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I have enjoyed reading about The Esoteric Order of the Palatine Eye in the second title of the Carion Crown AP (The Trial of the Beast). Why is that? Well it is because I am (cue the conspiracy theory music) a Free Mason and I was looking for a way to incorpoarate that into my gaming. I must say that your company got a lot of things right(though I am forbidden to go into detail as to what they are and why) and you have also played on the myths as well but have done it in a tasteful way. Very well done Paizo...very well done!
Well as neither christopher knight nor robert lomas have been kicked out, and they have been more than liberal in laying out the meanings behind the whole thing.
No not the actual rituals, they are more surprise than anything else.
And to a large extent an embarasment if made public. (grown-up men doing silly re-enactments and chants in cultist-like robes)
Leading onward toward a mostly lost heritage that the masons repeat part of. I must say I enjoyed "The Book Of Hiram: Freemasonry, Venus and the Secret Key to the Life of Jesus. Element Books Ltd. (January 25, 2004). ISBN 978-0007174683" a great deal.
So it cannot be THAT secret :p
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A phrase I always say is, "So we Freemasons are a secret society? Tell me again who meets in those buildings with the Square, Compasses and letter 'G' on them?"
We're not a secret society, but a society with secrets. As far as the books that you read, a better one is "Freemasons for Dummies"! Also consider that the Fraternity has no central ruling authority so each juridiction does things differently. For example, here in the U.S. no "monk robes" are worn. Brothers where suits and officers (which I am one) wear tuxedoes.
Interesting, but sadly I am unable to contribute, so I shall dot this for future reference.
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Thanks for the kudos, Kevida! I had a lot of fun bringing the order to life. While I'm not a Freemason, I have done a lot of cooperative research with several Lodges on research of notable former members (notably Charles Kennard, the "inventor" of the ouija board), and I also collect Templar and Oddfellow artifacts and accoutrements. So, yeah -I keep my eyes open and ears perked for interesting tidbits, and it was a thrill to be able to write up Golarion's very own "society with secrets." =-)
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Thanks for the kudos, Kevida! I had a lot of fun bringing the order to life. While I'm not a Freemason, I have done a lot of cooperative research with several Lodges on research of notable former members (notably Charles Kennard, the "inventor" of the ouija board), and I also collect Templar and Oddfellow artifacts and accoutrements. So, yeah -I keep my eyes open and ears perked for interesting tidbits, and it was a thrill to be able to write up Golarion's very own "society with secrets." =-)
Brandon, if you'd like me to help you "spring board" any stuff. I would be glad... nay HONORED... to help! PM me anytime!
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I think in the case of Golarion, it specifically refers to being from one of the Palatinate counties in Ustalav.
Before I read anything about it I had assumed, based on the name and the location, that is was a reference to the Esoteric Order of Dagon, a front for the Cult of Cthulhu in Lovecraft's works.
I'm still not totally convinced that there isn't still a connection buried there.
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In the setting of Golarion they do make for a nice PC patron order for adventures set in Ustalav, but their influence can reach all around the Inner Sea depending on how you spin it. Running a very pulpy exploration themed game running from Ustalav to Osrian for the Eye looking for lost rites and rituals would be fun.
Palatine is a title.
So it's the order of the royal eyeball?
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Personally I'd like to see a Faction Writeup in the style of the Faction Guide for the Order.Would you now? Interesting. If only... no, some things are best left a secret for the uninitiated. Patience, however, brings enlightenment.
Conspiracy theory:
The EOPE is the shadowy organization sponsoring the rival adventuring party in Mummy's Mask, the one which steals an artifact capable of raising the dead.
Count Aldus Canter, founder of the Order, disappeared under mysterious circumstances some 700 years ago, and has long been presumed dead. But this is not the first time that he has gone missing: forty years prior, he mysteriously went missing for three years after looting the tomb of Thutmoset IV. In the interim, he (supposedly) met a group of immortal sages who worshiped a dessicated angel named Tabris, and the teachings they imparted to him formed the basis of The Lost Gospels of Tabris and, subsequently, the Esoteric Order of the Palatine Eye. One of these teaching was that mortals contain a divine spark that seeks to join the Upper Planes and that by learning and maintaining an ordered life, a person may cause themselves to ascend to angelic existence.
