An excellent article describing a very non-traditional clergy. I would quite like to play a cleric of Procan as in a seas-based campaign as presented in the article.
My only concern is with it being said that Procan fathered the Oeridian gods of the winds and seasons. That could be a reasonable view now, but if one goes back in time pre-migrations, when the Oerid were nomadic horsemen, I doubt that was the case. It seems quite likely that they would have had gods of the seasons, but unlikely a god of the ocean. Or, if a god of the ocean existed, that he would be superior to or seen as the father of the seasons.
This then begs a question that should have been included in the article...how did Procan assume this position? When the wandering oerid discovered the ocean, did Procan arrive on the etherial waves, just in time to be worshipped? Over time, did the increasing importance of the sea result in a cosmological rearangement, so that a now-powerful Procan became to be seen as the father of gods whose worship predated his?
Or is this view of him as the father merely the opinion of his clergy, and considered wrong or even heretical by the clergy of Wenta, for example?
Or, is Procan ANCIENT...really the father of the seasons and the god of another ocean on another world, brought to Oerth with the arrival of the Oerid, nearly forgotten in their wanderings as horsemen, and re-emerged to prominance after they discovered the ocean of this world? _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:28 pm; edited 2 times in total
Procan is officially at least the father of the Oeridian weather gods, the Velaeri (sp?). The option I went with is not listed among Kirt's possibles (I don't think). IMC Procan was the supreme Oeridian god of weather, but mainly of storms. After all one of his titles is the Storm Lord. After the Oeridians migrated east and began significant maritime activity somebody had to become their god of the seas, so Procan took to that position and his son Velnius took over fully as god of the weather, but Procan still retained his storm aspect, at least on the sea. The way my campaign works gods can change their characteristics based on how their worshippers concieve them, just as much as if they knocked off some other god to gain their attributes -- I'm lookin at you Pyremius!
Interesting option, smillan_31, and yes, one I had not thought of. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
No, I didn't. That's something that's always bothered me about Eric Boyd's religious articles for GH and FR-the fact that his priests seem to do almost anything and everything [except counsel people, perform healings and exorcisms, consecrate marriages, and all the standard things you'd expect priests to do: get involved in trade, act as judges, and act in all other positions of society that could just as easily be filled by secular folk.
Boyd's work is amazing in the level of detail he gets into, but it's just not my personal style, that's all. Boyd actually has talent, unlike a certain fellow named Sean K. Reynolds.
I try to get away from that in my articles by hopefully describing how most priests will in fact act as priests as we know them do-preaching, missionary work, healing, counselling, marrying, officiating at funerals, you know, actual religious stuff. I then describe how adventuring clerics might act, what acts might earn them brownie points with their gods, etc.
I've tried both to extrapolate greater church doctrine based on the god's portfolio, and also to fit it into the greater setting-priests don't become judges, actors or merchants, but they minister to all these groups and perform the standard array of priestly duties for their parishioners. Adventuring clerics are usually an exception, released from many of these duties to take up other tasks. _________________ <div align="left">Going to war without Keoland is like going to war without a pipe organ. They both make a lot of noise and they're both a lot of dead weight, so what's the point in taking them along? </div>
I like your approach; especially if the dieties power is tied to his followers in some way.
It is no doubt quite a thrill for the peasants to see the spiritual warriors head off to combat the great evil or return with an ancient horde but how does that really effect the day to day struggle to feed, care and survive.
A priest with herbalism or cure light wounds is more important than a plate clad paladin traveling through the village for many commoners.
More interested in the role the faiths fill within society to gain adherents than another list of spells.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Canonfire! is a production of the Thursday Group in assocation with GREYtalk and Canonfire! Enterprises
