| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 02:20:41
|
How would you work that religion into your campaigns?
It seems to be similar in some ways to Sinanju (from the Remo Williams novels), except that Sinanju is more of a philosophy then an adherence to a deity. The whole 'social assassin' thing seems to be a related concept - "killing for the greater good'. Perhaps even similar in some way to the Thuggee cults of Kali. Ive got variants of those in my Eastern Realms.
And, of course, beyond the cool 'assassin religion' angle, there are the faces... it just screams "put me in a D&D setting!"
|
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
|
Edited by - Markustay on 15 Jul 2015 03:48:51
|
|
|
Eltheron
Senior Scribe
740 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 02:50:39
|
Bhaal is the many-faced god of death.
God of assassins, the Slayer, the Reaver, the merciful death after suffering. Bhaal is death in all of the forms of death, from the quiet death of old age to the more violent forms of murder. Bhaal can be painful, or merciful, but he comes inevitably to all.
Bhaal is already in the Realms.
|
"The very best possible post-fourteenth-century Realms lets down those who love the specific, detailed social, political and magical situation, with its thousands of characters, developed over forty years, and want to learn more about it; and those who'd be open to a new one with equal depth, which there just isn't time to re-produce; and those repelled, some past the point of no return, by the bad-taste-and-plausibility gap of things done to the world when its guardianship was less careful."
--Faraer |
 |
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36963 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 02:55:27
|
| The Fallen Blade books that I'm reading, by Kelly McCullough, have an order of assassins that serve the goddess of justice. She sends them on missions, to take out rules and such who would otherwise escape justice. Her Blades are not killers for hire; it's a religious order serving the cause of Justice. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
|
|
|
Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 03:58:05
|
That sounds similar to the many-Faced God. They only kill people that the god has judged deserving of death.
Bhaal, to me, is just a murderer. There isn't the sense of 'justice' that the Many-Faced god represents. I suppose, though, that you can't really have both, the rules of Realmspace being what they are. You have to take away 'general murder' from Bhaal and just give him assassination (murder for money) and psychopaths (murder for pleasure).
The Many-Faced God is sort of a cross between Hoar and Bhaal. I suppose Hoar could be used, but its not a perfect fit either (although I do like the idea of sticking this 'cult' in one of FR's 'Middle-Eastern' cultured nations). Could even be a heresy - that Hoar and Bhaal are one and the same. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
|
|
|
|
The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1885 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 04:35:04
|
GoT is so full of good additions to a game it's hard to know where to start. The Many-Faced-God is one of the best aspects of GRR Martin's world and I've begun incorporating it into my homebrew as a recent arrival. The MFG arose as a response to the loss of Bhaal and what many Faerunians perceived as a distinct lack of representation of their interests (my campaign is rather gritty/dark).
In my homebrew, the mortal who arose will be modeled after Arya Stark (my favorite character from the novels). She worshipped Hoar and embraced all of his teachings equally (both poetic justice as well as vengeance). But, because Hoar in my game is more of a god of retribution, the MFG took his focus on 'justifiable homicide' from him, as well as the more merciful aspects of slaying (euthanasia, for instance).
As Im currently rebuilding my own campaign world I've yet to decide how exactly I want to implement the MFG (though it will still include a mortal girl rising to the position, just in the ancient past). The above is how I'd include it in an actual Realms-based campaign though. The Avatar Crisis does provide an easy method of inclusion for some deities from other sources to be ported over (the Raven Queen, for example). |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
|
|
|
Eltheron
Senior Scribe
740 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 08:13:27
|
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
That sounds similar to the many-Faced God. They only kill people that the god has judged deserving of death.
Bhaal, to me, is just a murderer. There isn't the sense of 'justice' that the Many-Faced god represents. I suppose, though, that you can't really have both, the rules of Realmspace being what they are. You have to take away 'general murder' from Bhaal and just give him assassination (murder for money) and psychopaths (murder for pleasure).
