View source for Immortal Power Definition (2e)

Powers (Legend and Template)

 
Definition
 
A power is an epic being that has achieved immortality and acquired the ability to accept worship.  Powers are not Gods, but one step lower.  Old terminology might call them a demi-god, but in actuality, a power is one-step below even that.

In the Southern Continent, dating back to possibly its creation, there have been powers.  In fact, the worship of powers, is much more popular than god worship in the Southern Continent.  There are various theories as to how the Southern Powers came to be since there was not standard pattern of advancement approved by the Gods of Wold at that time.  They seem to have ascended separately and independently.

In the Northern Continent, if you were not among the Gods of Wold, you were considered a “Cult God,” and hunted down as well as despised no matter your “alignment,” even though gods are beyond alignment.
 

After the start of the 5th age, however, and with the addition of the Gods of Testing, a path for achieving godhood seems evident.  The basic steps of ascension from mortal to god are as follows:
 
1)  Epic awareness--this occurs somewhere after a being achieves level 21.  Usually it happens very quickly.  What is Epic awareness?  There are three parts to this.  First, it is the ability to sense other epic beings within a certain area. Second, it is the ability to not be noticed by mortals within a certain area at will.  Third, it is a waning ability to affect and influence mortals. 
 
2)  Immortality--this is the ability to be immune to attack by all mortals.  It allows a being to cease aging, and in many cases, be able to control, within limits, their appearance with respect to aging.  Immortal beings can appear to be in their prime or older.
 
3)  Power--Powers have learned “worship acceptance.”  Mortal worship gives them power.  This comes in two ways:  supernatural/extraordinary abilities and spell-giving abilities.  They personally gain supernatural abilities and spells.  They can also give domain abilities and spells to their worshippers.  This is limited until godhood is achieved.  In addition, Powers, can now only be killed by other powers or gods.  Powers can now avoid/not be noticed by epic and immortal beings.  They also continue to wane in their ability to affect mortals.  They also now begin to wane in their ability to affect Epic and Immortal beings.
 
4)  Godhood--Gods have a full set of abilities and spells that they can give to their worshippers.  They can only be killed by other gods.  They can no longer affect mortals directly without repercussions.  They have a limited ability to affect epic or immortal beings directly.

 
This means of advancement was opened with the recreation of The Wold when mortals (any being level 20 or less) were finally allowed to advance into epic levels of awareness. (Advance past level 20.)
 
The exact means to advance from Epic to Immortality and beyond is still a mystery. 
 
Achieving Immortality, without resorting to lichdom or vampirism, is still a great mystery.
 
There, interestingly, are many more theories about how to become a Power.  One of these theories stated that the position of Power had to be bestowed upon a dead being by a God.  However, evidence exists to the contrary.  Another theory states that powers are created by the strong emotions of 1000s of living creatures.  This comes from the evident creation of Saint type powers.
 
It is known that, those who were Powers before the Death of the Wold and its rebirth, were recreated as Powers afterward.  Other knowledge comes from those who have dealt with the powers since the recreation of the Wold.  One adventuring group, The Defenders of the North (local group) claim to have aided an ascending power as well as preventing one being from achieving Power status.  They claim that one can naturally progress to become one by continuing to advance in life experience.  [See footnote 1]
 
Gods can assist a being in their advancement toward becoming a power in various ways, but these are not fully understood, because it seems that the path to becoming a power has changed.  Gods cannot simply appoint beings to be powers anymore.  To what extent they can help is a mystery. Nor can Alemi simply appoint mortals to become gods anymore.  This ability seems to have been lost with the recreation of the Wold and the official sanctioning of the Gods of Testing.  Marteaus lacks this ability as well.  Once a being has achieved godhood, it cannot be taken away.  All gods begin as Rogue Gods, simply meaning that they have not been accepted as members of either formal pantheon:  The Gods of Testing or the Gods of Wold.
 
There are three variants of the standard “Power.”  These are the Saint, Martyr, and Sacred Being.
 
The Saint is created when a holy man dies.  As is mentioned above, if 1000s of mourners and celebrants create great and lasting emotion concerning someone who had died, a being can seemingly skip the steps of Epic and Immortal to become a saint type Power.  In fact, the terms saint and power can be used interchangeably in the draconic language.  Saint may be one type of power.
 
A second variant of “Power” is very related to the saint type. This is the martyr.  A mortal who dies for a cause, and in doing so becomes a moral or national standard bearer for some great cause can possibly be propelled straight to becoming a martyr type power due to the veneration and lasting emotions of mortals. 
 
According to some epic druids, there is a third type of power, which most cleric scholars refuse to recognize.  These druids claim that some areas of nature have been infused with such magic, age, power, and importance that these areas become self aware and develop a soul or somehow obtain one.  At this point, say the druids, the “sacred being” can achieve epic awareness, immortality, and then begin accepting worship.  The process is much more subjective and is not understood even by the epic druids who have begun to study this.  Others think that Sacred Beings are simply powers who wish to permanently inhabit some “structure of nature.”  This may be through noble purpose, or according to some, a means to more directly affect the mortal world by become part of nature itself.

 
Worshipping Powers:
 
It is possible in the Wold to worship a Power instead of a God. The worshiping of a power has drawbacks and benefits.   Among the benefits is a closer relationship with the one you worship.  Powers deign to communicate with mortals with greater frequency than gods.  Powers, being in a more precarious position than a god, will need help from his worshippers to continue to advance towards godhood.  The drawbacks include diminished spells, and levels of spells and abilities when compared with a full god.  Those who worship powers are restricted from getting extra domain spells as well as powers from domains.

A PC that wishes to worship a power may do so by taking a level of cleric with that power. (Players must have permission of their DM and the Campaign DM before choosing a power to worship.)  Priests who worship Powers, receive NO domain spells; however, each Power grants a “gift” at levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, and 16. Most Powers cannot give spells and gifts past a certain level, and therefore restrict level advancement and spells past that same specific point.  These “gifts” may be in the form of an extra spell at a certain level, bonus to a skill, or a weaker domain type power.  (See the write-up of the power in question.)

Only the strongest of powers allow level advancement to 16th and no power can grant advancement for his clerics past that point unless they achieve godhood.  Once the top level of cleric is reached, the PC cannot take ANY more levels of cleric unless the power itself advances and grows stronger.  [See Footnote 2:]