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Exactly what it says. I am enchanted by Divine Mysteries, and in large part because of all those sections about the relationships of the deities with each other (the theory about the love triangle between Abadar, Asmodeus and Irori, oh my gods).
And I, my players, my friends and my GM friends have accumulated our own headcanons and sometimes absolute home-made fanons about the relationships between deities during our games. And I, like Yivali, became very interested in seeing how other people see these relationships.
So what are your ideas, headcanons, fanons, theories, and anything else you can share about the deities at your table?
Disclaimer: Please be tolerant and respectful of each other. Just have fun.
I'll start with something simple and beloved - Eiseth and Ragathiel are sister and brother.
Eiseth is the daughter of Dispater and his first forgotten wife. And yes, the older half-sister of Ragathiel. This is my way of playing with the mysterious relation she might have to Ragathiel. Her quest to become an Empyreal Lord of vengeance and duty and her fall from grace is one of the reasons why the Heavens have distrusted Ragathiel for so long. Dispater is glad that his daughter has joined him and turns a blind eye to her defiance sometimes.
Ragathiel reciprocates Eiseth's hatred, and their skirmishes - when they inevitably occur - are among the most brutal.
Eiseth is what Ragathiel fears to fall upon, and Ragathiel is what Eiseth once aspired to.
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I've said this elsewhere, Cayden Cailean has slept with every divinity of a compatible orientation, except possibly Asmodeus.
Sarenrae is a bit embarrassed about this, though Desna teases her lightly.
Lamashtu is actually flustered every time he smiles at her.
Abadar claims he was drunk and it was one time and shut up (he does not however deny that he was less drunk that Cayden)
Irori refers to it clinically and compliments Cayden's athleticism
Gozreh takes pride in having confused Cayden, but had an enjoyable night overall.
Erastil... is straight. and too boring for Cayden anyway.
Iomedae... is a Lesbian, and Cayden has taken her to some divine bars to help her meet women into a military woman.
Urgathoa made Cayden realize the importance of safewords
Zon-Kuthon... Cayden isn't sure if he can actually get consent from him, so doesn't try
Arazni has been with him to satisfy her needs, and Cayden realized how fun it can be angry.
This is not him being super-suave, this is him being easy and easy on the eyes.
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I have a courtly knightly couple on my Golarion - and they are Ragathiel and Iomedae. Two too paladins for romance.
They feel out of place in Heaven, as a former mortal paladin and as a half-devil. And they have enough in common to find each other's company enjoyable.
They do not admit it publicly, because it would make one a target for the other's enemies, and because happiness loves silence. And they have too few moments of peace as it is.
And no, that's not a reason to meet, Iomedae is just worried about the devils and their influence on her homeland, and Ragathiel is fighting devils. And no, that's not a reason to meet, Ragathiel is just checking in on his former servant - hello, Hand of the Inheritor!
I just love the aesthetics of knights, a fighting pair who have each other's backs, and Iomedae and Ragathiel. Don't judge me.
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I believe Milani is Aroden's daughter, and that's why a chaotic opponent of tyranny was championed by and elevated to sainthood at the hands of the God of Humanity. Well, after she rejected that Elf half of hers, of course.
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Iomedae has her followers maintain shrines and temples to Arazni, though she does not order them to worship or follow her, just to maintain these areas.
Cayden Cailean was among the first to visit Nocticula's new divine domain bearing gifts of wealcome and spirits for her folowers.
Erastil is the grumpy old guy who just wants to be left alone, but keeps getting drug into other gods' drama.
I believe Milani is Aroden's daughter, and that's why a chaotic opponent of tyranny was championed by and elevated to sainthood at the hands of the God of Humanity. Well, after she rejected that Elf half of hers, of course.
Iomedae is the daughter of Aroden, because Inheritor then acquires new dramatic ironic notes.
And also because Iomedae has these notes of a divine hero like Hercules with her Acts.
And because this is another thing Aroden could do without thinking about the consequences.
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Oh... twisted thought. What if Iomedae is the daughter of Aroden... and Arazni? Aroden ascended and started ignoring the Universe, leaving Iomedae to worship the only form of divinity that paid attention to her, not realizing that this divinity was her mother. A mother who was all but abandoned by the God they both worshipped, and then betrayed, enslaved, and tormented.
