Plot bunny

[lederhosen]

Modern fantasy story, based on inversion of a well-trodden cliche:

Gods are real, and demonstrably so. Rather than each god having its own separate portfolio, you have competing gods with a lot of overlap in roles but slight differences in the detail. The rivalry is mostly nonviolent, but they're jealous enough (or the requisite devotions are time-consuming enough) that you can't easily worship more than one at a time.

So mostly they just try to boost their market share by creating new miracles or updating their heavens to be slightly shinier than the other guy's.

Religion magazines exist releasing comparative specs to help the waverers choose. (Znobborz's Grand Heaven has 64 virgins for every true believer; Astraflarn's Triple Paradise 3XS only has 32, but it comes with fair-trade chocolate rivers AND improved back-compatibility for upgrading your ancestors.)

And every time they do release an update, the hardcore believers are literally dying to get a glimpse...

Comments

[serehfa]

Mmm chocolate rivers. I'd prefer the positive incentive scheme rather than the "you're all doomed" version. Return on investment, I say.

About the virgins...perhaps you'd better offer the women 32 experienced lovers...

[lederhosen]

That would probably make the offer more appealing, but... OTOH, I was working on a parallel with the industry that brings us booth babes and strippers at product announcements.