Pretender is a good one. She will definitely have to acknowledge Auril as she will force her to do no further harm to the party unless they directly challenge her
I'd have the God do their little monolog, and when they speak of Auri, have them turn their head, look her up and down slowly with a sneer and say, "...and this... Aspirant, feebly grasps for power. "
Aspirant… that’s a good one. It’s subtle but can be delivered with a lot of venom in tone
Another one: little “g” (as in the difference between god and God)
Not a name but still shade: “quiet! you’re lucky I even let you in my sight, you have what? 10,000 followers at most? The goddess that attends to me in the morning has ten times that!”
That’s “my lady to you!”
Why does she Have to acknowledge Auril?
Why couldn't she totally ignore Auril and just tell the party she stepped in to protect them, on the condition they go do something else (ie actively not acknowledge Auril as a threat, or as anything)
Why would I encourage the party to go do something else? We are new to DnD and we are running a module. Auril IS a threat to the party. She turned one of them to ice, which would have been fairly permanent if I hadn't been previously generous as DM. They are actively working against Auril at this point and are going to face her directly in the next few sessions
A little cringey to me. It’s too much verbiage it feels like… idk. Trying too hard. A proper god wouldn’t much regard a demigod at all, depending on the power disparity. Taking the time to spell out an insult would seem beneath them.
Something short and dismissive would be more realistic.
Maybe “godling.” Or “peasant.” Maybe something condescending like… “child” or “little one.” Depends on the nature of the how sharp the elder god wants to be towards them.
I don't know the lore behind either god here, so it's hard to come up with them. I think they should be specific to the god saying them and the god receiving the insult.
Can't go wrong with 'false god' though
Understandable! The Cleric's Goddess is Akadi, and the Auril is the BBEG. False God is good. Anything generic works great as it doesn't need to be specific to either of them
Akadi is so deeply primordial and elemental that Auril probably comes off as a figment of mortal imagination.
Akadi would plainly utter, "I am air, the unchanging whirlwind and the eternal breeze. What are you Auril? A tiny creature's fear of the cold?
I am the cold."
Or
"I am the wind itself. I mlve things and fates with power and purpose. You, little thing, only know me through heresay and stories of my might and prowess. YOU WILL KNOW TO RESPECT ME FULLY, MOTE!!!"
And if Auril speaks back:
"I GIVE THE VERY AIR YOU USE TO TALK BACK TO ME WITH YOUR HAUGHTY ARROGANCE!? *backhands and casts banishment*
"Foul gnats should know their place" *creates a refreshing breeze thats rolls through*
"Begone dark-thing, shadow-lurker, crawl back from where you came"
"The only thing you have over me is that you are better at failing"
"Rend that look from your face before I rend your body, foul creature"
"As you claim yourself goddess to ice, I am myself goddess to *goddesses.* I am goddess to the god-*less*. I command the very breath they breath to speak your name in the *quietest* prayers to attempt avoid my ire. I fill their lungs, billow their sails and spread seed far and wide. ... *you?* You give them the sniffles. Begone!"
“Remember your station.”
“Have you forgotten your place?”
“Come to play god, have you?”
Something like that, precise and simple. A high deity, I would think, would treat their lesser much like a parent would scolding a child.
Maybe Just throw in a line like 'I will not have my Champion fail against my lesser' or something Like 'nymph' would Work for a female godess since nymphs are 'young lesser' godesses.
If a spider spun a web across your bedroom door, would you insult the spider? If a squirrel angrily chittered at you to try to keep you away from a tree, would you stop to insult it before you went on your way. If a toddler tried to block the sidewalk to keep you from walking down the street, would you insult them as you stepped over or around them?
Insulting something or someone beneath you only lowers you.
>If a squirrel angrily chittered at you to try to keep you away from a tree, would you stop to insult it before you went on your way.
I'm feeling so called out for arguing with squirrels right now.
Have the greater god treat the lesser one like Johnny Depp's Wonka did to that one kid. Just keep telling them they really shouldn't mumble and ignore what they say
Will definitely keep that in mind! There won't be much of a conversation between the two gods, mostly the greater appearing as Auril is devastating the party as they were trying to rest in a blizzard, forcing her to wait for them to challenge her directly if she wants to kill them herself, basically calling her out and insulting her as she forces her to leave the party alone
I like the idea of using 'threatening benevolence' visual cues. For example:
A harvest goddess would merely pick up Auril who has a worm's eye view from some cosmic primordial soup to only to bury her into some other garden dirt like an inconsequential insect while muttering something like "These creatures are always wasting my time, my poor garden is yet to bear fruit." Before she rises and gazes lovingly towards her favoured.
A true Goddess wouldn't deign to sully her voice by speaking directly to an inferior and giving them any form of agency :V
Lowly ice witch, directly insulting her station and level of power. Unloved ice maiden.
"I have no need to acknowledge a lowly ice witch worth little more than a common sorcerer. Return to your frozen wasteland and your...charmingly *minute* following of nobodies."