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Oh... twisted thought. What if Iomedae is the daughter of Aroden... and Arazni? Aroden ascended and started ignoring the Universe, leaving Iomedae to worship the only form of divinity that paid attention to her, not realizing that this divinity was her mother. A mother who was all but abandoned by the God they both worshipped, and then betrayed, enslaved, and tormented.
Absolutely cursed. I like it.
A little orphan girl in Cheliax who never knew her parents, but who found a mother figure in the herald she served, to whom she addressed her prayers and who was always with her, guiding and supporting her with her power... Not even knowing that the beautiful Red Crusader IS her mother...
Since I mentioned Iomedae.
Iomedae is Inheritor. Inheritor of Red Crusader.
The sacred colors of Aroden are Green and Gold, the sacred colors of Iomedae are Red and White, and she did not change them even when she was a paladin of Aroden.
The Unyielding's sacred colors are Crimson and Gray. But she was once a Red Crusader, and I'm sure her second color was White. The color of purity and innocence, since lost.
And it seems that Iomedae is much closer to the interests of the Red Crusader than the Last Azlanti.
This is a topic I plan to explore in my Tyrant's Grasp.
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Ahem: Cayden Cailean takes it upon himself to be the divine welcome wagon. Whenever a new god ascends, manifests, is promoted, or otherwise arrives in the divine realms he greets them with open arms and full barrels of their preferred spirit. He complimented Nocticula's gallery while he enjoyed the first tour leaving her and her followers absinthe. Arazni found casks of wine in her garden and a note saying he didn't stick around because he knew she wanted to be alone. The Orc Gods are half convinced he's one of them because he's always in their divine realm with Massive barrels of Mead and whiskey.
Heralds have their own sometimes complicated relationships.
Thalachos, Spirit of Adoration, Thais and Hand of the Inheritor are good friends who enjoyed getting together - sometimes joined by the Night Monarch and Menotherian. Arazni was part of the club, but you know...
I think of the foursome as a party of cleric, bard, rogue, and paladin if I need to describe that dynamic.
Thalachos is the oldest of the party (at least that's how he feels), Thais is the youngest, and she's usually the one who brings chaos to the place.
Thalachos not only knew Arazni when she was Aroden's herald, but was also her friend. And was platonically in love with her
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My headcanon is that Iomedae is asexual, but not aromantic. She is not just a patron of knights and crusaders, but of the chaste, courtly attraction embodied by Lancelot and Guinevere, pulled between desire and dishonour, where the beauty is in the tension, perpetually drawn out but never consummated. She's also firmly monogamous, and thus flamed out of Sarenrae's polycule because it just wasn't working - Iomedae resented Sarenrae's attentions being divided and clearly not being the senior partner, while Sarenrae struggled with the idea of compassion and love restrained. They remain cordial allies, but there's an unspoken tension there between them that their worshippers have misinterpreted as doctrinal. She briefly considered Ragathiel as someone more closely aligned to her own ethos, but Ragathiel is too much of a Blood Knight for her tastes, and there's some resentment on his end over the Hand of the Inheritor leaving his service for hers. For now, she's content to be single.
My headcanon is that Iomedae is asexual, but not aromantic. She is not just a patron of knights and crusaders, but of the chaste, courtly attraction embodied by Lancelot and Guinevere, pulled between desire and dishonour, where the beauty is in the tension, perpetually drawn out but never consummated. She's also firmly monogamous, and thus flamed out of Sarenrae's polycule because it just wasn't working - Iomedae resented Sarenrae's attentions being divided and clearly not being the senior partner, while Sarenrae struggled with the idea of compassion and love restrained. They remain cordial allies, but there's an unspoken tension there between them that their worshippers have misinterpreted as doctrinal. She briefly considered Ragathiel as someone more closely aligned to her own ethos, but Ragathiel is too much of a Blood Knight for her tastes, and there's some resentment on his end over the Hand of the Inheritor leaving his service for hers. For now, she's content to be single.
I LOVE IT
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Iomedae and Cayden see each other as brother and sister. They disagree on many things, have different outlooks on life, but they share the same mortal roots, and hell, try to hurt one and you'll have to deal with the other. Iomedae is always willing to watch Cayden's back (even if she later tells him what she thinks about his recklessness), and Cayden is there to support her. And he's damn good at heart-to-heart talks.
He is also one of the few who can call her Meda.
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He is also one of the few who can call her Meda.
He pronounces it "Yo, Meda!"
