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So, I'm considering a character named Arodyn, pronounced the same way as the dead god or at least fairly similar that NPCs should understand that he is named after Aroden, this is a Kingmaker character, and I was wondering what, if any, consequences the character would encounter from being named after the dead god.
Additionally, not only is he named after Aroden, he worships Aroden, not sure if this would increase such consequences or not, but I am fairly curious as to what kinds of cons people come up with as to having such a well known name.
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So, I'm considering a character named Arodyn, pronounced the same way as the dead god or at least fairly similar that NPCs should understand that he is named after Aroden, this is a Kingmaker character, and I was wondering what, if any, consequences the character would encounter from being named after the dead god.
Additionally, not only is he named after Aroden, he worships Aroden, not sure if this would increase such consequences or not, but I am fairly curious as to what kinds of cons people come up with as to having such a well known name.
I think mostly it might lead to folks using the poor character as a sounding board for whatever opinion of the dead god they had. Bitter resentment would be voiced by those who think Aroden 'deserted them' and others might instead speak wistfully of tales they'd heard etc.
Naturally, there would also be folks making rude jokes.
Of course, if your DM wants to really mess with your character's head, he/she could have some NPCs claim that your PC is clearly Aroden reborn!
Maybe they believe it, maybe it's a con.
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I used to go to church with a guy named Jesus. It got a lot of laughs from lots of folks. Some girl would giggle and he'd turn red, some guy would laugh and Jesus would bust his head. I tell you life ain't easy for a boy named Jesus.
Honestly I think your character would probably get looked at strangely by some people and some would want to burn you at the stake for heresy. Good times.
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Only problem with that is the character was born about 90 years after Aroden "died".Of course, if your DM wants to really mess with your character's head, he/she could have some NPCs claim that your PC is clearly Aroden reborn!
Maybe they believe it, maybe it's a con.
9 months for 90 years for god maybe? Re-incarnation doesn't necessarily occur right after death.
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I figure there are a lot of guys named after Aroden and probably a few women named Arodena during the time the god was alive, and more than a few of those would have distinguished themselves in some way after the god's death. So you're named after your great-grandfather Aroden, or Aroden the famous playwright, or Arodena the Principled who organized the applesellers of Almas into a union that still lives to this day.
Think of how popular "Diana" is as a name despite there not being that many current worshipers of the Roman moon goddess. Ditto "Phoebe."
I would also think that Aroden would be a philosophical puzzle for the atheists of Rahadoum, since while they don't want anyone worshiping gods, Aroden was a man before he was a god, and one with some pretty impressive accomplishments too. Studying the life of Aroden? Well, I figure the way they'd spin it is that everything was great with him until he pulled up the Starstone and the accursed artifact turned him into a god, which would be viewed as a great tragedy. The fact that Aroden finally died as a god? That for the Rahadoumis must be viewed as a source of jubilation. Even the Starstone's trap of divinity isn't forever.
I would think the more philosophical Rahadoumis must also pity poor Cayden Cailean, the hapless fool who stumbled into godhood, but hopefully one day will stumble back out.
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I figure there are a lot of guys named after Aroden and probably a few women named Arodena during the time the god was alive, and more than a few of those would have distinguished themselves in some way after the god's death. So you're named after your great-grandfather Aroden, or Aroden the famous playwright, or Arodena the Principled who organized the applesellers of Almas into a union that still lives to this day.
Think of how popular "Diana" is as a name despite there not being that many current worshipers of the Roman moon goddess. Ditto "Phoebe."
I would also think that Aroden would be a philosophical puzzle for the atheists of Rahadoum, since while they don't want anyone worshiping gods, Aroden was a man before he was a god, and one with some pretty impressive accomplishments too. Studying the life of Aroden? Well, I figure the way they'd spin it is that everything was great with him until he pulled up the Starstone and the accursed artifact turned him into a god, which would be viewed as a great tragedy. The fact that Aroden finally died as a god? That for the Rahadoumis must be viewed as a source of jubilation. Even the Starstone's trap of divinity isn't forever.
I would think the more philosophical Rahadoumis must also pity poor Cayden Cailean, the hapless fool who stumbled into godhood, but hopefully one day will stumble back out.
Rahadoum isn't "Man is better than the gods, so ascended deities like Aroden and Cayden Cailean suck for giving up their mortalhood for godhood." It's "Mortal followers of religion will always fight for dominance or dogma, so for a stable, war-free society, religion must be banned."
It's like how Cheliax isn't "WOOHOO! ASMODEUS ROCKS! LET'S SACRIFICE SOME VIRGINS AND DANCE IN THEIR BLOOD!" It's "Aroden's death left a power vacuum that led to a horrible civil war. We don't want a war like that ever again, and House Thrune, the people who've provided us security after they won the war, are diabolists, so Asmodeus' ways are the best way to have a stable, war-free society."
