The Gods on High

 Many fantasy stories have a higher power watching over the characters, whether known as the Fates, the Gods, or something else.  If you are working in a fantasy world of your own, you probably have some form of guiding influence and will want to add them, even as a passing footnote, in your companion book.  I am certainly no exception to this.

In my world, my Gods are integral, becoming characters of their own.  My most used is Targon, God of Magic and the Arcane.  He is a swashbuckling flop if there ever was one, riding the edge of God protocols and doing what he wants.  But how do I talk about these all powerful beings with out making them seem as just some over powerful character?

Here is my rough plan on how to present my Gods:

1) I'm going to talk about their personalities.  Are they friendly, indifferent, gruff?  Like I said, my Gods ARE very much like characters, so it is good to know where they are coming from.

2)Describe their ethos/pathos.  How does he/she like to interact ethically with mortals or just use them?

3) What is their realm of influence?  In Targon's case, he oversees the arcane and magic in general.  He effectively allows the other Gods have more or less power for their followers.  It causes friction, to say the least. But this will give the reader an idea of how they would act or control.

4) How are they related to the other Gods?  Are they all separate beings or did they create some of those who are in the pantheon? In my pantheon, most of the major gods consider Sarjon and Catiana their parents, though they aren't, because all the Major Gods simply appeared from the depths of space.  But the minor gods, most of them, were the products of major gods dalliances, Targon being the father of many of them.

5) If you are setting things up for a roleplaying help, alignment and abilities of followers would be good, as well.  In my example, Targon's followers should probably be a little chaotic and lean toward the neutral.  They would have a lot more mage spells then priest spells, are charged with passing on knowledge of the arcane, and should enjoy a good wine now and again.  You might also want to throw in what type of "vestments" priests are expected to wear.

6) How do they interact with other Gods?  In my world, it is very important.  Most Gods, even those of darkness, find Targon amusing, the unofficial God of Mirth.  And Targon has a "friendly" rivalry with Lokar, the God of Death, while loving and sheltering his daughter, Aiyana, the Goddess of Love.

Keep on writing because you can do it!