What if the sages, in addition to mystical rites, imparted to Aldus the secret to their immortality? Now immortal and free from his obligation to rule the Vieland, he secretly resides in Osirion, seeking ascension, while distantly pulling the strings of the Order he created. With the coming excavation of Wati's necropolis, Canter sees his chance to learn more of the Pharoahs of the past— whom he believes to be beings that nurtured and grew the divine spark of their beings. Believing now to be the moment he has hoped for, he launches a scheme that shall raise a Pharoah from the grave and bring the light of their understanding to the world, unaware of the cruelty and wrath that lie beneath the wisdom of the ancients.
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Personally I'd like to see a Faction Writeup in the style of the Faction Guide for the Order.Would you now? Interesting. If only... no, some things are best left a secret for the uninitiated. Patience, however, brings enlightenment.
Come now, a rival order to push the Pathfinder's buttons is a great idea. We have a more economic one with the Apsis, but the Palataine Eye would make for a great esoteric rival group.
Knowledge for power and all that jazz.
Not good or evil, just conflicting interests. Great since the Palatain Eye in theory should have contacts around the inner sea.
Yo, guys!
Was just shown this thread by Robert Brookes up there, considering that I'm featuring the Order in my homebrew campaign in Rob's Ruins of Pathfinder alternate history setting.
The Order in Ruins of Pathfinder, however, is a shadow of what it once was - considering the events of the Carrion Crown ended in the PC's Failure, theres not much left of the Order. The campaign's main NPC, or at least the one to get the campaign kickstarted, is one of the Order's few remaining members, a 'gentleman adventurer' much like the Order's founder, Aldus was.
Brandon, I would like to personally thank you for that article in "Trial of the Beast", as it is one of the main things I used to develop my entire Road to Damnation campaign - using the plot hooks you left there with Aldus' discovery in 3985 AR, I came up with a ton of ideas, many of which I've shared with Rob.
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Personally I'd like to see a Faction Writeup in the style of the Faction Guide for the Order.Would you now? Interesting. If only... no, some things are best left a secret for the uninitiated. Patience, however, brings enlightenment.
Oh Mr Moreland. How you mock us so.
It would be nice as Golarion Develops over time, and more writers introduce various organizations and societies that we see another Faction Guide similar to the first.
Although, I wonder if we will see more of the Order in Masks of the Mummy? Its the right setting after all :)
I hope so!
Dot for later.
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Question, what title or name would one give a member? Would members refer to each other?
It couldn't be a "Palatinate" cuz they're not German.
It couldn't be an "Esoteric Eye" cuz that would be dumb.
A "Tmeplar" is a member of The Knights Templars.
A "Freemason" is a member of the, er, Grand Lodge of Freemasonry?
Anyway, what is a member of The Esoteric Order of the Palatine Eye?
Well, one title that is given within the organization is Most Worthy Angelic Prince, which is (oddly) the first station in the organization; I'd imagine that things only get more ridiculous from there. I've taken to calling members "Palatines" in general, but I don't know of any other common name.
Palatinian?
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Agnelcow nailed it. And is correct that it only gets more ridiculous from there. There are 9 "Stations" divided equally among 3 "Thrones," with the 9th station of the First Throne having only 9 members that make up a sort of high council.
"Esoterics" is a good outsider's name for them. "Most Worthy Esoterics" if they're not into the whole brevity thing.
I can list the base names of each station from my notes when I get home if there's interest.
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Very interested in full names! A few of my players just got inducted, and I want to overwhelm them with vernacular opulence.
Oh, there is most definitely interest...
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Mind you that never made it to print, so it isn't official.
