Deities ------------------------ The deities of Golarion define their portfolios, they are not defined by them. This allows the deities to be very human, albeit on an entirely different scale of power and awareness. There is no such thing as a divine portfolio, control over, and embodiment of, an aspect of the world. There is only divinity itself, an unimaginable scale of power, and what it's wielder chooses to do with it. One implication of this is that things exist regardless of the deity they are associated with. If Sarenrae dies the sun will persist. The Demon Lord Deskari may have power to control and influence swarms, but this requires some portion of his vast attention and power, cultivated as a result of his personal affinity for them, rather than an inherent trait of his being. This makes prayer a significant and potentially fruitful act, as it can draw the attention of a divine being to something that otherwise escaped their notice. The one exception to this may be Pharasma, to whose domain all souls go after death, to whom true prophecy may actually exist. Despite this, even her power lies largely in her even handedness, that inspires most deities to back her (and deters all others from attempting to userp her domain). Deities such as Urgathoa demonstrate that even she lacks ultimate power over the souls of the dead. The lesson of Rovagug is fresh in the minds of the gods, even those who were not present at the time. No god who values the souls of the dead will risk causing an outright battle on the material plane. As such, whether lawful or chaotic, the gods subscribe to a labrynthine set of codes that guide when they may act in the world.