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Kazutal is a conqueror-turned-guardian goddess and acts as a mother to much of the Arcadian continent. Arazni was an Arcadian in her mortal days, led away by that no-good Azlanti boy and then led to ruin by Avistani knights and undead from Garund. Clearly, these two can only come together one way...
...with a parade of nice Arcadian gods brought forward as potential suitors, presented with the earnest enthusiasm and adolescent frustration of a traditional auntie and a troubled young woman.
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Kazutal is a conqueror-turned-guardian goddess and acts as a mother to much of the Arcadian continent. Arazni was an Arcadian in her mortal days, led away by that no-good Azlanti boy and then led to ruin by Avistani knights and undead from Garund. Clearly, these two can only come together one way...
...with a parade of nice Arcadian gods brought forward as potential suitors, presented with the earnest enthusiasm and adolescent frustration of a traditional auntie and a troubled young woman.
It's time for us to start a "Kazutal is ready to be a mother figure for everyone in Arcadia who is younger than her (that is, everyone)" club.
My headcanon is a bit similar. Kazutal treats Arazni like a daughter - she is Arkadia's daughter after all. And while Kazutal tries to be philosophical about everything - children must one day take flight, leave their parents' home, find their own path, make mistakes... In Arazni's case, everything went horribly wrong.
Arazni is her youngest, most unfortunate and beloved child, who needs love and care so much. She has been deprived of them for so long.
And Arazni, of course, is a goddess who can stand up for herself, but...
"Don't talk to me or my daughter ever again!"
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Erastil and Jaidi are an extremely fecund couple and have produced hundreds of children. While Cernunnos and Halcamora are most well known, the rest often play a role in the folk worship, stories and mythology of those who dwell in the countryside.
Far more often than their parents, they on occasion take part in local festivals or aid villagers in ill fortunate.Others play tricks or set challenges.
These children of Erastil and Jaidi include Jack Barleycorn, Agharad the Lady of Flowers, Hollie Honeymead, Sion the Fox and the Herdlord.
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Back before Jaidi was a thing, I had speculated in the Conspiracy Theories of Golarion thread (which includes multiple posts relevant to this thread here!) that Erastil, the god of families and marriage and domesticity, was... unmarried and childless?
Well, yes, he has been all of that since his first love, Curchanos(sp?), was killed by Lamashtu.
Before that, he was a much earthier god, and not nearly so Lawful, but he has, in reaction for his burning hatred for the demon that killed his love, turned more lawful in opposition to her chaos.
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Pharasma, goddess of birth, also childless? What if one or more other gods, like Abadar and Gozreh, are her children?
But who was their father? Or does the goddess of birth even *need* a father to make babies? (Probably not any more than a god of fire needs a tindertwig to set something on fire!)
Back before Jaidi was a thing, I had speculated in the Conspiracy Theories of Golarion thread (which includes multiple posts relevant to this thread here!) that Erastil, the god of families and marriage and domesticity, was... unmarried and childless?
Well, yes, he has been all of that since his first love, Curchanos(sp?), was killed by Lamashtu.
Before that, he was a much earthier god, and not nearly so Lawful, but he has, in reaction for his burning hatred for the demon that killed his love, turned more lawful in opposition to her chaos.
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Pharasma, goddess of birth, also childless? What if one or more other gods, like Abadar and Gozreh, are her children?
But who was their father? Or does the goddess of birth even *need* a father to make babies? (Probably not any more than a god of fire needs a tindertwig to set something on fire!)
Oh, thanks for the link! I didn't know about that.
This is amazingOh, about Pharasma. What about Atropos (one of her daughters) and Mrtyu (Death's Consort LITERALLY)? I was told about them a couple of weeks ago and I was shocked.
I mean, WHAT? Pharasma beeped a dead mortal and then made him one of her psychopomps? And that's Mrtyu?
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This is more a practice of how one can interpret the actions of a god.
The Children of the Worldbringer believe that all of creation exists in a fallen state. We were never meant to grow old and decrepit, be ravaged by sickness, suffer from wars and natural calamities.
The cruel, so called 'Gods', keep us trapped here, forced to exist in a cycle of misery as their playthings. Perhaps most evil of all, they betrayed and imprisoned the Worldbringer, who was meant bring about the next era of existence.
You probably know the Worldbringer as Rovagug.
