In Love with your God(dess)


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion

1 to 50 of 59 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>

1 person marked this as a favorite.

So we started playing WotR a few days ago. For one of my characters (I'm playing two) I went with a character idea I mentioned Here, long story short he is a paladin of Iomedae who may later realize that he is in love with his goddess.

So that got me wondering: How would you go about role-playing a paladin/cleric/inquisitor who is in love with their deity?


3 people marked this as a favorite.

Look, Iomedae just likes you as a friend, really. You're really nice and all, but She just doesn't think of you that way.


One of my players in my darklight sisterhood game is playing a cleric who has taken her god as a lover. Not sure how it would work not reciprocated

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Freehold DM wrote:

One of my players in my darklight sisterhood game is playing a cleric who has taken her god as a lover. Not sure how it would work not reciprocated

Sometimes the most poignant romances are of the one sided kind. But those long distance relationships are hard to work out.

The real problem is with those deities who really don't have that love emotion built into them to respond in kind. It's like romancing Thanos... or Xykon for that matter. I'm not sure that Iomedae has any room for emotions that would interfere with her endless crusade.


Who knows maybe my guy will be left at a distance his whole life. He would accept that. I'm curious to see what my GM does with it. Who knows maybe Shelyn will get involved in some official capacity.

Freehold: How did those circumstances come about?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Society Subscriber

If loving Sarenrae is wrong, I don't want to be right!

On a more serious note, my characters are not always very religious, but when they are, they are very devoted.

I don't see a problem with a mortal loving a God, or a God taking a mortal lover. It's not like they can't meet face to face even, given the mortal has access to a high level spellcaster or equipment to help out.

From an rp perspective, I think if one of my characters was interested in their God romantically they'd do works in their God or Goddess's name to gain their attention. Not to mention daily prayer.

For Iomedae, maybe leading an army in the crusade to victory over demons. Dedicate the victory to her. Forge a sword and have it blessed, and have it delivered to her church.

You know, romantic gestures for the modern empowered goddess of the sword. Like giving flowers or chocolate would be for civilians.

There's guidelines in the God's and magic book for what signs to look for if a god or goddess favors the PC.
If they receive favor, they'd then get a modified atonement spell to seek an audience. May Shelyn bless them! Depending on the Deity in question, they might need it.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

You could treat the love as courtly love, the way that (in stories at least) knights would dedicate their victories to a certain lady, without the expectation of ever having that returned. As the PC achieves mythic tasks, Iomedae might start to take greater notice of him.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Good stuff RedEric.

He'll probably act in a courtly love manner without realizing it at first and shift later on as attention is drawn to him. If pressed about it later in regards to other women with similar qualities his answer would would probably be "They are not Her." I hope i'm articulating that well.


And if she jilts him, well, Lamashtu's always in the little black book and happy to have a new Anti-Paladin.

Liberty's Edge

A poignant concept is following the Lancelot model, without the betrayal at the end: Iomedae represents the ideal that a knight strives for. Thus, devotion could readily cross over into true love.

Love, pure and chaste, from afar. Nice dream, that.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Does that mean that you character will be cleric-zoned? Everyone knows that oracles are the ones whom their deity loves back...


1 person marked this as a favorite.
The NPC wrote:

Good stuff RedEric.

He'll probably act in a courtly love manner without realizing it at first and shift later on as attention is drawn to him. If pressed about it later in regards to other women with similar qualities his answer would would probably be "They are not Her." I hope i'm articulating that well.

It could actually be a pretty good impetus for his adventuring. Outside of whatever personal investments he has in the quest, gaining experience and Mythic tiers will end up making him pretty much a demi-god and certainly not below the notice of the gods.

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Or you could just go and pull a Jhavhul.


EDIT: the "meh" was in response to Bookkeeper's idea, "Love, pure and chaste, from afar. Nice dream, that." Not that he's wrong, just...

Meh. To me, the ideas of "from afar" do not automatically go hand-in-hand with "pure and chaste", though it's not a bad combination inherently. I do think it's overly romanticized, though, and can easily lead to severe potential problems down the road (thus the "betrayal" at the end trope).

All that said, there's no reason to have a mortal and a deity do anything in particular.

