Dead God Sacrifice Debate

Dead God Sacrifice Debate
Type	Random Event

Dialogue

“	<Opposing Noble> has gained support among clan elders to dismantle your temples to dead gods. "We still sacrifice to <Ernalda> <,/and> <Chalana Arroy> <,/and> <Issaries> <,/and> <Lhankor Mhy> <,/and> <Redalda> <and> <Orlanth,> but get nothing in return because they are dead. It's time to accept the truth and save wealth for the living, gods and people both." <Defending Noble> leads the opposition to this idea. "When the sleeping gods wake, they will remember which clans honored them when they needed it the most. Destroying their holy places would be an act of gross impiety." Currently, the clan maintains <list of temples and shrines to dead gods you maintain>. Denounce this sacrilegious suggestion. Tactfully refuse. Reduce the size of a temple to a dead god. Dismantle the temple to a dead god. Dismantle all temples to dead gods.	”
— Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out

Consequences

If you denounce this sacrificial suggestion, it may turn out that the opposing noble's suggestion wasn't popular, and that the people are proud to keep honoring even the dead gods.

If you tactfully refuse, many people may still side with the opposing noble, pointing out that while we can afford these sacrifices today, we may not in the future, but it is possible nothing more comes of it.

If you reduce the size of a temple, choose which one you scale back on. The people see this as a good compromise between respecting the god's memory and concern for the clan.

If you dismantle a temple, choose which one. The people may miss it but agree to move forward. Alternatively, the decision may prove unpopular, dropping mood.

Advice

Worshipers of dead gods whose temples are on the line can argue to keep them up:

• "Chalana Arroy’s sacred place still helps shield us against illness. And if we suffer plague, we can use it to call on her memory." - Chalana Arroy worshiper
• "Because we maintain our shrine to the Earth <Queen/Goddess/Mother>, we can call on her crop and marriage magic in emergencies." - Ernalda worshiper
• "With Death dead, I’m surprised the cows we sacrifice still die. But as long as they do, we should keep giving them to the gods." - Humakt worshiper
• "Our Issaries temple allows us to maintain two extra trade routes, even though the god is dead." - Issaries worshiper (if you have a full temple)
• "Even though Issaries is dead, our shrine to him allows us to maintain an extra trade route." - Issaries worshiper (if you have a shrine)
• "Our Lhankor Mhy shrine is already one of the last in the valley. Keep it, so that Berenethtelli sages have somewhere to honor our lost god."
• "Dismantle the Storm King’s shrine? Ridiculous! What will we do the next time we need to deal with wild winds?" - Orlanth worshiper
• "Without our Redalda shrine, we won’t be able to call on her memory next time <our horses suffer colic/we need to deal with foreigners>." - Redalda worshiper
• "If we continue to honor the Cow Mother, we can still draw on her memory in case we suffer <hoof rot/cow disease> in the future." - Uralda worshiper

Other advice:

• "To survive we must not neglect our living gods and people in favor of the dead." - Noble proposing dismantling the temples
• "How can we even consider this?" - Defending Noble
• "We give the dead gods <number> cows and <number> cows worth of goods each year."
• "We should keep sacrificing to Orlanth and Ernalda. If we don't, it will be harder to reach their wedding in the Gods War." - Iverlantho (if the ritual Orlanth and Ernalda is learned)
• "If we do as <Opposing Noble> suggests, we will never be able to rebuild those temples."
• "Without a place holy to Ernalda, we’d have to recruit even more clans to help our rite against Nontraya."
• "As the royal clan, we should keep our shrine to the god of kings." - Iverlantho
• "Surely we can take a middle road." - Venef
• "Wind spirits still dwell in our Orlanth shrine. For their sake, I <would like/think we should> to maintain it." - Dresta/Doresa
• "Dead gods <can't/don’t> feed us." - Hanth/Hanvan
• "On my visits to other clans, I see fewer and fewer temples to dead gods." - Reda
• "Most of our neighbors maintain shrines to one or two dead gods, but have let the rest fall into disrepair." - Rodene
• "I have no special connection to the dead gods, but there is value in tradition." - Agimori Adoptee
• "I don’t like the idea, but it has some merit. There are other gods that can help us more." - Forosilvuli Refugee Leader
• "We should keep our magical options open." - Forosilvuli Refugee Leader (alternate)
• "The residue of magic in these temples can provide benefits." - Magician
• "If we do as <Proposer> suggests, we’ll have more resources to devote to our surviving war gods.
• "If they were good enough for Beren to worship, they’re good enough for us."
• "Not everyone agrees with <Opposing Noble>'s suggestion, but they respect <him/her>."
• "I’m with <Proposer>. We can no longer afford to expend so much in worshiping dead gods.
• "<Opposer> is right. We must not destroy the sleeping gods’ temples."
• "No matter what we think of the fate of the departed gods, those temples do us little good right now."
• "We maintained shrines to Ernalda’s daughter Pela Barley Mother and Elmal’s son Zarlen the Wanderer for years after their deaths, but eventually had to let them fall into disrepair."
• "We’re not sacrificing that much to dead gods."
• "What good have the dead gods done for us lately?"
• "Dismantling a dead god’s temple is a choice that cannot be taken back."
• "What we give up says a lot about us."
• "It’s hard to say if our worship does the dead gods any good, but if there’s any chance it helps them, surely we should continue."
• "We’re sacrificing <number> <cows/cattle> and <other number> cows worth of <trade goods/valuables> each year to gods who no longer offer anything in return.
• "Our kings draw their power from Elmal, and he still lives."
• "Reduce just one."
• "Both sides make good points."
• "Our ancestors maintained Yelm’s sun temple for generations after his death. But they could not take it with them when they fled Nivorah, and it was crushed to nothing by the glacier." - Ancestor worshiper, if Yelm was your first god
• "Our ancestors worshipped Ernalda from the beginning, and say we should continue to worship her until the end." - Ancestor worshiper, if Ernalda was your first god and you maintain her shrine/temple
• "Our ancestors are also dead, but can still bless us." - Ancestor worshiper, if Ernalda was your first god but you no longer maintain her shrine
• "Spirits die all the time, and I mourn them. But not with cattle and trade goods that the clan could use for other things." - Shaman
• "We should have built a shrine to Eurmal when we had the chance." Trickster (Eurmal dead)
• "Tear them all down and build a shrine to Eurmal instead!" - Trickster (Eurmal alive)
• "We haven’t called on Voriof’s power often since his death."
• "Surely <it’s not too extravagant/we can afford/we aren’t yet too poor> to <honor/keep up sacrifices to> one dead god."
• "We sacrifice to more dead gods than living ones."
• "I wonder how much we’ve sacrificed to the dead gods since <Ernalda/the Earth Queen> stopped answering our prayers? With Lhankor Mhy and Issaries dead, even their priests can’t tally the sum."