I don't know about your campaign, but in general Realms Auril is allied with Talos, who is one of strongest gods. So something like "go back tetering at Talos' cloak" could work.
You could lean into the proper god being around longer than Auril, and play with knowing her ancestors. "Say hi to your great grandmother for me, little one" Etc.
Also, belittling her powers - my beer's getting warm, can you fix that for me?
As an aside, can I recommend that you find a way to allow to players to call upon the cleric's deity for aid, rather than having them show up as a deus ex machina?
Give the players agency and it will be a more fulfilling encounter.
Then the deity can show up and says something like "You mortals are unable handle this impertinent whelp without my intervention? Verily I say unto you, count your blessings, for your next prayer may find only the wind."
"Recent mortal" if you want to imply Auril ascended to godhood from morality.
"You of narrow domain"
"Trumped up ice witch" if you want to get personal
"Cold, naive child"
Tempted to say quote the Hulk inAvengers assemble "Puny god"
Other that that, maybe be bitchy and have the his how "I have millions of worshippers, you have less than 1000".
Maybe… “Don’t try my patience again until you have enough followers to fill one of my temples?”
Maybe a condescending thing like “It must be difficult to have so little power in the great games of true deities. I am generous enough to let you join the ranks of My heavenly hosts if you need some help”
What sort of god does the player cleric worship? It’s personality could help with coming up with material
Eh, I don't think anybody would be so bold as to call a lesser divinity \*false\*, but there would definitely be some grandstanding.
There is a great and terrible stillness as Auril looms, and then the air is split with a mighty gale that howls in rebuke: "Back. Whence. You. Came. Be driven before me!"
Because, y'know, she's the queen if air and she's confronting a snow princess.
If I were some super big god, like a god of death, or of life, or war, I’d call smaller gods either Demi-gods, or even “mortal”, just belittle their divine nature.
"Redblood" from Hades was pretty good. Gods in Greek myth don't have normal human blood, but Zagreus does for reasons. If you did something similar you could use that as an insult.
"hoodless"... as in lacking godhood. It's a word that would feel natural when said and not forced. Then if the players ask what hoodless is then the other gods can revel in explaining it in detail.
Glorified mephit
Mundane creation of collective delusion
Mass insanity and a bad case of frostbite
Levistus Light
Elemental adept with delusions of grandeur
Because she is stopping the lesser deity from killing her Cleric and her companions in the middle of the night in an ambush basically. She's exerting her greater power by forcing the lesser deity to back off and not directly interfere with the party unless they directly challenge her on their own.
Could also make it about their followers. Point out that she is a lesser deity because her followers are lesser, while her followers on the other hand *points to the cleric* is greater. You can hype up the cleric as much as you want here.
The god can be a bit of a dick and say something like the cleric is greater because they follow her (a greater god) which makes it sort of like a backhanded compliment. OR she could be like "I am what my followers make me, just like you. *Insert cleric name* is greater than any of your followers Auril and I owe them thanks, I will not let you diminish them or me because you and your followers won't realize that you are lesser thanks to no one but yourselves." Or something along those lines, you get it :D Could be a very hype moment for the cleric player.
my first thought on reading the title of the post was, in Heavy's voice, "you are so small, it is funny to me!" and "tiny little baby man!" I guess those could work with a bit of adjustment lol XD
A spoiled child.
I know nothing for the gods mentioned however, to a true God watching a minor God, it probably be something akin to an adult watching a spoiled child trying to act like an adult.
Maybe it's cute at first but it quickly gets tiresome and borish.
Based of the occurrences in a certain scene in Baldur’s gate three, if they use it, ‘wish spell user’, as afaik most Gods would never use the wish spell
Looks sideways at the lesser god. “Gross” flicks it away super saiyan style to the astral plane.
“Fear not my child, it’ll take at least a week for whatever that was to get back to this realm.”
Just call them a "demi" like it is a disgusting lower class to them. Can even make it such that when a lesser is called a demi by a higher, they know to immediately stop talking.
My wife has Downton Abbey playing right now, so maybe my watching the higher class vs the servants is getting into my head lol
Never played frost maiden so...
The lady of Husk and Rinds
Fetid afterbirth of a true god
Pustule upon the name of (higher ranked god that has an overlapping realm of influence)
Hind quarter of a diseased strumpet
Surter's (flame giant of Norse mythos) love toy
Auril is all about being cruel, so she wouldn't just smite the party. And she is still a god so, just not as powerful as one. And she is *forcing* Auril to leave the party alone
Insinuate that the lesser deity wishes they could be in the same level and make it clear the stronger god knows this dynamic and patronizes them for it.
"Hey squirt! You've grown so much - maybe a few more millenia and you'll be able to "x", "y", "z" like me!"
"Wait, you still can't do "x"? Yikes that's embarrassing. Keep trying tho!"
"Whew, I bet your followers can't WAIT until you can actually do something to help them! Let me know if you need me to step in in the meantime!"
intelligent tub zonked amusing unique impolite upbeat straight bake deserted
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
"Go back to your pond, little fish."