The Children of the Worldbringer are almost painfully nice. They run soup kitchens, hospices and orphanages. They'll invite you to dinner and help you if you need it. They also sincerely and emphatically believe that Rough Beast needs to be released and destroy everyone as soon as possible.
How this manifests varies. For some, it means preaching the end of suffering and denouncing false gods. For others, it means founding Jim Jones' style communes (which more often than not have similar outcomes). And for some, it means trawling through ancient texts and rituals, to find the final clue to releasing the Worldbringer.
This is more a practice of how one can interpret the actions of a god.
The Children of the Worldbringer believe that all of creation exists in a fallen state. We were never meant to grow old and decrepit, be ravaged by sickness, suffer from wars and natural calamities.
The cruel, so called 'Gods', keep us trapped here, forced to exist in a cycle of misery as their playthings. Perhaps most evil of all, they betrayed and imprisoned the Worldbringer, who was meant bring about the next era of existence.
You probably know the Worldbringer as Rovagug.
The Children of the Worldbringer are almost painfully nice. They run soup kitchens, hospices and orphanages. They'll invite you to dinner and help you if you need it. They also sincerely and emphatically believe that Rough Beast needs to be released and destroy everyone as soon as possible.
How this manifests varies. For some, it means preaching the end of suffering and denouncing false gods. For others, it means founding Jim Jones' style communes (which more often than not have similar outcomes). And for some, it means trawling through ancient texts and rituals, to find the final clue to releasing the Worldbringer.
Absolutely cursed. Perfect. I love it. Please can I use this as an idea for an adventure one day? My players will be delighted
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Absolutely cursed. Perfect. I love it. Please can I use this as an idea for an adventure one day? My players will be delighted
Please do! Glad you liked it - everything I post is always up for grabs.
The Children are based on a group of end of the world style evangelicals that lived near to where I grew up. Always lovely people but it was kind of surreal that they also believed we were all going to die in a fiery apocalypse any day from now.
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I've been lurking on this thread for a bit in an attempt to figure out what makes sense to share. I like thinking about the gods, so I have a lot of HCs. I'll just share 3 for now though, which are mostly inspired by Lost Omens: Divine Mysteries.
1. Since I don't think Aleth has an explicitly stated origin story, I like to think the nature of her existence is yet another mystery her followers tell stories about. She doesn't really comment one way or another on any of them, allowing them all to exist as competing narratives. I've jotted down different in-universe theories for this biography project I have with her. One is that she is speculated to be one of Dou-Bral's children; her own portfolio changed when he became Zon-Kuthon. Note that I don't really think that's how godhood works in the divine canon sense of things, but it's a story told in part to justify the actions of her worshippers in Nidal.
2. Just like how 'runtboss' (lmao) hobgoblins are able to effectively guide (well. Coerce) goblins into battle, a similar - though more equitable - dynamic exists between Genzaeri and Zugero. The latter is often depicted as trying (often futilely) to get her hobgoblin counterpart to relax, and there are comedic songs about the lengths Zugero goes to make this possible. Their actual interactions aren't necessarily like this, because Genzaeri does acknowledge the wisdom of resting the body and mind, but the trope persists.
3. One of my players has a Pharasmin cleric character and has been fascinated with the Boneyard and psychopomp ushers ever since. The Bones Land in a Spiral is, of course, the main religious text for those who ardently follow Pharasma, but in discussing their PC, we've also thought about how children raised in the faith would also hear more simplified stories that nonetheless communicate similar principles in said book. How The Pale Horse Came to Serve Pharasma and stuff like that. there's definitely a few about Pharasma, Mrtyu, and Atropos
and that's all for now!
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I was thinking about the death of Gorum and the general state of Golarion after his demise.
This new god is often called the Lord of Crimson. Other names include the Red King, Lord of Skulls, Bloodthroat, the Ash General and finally, the Last Roar of Gorum.
He is said to be what remains of Gorum's rage and ferocity, with none of the honour of the original. The Lord of Crimson is followed by the most blood thirsty warriors, often broken souls who can see no other purpose than battle. Ex followers of Gorum often follow the Crimson Lord, grieving champions desperate to avenge their former god. Humans and orcs are the most common followers, but anyone capable of wielding a weapon can join.
Followers of the Lord of Crimson seem to change. They lose empathy and compassion and all that is left is rage and hatred. They often go by the name of the Dead Legions, covering their skin in ash and adorning skulls upon their heads. Some manage to hold enough reason to be organised armies, but more often than not they are nothing but ravaging hordes.
