---Sources--- There are five 'Sources', each residing upon the plane that the Deities live upon. Each source is an infintesimally dense ball of pure spirit that in turn creates individual spirits. The five Sources are for the spirits of: Humans, Animals, Plants, Spirits, and Deities. A large, very fast majority of human-based spirits are created automatically from the Human Source. The Spirit Source is the one from which stems all spirits that are not those of plants, animals, humans, or deities; land spirits, dragons, faeries, and such related beings come from this Source. The Deity Source is one where new Deities can be created from; this is also where Deity-created spirits are sourced from. This Source does not 'run' automatically, as do the others. Deities can control all of these Sources, though rarely need to do so. Deities that relate to nature and animals often monitor the Animal Source. ---Recycling--- After a human spirit has learned all it can possibly learn from its incarnations, the spirit returns to the Human Source. Animal spirits tend to incarnate several dozen times, before returning to the Animal Source. Plant spirits go on for several hundred incarnations, before returning to the Plant Source. Other spirits don't need to return to the Spirit Source, and can remain as long as they desire. If they wish, however, they can return to the Spirit Source. Once a spirit has returned to its creator Source, it gives up becomes pure spirit once more. ---Destruction--- Mortal spirits can be destroyed, but only under very special circumstances, for example, if they're purely intent on causing havoc (even when in spirit form). Usually, their destruction has to be a group decision made by Deities. Deities themselves are undestroyable, unless incarnate (where only Their physical body can be destroyed). ---The Powers of the Gods--- Deities have the power to create planes, upon which they can create pretty much anything They desire, asides from things that are impossible - something that could kill them, for instance. Deities can also create spirits, drawn from Their own energy or one of the Sources, often the Human, Deity, or both Sources. They can change Their forms at will, but often keep to a single form, when mingling with other Gods and for 'official' purposes. They can also create objects out of thin air. They can choose to incarnate Themselves upon Earth, into what is known as an Avatar - a Deity incarnate. Their powers are severely limited whilst in carnate forms. If Their Avatar dies, then They Themselves are not damaged in any way, shape, or form. ---Differences between Gods and demi-Gods--- Demi-Gods have much less power than full Deities. They can not create planes, objects out of thin air, spirits, influence incarnate beings, or change Their form at will. As a general rule, a demi-God's creator can imbue Them with extra powers They would not naturally get, but demi-Gods are not allowed to be imbued with the power to create planes, and Their ability to influence incarnate beings and the change Their form is highly limited. Demi-Gods can not incarnate Themselves as an Avatar without Their creator (or whoever They serve)'s blessing. They can be destroyed by Their creator, but not by other Deities or anything else. The role of demi-Gods generally is to govern something, maintain it, check details, and generally assist Their creator. ---Elevation to Godhood--- A mortal, spirit, or demi-God can be promoted to Deity status only with the consent of the Gods; namely, a group decision has to be made, which is based on the reasons. Common reasons include mortals revering the mortal as a God (though is not neccessarily enough alone) and a Deity wishing to elevate the non-Deity to equal status for a good reason. The virtuosity of the non-Deity's life often is a key factor, but not always. There is no ceremony or pomp and circumstance essential for the ascension to Godhood, though many Creators desire for Their created spirit to have a ceremony of sorts. The decision is up to their Creator, ultimately. The elevated spirit's duties and patronage (IE, God of Fire, God of Music, God of War) is assigned to them by their Creator, or by group decision, if there is no Creator of the elevated spirit. ---Offspring---- When two Deities or a Deity and a non-Deity decide to engage in sexual intercourse, there has to be a decision either by both Deities (as in the former example) or by the Deity (as in the latter example) to have offspring. Without the formal decision, there will simply be no offspring. The type of offspring is up to the Deity, though is limited by the non-Deity partner (if there is one). The offspring of a Deity that procreates with a Deity can produce a Deity, a demi-God, a spirit, or a mortal, depending on what They desire. A Deity that procreates with a demi-God, a non-Deity spirit, or a mortal can produce a demi-God, a spirit, or a mortal, but not a Deity. ---The Main Planes--- The Mortal Plane (the whole physical universe) - Occupied by mortals - Accessable by incarnate spirits (mortals, Avatars, and so forth) The Middle Plane - Overlaying almost directly on top of the entirity of the mortal plane - Occupied by Earth-based but not physically incarnate spirits - Accessable by all spirits and those of incarnate mortals (via astral travel) The Astral Plane - Occupied by spirits - Accessable by all spirits and those of incarnate mortals (via astral travel), but not the spirits of mortals when not incarnate The Deity Plane - Occupied by Deities and demi-Gods and Deity-created spirits - Accessable by Gods, demi-Gods, and Deity-created spirits The Inbetween Plane - Once reached by a mortal spirit, it can only be left by incarnating or by Divine Will - Occupied by mortal spirits in between incarnations - Accessable by Gods, demi-Gods, Deity-created spirits, spirits connected with mortal spirits, and mortal spirits Individual and Deity-created Planes - Created by a Deity whenever They desire, to whatever form or specifications They desire - Occupied by Whomever the Creator desires it to be occupied by - Accessable by Whomever the Creator desires it to be acccessble by, in addition to Him, Her, or Itself. ---The Deity Plane--- The individual residences of the Gods are all located on the Deity Plane. There is a general 'hub' for each Pantheon, from which the residences of each Deity can be accessed via portals. Each residence is entirely under the control of the God or Gods that live there; identically to the powers they have over any planes They create, asides from the altering of time. Each Pantheon has Their own 'area', such as Valhalla, Olympus, and so forth. Each area contain the residence hubs for the Deities in the Pantheon, council chambers, work rooms (where Duties are caried out), recreational areas, and so forth. Each area can be access from a central, neutral hub. The central hub contains council chambers, work rooms, recreational areas, and so forth. ---Altering the Planes--- All the planes can be modified by Deities, to certain extents; there are rules of non-interference at varying strengths applied for different planes. The strongest of which is the mortal plane, which cannot be physically altered directly (such as raising up a mountain in an instant). The middle plane doesn't really have anything to alter, asides from the removal of spirits, which is in the power of the Deities, demi-Gods, authorised Deity-created spirits, and some mortals, the lattermost of whom have no control over where the spirits go (but is usually the Astral or Inbetween Plane, where appropriate). The Astral Plane can be altered physically by Deities, demi-Gods, authorised Deity-created spirits, and to a very limited degree by incarnated mortal spirits, but doesn't usually require it. The Deity plane can only be altered by Deities, and in any way, shape, or form, asides from the abodes of Deities (which count as Their own domain). The Inbetween plane can be altered by Deities, demi-Gods, and authorised Deity-created spirits, but rarely requires it. Individual and additional planes created by Deities are under the full command of their Creator, and any others They permit to do so.