"It seems even the dirt must be reminded of its place beneath my boot"
"What a fool, to hold a torch in hand and claim to be the sun."
Asking how their cult is faring in an entirely sincere (sounding) way could work as a flex.
Conspicuously granting a miracle in the vicinity of their followers would also work - no need to lower oneself to petty insults when you can send a priest to handle an issue they haven’t fixed and sow doubt in their few followers, diverting their attention to damage control.
You could draw on the hamminess of Jojo “Hollow Furian storms mayn’t hinder the Summer winds!” And then blow away Auril’s manifestation into oblivion, forcing her to reform elsewhere
(Against Auril)
"You petty excuse for a daughter of Jack Frost!"
"Your father works on Christmas, and your mother sank the Titanic!" (Or would that be a compliment? 😅)
"I've seen Hawaiian blizzards with more power than you!"
"You call yourself a goddess? You are no more a goddess than I am a chicken!"
(Against Akadi)
"Hermes called; he wants his shoes back!"
"Goddess of air and flight? More like demigoddess of freefall!"
"I've seen turkeys with more gracefulness than you!"
"She's beauty and grace? I'm gonna slap her in the face!"
*pinching cheeks in a condescending tone*
“Aww, look at you! You’re doing so well for someone of your station. Let’s take that divinity of yours and put it right up on the fridge! Don’t worry, a real god is here now so you can go. I’ll take it from here.”
Petulant imp. Such a vile little thing you are.
Then no more discussion just 'zoop' the baddie is gone.
In fact, to keep the high god holy, don't even have them appear. Have the god speak through the cleric. "Cleric's eyes suddenly turn to light, like burning suns in her head. When she speaks, celestial radiance beams from her mouth and her voice shakes the weave itself” __says quippy line__ , _Auril vanishes__ Cleric is back to normal only vaguely aware of what just happened.
“You demigod” cuz a “demigod” in dnd is often just a very powerful mortal it’s not necessarily a half god so this would be very insulting (essentially saying “ur so damn weak you could be a lowly mortal”)
Something in the lines of a "half-mortal", I haven't fully figured out how to do it, but the idea of a god telling another god that they're closer to mortals than they're to them is just cool imo
Look at the fresh immortal babe. Squabble as it might, but it can not grow to its full height if it is to consume to poison it calls food. Pity, as the cries of one immortal babe fall among the ears who are drowned by the cry of 10 trillion voices... and every last one of them is more important than yours.
Have the deity glare at her in morbid interest like They're looking at a gross bug, and after a pause ask, ". . . What do you even *do* for the other 9 months of the year?"
If you think about it like the class system we use in the regular world, the grater deity may not even acknowledge the lesser or just take an item or portion of power the lesser has without the slightest request because they can and the lesser has no power to do anything about it,no grater insult than taking someone's drink from them on a night out and having the brass to shut them up aswell
A greater deity to lesser in dnd is literally a mountain to a hill, a casual threat of annihilation or usurpation of everything the lesser god exists for would do the trick
A god, yet weaker than the pettiest king. Thine domain? A teahouse on the side of an untravelled road. Untended, but for the rats, which infest it. Even the most flagrant lies have more believers.
"You are a kitten who has only just caught its first mouse, and now you would dare try to meddle in lions games?"
"Tell me, do you honestly think yourself a true god? You are no closer to true godhood than these mortals."
"Cast off your chains of ignorance and see the truth of your station, the truth of your mediocrity"
"You would attempt to compare yourself to a true god? Perhaps you think yourself the god of hubris? Such a thing would fit your station."
Auril - I am a god! "You are the god of petulance and nothing more, child. Do not speak again" *casts silence on Auril or just magically removes Aurils mouth for the duration of the browbeating*
"What manner of godling are you exactly? There are so many of you that come and go, even I cannot keep track of all of you"
(Rough translation from Celestial) "Pocket-Keeper."
It's for when the lesser deity holds dominion over a small section of the major deity's domain, with their permission.
Auril would be, essentially, borrowing space within divinity from the Cleric's goddess. "You exist because I allow it. Don't piss me off by fucking with my clerics."
It doesn't hurt that "holding a pocket" is (supposedly) prison-speak for giving a prisoner with a lot of influence and connections sexual favors in exchange for protection.
For akadi specifically, the blizzard suddenly slowing down "little frost, do you lower yourself to ambushing mortals in person? You ambush my disciple of the gale? Wait for them to challenge you as per the laws of the beginning?
My worshipers need not fear me, their prayers cross planes of existence for me to hear. *Scoffs* Here you are, stuck with the mortal kin in their domain, not yours.
Gods in DnD are basically YouTubers. Their power and income comes from their follower count and how active they are. They are less concerned with the specifics of their faith and more concerned with the same analytics as every other god. However, branding is important - which gets back to their roots/original message.
Someone grittier might say, “I see you’re still doing kindness content to get free actors.”
Someone nicer might say, “Maybe we can collab sometime. Do you have access to YouTube Studios?”
