Divine Rank and Zelda Deities

[omegalith]

Hey folks.

I'm putting some thought into basic deity write-ups so that a Cleric could worship some of the god figures from the Zelda series. Nothing too fancy at the moment, just:

Din, Nayru and Farore,
Demise,
And Hylia.

...Which leaves out other figures such as those two wind gods and so forth, but really, I'm starting out with those core five.

Which leaves me with the issue of working out Divine Ranks, just so I can plot out their roles in relation to one another a bit better.

I'm thinking more in terms of their role within their world than their strength compared to other D&D gods, by the way.

Any thoughts?

[Crake]

Well Din Nayru and Farore I would be tempted to call them either Greater or Over Deities. I'd lean toward over deities, since they created everything (including, technically, the other lesser deities) and they don't (usually) directly involve themselves in mortal affairs. The only exception I can think of is oracle of seasons/ages, but even then, its not clear whether the din, nayru and farore in those games are simply powerful maidens bearing the names of the gods, or whether they're incarnations/avatars of the gods.

Hylia and Demise would be a little trickier. I'd be tempted to put them at demi-god status, divine rank 0, because they don't really show anything near divine salient abilities really, they're merely powerful reincarnating entities.

That said, barring the three creation gods, none of the gods in Zelda really show any signs of power above demi-godhood. Not even majora's mask really, pulling down the moon is more akin to an epic spell than divine abilities.

[omegalith]

Hylia and Demise would be a little trickier. I'd be tempted to put them at demi-god status, divine rank 0, because they don't really show anything near divine salient abilities really, they're merely powerful reincarnating entities.

That said, barring the three creation gods, none of the gods in Zelda really show any signs of power above demi-godhood. Not even majora's mask really, pulling down the moon is more akin to an epic spell than divine abilities.

And that part would be why I figured it's better to work out their role/impact on the setting for this rather than focusing on their abilities compared to a D&D deity.

Overdeity kinda strikes me as overkill, at least in that Odin and the several Egyptian gods involved in creation myths weren't overdeities in Deities and Demigods.

[AuraTwilight]

Yea but on the otherhand the Golden Goddesses created an artifact that can grant any wish without limit, and if destroyed or removed will START UNRAVELING REALITY FROM ITS ABSENCE.

[Crake]

And that part would be why I figured it's better to work out their role/impact on the setting for this rather than focusing on their abilities compared to a D&D deity.

Overdeity kinda strikes me as overkill, at least in that Odin and the several Egyptian gods involved in creation myths weren't overdeities in Deities and Demigods.

I was more basing their overdeity status on their lack of involvement. Overdeities are typically removed from the events of the worlds they create, and don't take any action (for better or for worse) to interfere with what may be unfolding. The only exception is oracle of seasons/ages, but as i said, its not clear of those are actual manifestations or personifications of the gods, or just maidens who bear the same name.

And that said, the main three are the only deities that really play a proper deity role in the zelda universe. The other gods play a more japanese role of gods, which, by dnd standards, can range from anything from lesser outsiders to demi-gods. Nothing really stands out in the zelda universe as actually taking a godly role, being worshipped, granting power to their followers, or anything that would give a mark of a dnd-defined deity. You're pretty much exclusively dealing in the realm of really powerful outsiders and demi-gods.

By this reasoning, none of them really have "roles" (by which i assume you mean domains/portfolios) since none of them really have enough control over such things, nor are they really worshipped by any for those things, barring maybe Hylia... for... I dunno, fairness and equality I guess?

[Prime32]

By this reasoning, none of them really have "roles" (by which i assume you mean domains/portfolios) since none of them really have enough control over such things, nor are they really worshipped by any for those things, barring maybe Hylia... for... I dunno, fairness and equality I guess?I guess the Deku Tree would count as receiving worship. Maybe the Light Spirits from TP, the Dragons from SS or the Four Giants from MM.
EDIT: Also Jabu-Jabu, Jabun, Valoo, Oshus and Levias. Certain races like the Minish might also count as gods, though not in the D&D sense.

[SoraWolf7]

Alright, lemme crack this jar open...

Major Goddesses:
Din is the goddess of the earth and fire, since she's the one who created the earth itself, and she's also the namesake of the Eldin region, which has a volcano. Her oracle who shares her name has control over the seasons themselves. She is also a bit associated with mountains, as the Rito people had her pearl. She has Din's Fire named after her as well, which is a weird variation of Fireball, in that it's centered on you and then expands outward without hurting you. She represents the Triforce of Power in the Triforce.

