The stigmata agility for the holy vindicator PrC mentions "scarified wounds appropriate to his deity". Not being an expert of Golarion's deities myself, what sorts of wounds would be appropriate for which deities?
A general rule of thumb would probably be something related to the deity's holy symbol, but there could be others depending on the history or appearance of the deity, their portfolio, or possibly their domains, herald, or even their favored weapon. Given the number of deities in the Pathfinder setting, are there any deities you're pondering in particular?
Hmmm...well, I don't know that many specifics about the Golarion pantheon, so I'm relatively open to suggestion. Something fitting an idyllkin aasimar's worship- preferably something to do with good, sun, and/or nature for this particular character.
For curiosity's sake, I'd love to hear any suggestions for stigmata of (un)holy vindicators for any gods, or a good resource to investigate such a thing
Have you checked the Pathfinder Wiki? In the section I linked you can read about all of the Golarion specific gods.
Ruyan.
I thought about Calistria.....but it wouldn't be appropriate for a family board like this.
Thanks for the link, Ruyan, but nothing I've seen there suggests any sort of specific symbolic wound for any of the gods listed.
Mikaze: and enlightenment you could share would be awesome!
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Mind that there's probably a lot of crossover imagery possible, even between diametrically opposed gods. :)
Some of these might get a bit squicky. But considering the class feature being discussed....
Abadar - Thin etchings of the signature coin of your chosen homeland or city cut themselves into your palms or forehead. A regular pattern of lacerations runs down your limbs and torso, reflective of the stonework found in the walls of your city, signifying that you are a part of civilization's defense as well.
Asmodeus - The inverted pentagram is a common sight on the forehead of Asmodean vindicators. Also common are raw, bloody marks about the neck, wrists, and ankles to reflect the collars and shackles of slavery, for though they may seek to make slaves of others, they themselves are the same to their master, Asmodeus.
Often, the layer of Hell their souls are bound for are etched somewhere upon their bodies like a slave's brand.
Calistria - Vengeful Calistrian vindicators are often worked into a frenzy as they are attacked from all sides by unseen wasps, their stings puncturing deeply and leaving seeping holes in their wake. As their flesh grows discolored by their spiritual poison, the vindicators themselves grow more venomous in extracting their vengeance.
Lustful Calistrian vindicators are often driven forth by the lash of unseen whips, leaving seeping welts about their back and limbs, all the while enflaming their lust for battle.
Trickster Calistrian vindicators often find themselves inflicted with seemingly mortal wounds that match either the weapon of their enemy or their own, as if they had accidentally stabbed themselves. Such vindicators take full advantage of the mistaken assumptions these stigmata tend to cause.
Cayden Cailean - Like Asmodeans, Caydenite vindicators often bear the raw marks of slavery, but rather than reflecting their relationship with their god, this serves as a reminder of those still bound and awaiting liberation, instilling comraderie and empathy rather than servitude. Quite frequently this blood is bright and discolored with alcohol, often smelling of the same, to the point that such blood could be mistaken for wine.
Disappointed Caydenite vindicators are among the first to discover that it is, in fact, not.
Desna - Pinpoint punctures dot your skin like a starmap along with larger, more stylized star-shaped wounds. The blood that eventually trickles from these tends to weave downward along your body in waving lines, like a silk chrysalis rendered in scarlet. After this has continued for long enough, two larger wounds open in your back, as if you had just sprouted large invisible wings.
Erastil - Two round wounds open upon your brow, appearing as if two antlers had just been shed. Such blood flows along the sides of the face, never into the eyes, never obscuring one's aim.
It is also common for the hoof, claw, and bite marks of the vindicator's most revered prey and predators to appear along their limbs, reminding them that they are not outside the circle of life.
Gorum - Old war wounds and scars tear open, typically the ones from the closest fights you've had in the past. New shallow gashes and seeping wounds might also appear to reflect the wounds you have dealt the worthiest of opponents.
Some vidicators also have bleeding palms, their blood trickling down their chosen weapon to join that of their enemies in the same rain of red.