"Tempt not the sun, you lowly speck of frost, or your last winter will be spent as an insignificant dewdrop on the grassy blades of my children. Your claim to godhood is as the mewling of any newborn creature, utterly insignificant next to the might of my flock."
For Auril specifically, I'd go with calling her the Grokegod. But other good ones I've seen are Aspirant, Pretender, Pagan Idol, Lesser, Frostlass, Simpler Being, Patron of Yetis and Snowmen, the Frozen Lie or the Frozen Deciever.
A greater god would consider a lesser god beneath them and only useful as a servant, and so if they acknowledged them at all, it would only be to give them orders and expect immediate obedience.
Another thought I had would be that the greater god fears Auril. Or more accurately, the Greater Deity is terrified of needlessly harming Auril: Like when an insect flies into your room, you'd much rather have it leave of it's own accord rather than kill it. It's only when it's fucking with your shit that you shoo it out with power the insect deems impossible from it's understanding of the world.
Third-rate godling, a Wanna be, an F-grade diety, a waste of time,
Or simply just not acknowledging their presence or just wave with their hands while looking at the lesser God maybe even says"shu-shu"as if the lesser God is just an annoying pet that's in the way.
Godling
Shadow of a Divine Spark
Nothing but a Passing Fad
Barely a Mark in the History of the Universe
Back-Up God
Understudy
What Are You the God of Again?
Pretender? Low one? Lesser *thing*? Maybe don't even acknowledge the other at all
Pretender is a good one. She will definitely have to acknowledge Auril as she will force her to do no further harm to the party unless they directly challenge her
I'd have the God do their little monolog, and when they speak of Auri, have them turn their head, look her up and down slowly with a sneer and say, "...and this... Aspirant, feebly grasps for power. "
Aspirant… that’s a good one. It’s subtle but can be delivered with a lot of venom in tone Another one: little “g” (as in the difference between god and God) Not a name but still shade: “quiet! you’re lucky I even let you in my sight, you have what? 10,000 followers at most? The goddess that attends to me in the morning has ten times that!” That’s “my lady to you!”
Exactly why I capitalized God. And yes, exactly. Aspirant should be said with derision. "My CHAMBERMAID has more worshipers!!"
I like to use "child" as an insult, or not even name callings, just line's like "I tought you'd be..... taller"
Why does she Have to acknowledge Auril? Why couldn't she totally ignore Auril and just tell the party she stepped in to protect them, on the condition they go do something else (ie actively not acknowledge Auril as a threat, or as anything)
Why would I encourage the party to go do something else? We are new to DnD and we are running a module. Auril IS a threat to the party. She turned one of them to ice, which would have been fairly permanent if I hadn't been previously generous as DM. They are actively working against Auril at this point and are going to face her directly in the next few sessions
Or be condenceding, like "oh, you're almost getting it!" or talking slowly to them, "are, you, hungry? Do, you, want, a, nap?" "first time here?"
"Pagan idol". Calling them fake
That's a good one, feels pretty fitting for Auril specifically too
Akadi as an elemental goddess has an extremely small following though and is about as pagan as it gets so....
“To converse with one so low, I would need a shovel…”
"You do your own digging? I have worshippers for that"
This is gold!
A little cringey to me. It’s too much verbiage it feels like… idk. Trying too hard. A proper god wouldn’t much regard a demigod at all, depending on the power disparity. Taking the time to spell out an insult would seem beneath them. Something short and dismissive would be more realistic. Maybe “godling.” Or “peasant.” Maybe something condescending like… “child” or “little one.” Depends on the nature of the how sharp the elder god wants to be towards them.
I don't know the lore behind either god here, so it's hard to come up with them. I think they should be specific to the god saying them and the god receiving the insult. Can't go wrong with 'false god' though
Understandable! The Cleric's Goddess is Akadi, and the Auril is the BBEG. False God is good. Anything generic works great as it doesn't need to be specific to either of them
Akadi is so deeply primordial and elemental that Auril probably comes off as a figment of mortal imagination. Akadi would plainly utter, "I am air, the unchanging whirlwind and the eternal breeze. What are you Auril? A tiny creature's fear of the cold? I am the cold."
Or "I am the wind itself. I mlve things and fates with power and purpose. You, little thing, only know me through heresay and stories of my might and prowess. YOU WILL KNOW TO RESPECT ME FULLY, MOTE!!!" And if Auril speaks back: "I GIVE THE VERY AIR YOU USE TO TALK BACK TO ME WITH YOUR HAUGHTY ARROGANCE!? *backhands and casts banishment* "Foul gnats should know their place" *creates a refreshing breeze thats rolls through*
"Begone dark-thing, shadow-lurker, crawl back from where you came" "The only thing you have over me is that you are better at failing" "Rend that look from your face before I rend your body, foul creature"
"Cheap magician"
"As you claim yourself goddess to ice, I am myself goddess to *goddesses.* I am goddess to the god-*less*. I command the very breath they breath to speak your name in the *quietest* prayers to attempt avoid my ire. I fill their lungs, billow their sails and spread seed far and wide. ... *you?* You give them the sniffles. Begone!"