They could consumate the relationship (depending on the nature of divinity)...

It could be a "from afar" chivalrous relationship...

It could be entirely one-sided...

It could be something else entirely.

Good stuff, one way or the other. I love the concept.

... just out of curiosity, though, what is your Mythic Path/Background?

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Courtly Romance is a good tradition to follow in the OP's example.

I would talk to your GM about this, as there are ample opportunities for the goddess to grant the knight "her favor".

Shadow Lodge

If your first thought upon meeting your goddess face to face is "Damn! She's STACKED!", you might need to work on your reverence.


Kthulhu wrote:
If your first thought upon meeting your goddess face to face is "Damn! She's STACKED!", you might need to work on your reverence.

Heh. That may depend on the goddess, though. :)

EDIT: Not actually disagreeing with you in most cases, but there are certain divinities that a similar initial thought might not only be preferable, but imparted by their nature (similar to the divine auras in the 3.0 book).


Well, he can always try to take the test of the Starstone in order to become a being worthy of her attentions and, I dunno, maybe become her Herald and...

Holy s&#$.


Patrick C. wrote:

Well, he can always try to take the test of the Starstone in order to become a being worthy of her attentions and, I dunno, maybe become her Herald and...

Holy s~@#.

I had been thinking that if the love is reciprocated me might eventually take the Test of the Starstone to "Embrace her fully as her divine husband" and/or put them on equal terms for any formalization of their relationship ship. Who would they get to perform the ceremony ;)

As for what i'm doing now. So far its small things that only people more familiar with the rights of Iomedae might notice. The way he holds himself in prayer. Also, when performing rights he's prone to refering to her as my or dear Lady and at times use her name when the title might be invoked.

I conceptualized this character before WotR started coming out but I chose him for it because I knew there would be good opportunities to hopefully gain her attention.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
LazarX wrote:
Freehold DM wrote:

One of my players in my darklight sisterhood game is playing a cleric who has taken her god as a lover. Not sure how it would work not reciprocated

Sometimes the most poignant romances are of the one sided kind. But those long distance relationships are hard to work out.

The real problem is with those deities who really don't have that love emotion built into them to respond in kind. It's like romancing Thanos... or Xykon for that matter. I'm not sure that Iomedae has any room for emotions that would interfere with her endless crusade.

Desna-Sarenae-Shelyn would like to have a word with you.

Shadow Lodge

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Thanos is a very romantic guy. When was the last time YOU snuffed out half the universe's population just because a girl asked you to?

Silver Crusade

5 people marked this as a favorite.

This gives whole new meaning to the idea of people getting excited about their shipping being declared canon. ;)

But yeah, seconding the votes of "depends on the character and the god in question". I imagine that in the cases of certain gods, utterly devotional love and romantic love might be one and the same, which could be something beautiful(sup Shelynites, Lymnierans, and Arsheans) or horrible(sup Kuthonites and Naderi cults) or anything anywhere inbetween(sup Brigh-worshipping Galatea-complex folks).

In such cases, it might be that your every action, your entire life, is dedicated as a declaration of love to this deity.

The Lord-Mayor Quendessa's booming metropolis with utopian aspirations might be her love letter to Abadar.

A certain reclusive sculptor's life's work might be a crusade to win the heart of Nocticula and draw her back into the light.

The Patchwork Man's decades of suffering and tapestry of scars are a grand work in progress to be presented to Zon-Kuthon upon death, a gift to the only one who understood him.

A man freed from slavery and brought into the fold of Sarenrae may devote his entire being to the Dawnflower's will, for his greatest desire is to belong only to her.

Somewhere a child hears of Vildeis for the first time, and from that moment forward he will quest his entire life and beyond just to see her smile.

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Patrick C. wrote:

Well, he can always try to take the test of the Starstone in order to become a being worthy of her attentions and, I dunno, maybe become her Herald and...

Holy s~!%.

Seriously Iomedae, romance in the workplace leads to things like the Eye of Abendego. ;)

Grand Lodge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Kthulhu wrote:
Thanos is a very romantic guy. When was the last time YOU snuffed out half the universe's population just because a girl asked you to?

