I Think Maybe We're Being Trolled

Question: Why is Water a purview? Every other purview is some kind of important universal force. Even Animal, because all manner of worlds and dimensions probably have animals. Water is just one little element. It might make more sense if it controlled most fluid states, but it is pretty specific about applying only to water.

This question caused us no end of bafflement. Seriously, we are very confused right now.

What on earth makes you think water isn't an important universal force? It's one of the most important ones across all mythologies - it's water that we come from, it's water that is the most urgently needed thing to survive, and it's water that generally represents life and creation more than anything else. Water being "one little element" isn't a reason to discount it - the fact that all cultures agree on it as one of the core elements that make up the world makes it very clear that it's a big fucking deal. Why aren't you asking why we have Fire in the game, or Earth? They're just one element, too, but they're extremely important - and so is Water.

The fact that there are large numbers of deities expressly concerned with water ought to also be a clue that it's a really important issue for pretty much every culture. Gods represent the ocean; gods represent streams and rivers and aquifers, are in charge of purifying it so that it can be drunk to support life and of keeping it flowing so that the earth can renew itself. Gods like Enki, Sarasvati, Anahita, Oshun and more represent the need for water as a cosmic source of creation and support; there is no mythology that does not involve water in some form as an important element, nor any culture that doesn't care about it.

If you're just thinking of the fact that the Water purview itself has a lot of levels that just seem to be different forms of "make water do stuff", that's a legitimate concern - we've noticed that, too, and while we're always on the lookout for more varied powers that Water might encompass, it's one of the more difficult purviews to diversify. A lot of things that water does representationally in mythology are covered by Health (fertility and the waters of the womb) or Sky (rain), and while this does not make Water itself any less necessary, it does make it more difficult to come up with unique powers for it to include. We're still working on that one. We've considered the idea of Water affecting other fluids, but doing so doesn't make very much sense - usually those other fluids are controlled by other purviews, and water gods very specifically affect water, not gasoline or wine.

But even so, that doesn't make the purview superfluous or unimportant - it's so important that we are literally boggled by the suggestion that it shouldn't exist. Water is one of the great cosmic principles of mythology, has a whole contingent of gods associated with it and is absolutely necessary as an option for Scions. Removing it from the game would be like amputating a necessary organ.