"Most Worthy" is always the prefix in recognition between members of the Third Throne, and "Prince" is sometimes the suffix if the title can be descriptive (like Angelic, Archangelic, Authoritative, and Virtuous), but not if the title stands alone (as Principal, Dominion, and all the First Throne stations do).
Beyond the Third Throne, "Most Highly Esteemed" becomes the prefix for the Second Throne members, followed by their station. "Most Virtuous and Infallible" is the prefix for the First Throne membership, followed, again, by their station name, without the "Prince" suffix as outlined above.
So, proper form of address within the order would be "I call Most Highly Esteemed Virtuous Prince to the lectern" for a Second Throne, 5th Station member, or "I yield the floor to you, Most Virtuous and Infallible Ophan" for a First Throne, 7th Station member.
In the chart below, the numbers in parenthesis refer to the maximum number of members that may hold a station. No limit in the Third Throne, of course, but to ascend higher, you have to wait your turn or, you know, duel. 1E druid style, yo! ;-)
Third Throne
Angel
Archangel
Principal
Second Throne
Authority (54)
Virtue (45)
Dominion (36)
First Throne
Ophan (27)
Cherubim (18)
Seraph (9)
Off-topic:
Brandon! I saw you on tv! :D
They finally added your episode of Oddities to Netflix :)
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Off-topic:
Brandon! I saw you on tv! :D
They finally added your episode of Oddities to Netflix :)
Ha! That's awesome! Mona wrote me the other night and told me he'd finally watched it on Netflix, so good to hear it's getting out there. I actually had lunch with Evan and her husband here in Austin this past Sunday, and Mike and I are really good pals these days, each of us taking turns traveling to New York and Texas to scour the Earth together for crazy stuff. So being on the show was a really fortuitous meeting of great folks and good friends. Always a hoot!
Brandon, push it to print! I'd love to see more about the Eye and their dealings in the Inner Sea. Hell, I'd LOVE a oooh!
Patience, however, brings enlightenment.
Indeeeeed. ;-)
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Wait a minute.
Brandon is implying patience is the key to learning more about the Order. He also said that I "hit the nail on the head". BUT he didn't say that the nail was the term "Palatines"! The nail could be my earlier theory about the Order playing a part in Mummy's Mask!
Let's look closer. Patience means waiting. We have to wait for adventure path volumes. Nails are used in coffins. Coffin, sarcophagus. Sarcophagi are found in Osirion, and are often decorated with images of the deceased inside. Masks are worn decorative images. Dead people in sarcophagi are mummies. Mask, mummy. Mummy's mask. EOotPE in Mummy's Mask confirmed! KHU BA HETEPH, NIB IMNET HEM MAA
Now where'd I put that tinfoil hat?
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@Agnelcow,
You hit the nail on the head in that the "titles" are long-winded.
"Patience" is a joke about 1st Edition. Back in the day 15th level was as high as any Druid could get. There was no 16th level Druid.
Problem was, there was only allowed to be one 15th level Druid in existence at a time, called the "Hierophant." And only a handful of 14th levels, too.
So, at least according to the lame-ass 1978 AD&D Player's Handbook, once you were about 12th level or so (as a Druid), you could be patient and wait 'til other Druids died of natural causes -- or kill them yourself. Ha Ha.
No matter how many Type 6 Demons, Pit Fiends, Tarrasques or what-not you killed, you couldn't get to 15th level as Druid until the Hierophant was gone. (You'd have to level-up in other Classes.)
The game was much different back then.
Actually it was implied in Unearthed Arcana that you could travel to another Forest in the hopes that there might be an opening there.
We won't even go into the fact that in first & second editions only humans & half-elves could be Druids.
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I'm down the the Esoteric Order being in Mummy's Mask. I hope they are a good guy (or sorta good guy) group. Having them as a friendly order in the Carrion Crown and then finding the other half of the Order would be awesome.
OH! Maybe they were the ones who stole and hid the mask and heart of the Pharoh to keep him from rising to power?! That would be awesome!
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