Spanning the ether above Avalon are the realms of the Gods, divine essences that will come to play a crucial role in your daily life. The Gods will be patrons, guides, even hindrances to you, and on occasions they may act decisively to help another at your expense. The deities embody realms, over which they have power and have holy orders - followers and priesthoods - their mortal representatives in the land. See HELP REALMS for information about the Song of Creation and the divine realms, HELP PRIESTHOOD for detailed insight into the role and purpose of the holy orders and type PRIESTS at any time to look over the land for mortals of holy order rank sufficient to endow them with 'priest' stature.
Patronage is the singlemost decision you are likely to make in Avalon, if you choose to join a deity's holy order - see HELP PATRON for details. More commonly you will come into contact with the divine through favour and disfavour. Gaining the favour of a divinity has sweeping benefit, while labouring under one's disfavour will dog your steps (for as long as it lasts). Should you find yourself pitted against someone who holds the high favour of a particular divinity, then do not be surprised if that God or Goddess aids your opponent against you. This is looked at more closely later in HELP section 22.
Remember at all times, however, that the Gods conform to no laws. They are not bound by the mortal concepts of Equality and Fairness, and this is precisely what makes them so interesting and enigmatic. An important phrase should be borne in mind when you consider them: the Gods do not exist because of the mortals - they exist despite them.
