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After an extended hiatus, caused by a rotating roster of unstable players and one friend moving away, my player decided they wanted to reboot their Kingmaker game from scratch. We had been engaged in the early parts of RRR, and decided that there were enough continuity interruptions to warrant starting over. This time I went from a largely irreligious party to one featuring a Cleric of Asmodeus who wants to form his own order of Hellnights and a Medvyed Summoner who wants to unseat Lamashtu by passing the Test of the Starstone and stealing her dominion over beasts. I feel that religion will play a more central tone on this play-through and hope to challenge both players through meaningful political interaction.
To this end I have Jhod playing an open role at the Statue of Erastil and the Temple of the Elk. They will also be strong in Tatzelford. This makes them, at very least, a regional power. Hunts of dangerous beasts like the Tatzelwurms, Hodag, Crackjaw, and Tuskgutter will be celebrated and become symbols among their faithful. As a tie in I'll be running "Fane of Fangs" as an attempted demonic incursion, which should attract the attention of both players mentioned. In terms of population they may be the largest or second largest portion of the faithful,
My cleric respects Abadar, and will likely encourage patrons of the god of cities and civilization into the realm to encourage trade and build up the cities themselves. He views them under Asmodeus's shared aspect of civilizers. My player will preach unity in their faith, most likely. I've even stated that Oleg keeps a small devout shrine to Abadar in his outpost, even though it looks poor do the bandit attacks. Their faction will likely be small but wealthy giving them some disproportional power.
The deity most likely to compete with Old Deadeye is Pharasma. Pharasma's role in my campaign in two parts. First she serves the commoners of the kingdom. She goes among farming communities, helping give birth to children, and livestock, assisting with the planting and harvesting of crops, among other encouragement in day to day tasks. For the Kamelands, this faction will grow with every farm tile placed, and under the leadership of their high priestess a simple, but influential growth will occur.
Pharasma's other role will be the Quietists. The quietist are a sect of undead hunters that arise after the Stag Lord has been deposed. They will come and purify the graves set along the Stag Lord's Haunted Hillside. If my PCs throw the Stag Lord's Corpse to Davik Nettles, the Quietist's will view that as holy ground, and build a monastery there. They will restore the the toll bridge to fund the monastery, and perform baptismal confessions for the grieving, or those that feel they wronged the dead so that they can bring the restless peace. When the PCs are done with the Ransuer it will be attempted to be bought by the sect and enshrined as holy weapon. After the Lonely Barrow is found the Quietists will assume their presence is needed in the Stolen Lands and start militant patrols seeking out rumors of undeath in order to oppose it. Gyronna will likely be opposed by the other faction oddly enough.
Meanwhile, my cleric of Asmodues will likely be acquiring new converts. If they spare the Sootscale, I suspect that the Kobolds may make interesting followers. I also think among those concerned with personal honor and lawful behavior he may have a voice. Eventually he'll invite in someone to help him become more than an armiger, and in turn build up to becoming a lictor of his own order.
I suspect his enemies will likely come from a chaotic block of followers of deities. Gorum is likely to be popular with at least some of the more lawless Issians, and Riverlanders. The call to conflict and battle will likely ring a few times in later books, as Gorum has no problem with his warriors fighting among themselves. There is also likely to be common ground between Pharasma and Asmodues in containing the brute. Calistria is also likely to be among the Rostlandic population as the civil war to the north displaces them from their homes. Gralton or Elven influences may follow the Savored Sting. Cayden Calien comes with the same bravado, and Mivonese foreign influence, that my player's cleric will view both as destructive influences on precious order. Desna is likely to be minor until the Nomen Tribe becomes an influence, and by then at least the Greenbelt will have an early establishment in place.
So how do these factions interact with one another? Given my player's goals is there anything I should look for during the campaign? Are their religious factions that I'm missing that may have an important impact on the people or players? Is there anything I can do to prepare, or anything I should consider adding or taking away?
To this end I have Jhod playing an open role at the Statue of Erastil and the Temple of the Elk.
I don't know what you mean by "open role."
I also don't know if the "they" in the next sentence is referring to followers of Erastil or the PCs.