Gozreh - Gozran vindicators often bear animal-related wounds similar to those of the Erastilians, but others also bear markings symbolic of their environs. Tribal symbols for their chosen lands etch themselves into their skin. The waves of the sea streak down limbs. Representations of the wind trace along their scalp. Nature cuts itself into their flesh, eroding the artifice of civilization and replacing it with its own glory, red of tooth and claw.
Iomedae - The stigmata of Iomedaean vindicators are many, often reflecting the Eleven Acts and the various deeds accomplished and sufferings endured by Iomedae herself. From the markings of the Thorncrown to the cuts which cured her vampiric companions, Iomedae's stigmata tell of trials her followers often find themselves reliving on various scales.
Also common are the swordmarks: Wounds in the shape of Iomedae's stylized longsword and sunburst symbol. These often configure themselves along one's limbs, upon one's back similar to the wing-wounds of Desna, or circling one's neck like a necklace of hanging blades.
Irori - Vindicators dedicated to the self-improvement extolled by the Master of Masters often bear stigmata reflecting wounds inflicted by their own training. Torn muscles leave matching reminders in the skin. Self-inflicted burns and scars from more extreme forms of asceticism reopen to flow again.
Others might bear the marks of their lord, commonly the open hand of Irori of the interlocking rings, reflecting Irori's more meditative aspects. Often these marks are place over the chakra points of one's body.
Lamashtu - Lamashtan vindicators bear some of the most painful wounds to look upon. Most frequently such unholy warriors, regardless of sex, seem to be wounded from within as the skin their bellies torn open from within in a painful recreation of Lamashtan birth. These horrific displays alone are often enough to demoralize many enemies of their faith.
Also common are markings about the face, frequently wounds which give their mouths the appearance of having just feasted upon raw flesh or even seeming wider and more monstrous than they actually are. Wounds about the hands and wrists are often common, leaving their hands soaked and completing the look of a feasting predator.
Nethys - Vindicators of Nethys bear some of the more extreme stigmata known in the Inner Sea. The two most common configurations are:
A vertical line opens, bisecting the vindicator's body right down the middle.
Those who have particularly earned Nethys' favor however, display a more extreme version. One half of their body darkens and crackles, as if burning from within. Eventually this charred skin cracks with the shape of magical glyphs and runes, seeping blood charged with arcane and divine power. The vindicator becomes a conduit for raw power, and half their bodies are temporarily left ruinous by these energies.
Norgorber - Stigmata of Norgorber often reflect the aspect of that god revered most by the vindicator. For example, assassins often sport multiple stab wounds, leaving gashes like tally marks about their body. Worshippers of Father Skinsaw often have their faces obscured by blood seeping from their brow.
Pharasma - Pharasmin vindicators bear some of the most macabre stigmata marks of all the gods. While many bear wounds reflecting Pharasma's spiral mark or dagger, many others grow pale as an artistic representation of their very skeleton carves itself into their skin all along their body, their skin growing pale as their vitality is drawn forth to illustrate their own mortality.
Rovagug - Vindicators sworn to the Rough Beast bear terrible savage wounds, as if their bodies have been torn open by unseen maws. The most faithful seem to have entire chunks of flesh torn away, but maddeningly they hardly seem bothered beyond the loss of blood. Inded, most Rovagugi vindicators are so insane that even that matters little to them. Jaws are torn wide and loose. Limbs are ruptured, leaving only the barest of tendons and sinew to function despite all reason.
Their bodies being torn apart from within and without reflects not only what they seek to visit upon the world, but also the condition of their own damaged psyche and souls.
Sarenrae - Sarenraen vindicators seem to have stigmata that burn open from within as often as they open as cuts. Most often these "soul brands" take the form of ankhs, typically upon the brow or wrists.
It is very common for Sarenraens to bear marks reflecting old sins. These may be wounds they visited upon others, or more abstract symbols representing the spiritual burdens they still carry or have overcome. It is very common for Sarenraen vindicators from regions such as Qadira, Katapesh, and Osirion to bear the marks and whiplashes of slavery, which can reflect the enslavement they visited upon others, the suffering of slaves whose pain they must share, or their own declared bondage to the Dawnflower herself.