You're supposed to be working up to these things. If you pull your big suprise at the start of the relationship, what do you have left? Thanos never aparantly bothered looking up the rules for proper dating with all of the databases he had access to.

I mean he never even considered working slow and gradually... like dinner and a movie, a bouque of black poisnous flowers, he should have gone to Morticia Addams for some romantic advice.

(Now I'm getting really odd ideas of Gomez teaching Thanos the Mamushka)


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I was wondering when you'd show up Mikaze ;)


LazarX wrote:
Kthulhu wrote:
Thanos is a very romantic guy. When was the last time YOU snuffed out half the universe's population just because a girl asked you to?
You're supposed to be working up to these things. If you pull your big suprise at the start of the relationship, what do you have left?

Even bigger surprises, like snuffing out an entire universe by taking her there on a date?


Kthulhu wrote:
Thanos is a very romantic guy. When was the last time YOU snuffed out half the universe's population just because a girl asked you to?

Don't triangle though. Thanos-Death-Deadpool. Thanos doesn't have a shot in Hella.


Kthulhu wrote:
Thanos is a very romantic guy. When was the last time YOU snuffed out half the universe's population just because a girl asked you to?

Sounds more desperate than romantic.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
The NPC wrote:

Who knows maybe my guy will be left at a distance his whole life. He would accept that. I'm curious to see what my GM does with it. Who knows maybe Shelyn will get involved in some official capacity.

Freehold: How did those circumstances come about?

it was part of her characters backstory. As she worships a relatively minor god, it was no problem for the campaign. But she is slowly encouraging him to take a greater hand in mortal affairs through romance and occasional seduction, and this may have repercussions for the world later on as his direct superior/friend begins to wonder why his partner is nowhere to be found at times...


1 person marked this as a favorite.
The NPC wrote:
I was wondering when you'd show up Mikaze ;)

PARTY TIME!!!!!!


Mikaze wrote:
Patrick C. wrote:

Well, he can always try to take the test of the Starstone in order to become a being worthy of her attentions and, I dunno, maybe become her Herald and...

Holy s~!%.

Seriously Iomedae, romance in the workplace leads to things like the Eye of Abendego. ;)

I could totally see that happening....

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.

But, but Peace Through Vigilance is adorable!


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I agree with taking the test of the Starstone. Nothing says I love you like transcending mortality to be with the gal.


Hey, NPC, once again, what was your character's mythic path/background trait?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Tacticslion wrote:
Hey, NPC, once again, what was your character's mythic path/background trait?

Did I miss you asking that? o_o Sorry. Anywho...

His path is Champion and he has the Child of the Crusade trait. His mother was a crusader and his a craftsman who supported the crusade. After her "death" his father moved them to Absalom. He returned to Kenabres about six months before the start of the campaign.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

First, no problem, easy to do.

Second, very cool! I'm glad to hear that. From what I understand, one specific background wouldn't be good for your character for "reasons" (bother-it-all, spoilers, I was spoiled!), but that background sounds really great*. :)

Loving this thread over-all.

One really interesting thing is if you are able to woo and wed her, Iomedae's relationship with Erastil would improve tremendously. While politics shouldn't be something to base a marriage on (obviously), there's nothing wrong with extra benefits going along with marriage, and helping the lawful good gods get along better seems to be a great idea, I'd say.

Also, due to Iomedae's nature, one of the interesting things is that it's possible that she'd be entirely okay with a political marriage, if it was for the Greater Good.

Hm, looking at this as a political divine marriage spin...

If you're successful in the World Wound (and later ascend), Abadar, Desna, Gozreh, Sarenrae, Shelyn, and Torag (and the dwarven pantheon by default) would all approve of you on principle (as would Cayden and tons of Empyreal Lords, though they seem less connected), making you a much more desirable candidate. Mythic self-perfection would garner Irori's approval (although Starstoning it might negate that), and the great battles you'd lead would please Gorum (though he might get bored after you're done).

That's a lot of divine approval, and would make a powerful candidate for political marriage.

The fact that Lamashtu and Rovagug would disapprove would also tend to make your chances higher. The remaining gods likely wouldn't care - generally a plus in your book.

