Iomedae, Paladins, and the Worldwound

[Ross Byers]

Iomedae has been a deity for 800 years or so. But she wasn't one of the 'Core 20' for the Inner Sea until the disappearance of Aroden a century ago.
Therefore, most of the paladins, clerics, and other various holy warriors in the first and second Mendevian Crusades were of other deities: Erastil, Torag, Sarenrae. The Knights of Ozem would have been one of the only sources of Iomedaen paladins at that time.

In the century since, Iomedae has become the paladin deity of Golarion. It makes me wonder how much of her ascension from patron saint/demigod to Core 20 deity has been a result of drawing paladins to the Worldwound, instead of merely filling the gap left by Aroden.

[David Neilson]

Well just because you are not one of the top twenty, does not mean you are not a big deal in a specific region. Besmara is not a top twenty, but she is well regarded in the Shackles.

[Ross Byers]

David Neilson wrote:

Well just because you are not one of the top twenty, does not mean you are not a big deal in a specific region. Besmara is not a top twenty, but she is well regarded in the Shackles.

Iomedae was well regarded in Lastwall. My point is that the Worldwound is part of what helped turn 'specific region' into 'the entire Inner Sea'.

[TheWarriorPoet519]

Don't leave out Aroden and Abadar. It seems implied that the former had lots of paladins in his faith (many of whom Iomadae inherited) and the latter has his share, as well. Shelyn also has Paladins.

[David Neilson]

Well actually I was thinking that the Mendevian Crusade has always been if not mostly Iomedaens, at least spearheaded by them. Lastwall is of course right next to the Worldwound, so the Knights of Ozem could respond almost immediately and I would guess a good fraction of these were Iomedaens. Also presumably other orders of Paladins would have other concerns in addition to the Worldwound, thus slowly response. While Iomedae is called out as having the demonic incursion as a very high priority.
Actually you should definitely leave out Aroden when the Worldwound opened up. All Paladins of Aroden had the rather severe issue of their diety being dead. Unless they had transfered Allegiance to Iomedae.

[Ross Byers]

Paladins of Aroden would not be as directly screwed as clerics of Aroden: Paladins do not have to choose a deity, even in Golarion, implying they draw some power from the ideal of Good (and Law, to a lesser degree) directly.

A paladin of Aroden would certainly be having a crisis of faith, and probably would find their supernatural abilities impaired somehow, but would not be as powerless as a cleric without his spells. Especially since Aroden was not Good.

[David Neilson]

Actually they do need to select a diety on Golarion. So they would be essentially a warrior until they get a new patron. Admittedly this still leaves them better off than a Cleric. Also given these are Paladins I would imagine a good number of them would fight in any case. So Aroden's own lack of purity in this case is immaterial.

[Shadowkire]

Ross Byers wrote:

Iomedae has been a deity for 800 years or so. But she wasn't one of the 'Core 20' for the Inner Sea until the disappearance of Aroden a century ago.

Therefore, most of the paladins, clerics, and other various holy warriors in the first and second Mendevian Crusades were of other deities: Erastil, Torag, Sarenrae. The Knights of Ozem would have been one of the only sources of Iomedaen paladins at that time.

In the century since, Iomedae has become the paladin deity of Golarion. It makes me wonder how much of her ascension from patron saint/demigod to Core 20 deity has been a result of drawing paladins to the Worldwound, instead of merely filling the gap left by Aroden.

You are half right about the first crusade, as it happened shortly after Aroden's disappearance. By the end of that crusade Iomedae had already absorbed large portions of Aroden's former worshipers. By the second crusade Iomedae was the primary paladin deity.

It was this increase in worshipers that raised her into the "top 20."