Avatar
In times past, Avatars embodied the power of their god on our world. They served many purposes: as voices of celestial will, focuses for power, or even as hosts for divine conciousness. When the Gods Withdrew beyond the Divine Gate to end the Far War, their avatars left our world with them. Priests and scholars thought that the Divine Gate prevented the return of avatars, but they were incorrect.
I for one was happy to live in a world where some idiot with too much power could NOT take over my brain and run me around like a skinsuit. Unfortunately, it looks like those times have returned. That was bad news for us orcs in the past, I don't expect it to be any better this time around.
Sgt. Kill Flayer
A powerful being that embodies the power of a god in the mortal realm. Avatars are physical embodiments of a god put into a mortal body. Each god seemed to have separate rules and requirements for choosing their avatars. From the time when the Gods Withdrew to only a few years ago, it was believed that avatars could no longer be created. Scholars believed that the Divine Gate would draw them out of the Crystal Sphere of Kirinal.
The New Avatars
That changed a few years ago when the god Malfador forcibly turned the soulforged cleric, Xeno, into his new avatar. The new being, sometimes called "Xenalfador", seems to be considerably weaker than avatars had been in the past. It is posited that he remains on the surface of Erathia because he has not yet achieved the power of a true demigod.
Since then, a handful of other avatars have emerged in the world. These include:
Mecha-Tiamat, a mechanical version of Tiamat
Gerda Silversång, sister and avatar of Jenevieve
Lucius Solara, Avatars of Rampol
The mysterious Steel Giant of Safara, rumored avatar of Ar-Tamak
Avatars of Old
When I was young gnome girl, there's an avatar around every corner. Anam have five avatars. the Lich-King make avatars one after other. All them Lords of Greystone, they each become a different avatar! So many avatars, like sand on the beach or chocolate chips in cookies!
Lola Carly
Before the gods withdrew from the world, avatars were one of their primary tools for influencing the mortal plane. As the world solidified into fragile reality, they realized that the more directly they exerted their power, the more damage they did to the material plane. They feared waking the Sleeper.
For millenia, they acted through visions, their clergy, and the mortal representations of their power on Erathia. Depending on how powerful they were, some gods could maintain only one avatar for limited amounts of time, while others could maintain multiple avatars at all times. The god of justice, Anam famously maintained the Five Tridensers for more than a thousand years.
Many scholars theorize that the heavy use of avatars during the Lichwars was the main cause of the Kirinal Catastrophes. Several dozen avatars were direclty involved in the the final battle. All of them were destroyed in the explosion that carved out the Kirinal Pit
Avatar Plot Hooks
Avatar Hunters
With the evergence of new Avatars in the world, a mysterious group of hunters appears to hunt the god-touched and destroy them before they become too powerful. Will the party be able to stop the hunters... or do they want to help them?
Corruption of the Avatars
Despite being infused with divine power, the Avatars are still mortal with all the associated problems. Malevolent forces seek out a new avatar with the goal of corrupting them and harnessing their power for themselves. The adventurers must guide the new Avatar on a righteous path... or help with the corruption.
An Assemblage of Avatars
A mysterious person with immense power or wealth has called all known avatars to meet with them and create a formal organization to serve, advise, and protect them. The party has been hired to provide security for the event. They have a front row seat to the diplomancy and intrigue. When the proceedings take a turn, they have an unprecedented opportunity to influence the divine world.
Echoes of the Past
The party is sent on a journey to discover the remnants and legacies of past avatars. They have each been given a weapon tied to an old, perhaps forgotten, divine host. They may uncover hidden powers, artifacts, or secrets that were left behind.
Avatars sound like they are both a pain and a gift. Depending on the god. I think you have a missing negative in Kill-Flayer's quote. It currently says he was happy to live in a world where people could wear him as a skin suit.
Explore Etrea | WorldEmber
Thanks for pointing that out, fixed it! Yeah, being an avatar sounds cool, but in reality, you've basically given the password for your brain/body to someone else! What they do to/with it is completely up to them!
Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.
Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!