Priests and Faiths

[Lathander]

Here's an easy IC out:

As we can all agree in the FR/FK setting, deities exist as a result of the fervor of their followers. In FR canon, everal instances of worshipper neglect resulted in deity death. A logical extension of this is that deities desire more followers, and more priests. A PC who demonstrates an affinity to serve a deity, any deity, by desiring to be a priest is therefore valued by all gods. In the beginning, before affiliation is declared, a PC priest is granted some limited powers by ALL dieties, or deities as a pantheon if you will. They draw on this power, provided by the gods as a group, with the understanding that eventually the PC will choose one to serve. No deity wants to risk losing the potential worshipper, so they've all entered into an unspoken covenant to provide basic powers to would-be priests pending the PCs decision. Once the PC affiliates with a faith, further favor is granted via the corresponding deity.

[Horace]

That also would work great to explain the preternatural aspects of our FK mechanics. I was just basically looking for a way for my priest to still act in a fashion appropriate for a priest, without having to gloss over the aspect of clearly divine favor.

I appreciate all the responses. And while it didn't go the direction I started the thread in, it has 100% solved the problem in my own little world. Thanks for the soundboardery. I'm going to keep that word.

[Alvirin]

So...

Can you faithfully preach and behave up to some extent like a cleric of that faith would do, assuming tasks that are commonly done by clerics of that faith without...

a) Having any direct repercusion from the one that you would like to have as "patron"
b) Having repercusions from members of the church, no matter if you intentions are "honest"

?

Another questions that I have in mind, is IC for a unfaithed priest officiate ceremonies in honor for the one that he would like having as patron, and he fulfill the requisites to join that church and he wants to join it?

Would have it any repercussions from the god/church?

It is hard enough to find a niché for a unfaithed priest if that faith barely has any active members (or active members at all) and you don't know either IC or OOC when your priest is going to get faithed.

[Lerytha]

I would say it depends entirely on the faith manager/god.

For the record, if someone RPs an Oghman ceremony as an unfaithed priest, Lerytha wouldn't mind overmuch (although as a result of this discussion I'm sure there'll be a debate with the faith to see what they all think, so that might change!). There are (imo) some addendums to that:

a) is the priest (unfaithed) misrepresenting the faith?
b) is the priest (unfaithed) claiming -responsibility- he does not have?

Misrepresenting the faith is bad. Very bad. If that character wants to continue seeking Oghma, he would have to really make an effort.

With the second point, I have made a distinction between "power" and "responsibility". Power in this case is "spells", which an unfaithed priest may still have. "Responsibility" is claiming he is a full initiate of the Church, rather than just a faithful member of the wider church.

Why did I bother explaining how I would personally act towards a character unfaithed preaching/doing ceremonies for Oghma? Largely so people know how I would act and can tailor RP towards it if they want. And also, to make another point.

I think there are so many IC possibilities and variants that no one person on this thread can ever say exactly what the reaction/ramifications will be. I have just said (essentially) "sure, go for it". But if someone goes for it and does something that isn't right, or whatever, they may be criticised by my character. Other faiths might react differently, but I'll leave that for those faith managers, of course.

[Alvirin]

Actually I was thinking in the scenario "seldom played faith", certainly in a faith with two or more active members that actually care about the faith and the church as well, there is no need to pretend to be a priest of that church, you can stick with those characters RP your learning of the faith, observing any ceremonies/events that might organize them, help them and so on.

But what about those faiths that rarely have any active follower at any moment of the day? You have a priest that can't RP his learning and because not being member of a church, for the most part they have nothing to do besides looking for members of the church knowing (or thinking) that in many cases they will not find anyone because they have tried it for a few months and they didn't get any results so far. What is to do by those priests?

[Lathander]

Can you faithfully preach and behave up to some extent like a cleric of that faith would do, assuming tasks that are commonly done by clerics of that faith without...

a) Having any direct repercusion from the one that you would like to have as "patron"

Depends on the deity and the task. There would likely not be any DIRECT repercussion. The less involved the task, the less chance for repercussion.

b) Having repercusions from members of the church, no matter if you intentions are "honest"

You are asking us to speculate on the RP of PCs. I don't think any of us can or should project what another player will do. The repercussions, or lack thereof, fall solely in the domain of individual character traits. One faithed priest might not care, another might be very upset.

Another questions that I have in mind, is IC for a unfaithed priest officiate ceremonies in honor for the one that he would like having as patron, and he fulfill the requisites to join that church and he wants to join it?

I'm having a hard time understanding this question but will attempt to answer what I THINK you are asking. In this case, I would say that it is not appropriate to officiate official ceremonies of a church if you are unfaithed. Ceremonies are generally created by the church, as an institution, and not the deity. As such they are the province of the Church. You could invoke Lathander's name when healing someone, but if unfaithed, you shouldn't be presiding over an official Lathanderite wedding. Although, it might provide for some interesting anulment (?sp) RP later on! On second thought, let me restate, you COULD preside over such a wedding, but it would end up being technically illegitimate.

[Mariela]

If you think about it, in real life, when humans and rabbits used to worship many gods, it was not uncommon for the person doing such worship to be "unfaithed" by a particular god. In India, ifyou worshiped Krishna, it doesnot mean you do not also pay some respect to Kali and other gods, even if you were on the path of non violence, ect.

And if you read into your classic Fantasy literature, isn't that how good heroes get themselves into trouble? THe hero themselves are not religious and thus they don't ask when someone pulls out a can of magical whoopass out of their pocket to save them. They don't want to know where the power comes from, and this ends up being a shocking realization a few chapters later that the whoopass came from the God of the hero's enemy.

How else do people like the Maskarrans do not get lynched? Or any one leanding towards evil. Good has to have a respect for evil in at least the fact that without evil, good would have nothing to do in life.

Many societies, even in our "God is the One" society still have things like the evil eye. Spitting to not tempt evil spirits, or gods.. wait, doesn't it say our god is mighty and the only one? ANd yet we do these things in some area's of the world. In fact the rituals of thus are just as important as going to church on sunday.

The point is, play your character. I've had several characters who did not have a particular faith who ended up faithed because something caught their attention of that ONE god through RP and I patiently went through all the steps to finally get my symbol. I want to say like my bard for Oghma took like... 6 months of real time between prayer and getting the symbol. Yet, all that time she tried to keept o the faith and to explore the rules and rituals of it as she found other Oghman's to talk to and other temples of Oghma to visit.

Mariela followed Selune since day one of play. Her explaination was that Selune had been talking to her and calling her to service since she was little. She formally begain her follwing and training as a priestess at the Font of KNowledge for the basics andt hen was faithed in when she was worthy to be a public face of the moon. BUT! The point being, she n ever wasn't a follower or even thought herself not part of the faith.

If you are following the tenants of your god, why are you worried about he symbol?

[Raona]

I'd second the sentiments immediately above: an unfaithed priest should talk up at least one deity, may talk up several or even all of them. If they ever settle down to clearly preferring one, they faith apply and in time become accepted and completely devoted to that one faith...but before that, they are generally religious sorts, still sorting out what it all means and where they fit into everything...and as Lathander nicely explained, it makes sense that all of the gods would therefore chip in and help them a bit.

[Nysan]

If you think about it, in real life, when humans and rabbits used to worship many gods,

Rabbits...