What are gods in a world where souls yield power?
Due to Project Eternity's unique concept, instead of suggesting individual gods, I would like to suggest a wholly different approach to godhood.
I cannot stop thinking about them as giant accumulations of souls which come to live like a giant leviathan. Their dead followers's souls merge with these creatures and in the whole shape what they are: A god of seafarers will be a seafarer, a god of thieves will be a thief, and so on...
Yet even though that is their image, outsiders would still see the cuts and seams of these giant fabrications of faith. Frankenstein gods, created by their faithful to fulfill their vision. For the faithful, perfect representations of their faith and their way of life; to outsiders, erratic monstrosities.
Meanwhile they are not only creatures of power, they also represent a distinct vision of the afterlife, as every believer is going to join the god or (most likely romantically glorified) its realm, once he or she dies. Thus is becomes very important for families, clans, etc to worship the same god in order to join in their god's afterlife together.
Thus the world would be somewhat henotheistic like hinduism: The faithful agreeing on the existence of various gods, whereas always disagreeing about which one to worship.
Meaning that different cults and strong religious ties would be present everywhere, whereas certain people (maybe like elves) would completely reject the notion of godhood as something abominable.