Nayru is the goddess of magic and order, since she created the laws of the land and imbued the land with magic. She's also able to manipulate time as shown through her oracle, who again, shares her name. Nayru's Love creates a barrier around the user that moves with them, similar to Nezram's Sapphire Screen of Shielding. Nayru is also associated with the water, the Zora and Jabu-Jabu, as shown with Nayru's Pearl being held by Jabu-Jabu, who was protected by the Zora. She represents the Triforce of Wisdom in the Triforce.

Farore is the goddess of life itself, breathing the life into the living beings that she made inhabit the land Din created. Her Oracle isn't a main plot point as are the oracles Din and Nayru, but the oracle Farore has the ability to communicate across time and space. Her spell, Farore's Wind, allows one to create a warp point and then warp to that point whenever you cast it within a dungeon. She is associated with the Kokiri and the Koroks, both who are protected by the Great Deku Tree, who protects Farore's Pearl. Her element is said to be wind, as seen with her spell and Tingle calling her the Goddess of Wind. She represents the Triforce of Courage in the Triforce.

Lesser Gods and Goddesses:
Zephos and Cyclos: Both are wind gods with alternate attributes. Zephos allows one to manipulate the wind's direction, and Cyclos lets you ride Tornadoes to certain spots without fall damage. They become more important in Wind Waker, where they help the player move around.

Great Deku Tree and Maku Trees: The Deku Trees are usually seen as an area's deity, who tends to give off a protective aura that shield the inhabitants of a certain country or region. They also typically receive visions that can guide a hero to their destiny. In a sense, they are akin to a rooted Treant soothe-Sayer, with the ability to cast a wide Circle of Protection.

Four Giants: The Four Giants are also protective Gods, able to stop the fall of the moon created by an epic spell or similar effect. However, they still were able to be contained in masks as well as somewhat being overwhelmed by the full power of Majora's Mask. They seem more to be Demi-Gods than actual gods.

Wind Fish and Ocean King: Both are strong enough to make Simulacrum/avatars of themselves in an alternate form, as well as create either temporary or permanent worlds (alternate planes of existence). Still, they are physically present and are both weak to sleep spells, though the Ocean King purposely put himself to sleep to conserve his life force.

Levias: Levias is similar to the Wind Fish and Ocean King, in design, but is also a protector of the skies, and is able to withstand storms and lightning and gale-force-winds easily.

Queen of the Fairies: She is said to be more powerful than the Great Fairies, who can heal Link to full health no matter how weak he is. She also gave Wind Waker Link the ability to use Fire and Ice Arrows, basically enchanting his bow for free.

Hylia: Hylia is more of a Demi-God than a god, as she was given the Triforce after the Golden Goddesses left the land. She has the power of Wish at least, since she was able to make Skyloft stay in the sky to keep the Hylians safe. She also had the ability to reincarnate herself, again, only being a demi-goddess, now even less so by losing her powers and putting herself into a more vulnerable shell.

Demise: Demise isn't a god, but a Demon, and the King of Demons at that. This basically puts him on the same level as the Demon Lords, as it's never said what the title King of Demons really means. He also was able to put himself into a contingent reincarnation cycle, and cursed Link and Zelda into a similar cycle for as long as they were reincarnated, so would he.

I hope this helps.

[Prime32]

Relevant: http://zeldawiki.org/Deity

Some ideas...

Din: CG Overdeity (Artifice, Earth, Fire, Passion, Strength); Favored weapon: Warhammer
Nayru: LG Overdeity (Divination, Knowledge, Law, Protection, Water); Favored weapon: Longbow
Farore: NG Overdeity (Air, Animal, Courage, Plant, Travel, Time); Favored weapon: Longsword
The Golden Goddesses: NG Pantheon; Favored weapon: Longsword

Hylia, NG Intermediate Deity (Celestial, Elf, Exorcism, Good, Glory, Nobility, Planning, Sky); Favored weapon: Heavy shield

Demise, CE Greater Deity (Competition, Death, Destruction, Entropy, Evil, Hatred, Orc, Storm); Favored weapon: Bastard sword
Ganon, CE Lesser Deity (Bestial, Corruption, Death, Strength, Treachery, War); Favored weapon: Trident