Great Man Theory (Warhammer Fantasy)

So, it looks like there is a high chance that God Botherer will be one of the winning votes, and even if there is a surprise dark horse, this is probably a worthwhile post to make.

For the purposes of this post I have "ranked" gods on a scale of 1-7 where 1 is a "Prime God". Gods like Sigmar, or the Lady of the Lake, or Myrmida. The gods who "define" the majority of worship in an area. And where 7 is gods that are borderline spirits. It should be made abundantly clear that these are still gods but they are very seldom worshipped.

Which may not be a bad thing. A god grows more powerful as they are worshipped more and more, but by that same vein they also have more worshippers drawing their attention. A god of lesser power, but more personalized attention could be as useful to you as a god of great power but no personal attention.

This is often the reason why cultists gather around less potent "evil" gods. By being proscribed their number of worshippers naturally becomes limited.

Lets put this in the most boring terms I can. Lets say there is a restaurant that is worth $100,000 dollars and is for some reason publicly traded. You own 40% of this businesses stocks so you "own" $40,000 dollars, and have significant influence. The business isn't insanely wealthy, but you have a pretty heavy amount of influence. (A lot of the gods attention)

On the inverse lets there's a corporation valued at $100,000,000. You own 1% of this companies stocks which comes out to a pretty large 1,000,000 which blows the restaurant out of the water. But your influence is pretty limited by the other 99% of stocks, much of which would be centralized under other organizations or hedge funds. (Your god has a lot of power, but there are plenty of people as or more faithful than you around, and you won't be particularly special to the god to start)

Which is a long analogy for what can be summed up as, a Prime god has a lot of power, but a lesser deity will stick around for aftercare.

For the purposes of this post, I've only written up notes on "reasonably significant" gods, and have included a full list of gods at the bottom. If there is another canon god you believe could be a good fit, or would like to try your hand at bamboozleing me into a non-canonical god that's cool, feel free to reach out.

It should also be noted that gods are more powerful where they are worshipped. For instance, a god like Gunndred would be minor at best in most of the world, but in a blood bowl like the Borderlands, where he's openly worshipped and his domain constantly practiced? He finds himself far more empowered.

Empire "Old World" Gods:

Sigmar

Really it just makes sense right? Sigmar worshipped Ulric who was the top do- wolf of his time, and ended up making a massive mark on history while doing so. Sigmar is now the top dog, so if you worship him you'll be following in his footsteps. It is honestly, flawless logic.

Domains: The Empire, Authority, Courage, Justice, and the Duty to the Dawi.

Symbols: Ghal Maraz, Twin-Tailed Comet, Imperial Cross

Sacred Weapon: Hammer

Status: Prime God (1)

Ulric:

So, it might seem a bit counter-intuitive with your whole, walking a path others have already tread is just going to have you compared unfavorably with those that came before but! Wolves are cool.

Domains: Battle, Bravery, Honour, Prowess, Wolves, Winter

Symbols: Wolfs, Fire.

Sacred Weapon: Axe

Status: Major God (2)

Morr

See, the biggest damper to the whole "become a legendary figure thing" is that legendary figures tend to be people who get exposed to extreme danger, and possibly die. But you're smart so you got in on the ground floor with the whole "death thing".

Domains: Death, Dead, Dreams, Dreamers

Symbols: Raven, the Scythe, the Hourglass, the Black Rose, and Stone Archways.

Sacred Weapon: Scythe

Status: Major God (2)

Manann:

The sea, is a big place. Which means the god of the sea has to be a Big fellow, and you… like big fellows? That sounds not like how you wanted. The point was Manann was a powerful god, and having the Ocean on your side could only be a good thing.

Domains: Seas

Symbols: Five-pointed gree crown, Albatross, Dolphins.

