Guide to Nature Spirit Classification

Guide To Nature Spirit Classification

by Ilvadele Irasce, Council of Eight

What we call "gods" are just manifestations of magical power that somehow gained sentience. They are not invincible. Well... most of them aren't. I've spent some time developing a system that explains their power levels:

Class 1: these gods are extraordinarily powerful, and can alter the entire world if those choose to. They represent concepts that affect every aspect of reality Dreva, Tast, and Arisetsu are examples of this type of spirit.

Class 2: these gods are powerful enough to exert huge influence, but tend to "pick their battles" and focus their efforts so as to not be stretched too thin. Irhetsu, Gulagra, and Akhisa are examples of this type of spirit.

Class 3: these are the weakest spirits that we still consider "gods." They are just barely powerful enough to stand up to an attack from a Class 1 god. They have much power, but it is largely bound up in their own safety, so they exhibit relatively little influence on the world at large. Most have pockets of worshipers, and many have a few small token effects on the world, such as a holiday, an artifact, or a small city of their own. Ilth Hale, Melkar, and Zare are examples.

Class 4: these are not gods, but just "nature spirits." They are powerful in a small geographic area, usually only a few miles at most. They tend to be well hidden, because it's common for Class 2 and Class 3 gods to seek these spirits out and consume them to bolster their own power. (This is beneath a class 1 god, who couldn't be bothered with such small amounts of power).

Class 5: these are the weakest nature spirits. They are nothing more than a waft of magic anchored into reality, usually in a single object such as a tree, rock, or pond. Dryads are a common Class 5 nature spirit. The easiest way to kill them is to simply destroy their anchor.

My colleague, Jarmanger, believes there should be a sixth classification, and while I disagree, I will include it here:

Class 0: these are supremely powerful gods, with enough power to bend or break any aspect of reality. It's likely that these gods could destroy weaker (class 3? class 2?) gods, if they chose to. Jarmanger argues that Dreva, Vol, and Kirad should be in this category.