Question of faith

[Jinxs]

I know this could be a semi touchy subject for a lot of Rp games to touch onto but what is the state of faith in the TTB world I mean with the discovery of undead and magic has religion gone completely out the window or has it bolstered it or even lead to the creation of religious orientated magical groups. 

I know its probably written up in fluff some place but I have yet to spot it?

[zeeblee]

In the skirmish game and Fatemaster Almanac there are exorcists, so I think there is at least some religion walking around.

[rrw360]

They do keep it neutral on the card and in the book description. Though the pic provided on the cards looking a lot like Empire Witchhunters from Warhammer, I think you could arguably say any religion that has qualms with necromancy could 'have' exorcists.

[Tawg]

Well, to answer your question a little different than you asked:  I don't think they are discovering these things for the first time.

From what I understand Malifaux takes place in an alternate state of Earth wherein magic exist.  It is not news to anyone that it exist.  What has shaken things up is the portal to Malifaux and the events surrounding this magical dimension // world in which humans are attempting to exert the trifecta of Es:  Explore, Expand, Exploit.

So your question sounds like "Is normal Christianity able to exist along side Undead?  How are they reacting?"

When it should be "How would Religion at large have been shaped differently if magic was as real as anything else?"

And to that question, I do not know, beyond use your imagination.  I have never seen anything addressing specifics from real world things, but to be honest, the real-world is only a jumping point to launch your imagination, to twist to the desires and needs of your plot and spur on exciting stories.  Do they need to define everything?  No, people who make stories can do so on their own.  Do they need to avoid "twisting" real world threads within their core game to prevent backlash from persons or things that deem it inappropriate for a business to do so?  I imagine yes, considering the asinine things people try to cry wolf about.

[Kato]

We in our gaming grope came upon the same question, as I decided to play an Irish Priest.

We have at least been agreed on one thing, earth was at it is today, up til the first opening of the portal, all the magic was folk lore and myth. Only in an underground world with Illuminate, Occult Kabbalism and Voodoo did real magic exist, but as it states in the fluff, it was getting weaker and weaker, so the few people that could wield magic in the world opened the breach.

So, the Catholic church and all the religions was around as normal then, but they had to change as all things when radical things happen.  The christian church  in our world is clearly allied with the Guild if not a part of it, as much of the anti magic and witchcraft can come of an evolved christian dogma, the Ten Thunders have many things that gets one reminded of Asian religion like Budism, Taoism ect.

All the religions are good at adopting to new things in there own way, like "Look, it is as we always said, Magic do exist but in other words and meanings and it dos not include the unholy arts of necromancy or other dabbling in the false arts. NO! its only our holy way that is correct and all other will doom us if it is not stomped out by our newly formed Inquisition... hurk... I meant breach warden settlers, yes they will, ummh see that you are not corrupted by the dark arts and evil creatures on the other side, The Guild!"

 

In our game the religions are much the same and need little adjustments to work in Malifaux. My priest even got he's own little burial place to cremate the dead and hold ceremony's , all in the name of the Lord and Guild.

[Sunspotter]

Irish Priest

IF ANYONE DOES NOT LOVE THE LORD (dramatic pause) JESUS CHRIST (dramatic pause) LET HIM BE ACCUSED O LORD COME AMEN.

(The fact that I love Hellsing should surprise nobody. Anyone liking Hellsing on this forum shouldn't be a surprise)

but in all seriousness, I think that given that magic in the Malifaux universe is highly mentally based, faith and belief would both be strong catalysts for magic, giving it the predefined structure that it needs to manifest, either directly as a spell, or as a manifested power

personally, I'm a big fan of applying a direct structure of memetics to religions in games, that gods get their power from belief and/or fear, and use that power to re-enforce that belief.

as far as it's impact, magic is already mentioned in the holy books of most every world religion in varying lights of favor and disdain, and with there being multiple sects with multiple views on various issues, it wouldn't be hard to imagine that different sects would have views on soulstones, magic and the like.

For the undead, nephilim ect, Malifaux is seen as a warped, perverted plane where horrid things happen, and I could see most people seeing it as a world closer to hell than earthside, especially if Dante's divine comedy still exists, some people would probably compare it to limbo.