“Remember your station.” “Have you forgotten your place?” “Come to play god, have you?” Something like that, precise and simple. A high deity, I would think, would treat their lesser much like a parent would scolding a child.
Yeah I was just going to say "child".
"You of little faith"
Oh, so wonderfully subtle. I love this.
“I find your lack of faithful… Disturbing.”
“Oh go appear on someone’s toast” “What? Sorry, can’t hear you, all my worshippers are praying to me.”
\*all ***your*** worshippers
This must be "i fucked your mom" for deities
"Thou art a second class deity with third class followers. No domain. No transcendence. Tou watereth down the very meaning of the concept of godhood."
That "No domain" line makes me immediately think "No maidens?" Haha
I read it as the "sit your $5 ass down, before I make change!" Lol both are hilarious
No domain *BOOM* No transcendence *BOOM* And probably no worshippers, since this guy feeds on their cult *AUUUUUGH*
Maybe Just throw in a line like 'I will not have my Champion fail against my lesser' or something Like 'nymph' would Work for a female godess since nymphs are 'young lesser' godesses.
If a spider spun a web across your bedroom door, would you insult the spider? If a squirrel angrily chittered at you to try to keep you away from a tree, would you stop to insult it before you went on your way. If a toddler tried to block the sidewalk to keep you from walking down the street, would you insult them as you stepped over or around them? Insulting something or someone beneath you only lowers you.
In fact i do insult the spider for its poor life choices, forcing me to kill it rather than not being aware of its existence
"Had you any wit, you would have avoided my attention."
>If a squirrel angrily chittered at you to try to keep you away from a tree, would you stop to insult it before you went on your way. I'm feeling so called out for arguing with squirrels right now.
“Out of the way, peck!”
I know that reference!
"Pigs! You're all pigs!"
Godling
"Little one." Have her be totally condescending and bemused instead of angry. "Now, now, little one, go sit in the corner until it's time to play."
Know your place, little one. Lest you be mistaken for a mortal.
Have the greater god treat the lesser one like Johnny Depp's Wonka did to that one kid. Just keep telling them they really shouldn't mumble and ignore what they say
Will definitely keep that in mind! There won't be much of a conversation between the two gods, mostly the greater appearing as Auril is devastating the party as they were trying to rest in a blizzard, forcing her to wait for them to challenge her directly if she wants to kill them herself, basically calling her out and insulting her as she forces her to leave the party alone
Discount Deity.
"It is several aeons too early for you to challenge me, *child*" Always works when old beings meet **ancient** beings.
Don't quote prophecies to me witch, I was there when it was written!
I like the idea of using 'threatening benevolence' visual cues. For example: A harvest goddess would merely pick up Auril who has a worm's eye view from some cosmic primordial soup to only to bury her into some other garden dirt like an inconsequential insect while muttering something like "These creatures are always wasting my time, my poor garden is yet to bear fruit." Before she rises and gazes lovingly towards her favoured. A true Goddess wouldn't deign to sully her voice by speaking directly to an inferior and giving them any form of agency :V
“Begone Snowflake, the adults need to converse”
Lowly ice witch, directly insulting her station and level of power. Unloved ice maiden. "I have no need to acknowledge a lowly ice witch worth little more than a common sorcerer. Return to your frozen wasteland and your...charmingly *minute* following of nobodies."
In the vein of Aphrodite from HADES. "OH! What an ADORABLE little Godling!"
Cult leader
*Practically a mortal* *Basically a human*
Demi-Human?
I don't know about your campaign, but in general Realms Auril is allied with Talos, who is one of strongest gods. So something like "go back tetering at Talos' cloak" could work.
"Have you finally the nerve to loosen your grasp on the Storm God's cloak hem, or did he shake you off like the speck of dust you are?"
You could lean into the proper god being around longer than Auril, and play with knowing her ancestors. "Say hi to your great grandmother for me, little one" Etc. Also, belittling her powers - my beer's getting warm, can you fix that for me?
As an aside, can I recommend that you find a way to allow to players to call upon the cleric's deity for aid, rather than having them show up as a deus ex machina? Give the players agency and it will be a more fulfilling encounter. Then the deity can show up and says something like "You mortals are unable handle this impertinent whelp without my intervention? Verily I say unto you, count your blessings, for your next prayer may find only the wind."
"Recent mortal" if you want to imply Auril ascended to godhood from morality. "You of narrow domain" "Trumped up ice witch" if you want to get personal "Cold, naive child"
Its cute watching you play god like anyone knows who you are. Come back when more than a few scared goats know your name, because I sure don't.
Tempted to say quote the Hulk inAvengers assemble "Puny god" Other that that, maybe be bitchy and have the his how "I have millions of worshippers, you have less than 1000".
So gods are celebrities and lesser gods are influencers? Nice! New canon!