In Osirion, many vindicators shed tears of blood that flow in stylized patterns similar to the kohl designs of their native culture.
Shelyn - While Shelynite vindicators bear stigmata no less macabre than those of other goodly deities, they do tend to result in patterns others find unexpectedly and uncomfortably beautiful.
The most common patterns are the multiple puncture wounds of rose thorns, tracing around their limbs and bodies. Many vindicators actually wear climbing rose vines entwined about their bodies to inflict these stigmata, further turning their own suffering into a thing of beauty.
Bloody tears often flow freely, reflecting the deep mourning Shelyn's faithful feel for their Kuthonite kin.
Torag - Forge-induced burns upon the hands are a common form of stigmata amongst Toragites. Others still might bear bloody bruises over old wounds and the weaker portions of their bodies, as if these imperfections were being worked out over an anvil.
Urgathoa - Urgathoan vindicators tend to go deathly pale as their blood flows from the horrific gashes that mar the entire lower halves of their bodies. These wounds leave their bodies drenched in blood from the waist down. Wet, red footprints are a common sign that these agents of the Pallid Princess are present. While most often the upper halves of their bodies are left eerily unmarred and pristine, others bear more intricate marks there as well, such as representations of Urgathoa's fly.
Zon-Kuthon - Kuthonite vindicators are ruined works of art. The tapestry of their flesh plays host to every bloody atrocity imaginable. Some are stiched patchworks, bursting at the seams of borrowed skin. Some bleed freely from morbid body modifications. Others are perverse reflections of the stigmata of Shelyn.
Some weep blood in startlingly high volumes from one eye, reflecting Zon-Kuthon's own. Some are impromptu carvings done on the fly amidst battle. Some are old savored marks left by those above them in the clergy. Some are scars left by beloved enemies. All are blessings of Zon-Kuthon.
Some say that if the strange alien letters drawn by their dripping blood could be read, it would be a cry for help from the collective soul of the Kuthonite faith.
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The one that immediately jumped to mind is not a full god, but an empyreal lord: Vildeis, also known as the Cardinal Martyr.
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The one that immediately jumped to mind is not a full god, but an empyreal lord: Vildeis, also known as the Cardinal Martyr.
Good God, she would have all the stigmata.
Dammerich vindicators might bear the marks of execution they've had to deal others, particuarly a gash circling their necks what with that big honkin' axe their patron uses.
Naderi... Well, that one's obvious and holy @#$% dark.
Thank you! I think Vildeis and Shelyn are very interesting choices, but I believe I'll stick with Sarenrae (note alsp that all three are at home on Nirvana, home of agathions). I'm really liking the blood-tears imagery for this character, and that kinda cinches it- thanks!
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Thank you! I think Vildeis and Shelyn are very interesting choices, but I believe I'll stick with Sarenrae (note alsp that all three are at home on Nirvana, home of agathions). I'm really liking the blood-tears imagery for this character, and that kinda cinches it- thanks!
Thanky! Just kind of dug the idea of this seeping out of one's eyes spontaneously. :)
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I might add that the illustration of the guy with bleeding stigmata in the rituals of mortification section of Chronicle of the Righteous appears to have a representation of Vildeis' scarred breastplate holy symbol on his chest.
This indicates to me that 1) A common form of stigmata may take the shape of the deity's holy symbol in a prominent place, and 2) blood from orifices may count as well, such as blood flowing from behind your eyes, or out of your nose or mouth.
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While the imagery is explicitly 'bleeding wounds,' for flavor, I wouldn't see a problem with having someone displaying stigmata of Nethys appearing to be burnt over half their body, and the 'bleeding' would being more lingering damage from the burns. Burning pentacle-shaped brands would similarly work for Asmodeus, without actual 'bleeding' (more smouldering burning flesh in that area) but using the mechanics for a bleed effect.
A stigmata of Gozreh, Pharasma or, especially, Naderi might involve coughing up water (rather a lot of water...), instead of bleeding, although having the same mechanical effects as 'bleed damage' and not occurring so constantly as to mechanically affect breathing, speaking or verbal spellcasting (any more than a bleed effect would normally affect spellcasting, by perhaps forcing a concentration check for a long-casting spell).