So this has been bugging me for a while. How do the gods grant their followers their divine power? Is the power originating from the god, or is it some well of power that the deity channels down to their follower? Is it an active thing, or is it a passive thing to grant a follower divine power? Does it drain them? Do they need to do anything special to get their power back? Or is it an infinite / replenishing well?
How close of a watch do the deities keep on the ones who draw from them? Are they constantly keeping a close on every single one of their people, or do they get distracted when doing other things, such as putting down another god? Do they maybe get an alarm or tingle when a follower breaks one of their tenets?
The power comes from the person generally. They have so much faith in what they beileve and stand for they cause this powert to happen.
Hense why you do not need a god and an ideal faith works as well.
As for the god watchign them. Well that depends on the god. Some may warn their follower with cryptic signs, dreams, or a little tingle. Some may not thinking that the cleric should just know better.
If that is the case, then shouldn't the followers of Aroden still be able to use their powers? It would also mean, that if the worshipper truly believed they stayed within their tenets they should still be able to cast and use their clerical powers without problems (even if the gods or other members thought differently).
If I remember correctly, the Dragonlance campaign setting had the best explanation for this (to me).
The gods gain their power from mortal worshipers. The god then grants power to mortal clerics to do their bidding; a self-reinforcing cycle is formed whereas the more people that worship a god, the more the god can do for them (via a cleric), which increases their worship further.
The gods most people want to pray to (healing, sun, farming, etc.) are stronger than gods less people want to pray to (disease, storms, etc.).
If that is the case, then shouldn't the followers of Aroden still be able to use their powers? It would also mean, that if the worshipper truly believed they stayed within their tenets they should still be able to cast and use their clerical powers without problems (even if the gods or other members thought differently).
Ah, but Aroden's followers are trying to get water out of a dry well. Those who worship an ideal or philosophy can gain power despite the absence of a deity because the ideal still retains a wellspring of energy that can be tapped by a person of faith. Aroden's few remaining followers are worshipping Aroden, but the deity himself is dead. There's nothing to draw on.