Some gods have attempted to approach this former aspect of Gorum - they barely escape with their lives.
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This one necessitates a tiny bit of a spoiler.
Anyway, considering this is extremely NOT well-known knowledge, I do think gods around in the time like Calistria and so on knew him, even if only vaguely for some. And I think gods like Asmodeus and Pharasma would be aware of what Abadar had done. The Totally Not Malicious At All Why Would You Think That? question remains for Asmodeus: how did you do it, and would it be possible for you to do it again?
To that, Abadar’s answer always seems to be a firm no. Not because he doesn’t have enemies - I mean, Rovagug is right there - but because he can’t. However he pulled it off, it’s not something he could readily replicate in this current time.
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There exist a heretical sect of Rovagug worshipers who do NOT want him freed. They offer their heretical worship to draw off his divine power, and try to lull him to sleep. As a rule they do not use their divine power, they amass it because once they let that power out, they must KEEP letting it out. You may find one of them as an adventurer, but he is ashamed of this fact. And he is also one violent peaceful man.
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My theory involves some spoilers for Hell's Rebels regarding Mephistopheles:
My theory is that Mephistopheles wants to turn himself back into Caina and believes that observing the person-to-quintessence process would help him understand how to do it. Maybe he regrets whatever ancient deal he originally made with Asmodeus, or maybe he's trying to turn himself into the entire plane of Hell and somehow usurp Asmodeus' place. Either way, if the Silver Ravens can realize what is going on, maybe they use it to spark discord between Asmodeus and Mephistopheles and weaken the hierarchy of Hell...
Hand of the Inheritor/Hand of the Vengeance? Or maybe a Hand of Emotional Support?
The Hand was one of the first angels to support Ragathiel - before he became an Empyreal Lord - and became his friend and loyal ally, believing in him when Ragathiel did not believe in himself.
When Iomedae became a goddess, he asked permission to serve her because she needed a hero and a champion. A helping hand and support in those dark times.
The Hand may be broken after the Ivory Labyrinth, but he's still a protector, willing to take anyone under his wing in need. I mean, OF COURSE he's Arazni's Herald now.
Two very small headcanons for the price of one:
Arazni's scars are still there. Behind the high collars and gloves. They may not look as bad as they once did, but they're still there.
The descriptions in Dead Roads refer to Arazni as a winged woman. First of all, I think it's a crime that after all these years we haven't gotten any art of Arazni as a Red Crusader, that should have been an awesome sight.
Secondly, Arazni probably went through A LOT while in Tar-Baphon's captivity... And losing her wings is on that list.
Hi Set!
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Hi Set!
Oh heck I read this literally yesterday and then I told my friends about it and damn I love it. We love it.
Amazing| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Osirion Gods are a little uncomfortable around native Golarion Gods, And the Golarion Gods find the nebulous and intermingled familial relationships of the Osirion gods strange.
Lamashtu won't admit it, but she's afraid of Baba Yaga.
I think everybody's afraid of Baba Yaga. The woman could be a god if she wanted to, but decided it came with too many strings attached.
If we're getting into the Osirion gods:
Ra led the rest of his pantheon during the War in Heaven alongside the other gods, and then alongside the forces of Heaven and Hell against Rovagug, and that latter fight is where he first met Sarenrae. Over time the two grew close, both being sun gods who constrained a monstrous enemy that could devour the cosmos, Rovagug and Apep. Ra even became something of a mentor to her as she figured out her fledgling godhood and gave her tips about how to be the patron goddess of the Padishah Empire as it emerged. But by then he had already departed Osirion and left it to Horus, who in turn led the other gods to leave for their planar home(s). Sarenites don't always like to acknowledge the connection, since they think it diminishes her, but Ancient Osirian murals sometimes show Sarenrae standing beside Ra with his hand on her shoulder, the same way a father would be shown with a daughter, or a god supporting a king. Sarenrae has made it clear that she will no longer tolerate the deliberate destruction of Ra's iconography, even to convert it for her congregations. Horus on the other hand kept her at a courteous but professional distance, but his wife Hathor was a close friend, and has been inconsolable even by the Dawnflower herself since Horus and the others were cast out of Golarion.
