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Azar
Master of Realmslore
1307 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Sep 2020 : 11:03:57
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Hello all.
While examining the NPC breakdown for a village I'm constructing, I happened to notice that the amount of healers - or, to be specific, those that can heal, even if that isn't their primary vocation - is rather low; there's a single priest (of Selune). Looking back at some of the prominent figures, I thought of the teacher/instructor in this quiet community; why not make him a follower of the Lord of Knowledge? This fellow is a bit of a maverick...he "retired" from a large church over in the Purple Marches after he obtained the rank of Loremaster Venturer, deciding that he wanted to introduce academia in a corner of Faerun often neglected by institutes of higher learning.
My questions are as follows:
1. Can one leave the organized aspect of their religion (assuming it is a non-Chaotic faith that places at least some importance on structure), continue their rituals/pious practices and still expect their god to answer their prayers (spells)?
2. Would a priest-teacher be required to advocate their religion to any youths under their tutelage or can they remain secular while "on the clock"?
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Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.
Earth names in the Realms are more common than you may think. |
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bloodtide_the_red
Learned Scribe
USA
299 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2020 : 17:36:44
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1.Yes. Only a few religions have such massive order anyway. But being a member of any order, or any mortal group, has noting to do with the faith of a person and their connection with their chosen god or goddess.
2.Required by who? As a member of a faith, it's a basic duty of all faithful to "advocate their religion". But unless the school is a faith school of one set religion to make knowledgeable faithful followers, they will be "secular while on the clock".
If your making a general school to teach general things, then you would most likely NOT be "advocating one religion". To take a random group of say farm kids and make then ALL followers of Oghma will never work: not everyone wants to be a scholar type. You might find one or two kids with just the right calling, but then you tutor them separately.
The Realms are a ploy religious society: everyone accepts the worship of many, many, many, many, many, many, gods. There is not much real "competition" for worshipers: it's a lot more what is in the individuals heart. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11743 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2020 : 22:46:26
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Like what was said, the realms is a very openly religious world. Unless your religion is a threat to some people, I don't see anyone being upset if you talk about it. The idea that you would be pushing anyone to convert to the religion though I see less of. It would be more like "and hopefully you can spare some of your time to give some worship to this god, because he's just as good to you as these other ones that you know about".
I do love the idea though of a cleric of Oghma, Deneir, etc... becoming a teacher for a community. They would push the idea of learning and how learning can be good for you. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Delnyn
Senior Scribe
USA
893 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2020 : 08:14:54
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What would the priest teach beyond literacy in the Common tongue? Most sages and scholars have specialized fields such as regional history or the biology of the local flora and fauna.
Do you know from where the priest was either raised from childhood, or where he or she spent the bulk of time as an active priest? That would inform you what skills and languages the priest picked up and practiced.
For example, someone from Deepingdale would be very likely to speak Elvish and a priest would read and write the Esprurar alphabet. Most children would learn perhaps woodcraft. The one or two gifted children would learn to read and write Elvish , and maybe even be referred to a friendly wizard for apprenticeship. The kids would not learn details about the Crown Wars except that they happened. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11743 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2020 : 12:02:11
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An Oghmanite would probably teach singing, music instruments, etc.. as well as stories pertinent to local lore. I can see both and Oghman and a Deneiran also teaching basic mathematics (as I link scribing as often with accounting). Although it might be more the realm of a gondsman, I could see them stretching into architecture as well (i.e. making plans via diagrams, maybe some basic geometry). When I say architecture though, it would probably lean more towards using tools to draw the pictures (i.e. a compass, a simple protractor, a t-square, rulers, denoting how to differentiate the local units of measure, etc...), which I actually half wonder if kids nowadays learn since it can all be done by computer. I can see kids being given scrap lumber and a classroom environment teaching how to measure and use tools to make toys or some basic amenities that we take for granted nowadays (somewhat inaccurate wooden measuring cups, wooden spoons and ladles, etc... which might become presents for their parents).