Sacred Weapon: Trident/Spears

Status: Significant (3)

Stromfels:

So you would be the first to admit you liked to live… dangerously. Which might explain why you were the kind of person to worship a god that is renown for not really caring about his followers, and generally emulating a natural disaster. It's the adrenalin that you like, more than the practicality.

Domains: Storms, Sharks, Pirates, Sea Dangers, Reefs, Currents.

Symbols: Bolt of Lightning, Shark, Great Trident dripping with blood

Sacred Weapon: Trident

Status: Significant (3)

Taal:

Taal, once upon a time was the Big Man. The one in charge. Basically a God King, even having authority over Ulric. He's uhh, fallen a long way since then. But even then he's a major deity.

Domains: Nature, Wild Places, Weather.

Symbols: Stag Skull, Human Skull with Antlers, Stone Axe.

Sacred Weapon: Bow, Stone Axe

Status: Significant (3)

Rhya:

Rhya, it really must be said, very much got the short end of the stick. According to scripture half of her domains were basically taken over by Taal when they married, and what was left mostly revolved around that marriage and supporting Taal. Which has to be the worst deal in the history of godly trade deals. Regardless, she is still a prominent god in much of the old world, and not all of that power is being taken as Nuptials.

Domains: Family, Fertility, Love, Nature

Symbols: ???

Status: Rather Significant (4)

Handrich:

They say that anything can be purchased, for the right price. Handrich is the proof of that saying, since he apparently decided to just buy godhood at some point. You kind of wished you had thought of that first.

Domains: Trade, Business, Compound Interest

Symbols: Coin

Sacred Weapon: Mercenaries.

Status: Rather Significant (4)

Shaback:

Now Shaback was a strange god, because while he was a god very strictly of a regional variety, the sheer breadth of places he was regionally powerful was vast. It was honestly shocking to you when you realized that he did not really have any formalized worship or orders.

Domains: Fens, Sawmps

Symbols: An overgrown Swamp

Sacred Weapon: ???

Status: Rather Significant (4)

Tahrveg:

Once upon a time, Tahrveg was little more than a spirit. Most bowmen would have identified as hunters, before identifying as Archers, and those that would identify as Archers often found themselves more enamored with more all encompassing Gods of battle. Then the empire formed, and there was suddenly a massive Imperial Armies roaming around with extraordinary numbers of archers. Though the growing prevalence of Guns and Crossbows is slowly diluting his influence, leaving him straddling the edge of being significant.

Domains: Archery

Symbols: Notched Bow

Sacred Weapon: Bow

Status: Rather Significant (4)

'Law' Gods

Solkan:

The god of vengeance and retribution. The most powerful of the gods of law, and greatly feared across the old world for his followers hardline orthodoxy. If you were being honest, you were not sure how you ended up tangled up with worshipping this fellow, but at this point you were too scared to ask.

Domains: Retribution, Vengeance.

Symbols: Executioners Axe, A Stone Prison, a Hanging Man.

Sacred Weapon: Greatsword.

Status: Significant (3)

Arianka:

It was sort of strange to worship what is in many respects a uh… not there god. Having lost a great battle in times long past, Arianka is imprisoned for long eternities in a coffin of crystal. Once a powerful god rivaling Solkan, now she is little more than a faint whisper on the wind, but a god can do a lot with a faint whisper.

Domains: Blind Justice, Judical Authority.

Symbols: Blindfolded Woman holding Scales.

Sacred Weapon: Halberd.

Status: Spirit(7) Once Significant (3)

Classical Southern Gods

Myrmida:

Myrmida's origins are difficult to parse. Some claim she is Sigmar two, the ReSigmaring, but scripture clearly states that she is the daughter of Morr and Verena. It is clear however, that at some point Myrmidia did walk a mortal, somwhere in Estalia or Tilea. She is the most worshipped god in the Old World, perhaps even the entire world, even if her followers are a fractious lot.

Domains: Warfare, Strategy, Liberty.

Symbols: Spear behind Shield, Suns, Eagles.