Osiris judges (or at least, judged) the dead as he does in Ancient Egypt, but he did so with Pharasma's permission. When Set tore him to pieces and hid the pieces across the world, Isis sought them out. Whatever bargain she struck with Pharasma in exchange for resurrecting her husband remains between the two of them. But Osiris judged the souls of those who still worshipped the old gods as a lower court of Pharasma's tribunals. Isis is very careful that nobody knows what she agreed to, or rather, she had flooded the zone with many flamboyant and exaggerated accounts of what she might have agreed to and plays coy about which are true. Pharasma simply ignores all inquiries. Now that Osiris and Isis are gone, or at least their influence on Golarion is even weaker than before, his divine servants are trying to figure out what to do in his absence - do they just default to Pharasma's judgement again, or does Nephthys take her brother's throne and do the job that Anubis, Thoth and Osiris once split between them?
Sobek and Cayden are drinking buddies, and the two occasionally incarnate as a human and a lizardfolk to barcrawl - Cayden shows Sobek all the delights of Absalom's bars and brothels on a Friday night, Sobek shows Cayden the joys of a decent kebab, a hookah pipe and a bottle of date wine in Sothis, and the two are well known to the local guards of both cities who keep putting up Wanted posters of the two for their drunken shenanigans, unaware they're actually gods. Sometimes they invite Kurgess along, who doesn't really get the appeal of boozing but does like a well-run fight pit. They no longer invite Set after that night in Marblecourt.
Lamashtu tried, a long time ago, to destroy Apep herself, thinking he would be easy prey and she could devour the power of another god. She has not made that mistake again. With the disappearance of Ra and the gods that once protected him, Apep briefly manifested in the skies of Osirion before the lightning of Set blasted him back into the Twelfth Hour of Night. Not out of benevolence, but because if anyone is going to conquer and rule the cosmos it will be him.
All of the Osiriani gods consider Nethys an upstart and a usurper, an outsider who stole what was theirs, and is now partly responsible for the diminishing of their pantheon. Previously, there was only some tension between the clergy of Thoth and Nethys, since their mortal followers tended to come into academic conflict. Now it is open animosity among even the most amiable of them towards Nethys. Nethys, as usual, gives off mixed signals - he either doesn't care about their wrath and is confident he could weather it, or isn't even aware and might be surprised and offended to be blamed for it.
The true patron of the Crimson Reclaimers is Arazni AND Ragathiel. No one knows how exactly they met (though it's pretty clear it was in the Gravelands) or how the conversation went, but they decided to join forces.
Arazni's story resonates with him as similar to his own due to the mistrust born from an evil nature (heck, Ragathiel will likely punch you in the face if you say someone doesn't deserve trust or accepting just because of their background), and as the story of someone he's called upon to protect. Ragathiel takes her "Avenge the wronged" edict very seriously. Unfortunately, Arazni would not appreciate it if someone else did the vengeance for her. But Arazni is a practical woman, and if someone offers to help her with vengeance - no questions asked - she will not refuse.
This allowed Arazni to operate with less attention to herself, and gave the knights a little more legitimacy. Sad but true - the evil former Lich Queen was a less desirable patron than the hot-tempered Empyreal Lord, and Arazni herself did not want to be worshiped.At least she avoided unnecessary attention then. Now everything has changed for the better.
If their interference in the lives of mortals had crossed the line, Ragathiel would have stood before the other gods, shielding Arazni with all five wings, and said that it was entirely his idea.
And now Ragathiel is one of the few deities that Arazni is willing to welcome into Fields of Resolve.
P.S. Their interactions with Clareth resemble an angel (literally) and a demon (figuratively) on her shoulders. And both advise punching evil in the face.
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The recognition of the Irisseni immigrants from that other place their current queen comes from has caused many questions of how the Osirion gods came to be on this plane. and a name has been whispered during storms in the far north. the name of another god who may have come through, his wing beats like thunder, they whisper the name "Perun"
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the name of another god who may have come through, his wing beats like thunder, they whisper the name "Perun"
Do we really need another god of thunder, lightning, storms, and generally bad weather??
The Slavic deities really don't do much different than the Pathfinder-specific deities, do.
I expect that's why most of the Osirion deities aren't around anymore. Golarion got bored with them.
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The recognition of the Irisseni immigrants from that other place their current queen comes from has caused many questions of how the Osirion gods came to be on this plane. and a name has been whispered during storms in the far north. the name of another god who may have come through, his wing beats like thunder, they whisper the name "Perun"
Heck yeah - love Slavic mythos.