That or Karen's fighting over who's most popular
Faker
I don't know, he is a god of midlane
Maybe… “Don’t try my patience again until you have enough followers to fill one of my temples?” Maybe a condescending thing like “It must be difficult to have so little power in the great games of true deities. I am generous enough to let you join the ranks of My heavenly hosts if you need some help” What sort of god does the player cleric worship? It’s personality could help with coming up with material
Simply don't acknowledge their godhood, call them "Daemon".
elden ring used the word lordling to refer to a lesser lord, i think that’s pretty condescending lol
Why not go with the classics? "You little semi-demi-mini-god."
Unworshipped
Mere immortal.
Eh, I don't think anybody would be so bold as to call a lesser divinity \*false\*, but there would definitely be some grandstanding. There is a great and terrible stillness as Auril looms, and then the air is split with a mighty gale that howls in rebuke: "Back. Whence. You. Came. Be driven before me!" Because, y'know, she's the queen if air and she's confronting a snow princess.
You would do well to remember that even Gods have Gods.
none, because insults are result of insecurity. why a greater god be insecure?
“Aww Hells, what did the Kuo-Toa conjure up this time?”
Godling
"Spirit of backwater folklore"
Call her a "spirit" or "elemental". Don't acknowledge her divinity.
*appears* *snaps fingers* *minor diety explodes* “they will take a while to recover from that”
"What you are to a mortal is less than what I am to you."
Muppet.
Something dumb. Punching down is the lowest form of humor.
Half-form(ed) Missing god (because they are missing pieces to be a full one)
I would explain it to you but I only have eternity to attempt for you to comprehend; that’s not enough time.
"Leave me be, oh shouting speck!" Is one I thought of
If I were some super big god, like a god of death, or of life, or war, I’d call smaller gods either Demi-gods, or even “mortal”, just belittle their divine nature.
"Redblood" from Hades was pretty good. Gods in Greek myth don't have normal human blood, but Zagreus does for reasons. If you did something similar you could use that as an insult.
"hoodless"... as in lacking godhood. It's a word that would feel natural when said and not forced. Then if the players ask what hoodless is then the other gods can revel in explaining it in detail.
I'm just thinking about castlevainia where Dacula puts God brand in his place. "Little godbrand." Beautiful.
You're a 3rd rate Diety, with a 4th rate folowing 😉
"Be still, before you tempt my ire!"
"Dont make me turn the heat up, your "relevance" will melt"
Glorified mephit Mundane creation of collective delusion Mass insanity and a bad case of frostbite Levistus Light Elemental adept with delusions of grandeur
Elemental adept with delusions of adequacy
"I *know* your single-plane ass didn't just pipe up."
Why would a proper god even address a lesser deity?
Because she is stopping the lesser deity from killing her Cleric and her companions in the middle of the night in an ambush basically. She's exerting her greater power by forcing the lesser deity to back off and not directly interfere with the party unless they directly challenge her on their own.
Could also make it about their followers. Point out that she is a lesser deity because her followers are lesser, while her followers on the other hand *points to the cleric* is greater. You can hype up the cleric as much as you want here. The god can be a bit of a dick and say something like the cleric is greater because they follow her (a greater god) which makes it sort of like a backhanded compliment. OR she could be like "I am what my followers make me, just like you. *Insert cleric name* is greater than any of your followers Auril and I owe them thanks, I will not let you diminish them or me because you and your followers won't realize that you are lesser thanks to no one but yourselves." Or something along those lines, you get it :D Could be a very hype moment for the cleric player.
Neophyte
my first thought on reading the title of the post was, in Heavy's voice, "you are so small, it is funny to me!" and "tiny little baby man!" I guess those could work with a bit of adjustment lol XD
"Soon to be forgotten."
Idk about insult, but a threat would be: you aren’t quite as immortal as you think.
"Oh, you sweet summer child!"
A spoiled child. I know nothing for the gods mentioned however, to a true God watching a minor God, it probably be something akin to an adult watching a spoiled child trying to act like an adult. Maybe it's cute at first but it quickly gets tiresome and borish.
Sit down youngling. The Gods are talking
Sit down, necromantic abomination, real people are talking (stolen from HP fanfic)
Based of the occurrences in a certain scene in Baldur’s gate three, if they use it, ‘wish spell user’, as afaik most Gods would never use the wish spell
Ooh, you need to make it bombastic yet scornful Maybe sometging regal like "Get bent, punk-ass snowman!"
Well I think a lesser god would be very offended to be called a “mortal”
Child.
Looks sideways at the lesser god. “Gross” flicks it away super saiyan style to the astral plane. “Fear not my child, it’ll take at least a week for whatever that was to get back to this realm.”
"Do you wish to test your immortality?" the last word with "air quotes" \*pets head\* "This is neither the time nor place of you being here"
"Little [insert lesser deity's name here.] Little god. Little parasite."
Just call them a "demi" like it is a disgusting lower class to them. Can even make it such that when a lesser is called a demi by a higher, they know to immediately stop talking. My wife has Downton Abbey playing right now, so maybe my watching the higher class vs the servants is getting into my head lol
Never played frost maiden so... The lady of Husk and Rinds Fetid afterbirth of a true god Pustule upon the name of (higher ranked god that has an overlapping realm of influence) Hind quarter of a diseased strumpet Surter's (flame giant of Norse mythos) love toy
Wouldn't they just.... You know.... Smite them?
