I'm about to start the article about this saucy elven goddess. If there are things you want to know, now is the time to tell me. :)
How does she fit into the "elven pantheon" of deities, if that's the right way to refer to them? She seems a bit impulsive for an elven goddess (which is a welcome change in my mind) and I'd like to know why non-evil elves would revere her.
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What relation does she (and do the other elven deities) have to the First World and the Fae?
Is she the most-worshipped of the elven deities by elves back on Sovyrian, or is she simply the one whose religion took hold the best in Golarion? (If no answer is provided, I'm just taking it to mean 'yes, she's the most important there too.')
Did she indirectly intervene and give Cayden some of the luck he needed to pass the test of the Starstone and achieve divinity (given that she is noted as providing the faithful with "sudden runs of luck", that some of the developers mentioned that Cayden's surviving the test of the Starstone was as much a testament to his luck as to his skill, and that there are legends that she might have influenced Cayden to take the test)?
What's her herald? (I'm guessing that A) it has something to do with wasps and B) it'll be appearing in the bestiary for that month already, but still, if it isn't already being mentioned, I'd like to know.)
I also second the question about how she fits into the elven pantheon in general.
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I think the idea of sacred prostitutes is a cool one, so more info on that would be good, as well as how that works among her non-human worshippers (since she's a major elven goddess, are there gobs of elven prostitutes in elven settlements?) Also, how are her interests in both lust and treachery reflected in elven culture? I'm imagining a society that promotes lots of intrigue and in-fighting, from harmless to not-so-harmless.
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I kind of love that she's the most prominent elven diety listed, which implies that the elves of Golarion are just a tad Melnibonean in outlook...
The elves who *didn't* come back, on the other hand, might be a completely different sort of people, with only the bored, brash, young, dissipated, jaded and / or overwhelmingly arrogant (believing that Golarion ached for their firm hand to restore it's past glory) having made the crossing.
How does she relate to other deities, specialy with Desna and Shelyn who share some common ground ? To think of it she may also shares some ground with Norgorber.
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A list of deities she's rolled with in the cosmic hay, maybe? Seriously though, how other gods relate to her and her antics(and how that might be reflected in the teachings of her church and theirs) could be interesting.
"...and so it was that the Savored Sting did promise Sarenrae the Dawnflower, Redeemer of All, that She would call, but never did." - The Birth Of Light and Truth
I'm really curious about what limitations she places on her worshippers when it comes to revenge. How far is too far, etc.
I would like some treatment on her favored animal, the wasp, and its relation to her church. I would also love to know if her temples have a specific diagram.
Anyone in my PbP no peekeies!
A herald/avatar/proxy would be great too! Also any holy relics associated with her worship.
I'm about to start the article about this saucy elven goddess. If there are things you want to know, now is the time to tell me. :)
What's initiation into her priesthood like?
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How does her priesthood interact with Desna's? How does the goddess Herself get along with Her main competitor for elven worshipers? What sort of CR 15 giant wasp will she have for a Herald? And are those pesky rumors of a hair-pulling catfight across the stars between her and Desna over Cayden Cailean actually true? :)
In all seriousness, what is it really like to be a follower of Calistria, and how does she interact with the other gods and their followers are the big questions I'd like to see, as well as the CR 15 giant wasp outsider.
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Blaming another thread for reminding me of this detail, but I wouldn't mind seeing the bit about Calistria being the most popular non-evil deity among tieflings touched upon either, if there's even room for it to be expanded on. Does it improve the public perception of tieflings any, are they fully accepted by Calistria's church, etc.
Director of Brand Strategy
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She seems to be the most sexual deity in the major pantheon (save Zon-Kuthon, if that's your thing). I'd like so see this explored in the same way that the envelope was so expertly pushed in the ZK article.
I'd also like a kick-ass PrC. I can't see myself ever playing either a Spherewalker or Justiciar (though I'd use them as NPCs) and it would be nice to have a PrC that is very player friendly.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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What's with the daggers in the holy symbol? Her favoured weapon is the whip...
.....