Heck, Milani would generally approve as well, which, considering she's one of the few remaining once-followers of Aroden, could help cinch Iomedae's title as the Inheritor by one more step.

So, why all the emphasis on the politics? Because, even if you truly love her, Iomedae will want something that serves more than just her own desires. She'll want something that exemplifies valor, rulership, justice, and honor. She'll want more than "just" your (romantic) "love" - she'll need something from you that will enhance the good of all. She will, in short, need politics, too.

But, of course, more than that, more than romantic love, and more than courtly love, she'll need a builder's love. That thing that makes you dedicate yourself fully to her, even as you become an equal. Iomedae, it seems to me, won't want a fawning sycophant. She'll want a valorous warrior who, if not perfectly equal, is effectively so.

That's a lot to live up to. Good luck! :)

* As opposed to "squicky", to use the parlance.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Tactics you are a boon, and i'm not just saying that.

I read this to my GM and he liked it.

My guy is not the sycophant type but he may need some nudging here and there, but that is why my other character and the calitrian NPC cleric is there.

Wait, how would his background be squicky? I'm glad you liked it though? Am I invited to Florida? ;)


Sit on a bus and listen to teenagers talk about one direction or Justin bibber or whatever, ultimate unrequiteds


The NPC wrote:

Tactics you are a boon, and i'm not just saying that.

I read this to my GM and he liked it.

My guy is not the sycophant type but he may need some nudging here and there, but that is why my other character and the calitrian NPC cleric is there.

Wait, how would his background be squicky? I'm glad you liked it though? Am I invited to Florida? ;)

Huzzah! I'm glad to have helped!

Heh... yeah, I know how that goes.

And sorry to not be clear: your background (as it currently is) is not squicky. There is a different background that would be for your character concept, but SPOILERS*, so I won't tell you (until you get done with book three, from what I heard), so... yeah.

And YES you are invited to Florida! To Ocala specifically! Move here! Moooooooooooooooove here! I'll make your videos with you!

(Presuming you don't mind having a substantially over-weight stay-at-home nerd-dad in your videos.)

I have experience! And I'm not just saying that!

I'm in, like, four or five of their things!

... or you could just do what one of my other gaming buddies does and come over once every year (well, I guess it's been a couple of years now... dang it, Time, stop moving so quickly!); we even have a guest bed and everything! :)

(Though, fair warning: we have a toddler. A super-active toddler. Who really likes people. A lot. And drools. And we've got another on the way this July. You have all been warned.) :)

It's actually really cool to me that you're doing the multiple characters thing. Not having anyone else down here to play with, I made a 20 point buy set of characters to play - one for five of each of the four backgrounds. I got my wife (the GM) to make at least one. (I actually purposefully tanked my charisma on one of the guys for a number of reasons, one of which was in order to keep my in-character talking-to-myself-chatter down a bit.)

We're (possibly) planning on running it after we're done with Carrion Crown**. (I'm actually really excited about it.)

Anyway, hope you have a great time!

*

super-minor-vague spoilers that might be used to extrapolate, if you're really familiar with certain kinds of evil powers:
I'll only say that a certain demon lord would likely to be involved.

** I'm running Carrion Crown now. Whether or not we start it depends on how she's doing pregnant-wise and whether or not we decide to go back and finish: Council of Thieves, Kingmaker, and/or Serpent Skull. :)
Weirdly enough, though, we're not running it in Golarion, but rather a home brew world we created just for this game. Strange, right? But regardless, we are (tentatively) planning on having a vague "echo" of what happens in this world happen in our Golarion, too.


Mikaze wrote:
Patrick C. wrote:

Well, he can always try to take the test of the Starstone in order to become a being worthy of her attentions and, I dunno, maybe become her Herald and...

Holy s~!%.

Seriously Iomedae, romance in the workplace leads to things like the Eye of Abendego. ;)

And... I just caught the reference to that one Superman-Wonderwoman comic* I read that one time in the store. That's... been a while.

* I think it was an alternate take of a variant future or something like that that DC published, right?


The NPC wrote:

So we started playing WotR a few days ago. For one of my characters (I'm playing two) I went with a character idea I mentioned Here, long story short he is a paladin of Iomedae who may later realize that he is in love with his goddess.