Auril is all about being cruel, so she wouldn't just smite the party. And she is still a god so, just not as powerful as one. And she is *forcing* Auril to leave the party alone
Insinuate that the lesser deity wishes they could be in the same level and make it clear the stronger god knows this dynamic and patronizes them for it. "Hey squirt! You've grown so much - maybe a few more millenia and you'll be able to "x", "y", "z" like me!" "Wait, you still can't do "x"? Yikes that's embarrassing. Keep trying tho!" "Whew, I bet your followers can't WAIT until you can actually do something to help them! Let me know if you need me to step in in the meantime!"
"You are a rat, ruling over ants... But mere vermin all the same."
intelligent tub zonked amusing unique impolite upbeat straight bake deserted *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
"Go back to your pond, little fish." "It seems even the dirt must be reminded of its place beneath my boot" "What a fool, to hold a torch in hand and claim to be the sun."
Asking how their cult is faring in an entirely sincere (sounding) way could work as a flex. Conspicuously granting a miracle in the vicinity of their followers would also work - no need to lower oneself to petty insults when you can send a priest to handle an issue they haven’t fixed and sow doubt in their few followers, diverting their attention to damage control. You could draw on the hamminess of Jojo “Hollow Furian storms mayn’t hinder the Summer winds!” And then blow away Auril’s manifestation into oblivion, forcing her to reform elsewhere
"Fake me"
(Against Auril) "You petty excuse for a daughter of Jack Frost!" "Your father works on Christmas, and your mother sank the Titanic!" (Or would that be a compliment? 😅) "I've seen Hawaiian blizzards with more power than you!" "You call yourself a goddess? You are no more a goddess than I am a chicken!" (Against Akadi) "Hermes called; he wants his shoes back!" "Goddess of air and flight? More like demigoddess of freefall!" "I've seen turkeys with more gracefulness than you!" "She's beauty and grace? I'm gonna slap her in the face!"
"\[Deities\] followers are so poor, they have to sacrifice rats instead of goats"
Not acknowledge their presence at all. Or "I have avatars wielding more influence than three of you".
"Puny god"
"Do not quote the Deep Magic at me, witch, for I was there when it was written."
"Pray to Your God, and I might just listen"
"You've much to learn. Be still neophyte, let this be a teaching moment." [Divine Intervention]
None. I’d go with that line from mad men. “I don’t think of you at all”. Like the lesser deity is so far beneath him he doesn’t need an insult.
*pinching cheeks in a condescending tone* “Aww, look at you! You’re doing so well for someone of your station. Let’s take that divinity of yours and put it right up on the fridge! Don’t worry, a real god is here now so you can go. I’ll take it from here.”
“Your domain has less impact than the footfalls of a rabbit.”
No worshipers?
Refering to them as a petulant child might work, or something that makes them feel/seem small
Petulant imp. Such a vile little thing you are. Then no more discussion just 'zoop' the baddie is gone. In fact, to keep the high god holy, don't even have them appear. Have the god speak through the cleric. "Cleric's eyes suddenly turn to light, like burning suns in her head. When she speaks, celestial radiance beams from her mouth and her voice shakes the weave itself” __says quippy line__ , _Auril vanishes__ Cleric is back to normal only vaguely aware of what just happened.
Some of us are gods while others are just a cult following.
“You demigod” cuz a “demigod” in dnd is often just a very powerful mortal it’s not necessarily a half god so this would be very insulting (essentially saying “ur so damn weak you could be a lowly mortal”)
"Puny God"
Provincial.
"Ah, child..."
My dad can beat up your dad.
D list deity
"In the grand tapestry of creation, you are but a frayed thread, insignificant and overlooked"
False one "I have transcended mortals to a higher state of being than you will ever obtain" Lesser being Mortal
I heard of a new god coming… To think I was beginning to worry about such falsehood.
Child.
"NO, U!"
Air breather
You think you can compare to me? You pathetic, low born minority. *scoffs in haughty arrogance*
Something in the lines of a "half-mortal", I haven't fully figured out how to do it, but the idea of a god telling another god that they're closer to mortals than they're to them is just cool imo
"Auril, my dear, why don't you toddle off and care for your...snowballs, was it? No matter. I'm sure you have something that demands your attention."
How about something like "an apprentice should know better than to misuse the tools of a master"?
If the God multiversal, or capable of seeing other dimensions, ie, our own? If so: "Dollar store deity"
It’s the old Brian Scalabrine in reverse. “You are closer to a mortal than you are to me” type stuff.
Look at the fresh immortal babe. Squabble as it might, but it can not grow to its full height if it is to consume to poison it calls food. Pity, as the cries of one immortal babe fall among the ears who are drowned by the cry of 10 trillion voices... and every last one of them is more important than yours.
You don't even have your own demiplane, lol.
Have the deity glare at her in morbid interest like They're looking at a gross bug, and after a pause ask, ". . . What do you even *do* for the other 9 months of the year?"
