Divinity
Divinity is one of the three immortal statistics which describe an immortal's potential to affect the world. It governs creative and magical power, and is a developmental attribute which is akin to Karma in a mortal character.
Divinity develops proportionally with creative contribution to the game. The more object classes, descriptions, stories, quests, or other game structures one contributes to, and the more they get used, the more one's Divinity develops. The reward is heirarchal, too. If an immortal writes an extemely useful base class, for example, or descriptions for a very common material, then any works that are derived from or use her contribution also reward her proportionally.
Influence
Like other statistics, Divinity also has an associated linear measure called Influence which is an expression of the potential power that can be brought to bear at any given time. Influence must be spent to affect the state of the game world in any way, in an amount proportional to the effect. Creating an avatar, making or destroying an object, changing the location of objects, modifying an object's properties -- all of these require Influence.
The immortal player may also, of course, recover Influence. Influence is recovered over time at a rate proportional to the use of his contributions to the world or through the sacrifice of game objects to him by mortals, regardless of whether or not he contributed to its creation. Followers of religions dedicated to him, then, may be required to wear only certain clothes, or only be allowed to use certain classes of weapons, or be required to sacrifice objects of a rival deity's creation. Influence can be recovered up to a limit equal to the deity's Divinity.
Immortals can also give their Influence to another immortal, up to that immortal's maximum potential as expressed by her Divinity. This can be used as payment, a gesture of fealty or gratitude, or whatever. Similar to the way mages may combine Inspiration in the casting of magic, two or more immortals can also combine their Influence (at 2/3 potency or so) to bring about some effect on the world which they by themselves could not accomplish.
With this system, to help create the game is to become influential in it, and the more important or useful one's contribution, the greater will be one's ability to mold the game world into what one wishes.
Running out of Influence
If any given act of creation will cost more points than the deity has available, they have the option of waiting for their Influence to return, abandoning the creation altogether, or using Divinity as well. Any use of their Divinity results in a permanent loss, which can be regained by development, but do not return automatically like Influence.
A Relevant Quote
“Attend now and you shall not be bored.” Umegat inverted his clay cup upon the cloth. “Men’s will is free. The gods may not invade it, any more than I may pour wine into this cup through its bottom.”
“But have you really understood how powerless the gods are, when the lowest slave may exclude them from his heart? And if from his heart, then from the world as well, for the gods may not reach in except through living souls. If the gods could seize passage from anyone they wished, then men would be mere puppets. Only if they borrow or are given will from a willing creature, do they have a little channel through which to act. They can seep in through the minds of animals, sometimes with effort. Plants … require much foresight. Or” - Umegat turned his cup upright again, and lifted the jug — “sometimes, a man may open himself to them, and let them pour through him into the world.” He filled his cup. “A saint is not a virtuous soul, but an empty one. He –or she– freely gives the gift of their will to their god. And in renouncing action, makes action possible.”
&emdash; The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold
See also
— Ged The Greys Hain - 25 Jul 2000 [ Moved stuff from ImmortalStatistics and made it Divinity-specific ]
— Scotus - 14 Oct 2000