So that got me wondering: How would you go about role-playing a paladin/cleric/inquisitor who is in love with their deity?

You should look up Sufi mysticism, Christian mysticism, read The Four Loves by CS Lewis, and read up on the meaning and symbolism behind the Song of Songs in the bible.


Tacticslion wrote:
Mikaze wrote:
Patrick C. wrote:

Well, he can always try to take the test of the Starstone in order to become a being worthy of her attentions and, I dunno, maybe become her Herald and...

Holy s~!%.

Seriously Iomedae, romance in the workplace leads to things like the Eye of Abendego. ;)

And... I just caught the reference to that one Superman-Wonderwoman comic* I read that one time in the store. That's... been a while.

* I think it was an alternate take of a variant future or something like that that DC published, right?

Are you talking about "Kingdom Come"? Superman and Wonder Woman got together then and they are now together in the New 52.

I just had the idea that maybe the unfettered eidolon might become his Herald, especially since she'll be gaining for celestial like qualities as time goes by.

To FrankManic: I am very familiar with Christianity and have read the cliff notes for the Four Loves I am not familiar with the rest. Is there anything specifically I should take a look at.


You know, NPC, I don't know. I just recall reading it, them making a baby (causing storms across the world as they were in the creative process) and and going, "Huh, that's weird" and putting it back on the shelf. I've read Kingdom Come, but I don't recall the story line so maybe.

Sufi

I'm guessing the important part is,

Wikipedia wrote:
Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as "a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God".

As you may know, Song of Songs is the Song of Solomon. On a topical level it's a very erotic and highly intimate song between two married lovers (the Bride and her Husband). The religions allegory is often taken as the song being Christ and the Church (the "Bride" of Christ) or God and the Jewish people. It makes the relationship between the two much, much deeper and more intimate.

Though you've read the Four Loves, they are:
1) Storge (affection)
2) Philia (friendship or familial love)
3) Eros (romantic love)
4) Agape (unconditional Godly love)

At least by my recollection.

Oh, hey, I'm already on wikipedia... and, yep, they've got it.
(The actual book itself is excellent, though, and I recommend it.)

Eh, while I'm linking, Christian mysticism, why not.

In any event, I love the idea of the Unfettered Eidolon becoming the Herald. That is just awesome.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Thanks Tactics :) Hopefully i'll get to implement some of these sometime after Friday once my DM's break from teaching starts.

As I mentioned to start his choice of words and physical gestures are a bit different than one might expect. Later he will start dedicating battles to Iomedae. I think the first thing after he gains mythic power is to have a great "creative urge" and will use his 1 rank in craft(weapon smithing) and mythic power* to forge a masterwork longsword and if he still has some of those silver dragon scales** he will incorporate them into it. So at least spiritually the dragon can continue to protect and serve. Then he will present it as gift to her via the church and crusade.

*Plot twist are also being used so if it applies i'm going to add that in as well.

**He commented about giving them back in game but then someone said "Why? The dragon is dead?" But he wants to turn them in so that maybe the dragon might be brought back.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Iomedae actually seems like one of the best deities for this. As one who has only recently left mortality, she's likely much more open to the idea.

Sarenrae is wonderful, but is very, very old, and quite possibly never mortal. Plus I think she still holds a candle for Ithys.


Lloyd Jackson wrote:
Iomedae actually seems like one of the best deities for this. As one who has only recently left mortality, she's likely much more open to the idea.

That is a good point.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Lloyd Jackson wrote:


Sarenrae is wonderful, but is very, very old, and quite possibly never mortal. Plus I think she still holds a candle for Ithys.

Or perhaps she's got a good thing going with Desna and/or Shelyn...


1 person marked this as a favorite.

can I just be bros with a god?
like can Kurgess, Cayden and I just bro it up, bro-style?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Lamontius wrote:

can I just be bros with a god?

like can Kurgess, Cayden and I just bro it up, bro-style?

But can Cayden actively follow the bro code?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Only if you're up for a bad bromance.

1 to 50 of 59 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Lost Omens Campaign Setting / General Discussion / In Love with your God(dess) All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.