You know, this discussion makes me wonder when options for our modern world came into creation... things like crayons and colored pencils. I believe paints would have been an expensive thing more than likely for everyday kid use in our world up until recently with all the containers, brushes, etc.... EDIT: so it made me curious enough to do some research. We all know modern crayons are wax and "something else"... which apparently is charcoal and pigment. Prior to that though, they used "oil pastels" which was oil instead of wax, and Davinci was noted as using those even as far back as the 1400's (so assuming earlier). I honestly think it wouldn't be a bad idea for the realms to have actual crayons like we think of with wax, as it doesn't seem that much of a stretch. Maybe not as many colors, but it would be a wonderful thing to have them "discovering" recently and making available to children everywhere on the cheap. Maybe its something that was discovered in Anchorome, by the people of Fort Flame who trade with the Abeil of the land of the insect men and in the Adusgee forest for wax, and its only just now coming to Faerun. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 01 Oct 2020 12:16:10 |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 23 Oct 2020 : 23:02:23
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Seeker Azar,
quote:
1. Can one leave the organized aspect of their religion (assuming it is a non-Chaotic faith that places at least some importance on structure), continue their rituals/pious practices and still expect their god to answer their prayers (spells)?
I think it really depends on the faith and its requirements. I was just commenting to Master Krashos on another scroll that faithful of Bhaal were required to murder, once every tenday. That's a requirement, regardless of where you are at, etc. If you don't the presupposition appears to be that you don't continue to gain access to your spells. So, the idea for me is that as long as the person teaching is still meeting his requirements, I wouldn't see why he wouldn't continue to get spells. It would be hard for a faithful follower of Bhaal to "teach" in a small rural community of a few hundred though, haha.
quote:
2. Would a priest-teacher be required to advocate their religion to any youths under their tutelage or can they remain secular while "on the clock"?
I think that is likely to be the same answer as above for the most part. If his employer required him to not preach during school hours, then he wouldn't be able too. No 1st amendment protections for religion in the Realms.
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Azar
Master of Realmslore
1307 Posts |
Posted - 24 Oct 2020 : 23:27:27
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quote:
Originally posted by cpthero2
Seeker Azar,
quote:
1. Can one leave the organized aspect of their religion (assuming it is a non-Chaotic faith that places at least some importance on structure), continue their rituals/pious practices and still expect their god to answer their prayers (spells)?
I think it really depends on the faith and its requirements. I was just commenting to Master Krashos on another scroll that faithful of Bhaal were required to murder, once every tenday. That's a requirement, regardless of where you are at, etc. If you don't the presupposition appears to be that you don't continue to gain access to your spells. So, the idea for me is that as long as the person teaching is still meeting his requirements, I wouldn't see why he wouldn't continue to get spells. It would be hard for a faithful follower of Bhaal to "teach" in a small rural community of a few hundred though, haha.
A Bhaalite professor? Those final exams must be murder.
quote:
Originally posted by cpthero2quote:
2. Would a priest-teacher be required to advocate their religion to any youths under their tutelage or can they remain secular while "on the clock"?
I think that is likely to be the same answer as above for the most part. If his employer required him to not preach during school hours, then he wouldn't be able too. No 1st amendment protections for religion in the Realms.
Best regards,
Well, his "employer" is the town's parents; he managed to impress them - not exactly a bunch of bumpkins, mind you - with his breadth of knowledge to the point where they allowed him to teach their children. On matters such as these, I try to walk a fine line; my Realms aren't exactly the modern day (specifically, using a first-world Western template on social mores), but they aren't strictly medieval either (people are generally forward thinking enough to the point where there's an at least moderate pushback against the worst values endemic to our medieval era). As of right now, I am leaning towards the priest-teacher abstaining from extolling the virtues of Oghma's way to the class during regular hours, but he will broadly tutor the children showing a genuine interest in his religion. |
Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.
Earth names in the Realms are more common than you may think. |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2285 Posts |
Posted - 25 Oct 2020 : 20:14:03
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Seeker Azar,
quote:
A Bhaalite professor? Those final exams must be murder.
You good sir, win the pun award for the day! I have a player in my current campaign who I wished greatly had a way to scry in on this at this very moment to witness this. He is the lord of puns! lol
quote:
Well, his "employer" is the town's parents; he managed to impress them - not exactly a bunch of bumpkins, mind you - with his breadth of knowledge to the point where they allowed him to teach their children. On matters such as these, I try to walk a fine line; my Realms aren't exactly the modern day (specifically, using a first-world Western template on social mores), but they aren't strictly medieval either (people are generally forward thinking enough to the point where there's an at least moderate pushback against the worst values endemic to our medieval era). As of right now, I am leaning towards the priest-teacher abstaining from extolling the virtues of Oghma's way to the class during regular hours, but he will broadly tutor the children showing a genuine interest in his religion.
Yeah, that makes sense. As a student of ethics, I struggle with how I do and do not apply different era's of ethics to my campaigns. It's a struggle, but a fun one, and it causes an infinite amount of RP situations to come about!
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Retired priest of Oghma turned teacher?