"They will also be strong in Tatzelford. This makes them, at very least, a regional power. Hunts of dangerous beasts like the Tatzelwurms, Hodag, Crackjaw, and Tuskgutter will be celebrated and become symbols among their faithful. As a tie in I'll be running "Fane of Fangs" as an attempted demonic incursion, which should attract the attention of both players mentioned. In terms of population they may be the largest or second largest portion of the faithful,
I think that the intent of the 1st and 2nd book of the AP is that Erastil is the regional power that PCs will encounter the most, at least until their nation's new citizens bring in their own religions and the party meets new factions in the Stolen Lands. Obviously, you are welcome to tweak the AP as you see fit, but keep in mind that Erastil is built into the campaign, at least at the early levels. There's the statue of Erastil that can give the party a blessing, the Temple of the Elk is an Erastil temple (with a disgraced Erastil priest still living there), and one of the best magic items the players will encounter in the first few levels of the game has special abilities if used by a follower of Erastil. Plus, Erastil is a god of farming, and he's been worshiped in that region long before Pharasma's influence is felt (unless you tweak the AP, of course). It makes sense to me to have Erastil have a large and established presence right at the beginning, and that could affect the way your AP will play out.
Also, are the fey in your campaign religious? If so, their spiritual beliefs will very possibly be adopted by many of your nation's citizens.
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To this end I have Jhod playing an open role at the Statue of Erastil and the Temple of the Elk.I don't know what you mean by "open role."
I also don't know if the "they" in the next sentence is referring to followers of Erastil or the PCs.
"They will also be strong in Tatzelford. This makes them, at very least, a regional power. Hunts of dangerous beasts like the Tatzelwurms, Hodag, Crackjaw, and Tuskgutter will be celebrated and become symbols among their faithful. As a tie in I'll be running "Fane of Fangs" as an attempted demonic incursion, which should attract the attention of both players mentioned. In terms of population they may be the largest or second largest portion of the faithful,I think that the intent of the 1st and 2nd book of the AP is that Erastil is the regional power that PCs will encounter the most, at least until their nation's new citizens bring in their own religions and the party meets new factions in the Stolen Lands. Obviously, you are welcome to tweak the AP as you see fit, but keep in mind that Erastil is built into the campaign, at least at the early levels. There's the statue of Erastil that can give the party a blessing, the Temple of the Elk is an Erastil temple (with a disgraced Erastil priest still living there), and one of the best magic items the players will encounter in the first few levels of the game has special abilities if used by a follower of Erastil. Plus, Erastil is a god of farming, and he's been worshiped in that region long before Pharasma's influence is felt (unless you tweak the AP, of course). It makes sense to me to have Erastil have a large and established presence right at the beginning, and that could affect the way your AP will play out.
Also, are the fey in your campaign religious? If so, their spiritual beliefs will very possibly be adopted by many of your nation's citizens.
Open Role. Last time we had ran this Jhod, and Erastil ended up just being related to quests and note having an impact on the politics or campaign. It was just something that happened in the background, passively. This time I plan to spotlight the faith because it matters, and will have an impact on at least one of my player's plans.
To me I view the stolen lands as empty save for the monster populations, save for transient merchants. Erastil has a history in the region, but there are no more than a few hundred people's in the region anyways. Any migrated effort will overwhelm the established faith in the area. What attracts Erastil's followers back to the area is that history, and the frontier environment. However Pharasma is the common faith of Brevoy. Brevoy who is sponsoring the expedition, Brevoy who is seeing people displaced from civil war. Pharasma has the strongest grasp over the majority of people moving there, as opposed to who is already there. Also view Pharasma as a goddess of the fields is only in her purview of death and rebirth, but it is one that I feel matches this description from the book, "Our lady of Gentle Repose is the divinity of the common people of Brevoy, more concerned with cultivation, birthing, and harvesting than wealth" ... Erastil is mentioned as "not uncommon in far flung rural areas"
Not to say that these wouldn't be more pluralistic. "A Brevic peasant's life is largely the same throughout Brevoy- up with the sun on the short spring and summer months to tend the fields in Rostland, or fish and mine in Issia, with household chores filing up the rest of the day. In the long, dark winter months there is no shortage of mending, brewing, carving and cleaning. Men visit local taverns or tap-house in the evening and such places host dances or revels perhaps two or three times a season. The wise man attends to his own house and avoids the attention of noble and priest alike., praying to all their gods simply for decent weather, good crops, a healthy family, and the peace which to enjoy them." Given mention of above decent weather is likely Gozreh, good crops is Erastil, healthy family is Pharasma, evenings for ale and dance is Cayden Calien... after all "Brevans make it a point to honor all gods"
Sounds like you've thought a lot about it. Well done.