I'm always interested in how the deities divide peoples or unite them differently than national boundaries. I want to know how worshippers of the God of Cities feel about the Shoanti ... Do they try to civilize them?
Are there any places where being a cleric of Calistria would get me in deep with the local authorities? Secret networks that I could join? How about a free pass from the local thieves guild?
Anyway, Sean, I love what you do with articles on deities so all I ask is that YOU KEEP DOING IT!
;-)
I'm about to start the article about this saucy elven goddess. If there are things you want to know, now is the time to tell me. :)
I'm very interested in the mythic stories of the Golarion gods (like the tale about the blind orphan who nursed Desna's avatar back to health after her battle with Lamashtu). These myths really make the gods come alive to me and my players.
Details about holy days and any rituals would be great, too!
Thank you for asking :-)
I'd be interested in seeing how Calistria's faith influences elven society. I think its awesome that the main elven deity is CN and advocates trickery, lust, and revenge. It definitely sets Pathfinder elves apart from other versions of them, so any detail on this would be great!
Information on rituals, holy days, and relics of the faith would be neat too. What are common initiation rituals into her priesthood? Is there much in-fighting within the clergy? Do the faithful extend their agenda of trickery and revenge to include other priests?
Seeing as how Calistria is accepting of CE, CG, and CN, do such different outlooks cause many problems within her faith? Are there different branches of her faith? For example, one branch could be CE assassins who specialize in cruel and deadly trickery, and who exact brutal vengeance on their enemies. Another branch that is mostly CG could use lust and trysts to bring happiness or comfort to those who seek it, and may play more benevolent tricks. This wide range of alignments could make for very interesting heresies, possibly even open war between different churches. Would Calistria approve of such confrontations?
The faithful's views on love and lust would certainly be interesting. Do Calistria's teachings seperate and draw a clear distinctiion between them? Or do her teachings promote the obscuring of the two, possibly using love as yet another tool in their arsenal of tricks and for revenge?
What is her herald? On one hand, it could be similar to a wasp, but on the other, it might inspire lust in those who view it.
I've really enjoyed the previous information given on how clerics go about their daily lives, and what roles they play in their communities. Thieves, prostitutes, assassins, diplomats, or match-makers maybe?
Calistria is probably the most sexual deity, so I agree with pushing the envelope on this one like the article on Zon-Kuthon.
On a side note, I'd like to put in a plea for her faith to be gender neutral. There should be females and males present in positions of power. For example, if there is a prestige class, avoiding the "Gender Requirement" would be good. I can definitely see her faith as female-oriented, but I wouldn't like it to be presented as so female-oriented that males are excluded...
Anyway, I'm definitely looking forward to whatever you come up with! The articles you've produced so far have been fantastic. Thanks for taking the time to ask. ^_^
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What's with the daggers in the holy symbol? Her favoured weapon is the whip...
Haha, thanks for asking that, it's one I've been curious on. My cleric of Calistria is carrying around a whip and three daggers currently because any sign relating to your diety is a good thing to have!
I was wondering why the three daggers as well, is her symbol being circular significant?
Also; priestly duties, we're all well aware of the sacred prostitute angle but what else do the clergy do? I've been working on a sexual therepist, vengeance consultant (some people just aren't bright enough to organise good revenge on their own) and general meddling & fun but any input on duties and whether anyone in the church hierarchy enforces them (or are the priesthood of Calistria just too busy with their own endeavours and ragtag to bother?) would be fab.
I'm sure I have more questions, but none are forthcoming. I shall have a reread of notes I've made whilst playing my cleric to see if there were any confusing blankspots that this article may help :)
The daggers part I'll answer right now.
She is "The Savored Sting."
She has three aspects: trickery, lust, revenge.
Three aspects = three stings = three daggers.
Keep the questions coming, these are good ones and I'm taking notes. :)
{A second vote for this. I'm not a big fan of gender-limited PrCs or priesthoods.}
Funny, just yesterday I was thinking how people accept the idea of female-only organizations without thinking they're sexist, yet male-only organizations are sexist.
