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Apotheosis: Difference between revisions
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The subject of an apotheosis doesn't always gain phenomenal cosmic power -- they may find that they are a [[Odd Job Gods|very ''minor'' god]] -- but they are now undeniably divine, probably immortal and possibly able to gain power and/or sustenance [[Gods Need Prayer Badly|from the worship of mortals]].
Elevation to godhood is not without its drawbacks -- the new god almost always has responsibilities that they must then tend to: whatever they are now god of -- variously called a sphere of influence, a domain, a portfolio, or a [[In Nomine|Word]], among other terms -- was probably in desperate need of someone to take care of it, otherwise they would not have been elevated into a position to do so. New gods rarely find themselves without something that needs their immediate (and sometimes total) attention. A newly ascended god may also find that he's acquired enemies who themselves are usually gods or god-level -- possibly even the very being(s) who are responsible for there being an opening for him to be ascended into in the first place.
This trope is specifically about the transformation of a mortal into a god. It ''doesn't'' cover avatars, in which a mortal becomes a vessel through which a supernatural being may manifest or act, but isn't otherwise altered. It should also be noted that "god" here is used for any supremely powerful celestial being regardless of moral compass -- a person who is transformed into a demon prince, for example, has also undergone apotheosis.
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Depending on the setting, this trope may be inextricably intertwined with either or both [[Gods Need Prayer Badly]] and [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe]], to the point that simply sufficient belief and/or worship may be enough to elevate a mortal to genuine godhood. (And lack of same may be enough to bring him right back down again.)
See also [[God for a Day]], in which a mortal is temporarily and briefly granted the power of a god, usually as some manner of moral lesson. Contrast [[A God Am I]], when a mortal ''claims'' godhood either out of madness, hubris or from being drunk on power. Also contrast [[Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence]], which may seem superficially similar. Compare [[Abstract Apotheosis]], in which a mortal becomes the emodiment of an abstract concept such as Love or Pain.
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