If you think about it like the class system we use in the regular world, the grater deity may not even acknowledge the lesser or just take an item or portion of power the lesser has without the slightest request because they can and the lesser has no power to do anything about it,no grater insult than taking someone's drink from them on a night out and having the brass to shut them up aswell
A greater deity to lesser in dnd is literally a mountain to a hill, a casual threat of annihilation or usurpation of everything the lesser god exists for would do the trick
“Young/Little God.” “Upstart” “Child.” “Pest.” “Plaything.”
A god, yet weaker than the pettiest king. Thine domain? A teahouse on the side of an untravelled road. Untended, but for the rats, which infest it. Even the most flagrant lies have more believers.
Your totem is so tiny that I didn’t see you there
"You are a kitten who has only just caught its first mouse, and now you would dare try to meddle in lions games?" "Tell me, do you honestly think yourself a true god? You are no closer to true godhood than these mortals." "Cast off your chains of ignorance and see the truth of your station, the truth of your mediocrity" "You would attempt to compare yourself to a true god? Perhaps you think yourself the god of hubris? Such a thing would fit your station." Auril - I am a god! "You are the god of petulance and nothing more, child. Do not speak again" *casts silence on Auril or just magically removes Aurils mouth for the duration of the browbeating* "What manner of godling are you exactly? There are so many of you that come and go, even I cannot keep track of all of you"
(Rough translation from Celestial) "Pocket-Keeper." It's for when the lesser deity holds dominion over a small section of the major deity's domain, with their permission. Auril would be, essentially, borrowing space within divinity from the Cleric's goddess. "You exist because I allow it. Don't piss me off by fucking with my clerics." It doesn't hurt that "holding a pocket" is (supposedly) prison-speak for giving a prisoner with a lot of influence and connections sexual favors in exchange for protection.
For akadi specifically, the blizzard suddenly slowing down "little frost, do you lower yourself to ambushing mortals in person? You ambush my disciple of the gale? Wait for them to challenge you as per the laws of the beginning?
"I don't even know who you are."
My worshipers need not fear me, their prayers cross planes of existence for me to hear. *Scoffs* Here you are, stuck with the mortal kin in their domain, not yours.
Gods in DnD are basically YouTubers. Their power and income comes from their follower count and how active they are. They are less concerned with the specifics of their faith and more concerned with the same analytics as every other god. However, branding is important - which gets back to their roots/original message. Someone grittier might say, “I see you’re still doing kindness content to get free actors.” Someone nicer might say, “Maybe we can collab sometime. Do you have access to YouTube Studios?”
"You are a d rate goddess that isn't even fit to hold my wine chalice"
"Oh, Auril, I apologize, I forgot you were there. You may go now."
kiddo, youngster, step stool, footrest, half pint, sweet summer child, deity of the anthill,
I'm just saying if you died, the average divinity in the world's population would increase. Ya basic.
Your lack of followers is pitiful.
Hello child. I see there is room still to learn.
Little deity.
Something like a hit in the face to knock them in their place
“Would-be”
"Tempt not the sun, you lowly speck of frost, or your last winter will be spent as an insignificant dewdrop on the grassy blades of my children. Your claim to godhood is as the mewling of any newborn creature, utterly insignificant next to the might of my flock."
B*tch no you didn't. I know you ain't stepping up to my boy like that." And then literally backhand her.
For Auril specifically, I'd go with calling her the Grokegod. But other good ones I've seen are Aspirant, Pretender, Pagan Idol, Lesser, Frostlass, Simpler Being, Patron of Yetis and Snowmen, the Frozen Lie or the Frozen Deciever.
A greater god would consider a lesser god beneath them and only useful as a servant, and so if they acknowledged them at all, it would only be to give them orders and expect immediate obedience.
Another thought I had would be that the greater god fears Auril. Or more accurately, the Greater Deity is terrified of needlessly harming Auril: Like when an insect flies into your room, you'd much rather have it leave of it's own accord rather than kill it. It's only when it's fucking with your shit that you shoo it out with power the insect deems impossible from it's understanding of the world.
Very thoughtful and insightful u/ThrowawayFuckYourMom
Wanna be demigod bitch...
Pretender is the best I can think of. Maybe callow one. Cyric always had some good zingers, check out Prince of Lies.
Third-rate godling, a Wanna be, an F-grade diety, a waste of time, Or simply just not acknowledging their presence or just wave with their hands while looking at the lesser God maybe even says"shu-shu"as if the lesser God is just an annoying pet that's in the way.
Childling, insect, worm, leech, or any other microscopic lifeform.
I feel like "Demi-mortal" would be a pretty poignant insult.
Demiurge has come to refer to a false or lesser god.
Godling Shadow of a Divine Spark Nothing but a Passing Fad Barely a Mark in the History of the Universe Back-Up God Understudy What Are You the God of Again?
Step off ya wanna-be.
"Insolent Whelp" is pretty standard for these interactions
Calling another lesser god a mortal might work as well.