Fear not, elves are egalitarian enough that gender-exclusivity isn't an issue, especially in Calistria's church (male sacred prostitutes, woo!!).
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8
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Speaking of gender ... an Elven goddess of trickery with a chaotic neutral alignment. Any chance this goddess will be a bit of a gender bender? The Greek gods and goddesses occasionally did drag and I believe a lot of the earlier D&D pantheon (particularly the elven ones) did, right? If Calistria doesn't have her hermaproditic moments none of them would ...
Fear not, elves are egalitarian enough that gender-exclusivity isn't an issue, especially in Calistria's church (male sacred prostitutes, woo!!).
Yay for male sacred prostitutes! :D
Speaking of gender ... an Elven goddess of trickery with a chaotic neutral alignment. Any chance this goddess will be a bit of a gender bender? The Greek gods and goddesses occasionally did drag and I believe a lot of the earlier D&D pantheon (particularly the elven ones) did, right? If Calistria doesn't have her hermaproditic moments none of them would ...
Yeah reading Bullfinches Mythology was an eyeopener when it came to Zeus and his proclivities. I can imagine being able to change form to anything might be a real big thing for ol' Calistria.
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Fear not, elves are egalitarian enough that gender-exclusivity isn't an issue, especially in Calistria's church (male sacred prostitutes, woo!!).Yay for male sacred prostitutes! :D
Oooh I hope there will be art.
I'm curious as to how she's such an 'elven' goddess. I always pegged them more towards Desna if anyone. I don't see Elves as vengeful (too long-lived to hold grudges =p)
Otherwise I'm pretty certain you're covering everything I want to know already. Looking at the Book of Erotic Fantasy for any ideas? =p
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I'm curious as to how she's such an 'elven' goddess. I always pegged them more towards Desna if anyone. I don't see Elves as vengeful (too long-lived to hold grudges =p)
D&D elves not so much. Tolkein elves not so much. Traditional mythological elves? Definitely tricksters that have a vengeful side.
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Speaking of gender ... an Elven goddess of trickery with a chaotic neutral alignment. Any chance this goddess will be a bit of a gender bender? The Greek gods and goddesses occasionally did drag and I believe a lot of the earlier D&D pantheon (particularly the elven ones) did, right? If Calistria doesn't have her hermaproditic moments none of them would ...
Now you've got me thinking of her as Desire from Sandman...
Fear not, elves are egalitarian enough that gender-exclusivity isn't an issue, especially in Calistria's church (male sacred prostitutes, woo!!).
Yay! Playing one of those would be fun.
And art to go along with it would be too! ^_~
Calistria does seem to have some sort of connection to tieflings... Perhaps some of her outsider minions are responsible for such fiendish bloodlines? A non-Chaotic Evil version of Succubi or Incubi maybe? Creatures of pure, undiluted Lust?
Calistria herself might have once been CE, and when she changed alignments, perhaps her servants did as well?
Calistria does seem to have some sort of connection to tieflings... Perhaps some of her outsider minions are responsible for such fiendish bloodlines? A non-Chaotic Evil version of Succubi or Incubi maybe? Creatures of pure, undiluted Lust?
Yes. Lust. Lust we like.
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so....a player of mine really liked Calistria. She fit in the best with his concept...except he is the antithesis of lust.
He is a middle-aged man, once a shiver addict, who disguises himself as an old man and a beggar. He is very much into the revenge for our fair city thing, though, and sets up alley-way shrines to the Goddess of Trickery. His class: cleric (though he might take some rogue levels at some point).
Where would he fit in with the church as a whole?
(of note, he did keep that statue of two intertwined succubi from Gaedran Lamm's collection of goodies...since the other religiousy guy in the party declared falsely or not that it must be a something related to the goddess of lust)
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Could be wrong, but I figure that even though lust is the facet of Calistria's domain that gets the most attention, revenge is just as important or even more important in some Calistrian orders. And then there are the alternate ways you could interpret "lust"(like say, a lust for life or experience, similar to the Sensates from Planescape).
