Cults
A cult for our purposes is any organization patronized by a godlike being of great power. Power so great that part of its patronage involves granting tokens of that power to its followers, usually in the form of magical traits or spells.
Patrons
Whether the patron sought out a cult or the cult sought out a patron, the patron has more of an outsized influence on the cult than the cult does on the patron. History is rife with examples of a gentle cult being misled by a patron into becoming monstrous over time.
In spite of that, patrons do depend on their cult. Patrons generally inhabit the Unseen, and such entities cannot come to the Seen without being called. So it is that the cult acts like a lens through which the power and directives of the patron are interpreted. Without the cult, the patron would eventually die or be unable to act on the Seen.
The power and domains of a patron have the most overt mechanical effect on their cult, but the personality and ambitions of the patron also matter. To receive power from the patron, one must further the patron's agenda and assure the patron of their overt loyalty... or at least dependence. Remember that everything in this world was, or at least was once, a human being. Some patrons are less deific than might be hoped.
Power
Not all patrons are created equal. Some patrons are simply stronger or weaker than their counterparts, some are outright subservient or in some sort of formal vassal relationship with other patrons.
Depending on the culture, the power of patrons - and beings from the Unseen in general - are titled differently.
| Rank | Nostrum | Westfalian | Elven |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | High God | Kaiser (Emperor) | Aureum (Golden) |
| 2nd | God(dess) | Konig (King) | Argenteus (Silvery) |
| 3rd | Greater Angel | Erzherzog (Archduke) | Ferrum (Iron) |
| 4th | Lesser Angel | Herzog (Duke) | Dominus (Master) |
| 5th | Greater Spirit | Graf (Count) | Magus (Mage) |
| 6th | Lesser Spirit | Ritter (Knight) | Debutant |
Domains
Areas of influence and power that the patron has. So two patrons with a fire domain would both be able to grant powers or spells related to fire to their followers, while unless they had a domain related to the cold as well they could not grant powers related to freezing things.
Cultists
Unless a Patron is already on the Seen, which is rarely the case, they cannot interact with the physical world whatsoever without being first called upon or invoked. This can be through runes, if those runes have not already been claimed by another higher power, or it can just be through calling upon powers already granted.
Becoming a cultist is different depending on each cult. Each cult will have its own initiation ritual.
Ranks
The gods play favorites, just like everyone else. The more favored a servant, the greater the powers granted them.