Status: Prime (1)

Verena:

Verena is the link between the Empires "Old World" gods, and the Classical Pantheon, through her marriage with Morr. But even without being that connection, Verena is an incredibly powerful god with worshippers spanning most of the Old World.

Domains: Justice, Knowledge, and Learning.

Symbols: Owl, Scale of Justice, Verrah Rubicon.

Sacred Weapon: Sword.

Status: Major (2)

Ranald:

Ranald is… uh Raland. A god who tricked his way into godhood, and took on the domains of well… being a criminal, is always going to straddle that morally grey line. It was honestly sort of insane that he managed to end up as a Primary God of the empire, much less be considered a Southern Classical God. On the bright side, there are very few of Ranald's worshippers that could be considered particularly "great" so at the very least, you could be a pioneer on that front.

Domains: Thieves, Tricksters, Gamblers, Rogues

Symbols: Crossed Fingers, X, Dice.

Status: Rather Significant (4)

Shallya:

The goddess of mercy and Healing, who it must be said, would be one of the most powerful gods in the Old World, if her bleeding heart did not drive her to constantly be attentive to all of her supplicants.

Domains: Healing, Mercy, Pregnancy

Symbols: White Dove, Heart with a Blood Drop

Status: Rather Significant (4)

Brentonian:

Lady of the Lake:

Now, you were not a knight. Which meant that to the Lady of the Lake, you were practically scum, and it probably said something about you that despite that you still would want to worship her. Maybe you should have spent less time reading those "romance" books about older, in charge women.

Domains: Prophecy, Dreams, Fortune, Chivalry, Honor, Nightmares.

Symbols: Twin Swords, Lance, Grail.

Sacred Weapon: Sword, Horse, Lance

Status: Prime (1)

Cytharai

Khaine

Now, don't tell anyone else you worship this guy. But… Elves were pretty significant to the world. There is at least like, double the number of historically unforgettable elves than there are any other race, except maybe the Dawi. Worshipping an Elf god therefore… please finish the sentence, you don't know why this makes so much sense to you and are desperate for someone to give you a reason.

Domains: Murder, Bloodshed, Warfare, Assassins.

Symbols: Hand dripping blood.

Sacred Weapon: Sword

Status: Major (2) (In the Old World)

Nehekara

Ptra:

Now, it may seem like you're worshipping a dead cultures god… because you were. The Nehekaran's were dead, even if that meant less to them than it would to you. Which meant their gods were prime real estate. Maybe… or maybe some long undead mummy will come slaughter you for impudence.

Domain: Sun, Immortality, Eternity

Symbols: Sun

Sacred Weapon: Chariot

Status: Prime (1)

Djaf:

So, Nehekara is dead. Which in your mind, must be really good for Djaf, the Nehekaran god of death. If everyone in the old world died tomorrow, you could only imagine how powerful it would make Morr. You also imagine that he doesn't get many souls anymore which… back scratcher?

Domain: Death

Symbols: Jackal

Sacred Weapon: Embalming Blade

Status: Major (2)

Asaph:

So, if we accept the idea that Djaf is more powerful because everyone in Nehekara died. Then naturally the follow on from that is Asaph is also more powerful, because everyone left in Nehekara are sustained by magic. Which as Asaph is the goddess of Magic, falls under her perview. It made sense to you, and when it comes to gods, isn't that all that really matters? Besides, its not like following her would mean you have to devote your life to seeking vengeance for her or anything, right?

Domain: Beauty, Magic, Vengeance.

Symbols: Asp

Sacred Weapon: Bow.

Status: Rather Significant (4)

Forgive me for not writing something up for all 111 gods I found. Half of them were gods of local lakes and stuff, and I have a live in the morning to write out. Please do not think you are forcing me out of my comfort zone if you chose a god that's not been written up, or an obscure god you find floating about the place. Building out an obscure god would be just as interesting as exploring an established god.