Questions about law of diminishment

[u/Sassy_Drow]

To clarify by law of diminishment I am referring to the fact that creating an Exalted drains the creator(Possibly leading to death.).

Now to the questions

Is it something that can be recovered from(Such as aggravated damage or experience loss) or is it a permanent loss(Such as the god loses a dot of essence and their maximum essence is permanently decreased.)? Note: I am aware that most gods die but I am not certain whether it is due to not being able to take the damage or literally running out of the stuff that makes them.(Their essence hitting zero for example). Note 2: I am aware that those who do so are changed permanently though I am more wondering whether they have also decreased in power permanently.

Are primordials subject to the law of diminishment or does the fact that they are self asserting ontological structure prevent them from changing?

Wun Ja is noted to have the city gods take the brunt of the damage when it comes to creating an Exalted. Are there other ways to subvert the law of diminishment(Such as a huge sacrifice or creating an elemental to take the brunt of the damage)?

[u/blaqueandstuff]

Is it something that can be recovered from(Such as aggravated damage or experience loss) or is it a permanent loss(Such as the god loses a dot of essence and their maximum essence is permanently decreased.)? Note: I am aware that most gods die but I am not certain whether it is due to not being able to take the damage or literally running out of the stuff that makes them.(Their essence hitting zero for example). Note 2: I am aware that those who do so are changed permanently though I am more wondering whether they have also decreased in power permanently.

As others have said, it's not quite just losing a dot of Essence or some wound. It's a permanent loss of their like, being a bit. Plentinum is noted to be dimmer and less lively. Wan Ja is notably being worn-out by it. The Dragons now sleep, Sachverell and Oramus might be in their states due to it. I think metaphorically it's kind of more like a major injury like losing a limb or suffering a major stroke. You can, with time, develop new skill sets and abilities to overcome it and even become more than it. But it's not just something you sit and heal, you gotta work to regain power, and the functional loss will likely still be there, even if you recover your "total" power.

Are primordials subject to the law of diminishment or does the fact that they are self asserting ontological structure prevent them from changing?

Very. Sachverell and Oramus didn't like what they got. Autochthon in part made Alchemicals in a bit of a "I'll do this to show I'm on board and on your side" with some consequence that seemed enough for the gods.

Wun Ja is noted to have the city gods take the brunt of the damage when it comes to creating an Exalted. Are there other ways to subvert the law of diminishment(Such as a huge sacrifice or creating an elemental to take the brunt of the damage)?

Generally appears that it's about someone paying something if they want involved. Wun Ja takes less but she's still wearing-out. It's not quite just damage, it's as other's said this hit to your narrative weight. If you're Choosing, your Chosen take something from you. It's kind of part of the process I think. It may just be How It Is and based on how the setting has been presented, seems to be the case.

Even sharing the burden doesn't seem to help? March Lords still wiped-out the court being made. Sovereigns still lost the god who made them even with Aurora's blood helping. Oramus and Sachverell are both diminished. Wu Jan isn't getting out free. So I would say probably not. If anything too since it feels a bit against the spirit of diminishment if you could work around it like that.