Sorry for the off-topic bit, but it's important to note that Rahadoum acknowledges the existence and power of the gods. Their souls go to Pharasma for judgment just like anyone else's. The reason they're so harsh on clerics and the like is because the last time they allowed that sort of thing it caused a war that devastated them. That's the thing about a lot of Golarion's "nastier" states. The reason they are what they are is because of bad reactions to war, usually civil war.
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Rahadoum isn't "Man is better than the gods, so ascended deities like Aroden and Cayden Cailean suck for giving up their mortalhood for godhood." It's "Mortal followers of religion will always fight for dominance or dogma, so for a stable, war-free society, religion must be banned."
It's like how Cheliax isn't "WOOHOO! ASMODEUS ROCKS! LET'S SACRIFICE SOME VIRGINS AND DANCE IN THEIR BLOOD!" It's "Aroden's death left a power vacuum that led to a horrible civil war. We don't want a war like that ever again, and House Thrune, the people who've provided us security after they won the war, are diabolists, so Asmodeus' ways are the best way to have a stable, war-free society."
Sorry for the off-topic bit, but it's important to note that Rahadoum acknowledges the existence and power of the gods. Their souls go to Pharasma for judgment just like anyone else's. The reason they're so harsh on clerics and the like is because the last time they allowed that sort of thing it caused a war that devastated them. That's the thing about a lot of Golarion's "nastier" states. The reason they are what they are is because of bad reactions to war, usually civil war.
There's a difference between acknowledging a god's existence and power and thinking it worthy of veneration. It's the veneration that's the problem.
As for gods, from the Rahadoumi perspective, their sin is not so much existing or being powerful, but accepting worshipers. Every worshiper is a whiny toe-sucker who's too lazy or incompetent to work miracles on their own, and every god who accepts worshipers is a nasty co-dependent enabler who is feeding the stupid worshipers' miracle addiction.
At least this is the perspective I'd say the more philosophical Rahadoumis take.
As for the question of whether there might ever be an acceptable got, to the Rahadoumis, I'd say an acceptable god would be one who did not accept worshipers, did not answer prayers, and if asked about their own divinity, would simply say that they were a powerful being and leave it at that.
Passing the test of the Starstone? It may not be so much that only four have ever passed it. A Rahadoumi philosopher might say that the final test of the Starstone is to avoid the temptation to be worshiped. The four who "passed" have in fact failed for they all fell prey to this final test. But it may be that others have passed it and we do not know for they were wise enough to avoid the trap of behaving as a god.
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I figure there are a lot of guys named after Aroden and probably a few women named Arodena during the time the god was alive, and more than a few of those would have distinguished themselves in some way after the god's death. So you're named after your great-grandfather Aroden, or Aroden the famous playwright, or Arodena the Principled who organized the applesellers of Almas into a union that still lives to this day.
Think of how popular "Diana" is as a name despite there not being that many current worshipers of the Roman moon goddess. Ditto "Phoebe.
Similar to how Asmodia is now a common Chelish name, Aroden was probably more popular a hundred years ago. I figured the character's family actually fled Cheliax sometime during the civil war following Aroden's disappearance, meaning they would still be attached to old style Aroden worshiping Cheliax rather then the devil worshipers that have taken over now. But you do bring up a good point about religious names not always coinciding with religion.
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They'd be treated the same way as someone in our world named "Jesus." Most would become confused, and many would consider that person to be arrogant and egotistical (even if their parents named them, and they didn't chose the name) mainly because that name carries an underlying significance which is still remembered too well.
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They'd be treated the same way as someone in our world named "Jesus." Most would become confused, and many would consider that person to be arrogant and egotistical (even if their parents named them, and they didn't chose the name) mainly because that name carries an underlying significance which is still remembered too well.
There are loads of people called Jesus in the world, they're not marked by confusion or implications of arrogance and egotism because they come from cultures where the name is common.
linky
Yeah, I've never really encountered any confusion or biased directed towards anyone I know named Jesus or Mohammed (GeraintElberion is right, "Mo" is even a common nickname). Certainly no one in my experience has ever considered anyone with a religious name as arrogant or egotistical. Same goes for the millions of people names after dozens of saints (Josh, Luke, Mark, or Peter just being a few).
I have a magus whose familiar is a monkey named aroden...
What would be even more amusing is having a paladin from Cheliax named something like Asmodeus Stryfe III.
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They'd be treated the same way as someone in our world named "Jesus." Most would become confused, and many would consider that person to be arrogant and egotistical (even if their parents named them, and they didn't chose the name) mainly because that name carries an underlying significance which is still remembered too well.There are loads of people called Jesus in the world, they're not marked by confusion or implications of arrogance and egotism because they come from cultures where the name is common.
linky
Completely true. In fact, most cultures have no problem with people named after gods, prophets, and other holy figures from their own religions. It's a form of respect. Anyone with a Biblical name, or a saint's name--only considering Christianity here--is considered normal, and can regularly be thought of as asking the divinity to guide and protect the child.
So a child named Aroden now might evoke some laughter. He's dead now, son, ain't no one looking out for you.
Just think of all the Islamic guys named Muhammed, It's almost as common as 'joe'