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Creative Director
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I'm curious as to how she's such an 'elven' goddess. I always pegged them more towards Desna if anyone. I don't see Elves as vengeful (too long-lived to hold grudges =p)
Actually... elves are pretty good at holding grudges. It took them several thousand years and a demon to convince them to come back to Golarion to see what was going on there, after all, after they fled from Earthfall and the encroachment of humanity. And on a smaller scale, an elf grudge can last for generations of human lives.
More details to come in "Elves of Golarion" in a month or so, of course!
Is she accepting applications to join the clergy?
For one thing, I have no idea why this is never printed, give us some standard Church going rates for 'Church Services'.
RPGs mostly have some difficulty with printing the cost of a bedwarmer for some reason.
Let us know a bit more about what the clergy does with their time when not engaging in such festivities too!
I'd like to know where favoured souls of Callistra fit into this...mainly as the plan is for my character to be one.
Also how about revenge 'demons' in her service as well as lust ones...I sorta see them like Anya in Buffy
For one thing, I have no idea why this is never printed, give us some standard Church going rates for 'Church Services'.
RPGs mostly have some difficulty with printing the cost of a bedwarmer for some reason.
Well, that sort of thing (whether part of the church or not) really depends on the local economy and the wealth clientele. On the low end of things, if a typical prostitute services 2-3 clients per day, he/she only needs a few coppers from each to equal the 1 sp/day wage of an unskilled laborer. I'd expect the sacred prostitutes of Calistria's temple would garner much higher prices, of course, and in some cases (given her portfolio) payment in services rather than coin might be common ("in exchange for one blessed hour with me, I wish you to write a letter to...").
Along these lines, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of her faith's unique spell in Gods & Magic....
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Fear not, elves are egalitarian enough that gender-exclusivity isn't an issue, especially in Calistria's church (male sacred prostitutes, woo!!).[Kaylee] "I wonder if they have any boy-whores?" [/Kaylee]
Ninja'd due to migrain :-(
As to her Herald...
"Waspinator not think his job so important... "
"Waspinator love defense. Maybe bit more defense and Waspinator not get blown up all the time. [transforms] Ah-he-he-hem. Two-Head throw Megatron in lava pit. Megatron angry, think Two-Head a traitor, want to SLAG Two-Head! Waspinator down with that! [calmly] Defense take a rest."
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I'd like to know where favoured souls of Callistra fit into this...mainly as the plan is for my character to be one.
Also how about revenge 'demons' in her service as well as lust ones...I sorta see them like Anya in Buffy
Oh hell, I can't believe I didn't think of that!
Tricky, lusty, vengeance demons of Calastria!
Sound very unseelie, in a monkey paw sort of way.
I am now dying of curiosity about this 'special spell' you have in the works....hehehe....oh wait...not giggles. Maniacal laughter. Right.
Mwhahahahahah!
Will she shorten the extremely long ears? Orcs are havings tons of fun using those eye-pockers of ear to grab and twist the poor elves. Besifes, getting into a turtleneck shirt or a tight fitting chain-shirt brings lots of cuts to the ears. Of course the ears are a huge asset to earings but sometimes it kills the budget for other jewelry.
:P
Could you tell us everything, Sean? Please....
But seriously, wondering how the church interacts with the local politics? I think the coffers of the Church of Calistria are filled thru not only the obvious "services" but things like blackmail and assassination.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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Callistra is the only explicitly elven diety, right?
So give us the goods on how that influences elven culture. Normally, "Trickery, Lust and Revenge" fall outside the serene, detached view usually taken of "High Elves" (or at least, usually taken in my neck of the woods). How has her worship influenced elven society, and the other way around?
Give us some view how the "lay worshipper" of Callistra looks like. I can see her as an adventurer sponsor easily, but how does Joe D. Irtfarmer get any contact with her? You did a great job with Lamashtu and Abadar, showcasing that. Keep that up :)
Callistra is the only explicitly elven diety, right?
There's Desna, too, who is usually shown pretty elfish. Moreso than Nethys, certainly, and those three are the primary "elven" deities.