Distant Reaches - Proposal for Imperial-Backed Study of Lesser Gods — Theoretical and Practical Implications & Applications of Deicide

Imperial Archives / Proposal for Imperial-Backed Study of Lesser Gods — Theoretical and Practical Implications & Applications of Deicide

Proposal for Imperial-Backed Study of Lesser Gods — Theoretical and Practical Implications & Applications of Deicide

Proposal for Imperial-Backed Study of Lesser Gods — Theoretical and Practical Implications & Applications of Deicide
An artist’s rendering of Merve the Candygiver, patron deity of orphans.

Package Cover Letter

While a large amount of research and Imperial appropriations have been dedicated to the study — and, more often, the quelling — of Uncanny Beings, much less official investigation has been committed to the gods and divine beings that walk amongst us.

Though evidence of the “Greater Gods” and “Forbidden Gods” is less verifiable and far more circumstantial, the activities of beings called the “Lesser” or, more colloquially, “Local Gods” has been well-documented throughout history. And yet, though citizens throughout the Amal Empire take these Lesser Gods’ existence as more-or-less a given, there have been surprisingly few formal inquiries, either academic or Imperial, into their nature or intent.

Furthermore, the line between that which we consider “Uncanny” or “Lesser God” is surprisingly thin when placed under mature scrutiny. Commonly, Lesser Gods are considered the more beneficent and Uncanny Beings the wilier or more antagonistic. A review of most art and literature, and the general popular opinion, holds this to be true.

But reality is far more complex.

Merve, the short-statured Local God of orphans and children who calls the capital city of Amalcross his home, is well-loved throughout the Empire. No schoolchild is unfamiliar with his exploits, thanks largely in part to Algeriun ‘ja Hoosier’s rags-to-robes novels written between 587 and 614 AE and which remain a cornerstone of language-arts curricula.

Even Silvana Rhinebeck, in her exhaustive but unfinished Pantheon Fantastical, has nothing poor to say of Merve:

He appears to children at their lowest, to comfort them at their worst: He winks, and they laugh; he smiles, and they find their pockets filled with vibrant sweets. When the orphans of Amalcross are caught stealing apples, it is Merve who yields the path of their escape from Amalguards’ canes. Or he bares his own back when the canes lash down. But — always — when the children are safe and soothed, Merve admonishes them against such perfidy.

And yet, the infant mortality rate reached its apex during Merve’s most active period on record. Orphanages remain dangerously overcrowded and underfunded, and adoption rates precipitously declined after the chartering and consolidation of the Surrogates’ Guild. And recent reports show a staggering 7.6% of children in Amalcross cannot afford to eat more than one square meal a day.

Worse, recent investigation hints at disturbing links between Merve and major tragedies in Amalcross’s history: Why were so many children found dead in the rubble of the Great Quake with poisoned candy in their hands? What did the murderous children of the Weeping Willows mean when they spoke of “collecting tears for Merve”? And who was the “laughing munchkin” that led lines of hypnotized orphans into the Mad Wizard Vurun’s laboratory?

It does seem, when Merve extends his sugared hands to one child, he ignores or even dooms dozens of others.

Are such Lesser Gods nothing more than glorified Uncanny Beings? Throughout the Distant Reaches, similar reports abound.

There is the Great Elk of the Eastern Plains, which provides harvests if and only if it is sufficiently worshipped. There is Mother Misha, who demands blood sacrifices in exchange for her protection and once spent weeks raining teeth upon a township she felt had slighted her. Even the Stromgyre Cult cannot deny that the Whorled One’s roots intertwine with those of the genocidal King Tree.

And all this is to say nothing of the verifiable Uncannies who, in their own idiosyncratic ways, commit acts of good will and generosity.

It is necessary to initiate a full and intensive study of the Lesser Gods, identifying their intent and their machinations. We will determine whether any have actively worked against the Amal Empire and devise methods for addressing such subversion. Inasmuch, we will also seek to identify vulnerabilities in all Lesser Gods known and unknown to develop strategies for both defensive and offensive combat should such a need arise.

We believe this research will develop a strong foundation for improved military action against aggressors of the Amal Empire, from known foes such as the Frozen Flames and King Tree to those above even the Lesser Gods who may one day mount an assault on the Imperial Authority.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

ATTACHED:

  1. Detailed proposal.
  2. Funds requested / cost breakdown.
  3. Timeline of research.
  4. Proposed deliverables.
  5. Team biographies.

Direct all questions and correspondence to:

The Gymnasium of Meridian Arts
Bramble Hall, Suite 203A
Attn: Magus Prof. Corwin ‘ja Amar & Magus Prof. Naomi ‘ja Lokta

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