Patriotic Deities

>>54870136
Depends on the system and how it handles magic.

Are we talking absolute patriotism or relative patriotism? Or, in other words, who wins - the avatar of a tiny micronation of people who truly love their country, or the avatar of a massive country filled with people with much more conflicted attitudes?

>>54870184
Convicted Massive Nation > Convicted Nation > Convicted Micro-nation > Conflicted Massive Nation > Conflicted Nation > Conflicted Micro-nation?

>>54870219
So it's mainly based on quantity over quality?

>>54870249
Well, I'd assume it'd be more complicated than that and that a truly convicted nation of any big size would be hard to find

it's quality over quantity until the both of them are just as patriotic, then a larger nation would probably win out

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>>54870136
CLEARLY NO ONE HAS EVER ADDRESSED SUCH A PREMISE BEFORE

>>54870290
You'd probably see a lot of Balkanization, then. Any irreconcilable ideological conflict is likely to lead to a schism, since compromise weakens your Avatar, but splitting off leads to a powerful new Avatar defending your claim to sovereignty. You'd also have little conquest, since incorporating a new population into your nation will weaken your Avatar. Which means a lot more slaughter when nations go to war.

Of course, some of all of this can be mitigated depending on how strong Avatars are. If Avatars are superhuman but not demigods, then it might be possible for a less patriotic nation to just kill an Avatar which is stronger than theirs.

>>54870325
Have you ever read this book?

>>54870325
I'm going out on a limb and saying you never read that book beyond the title... but suffice it to say it's not at all that. The deities aren't American in any sense but that they physically live in America.

>>54870395
How strong would they be anyhow? If they're created through the energy of patriotism, it's possible that they can be demigod level, ranging from Odysseus to Herakles, and possibly even further beyond.

>>54870395
America would never have developed the problems of a strong federal government and had an army of 50 avatars working together. Some cities would develop their own avatars.

I guess if it is powered by collective belief and conviction of belief you would have different powered avatars at different points of history.

So after the end of WW2 the Supreme Soviet would have the conviction and resolve to truly be the most powerful pound for pound avatar of communism. However around the time of the fall of the wall, despite having alot of people believing in it, the avatar of communism would be fairly weak and dispassionate.

Overtime some avatars would grow and die and be reborn again.

The Southern Dixie Gentlemen would die on the battlefields of Gettsyburg but a charismatic street level vigilante would appear during the reconstruction time and then slowly regain their power around modern times. His arch nemesis being the western based progressive T-Men.

Other "heroes" of this modern period being the oblivious and heavy handed Super Cop, the ruthless and charismatic Silicon Man, the polarizing Black Lives and Occupy super groups and the out of control anarchist magician known as Doubles.

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>>54870459
>Further Beyond
PLUS ULTRA

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>implying any god worth its salt is fueled by belief
A proper god doesn't just magically disappear when people stop believing in it. In a setting where the gods are just as real as unicorns, dragons, and wizards, you'd expect them to be permanent (unless killed by another god). Why would gods be an exception to the rule?

>>54870863
These are avatars of nations/states powered by the patriotism/convictions of its people, not "nations get their own zeus," you don't worship them, they're a byproduct of belief.

>>54870863
It's an explanation for why Gods desire worshippers. If they just existed regardless of prayer, why would any but the most arrogant care about mortal opinions of them? It'd be like caring what an ant thought of your house.

>>54870863
What if gods, once generated, don't die unless stripped of belief/worshippers and THEN physically killed? They can live without worshippers, but are stripped of much of their powers and while they will not die of old age, do still age, etc.?

>>54871352
You do when that 8 leged faggot insults your draps

>>54870184
Also need to consider the focus of the patriots' wrath, e.g. Scots are happy to argue amongst themselves, thus appearing disaffected and unpatriotic, but give them an excuse to have a go at the English...