Now for a bit on the Eternal Emperor.
So the Eternal Emperor was actually reborn 12 years ago - and in spite of it being the Age of Lost Omens, his coming was foretold. A very senior member of the High Oracular Council had a vision of his birth in the poorest district of Changdo - fate is fickle, however, and before she could tell anyone, in her joy, she over exerted herself and passed away from a heart attack shortly after(to be fair, she was 109).
And so Liu, the eternal emperor, was born with no one the wiser.
Liu had a very ordinary upbringing, however, at 9 years old, his parents tragically died of a fever that swept through the district. From then on, Liu left Changdo, and has been travelling with a group of friends picked up from every corner of Tian Xia.
At 12 years old, there is nothing particularly exceptional about Liu - he does seem to have some innate leadership qualities, although one might argue he picked those up from his parents, both active members of their community. He likewise has very unusual dreams - of thrones and armies, of thousands bowing and calling for his aid.
There is also a ghost that seems to randomly appear - he looks oddly like a very old version of Liu and constantly grumbles about Liu not 'fulfilling his duty' and what not. Likewise, spirits, monsters and dragons often note there is something special about him, but are unable to pint point why (possibly an impact of the Age of Lost Omens).
Meanwhile, a few months ago, a note was found in the deceased Oracles office by an acolyte - fallen into the crack of the wall. The oracle had in fact noted it down before departing - and this note has been passed on to Zhao Meng, the Grand Oracle. Zhao had the acolyte's mind subtly wiped off the memory of the note, and is thus the only one aware of Liu's existence as the Eternal Emperor. Zhao isn't entirely convinced - but he has sent two members of the Lapis Watchers to follow Liu's trail, which strict orders to bring Liu back to Changdo - willingly or not.
Liu and his gang are currently in Hongal, and have had many adventures along the way. The Watchers have a long trail to follow - but they are persistent and many people will have stories of the Band of Liu.
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The recognition of the Irisseni immigrants from that other place their current queen comes from has caused many questions of how the Osirion gods came to be on this plane. and a name has been whispered during storms in the far north. the name of another god who may have come through, his wing beats like thunder, they whisper the name "Perun"
Surely no one can have missed that the Russian diaspora in Irrisen is very conspicuously Christian?
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So a fan theory that I have basically made canon for my setting is that Casandalee is basically Brigh's daughter, and they have a mother-daughter relationship. This is born out of the fact that her final renewal began at a monastary of Brigh in the Mana Wastes where she trained and learned of brigh and once she ascended to divinity, she was adopted by Brigh.
Casandalee is a young goddess that Brigh is helping to teach, to care for, like a mother teaching her daughter. And if you disrespect Casandalee then Brigh will be irate at you, ie expect curses. Likewise if you insult Brigh for Casandalee.
Consequently in temples devoted to One you will find a shrine to the other, and that it is basically unheard of for one to pray to one and never pray to the other.
Also in Alkenstar and the mana wastes while rather rare, you can find pilgrims going to the holy sites.
The recognition of the Irisseni immigrants from that other place their current queen comes from has caused many questions of how the Osirion gods came to be on this plane. and a name has been whispered during storms in the far north. the name of another god who may have come through, his wing beats like thunder, they whisper the name "Perun"Surely no one can have missed that the Russian diaspora in Irrisen is very conspicuously Christian?
I wonder what domains Jesus would give? and how they handle being christian in a land where gods are very much real?
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I wonder what domains Jesus would give? and how they handle being christian in a land where gods are very much real?The recognition of the Irisseni immigrants from that other place their current queen comes from has caused many questions of how the Osirion gods came to be on this plane. and a name has been whispered during storms in the far north. the name of another god who may have come through, his wing beats like thunder, they whisper the name "Perun"Surely no one can have missed that the Russian diaspora in Irrisen is very conspicuously Christian?
People were unhappy about the inclusion of IRL gods like Cernunnos or the gods of Osirion. I'm not sure Jesus H. Christ himself is a third rail that Paizo want to touch.
