The whole of existence is populated by varying gods. They fill the many voids in our universe and take shape according to their will, but to what degree and how this is determined we do not know. They are defined by their lack of attachment to this universe, often referencing the beginning and end of it, both physical and temporal, and those few who talk of what lies outside of it. Nothing about these beings remains constant, though we are biased in that we get our information from those we are able to converse with, which is a very small percentage. As others have speculated before me, these more human-like gods are only the tip of the iceberg, though there are islands to the north which deny the existence of all but the most relatable of divines. However, I believe we are now in a more forward-thinking and enlightened age, an age that is willing to accept that maybe the gods are not as relatable as we wish to believe. They are alien and untouchable. Indeed, it would seem that the universe is teeming with feral gods. The gods of Nilus (nyih-LOOS) are not from Nilus, but are the strange few who chose to settle down on the small rock that we call home. There are many ways to categorize these gods, based on the civilizations one gathers research from, but for the time being we shall organize them by their varying humanity. It is not something that can easily be quantified, but the gods never can be, as all our data boils down to anecdote. I shall do my best, however. The Intimate: most gods that we hear of in history books as well as in legends and fairytales are those worth naming. These are the ones that we have spoken to, either directly or by proxy, and whose tales have been recorded and passed on.They are named usually by their offspring or their companions, they never think to name themselves. They describe this as unnecessary, seeing themselves as part of a whole, rather than an individual. Extended time around people and integration into society as progenitors of hybrid “divine” society seems to dull this notion, and they occasionally identify themselves by name in later, more repudiated texts. These beings are usually human-appearing in nature, though often with significant differences or flaws. The more perfect their human disguise, the less powerful they seem to be. In addition their appearance is not always indicative of their behavior; indeed, it seems that the formation of the brain is usually the most lacking. (There are early tales of mute or even comatose gods who still manage to manipulate the reality around them, using the body as a focal point of a shell rather than bothering to commit to inhabiting it. These are usually not counted among the intimate.) Their numbers are estimated to be less than thirty. The Monstrous: an even smaller subset of gods take the form of creatures, either Nilusen in nature, derivative of Nilusen beasts (such as hybrids) or entirely alien to the planet. These gods are often misunderstood as there is no way to communicate with them and yet they still actively interfere with human society from time to time (and beget the occasional and unfortunate offspring). Most often mistaken for monsters, the casualties they cause are surprisingly low. They are often feared but sometimes revered in small societies that never encountered any Intimates throughout their history. Their powers tender to be stronger and less subtle than those of the Intimates. Their numbers are estimated to be around two hundred. The Unmoving: often referred to as spirits of a place or object, these gods are most usually rocks or ancient trees, bodies that require little effort to maintain. They can range from anything as small as a microorganism to anything as large as the legendary Mother Isle. Though there are unreliable accounts of vast seas coming alive and planting thoughts in sailors’ heads, there is no proof this is anything but the madness of isolation. The powers of the Unmoving are most likely grand but seldom used except in cases of self preservation and therefore have not been extensively studied. The best example was that of the Mother Isle, which was once populated by many worshippers. Once they had all perished it became lonely. It would create apparitions of any who set foot on the ilse, making ghostly buildings from their memories for them to occupy. Unfortunately, the process by which it stole the memories of those who trespassed made the brain unusable, and soon the island had a deadly reputation, a horrid stench, and a chorus of ghostly wails that echoed for many miles. The numbers of the Unmoving are hard to estimate, but likely within a few thousand. The Other: these gods are only speculated to exist from tales of the Intimate. There are probably multitudes of gods in the grand void of space which did not come down to settle on our humble planet. One can imagine whatever form they took on to be massive on a stellar level. It is possible that many of them exist almost entirely outside our universe, or at least are not visible through any means that we now possess. Their motivations are unknowable and their numbers are finite but most likely astounding.

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