God Tethering

The Lords of Fire (and the entire leadership of the Flaming Brand) are unique among the peoples of Shadowfire in that they have managed to master and tether the Godlings that have been created by the worship of others.
The process is exceedingly dangerous and the only person to have managed it in the modern era is Impetine, the Risen Lord.

Have you ever had to face and overcome your inner demons? The worst aspects of yourself: those fears and weakenesses that keep you down?
Now... imagine you have to overcome the BEST of yourself. THAT is what it is like to face your own Godling.
From Impetine: Reflections and Conversations by Nameless Legate of the Risen Lord

Godlings are created when enough followers worship them with a common devotion. The desires and aspirations of those worshipping them must align enough to manifest them as a godling.
For beings such as the Lords of Fire, when they encourage and channel the worship of their followers, it results in a Godling made in their own image - like an echo of the Lord themselves.
Unlike the Godlings who arose to such disruption and chaos during The Godling Wars that culminated in The Destruction, these Godlings are manifested early, and the aspiring Lord must overcome their Godling in a magical strength of wills before it grows too strong. Once defeated they are then shackled, or tethered to the Lord themselves.
Thereafter, as the worship of the Lord grows, the resulting power becomes accessible by the Lord through their tethered Godling.

The rite of God Tethering

The requirements to reach Lordship involves the amassing of enough followers to generate a Godling. Much effort is spent amongst the powerful of The Gleaming City trying to usurp worship from each other through politics, diplomacy, propaganda, trade and sometimes outright conflict. Alliances shift between them, and the Holy Caldera with the High Wardens will intercede before any become too powerful to upset the balance and threaten their control. But, popularity and power bring adulation, and the worship that is needed to bring into being their Godling.
The final steps for any aspirant in achieving lordship is to find and battle their Godling into submission. The act has happened so rarely in the history of the Gleaming City there is not much of a formal tradition surrounding it, but it must be observed by the other Lords, partly for proof, but also as a safety measure should the aspirant fail - the Lords will combine their powers to destroy the Godling after a failed tethering.

Untethering

There is always the risk that the Godling can become untethered. This can happen if the Lord becomes injured, or too weak to keep their control. When this happens, the Godling will attempt to sever the link and escape. This has only happened twice over the long epoch since the Destruction, but the effect is disastrous for the Lord - they will need to track down and re-assert dominance over the Godling before it amasses too much energy from the Lord's worshippers.
This is one of the reasons that the Lords do not participate closely in conflicts, as the risk is too great. Instead they amass strength through the Deks of The Flaming Brand.
The most famous of Godlngs that has escaped, was after the shock death of Kholkosi at the hands of one of a Disciple under their command. This disciple was Tasido Diamond, who fled after the murder of his Lord, and has since become the leader of Camp Thrifty far from the courts of the Gleaming City.
Kholkosi's godling however, was left untethered upon the death, and is the first known godling to have done so. It fled into the deserts of Ardi-Kokufa , where, even though weakened, has managed to amass new worshippers to increase its strength. It is now known as the Dead Lord Kholkosi, and has become a feared force in the deserts.

Primary Related Location

The Gleaming City

Related Organizations

• Lords of Fire
• The Flaming Brand