of Avlis? Does that make the Harpinger the Charon to Dagath's River Styx?

If this is all FOIG that's fine, but I know I'd be hard-pressed to find it anywhere outside of a DM-possessed NPC

[Gorgon]

Is this meant as a team question, or are you looking for answers from anyone? Posting here might get you lots of opinions that aren't team approved, so check who is posting them before assuming it is correct.

[Isadora]

I just want an answer

[Nighthawk4]

I have posted your question for Team discussion.

However, this is not 'Ask the Team', so if anyone else has thoughts on the subject feel free to post them. They might help us come up with an official answer

[Brayon]

Avlis PnP, was heavily influence by the the various TSR/WotC Campaign settings of D&D. It has elements from Planescape, Spelljammer, and Forgotten Realms, along with its Home brew rules mixed to form the Core Avlis. Based on this, the Deathplanes of NWN Avlis, are the Outerplanes of based on Planescape. That means that when a person on Avlis dies, their soul goes to the Outerplane corresponding to their alignment in life. If someone was in the process of a change of heart, they would go to a "middle" plane between the Polarized planes. Such as Ysgard (CG/N) is in between Arborea (CG), and Limbo (CN). How the souls goes from Avlis to their final destination is hidden, and not really spelled out. However, you can piece together an idea.

My thoughts are like this.

When a person dies, their soul remains near their mortal body for a small period of time. The soul then hears the music of the "Harpinger" calling them to move on. Most heed this call, and follow the music through the passages ("Death Travel") to Dagath's Realm. Here, Dagath is like Kelemvor of Forgotten Realms. As the souls enter Dagath's area, they go from pure energy back to a Physical Form, called a Petitioner (from Planescape). Here the newly created Petitioner is judged by their Heart, and deeds on Avlis. Dagath, then sends those souls to the Realm of their Patron God, or to the Outer Plane corresponding to their alignment. The Harpinger helps in this process, moving those without Patron Gods to their Final places, and the Gods send an avatar to "fetch" their followers.

Each god would have their own realm on the Outerplane corresponding to their alignment. Dru'El's place on Arborea I would think, would be like a small section of T'Nanshi, with a sprawling city in the trees, and forest floor. Inhabitants would be Priests, Clerics, and Avengers, along with non-religious based followers who choose Dru'El as their Patron in life. I can also see Dru'El using Woodsy, his Divine Avian, to gather the souls from Dagath's realm to Dru'El's realm. Each of the gods of Avlis would have a similar process of bringing their followers to them. Once in the god's realm, the petitioner would then be subject to the god's wishes, wants, and desires.

But there is another step to Dagath, Rebirth. For some reason, once a soul reaches Dagath's realm, or to the realm of their patron god, it is deemed that the Soul of the Petitioner needs to go back to Avlis. This could be from Mortal friends/family casting Raise Dead or Resurrection spells, a strong want to return, the god kicking them out, or simply some unfinished business. At the point that the Soul is to be returned, the Harpinger again intercedes on Dagath's behalf.

The souls are brought back to Dagath, who then determines how they will reappear, and where they return back on the World of Avlis. In the case of adventurers, because of the nature of them, they are formed in a new body, at the age they were last at, with all their memories intact, and showing up at a local temple naked. For others, they maybe reincarnated as their former selves (like Adventurers), a completely new creature (as 2nd edition reincarnation), or the spirit is rebirth into a new body, being born again as a child, and not knowing its past lives.


That is my thoughts on the matter. and of course are not Team endorsed in anyway. But I hope you liked reading them.

[Nighthawk4]

Very nice

Two points:

1. Her name is Woody, not Woodsy.

2. The idea of her being a Divine Avian is not in any way official. Just an idea I made up for RP purposes.

Lovely idea though. Thanks

[Tel]

my thoughts as a Dagath cleric (by no means in depth or a team idea)

In some mythology everyone has a fate, it's spelled out in a book of destiny and the keeping of that book is some Deities job.




Dagath fills a similar role with souls. Living, Dead and in the processes of going from one to the other all fall within his dominion as what he watches over to make sure they follow the arbitrary set of rules that was decided upon.

-PC's comming back
Mortals & Gods can petition that they or others are given exemptions form these rules (PC's returning to Avlis) and as there are so MANY things to oversee Dagath has delegated parts of his tasks (petitions) to servants of the outer realms where souls go when they first pass on from Avlis. Each pact you make on a death plane is a pact "in Dagaths name"
-Going to true-death
After you pass through your death plane you can find the house of your deity therein, it's not part of the closed section of the death planes we see, but there is a place for the faithful. The punishment of souls is not part of Dagaths domain just overseeing them, so any divine justice will be taken out by your god when you get there.

-what Dagath actually does:
What all this boils down to in practice is Dagath is the overseer of the cycle, not that it's inacted per-say but that when something breaks he's the one who has to fix it. Demi-lich? well if he didn't fill out the paperwork or is causing trouble Dagath should be sending his faithful to put it down. As far as moving people about and watching all souls in all places... delegated but ultimately responsible when things go wrong