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People were unhappy about the inclusion of IRL gods like Cernunnos or the gods of Osirion. I'm not sure Jesus H. Christ himself is a third rail that Paizo want to touch.I wonder what domains Jesus would give? and how they handle being christian in a land where gods are very much real?The recognition of the Irisseni immigrants from that other place their current queen comes from has caused many questions of how the Osirion gods came to be on this plane. and a name has been whispered during storms in the far north. the name of another god who may have come through, his wing beats like thunder, they whisper the name "Perun"Surely no one can have missed that the Russian diaspora in Irrisen is very conspicuously Christian?
If they didn't, they could have just not included a Russian diaspora in the Lost Omens Campaign Setting. This would even, in many ways, have left the setting much improved.
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One: No, paizo will never touch that, not only to not bring the ire of the bible-thumpers, but also because they're sensitive to those here who have religious trauma from the most odious and hateful among his followers.
Two: Jesus would have domains of healing, redemption, and indulgence (charity). His divine skill would be crafting. He would be an optional Holy. and his holy weapon would be fists (for flipping tables).
One: No, paizo will never touch that, not only to not bring the ire of the bible-thumpers, but also because they're sensitive to those here who have religious trauma from the most odious and hateful among his followers.
Two: Jesus would have domains of healing, redemption, and indulgence (charity). His divine skill would be crafting. He would be an optional Holy. and his holy weapon would be fists (for flipping tables).
One is too true, though I think two highlights one of the difficulties: Which Jesus? Sure, Craft might be the most straightforward since craftsman is a better translation than carpenter I learned just this week. But a caster drawing on his power being able to opt out of Holy? Already dubious.
As for Domains, denominations disagree about which aspects to prioritize (or if he's even a deity?!). So instead of that mainstream Jesus, one might prefer Revelation's version w/ more devastating domains or parable Jesus (knowledge & secrecy) or prosperity-gospel Jesus (ambition & wealth) which would conflict with...and so on.Plus Jesus didn't indulge in fisticuffs (at least as written!). He whipped and was whipped, so a whip symbolizes his history better (and if he faces an animated table, he can trip it). And calling charity indulgence is bold, though he did feed the multitudes so it's not complete heresy, though statting him out at all will be. To some.
If that's not enough reason not to touch Jesus with a 60' Detect Traps spell, my block of response raises a third issue: How much forum space would people spend discussing issues the real world has hardly settled? Some would be dispassionate about subjects sensitive for others, and for many if not most these are matters best divorced from one's escapist hobby. So yeah, not a safe issue for Paizo to highlight even if a natural extension of an AP's ramifications. Best left to the whimsy of each table (w/ full player consent & consideration).
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(As a tangent, years back I collected a set of Bible passages that I was going to make into a meme to demonstrate that Jesus (and Yahweh too w/ a separate list) could qualify for any of DnD's nine alignments depending on which passages one chooses to prioritize. I'd only lacked the design programs (and arguably wherewithal) to assemble that grenade.)
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Well, my perspective is of a terrible Catholic (I could just never get a hang of the double-think necessary to follow the loving god they talked about, while hating all the people they want me to hate). So that's where I'm coming from. And you're absolutely right about the whole can of worms introducing him would bring. I WOULD love to talk about it, as long as it doesn't offend anyone.
FOR INSTANCE: Cayden Cailean LOVES Jesus' party trick. Sarenrae thinks he needs to butch up, but does appreciate his philosophies on forgiveness. He is one of the few divinities allowed to walk in the Garden of Arazni. He doesn't speak, or try to counsel her. He just sits, and appreciates it with her, though she notices the marks at his hands and head and side. It is ultimately Erastil he gets along best with, providing for his loved ones a simple, humble, honest life.
Erastil is like your favorite country, slightly old-fashioned but beloved grandfather who wants the best for you (in his own way). I mean, he's been happily married to Jaidi for ages, and he really would want the same for every one of his children and grandchildren (all the other non-evil gods, because we're all big family here... He makes exceptions for the very few he considers his age or close to it, like Kazutal).
Sometimes, like an overprotective patriarch, he tries to introduce those who he thinks would make a great couple. Sometimes this leads to misunderstandings. He tried to introduce Sarenrae, Desna, and Shelyn to someone to find out that the trio was in a polyamorous relationship... He apologized profusely. And in the end, he's just happy for everyone who finds their soulmate. It doesn't matter. Love is love.
Erastil wishes everyone happiness with their soulmate, and considers caring for each other to be the responsibility of everyone in the family. In some villages, there are tales of Erastil punishing cruel husbands and dishonest wives.