Fleshing out the Faith


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion

Liberty's Edge

One of my favorite aspects of Pathfinder are the wide variety of faiths, and the practices associated with them. I eagerly awaited Inner Sea Gods, and have greatly enjoyed reading and digesting what all I can from that book.

That said, I still find myself turning to other sources for additional fluff for various faiths. Just recently, in my Jade Regent campaign, we had a party member die. Now the Cleric and the Ranger (my character) were both devotees of Cayden Cailean, and the departed was something of a layman of the faith as well. To honor his depart, we sang The Parting Glass.

Likewise, I play a Cleric of Sarenrae in a Reign of Winter campaign, and when I need words of wisdom to impart on my fellow players about loss, death, sadness, and joy, I started to incorporate poetry from Khalil Gibran, and attributing it to the Birth of Truth and Light.

It got me wondering what other sources players use to flesh out the day-to-day aspects of worship in Golarion. Where do you guys draw inspiration, and how do you incorporate it into your games?


Well the Wiki is where I get all my information. After that, I sorta make it up based on the god(dess) themself. Cayden Cailean is the god the most of my characters have worshiped but my GMs never really required anything of it since I wasn't a cleric. My characters just always carried a mug as it is his holy symbol and they enjoy going to the tavern and singing rowdy songs.

Then again the info on Cayden Cailean does say his faith is more informal. I imagine Sarenrae, Iomedae, Abadar, and especially Asmodeus would have a very organized church. They would also have a rulebook as big as the one on the Fairly Oddparents ans just as Byzantine.

Your idea of adapting songs, poetry, and prayers from the real world is an interesting one. I imagine they would have to be edited though. Otherwise the party is just gonna be like "who's that Jesus guy you're all going on about?"

Sheyln though would fit perfectly for a lot of old church music.


Well, I did just something like it for a Character I played, a LG 3.5 Incarnate, going after the teachings of Paulo Coelho's "Manual of the Warrior of Light".

And I plan to do it again for an upcoming Warpriest of Sarenrae.


I draw a lot of inspiration from the music I listen too.

For Sarenrae, I draw on Arabic and Islamic sources, particularly poetry, prayers, and rituals.

Desna is interesting because in 'my' golarion her most fleshed out aspect is as Mother Moon as worshiped by the centaurs of north-eastern Avistan. For that, Native American legends, particularly from the great plains. Also Kurdish traditions.


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"Fleshing Out the Faith" sounds like a Kuthite text.


"Fleshing out the Faith" is a continuation of the ideas explored in the best-selling "Faith in the Flesh".

Liberty's Edge

Lloyd Jackson wrote:


Desna is interesting because in 'my' golarion her most fleshed out aspect is as Mother Moon as worshiped by the centaurs of north-eastern Avistan. For that, Native American legends, particularly from the great plains. Also Kurdish traditions.

I'd really like to hear more about that, if you have the inclination to share.

Shadow Lodge

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Walked into store where a CotCT game was going on. Bard Worshiper of Milani used facinate to hold off Hellknight using Perform:Oratory giving a wonderful 'reason you suck' speech in character.

Spoiler:
Asked player. It was modeled on the one Sophie Scholl gave before she was sentenced to death by the Nazis and she had had something like it in mind for a long time.


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Sure.

Mother Moon:

Alrighty, where to begin?

The Nomen centaurs for the plains south-east of Rostland in Brevoy have been resisting Taldan colonization for a long time. They used to range from Lake Reykal on south, but that land was claimed by a Taldan army of expansion. As a plains people with a history of resisting outside colonization, I looked to cultures with similar histories for ideas. A lot of this is really more culture I guess, but the two are really intertwined for the Nomen.

Since Desna is worshiped as a moon goddess here not a star goddess, her scared weapon is chakram, which represents both full and new moons. Also, centaurs have darkvison, so dark nights are the preferred time for fighting/raiding. Depending on who you ask, a new moon is Desna turning her face away, accepting that violence is necessary, but unable to watch. Others say it is her putting on a mask, the better to raid her enemies. Either way, it is forbidden to settle disputes during this time. Full moon is preferred, as Desna's gaze is fully on the world and it is easier to receive guidance.

Light and dark play a major role in how Desna is seen. She varies between peaceful and contemplative, and aggressive and decisive, but this variability follows a pattern. The phase of the moon shows her mood, and which things are more likely to succeed. This relates to her luck aspect. Actions opposed to her current nature have bad luck, while actions in line with her current phase have good luck. Luck here is less a factor of chance than timing. So, her chaotic aspect is moderated/regulated but still very critical. Erastil is always old Deadeye, but Desna may be is sometimes light and sometimes dark.

This relates to gender roles in the tribe. Among the Nomen, female births greatly outnumber male births. As a result, women act as warriors and other dangerous roles while men take more support roles, the kind that general;y provide stability. So, women look to Desna, who changes with the moon, and take a variety of roles and change them, while men look to Erastil, taking fewer roles and sticking to them. Desna's importance is more a function of women being a majority of the population than anything.

Interestingly, lightning is seen are her weapon. Drawing on the Newroz celebration, Desna became so upset by the actions of Taldans that she could no longer bear to stand by and compressed her love, wisdom, and other 'light' aspects of herself and hurled them down. When it struck the earth, it became the righteous flame of a mother and swept the Taldan army away. It was destructive, but the flame ultimately stemmed from love and goodness, and so the grass grew back thicker than ever that spring. The centaurs celebrate this by setting fire to the grasslands before the spring growth.

Gutenburg is a source I used.


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Lloyd Jackson wrote:
"Fleshing out the Faith" is a continuation of the ideas explored in the best-selling "Faith in the Flesh".

Both now available in the omnibus edition: Flaying Faith from the Flesh.

Liberty's Edge

Lloyd- very neat! Thanks for sharing that.


StrangePackage wrote:
Lloyd- very neat! Thanks for sharing that.

Glad I could be of assistance. I recommend the song Turn Loose the Mermaids for Pharasma's worshippers.

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