The Many-Faced God is sort of a cross between Hoar and Bhaal. I suppose Hoar could be used, but its not a perfect fit either (although I do like the idea of sticking this 'cult' in one of FR's 'Middle-Eastern' cultured nations). Could even be a heresy - that Hoar and Bhaal are one and the same.
I'm not sure where in GoT you're getting the impression that the Many-Faced God acts to promote justice.
His "faceless" followers believe that death can be merciful, and grant it to people who seek an end to their suffering. They also believe that assassination is a sacrament to their god, and that in different parts of the world he has different names and faces.
But justice? Nope. The faceless men are contract killers. Anyone who hires them to kill someone may believe that they're justified in hiring them, but it's not like the Faceless Men say, "oh, sorry, we only kill bad people deserving of death." In fact, the whole plot line with Arya seeking training so she can gain revenge (which in her mind is justifiable) or kill people who "deserve" it is frowned upon by the Order.
Justice in GoT is entirely a gray area, and the Faceless Men are hired by all sorts of people with different justifications for wanting them to assassinate their enemies. It's more about balance than justice or anything else. When Arya saved Jaqen and two others, he required her to give him three names (any three she wanted killed) in order to provide balance for depriving the Red God of three deaths. He didn't care who she chose.
And while Bhaal has been seen in a couple novels just as the god of murder, people forget that his portfolio is death. Not, "the dead" which was Myrkul's and later Kelemvor's, but simply death. All kinds of death - not just murder, not just mercy killing, but all kinds. Murder is simply the quickest way for Bhaal to be fed death, and he liked to be fed, so he reveled in killing. Wars with high attrition would also make Bhaal pleased.
|
"The very best possible post-fourteenth-century Realms lets down those who love the specific, detailed social, political and magical situation, with its thousands of characters, developed over forty years, and want to learn more about it; and those who'd be open to a new one with equal depth, which there just isn't time to re-produce; and those repelled, some past the point of no return, by the bad-taste-and-plausibility gap of things done to the world when its guardianship was less careful."
--Faraer |
|
|
|
Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 14:32:30
|
I think I've decided to just drop it in, almost as-is, in the Sentinel Spire (Cave of the Old Man in The Hordelands). It could just be a heresy that started in Mulhorand and was driven out centuries ago, and now abides in that location (given it access to several different settings, not just Faerūn).
If I wanted to go with canon (which my Misbegotten Realms doesn't), I could easily say they were driven out of The Old Empires just one century ago, and took the place of the Bhaal worshipers there (after the events of the novel, Sentinelspire). Considering 4e's lack of much detail and the 'cosmic shake-up' which occurred, no-one would even notice a new god showing up (or an old god incognito). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
|
|
|
|
silverwolfer
Senior Scribe
789 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jul 2015 : 20:02:37
|
| Honestly, that sort of thing may fit in with a heratics view of the 4e transition. Remember grummish turned out just to be an aspect of a destruction god, and a bunch of others turned out this way. I think this view of godhood may be best left in the various heratic views of the world rather then one large system. The many face god thing was a very small section of folks in a very secretive system of worship. |
|
|
|
Marc
Senior Scribe
662 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2015 : 23:05:59
|
it could be an alternate version of Cyric, not so barmy, after he killed Leira and got the portfolio of death
or Leira took his face |
. |
|
|
|
sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12189 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jul 2015 : 02:20:58
|
Definitely, from the horde boxed set, Alaodin, the old man of the mountain, and his assassins in Sentinelspire would fit. Having 3e versions of assassins, ninjas, etc... in the area would fit.
However, a sect of Leiran worshippers who take on the task of learning how to "become" another individual and thereby assassinate people would also fit, especially the part where they change their faces, etc.... The fact that part of their religion focuses on this kind of deception absolutely fits her faith. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
GoT's 'Many-Faced God'
