One of my player starting SCAP is a Pelor half-elf cleric 1. I'm concerned to built more data for him and it leads me to some research about:
- Relationships of Pelor clerics and other institutions of Cauldron: temples, government, merchants, nobles, citizens ... (I know the few words in HC about Kristof and his Wee Jas phobia)
- How to join the father Kristof and to be accepted by him? What type of errands will be asked to a new adept ?
- What about the murder of the former high priests of Pelor - How, who, how many, when, where ?
- Is it possible for my PC to get a room in the Church and to live here?
Let me know your tips
One thing to take advantage of will be working the annomosity that has developed between the Church of Pelor and the Church of Wee Jas over the addition of the new tower to the Cathedral of Wee Jas. Time this strife to come to ahead at the same time the party enters the Cathedral during the Soul Pillars. While there is no direct connection mentioned between the tower and the soul cage the party finds hanging there, you could create one to give the plot more depth.
The classic motive for the high priests death would probably be concern over his growing suspision or out right knowledge of Wee Jasian envolvement with the Cagerights. If I was going to pursue this thread I would proably have the same assassins that take on the PC's at the begining of Soul Pillars, be the ones that took out the high priest. Perhaps Skylar Krewis could have some info on this (assassins names, etc).
Another spin on this is to have the assassin be Jill. This would be especilly dramatic if a personal relationship between her and the Pelorian cleric were in existance. Perhaps she killed him to qualify for the assassin prestige class.
As for adept duties, in my vision of Cauldron the Shrine of Peloar is actually a small clinic that aids those unable to pay the higher costs for care at the Cathedral of Wee Jas, (another reason for the strife between the two faiths). Having the adept attend to some of the day to day care of individuals is a idea, that will offer lots of roleplaying opps, and give you a chance to introduce new contacts. Perhaps the whooping cough begins to make its rounds through the Lantern Street Orpahanage, one of the striders needs a wound attended to, etc.
Does your cleric plan on presiging as a radiant servent of pelor? This is a great presige class, and given the number of high CR encounters in SCAP it may prove very valuable. There are also several high HD undead (gray render zombies, dracolich)were a radiant servant would prove advantageous.
Hope this helps
- Relationships of Pelor clerics and other institutions of Cauldron: temples, government, merchants, nobles, citizens ... (I know the few words in HC about Kristof and his Wee Jas phobia)
IMC, I established that the four churches constituted a Council of Faith that loosely unified the churches in helping out the city. There's not a lot of canonical information on the shrine of Pelor, but I very much see it as assisting the poorer citizens of Cauldron. It would be friendly with all but the Cathedral of Wee Jas.
- How to join the father Kristof and to be accepted by him? What type of errands will be asked to a new adept ?
With the lack of real power in the city, Kristof could easily have him help the Cuthbertian agenda of rescuing the children; it's good PR, and gives the PC an 'instant in' to the rest of the party...or the priest could replace Ruphus, and be the one attacked by the Last Laugh.
IMC, Kristof is a broken cleric, aware that he's not capable of running the shrine and desperate for help. It makes the PCs want to help out more, and makes the Cathedral that much more sinister. Anything that makes the Cathedral look bad would be acceptable missions...- What about the murder of the former high priests of Pelor - How, who, how many, when, where ?
IMC, they were assassinated over a period of several months due to the original leader of the shrine finding out about Aloustinai's involvement with the Cagewrights. The assassinations did not look to be actual murders, but set up to be evoke a feeling that the shrine (and its priests) were jinxed. There were three higher-ranking clerics, but they are not detailed in the books.
- Is it possible for my PC to get a room in the Church and to live here?
I wouldn't see why not. You may want to encourage him to tithe a percentage of his gains to the shrine, to assist in its recovering from the losses it has suffered. Also, I'd make him spend downtime assisting in the shrine itself.
- What about the murder of the former high priests of Pelor - How, who, how many, when, where ?
According to the hardcover p 13, left collumn, bottom:
2 years ago (DC -): The three highest-ranking clerics of Pelor accidentily discover Embril Aloustinai's involvement with the Cagewrights. Embril murders them before they can report the discovery and disposes of their bodies with a <i>plane shift</i> spell.
As for your other questions:
Gaining trust: Rescuing the orphans is a great start.
General duties:
-Holding a mass type thing.
-Providing heal checks for the poor.
-Making clean drinking water (via Create Water) or helping to purify the lake. (I'd handle those by just taking away some of hte PC's downtime and some available spells when he has been serving at the church).
Errands:
-Report any odd things going on at the Church of Wee Jas.
As for the Room at the shrine, I'd say tenatively yes. But more like shared bunking with Kristoff, as it is only a Shrine and not a temple. Or perhaps give him a room with little to no security. I would vary how much is offered by how much he plans to donate of his time and resources to the church.
Hope that helps.
-c