L'Eglise de Razmir
| L'Eglise de Razmir | |
|---|---|
| (Organisation) | |
Source: Occult Mysteries, pg(s). 22 |
Church of Razmir others. Those who seek to rise in the church must do so Many offer prayers to distant and uncaring gods, yet why
bother with a god who might not even know you exist? For a few bold iconoclasts, the true path to power involves offering up prayers to the Living God, Razmir-a being who takes a direct and personal interest in the world's affairs. From his seat in Thronestep, in the country that bears his name, Razmir rules over his nation and his faith, guiding them to power and prosperity.
The faith is organized around various ecclesiastical ranks called "steps," with the idea that ascending through these levels of faith leads the aspirant closer to Razmir and his divinity. New converts find themselves sent to First Step, a fortre ss in Razmiran's Exalted Wood. While some never return from this great black edifice, those who do find themselves forever changed as they emerge and are issued a simple iron mask and plain white robe. These acolytes are absolutely faithful to the church, willing to do almost anything to further its goals. As a member ascends in the church hierarchy, she is awarded new masks and robes according to her station, as well as other privileges, such as access to bountiful riches, loyal servants, and willing concubines and gigolos. Razmir promises unquestioned power and worldly pleasures. The only cost is absolute loyalty and obedience.
In truth, while Razmir does indeed reward quality service, he does not share his divine power, nor does he respect those who rely on using their own cunning and ability, filling the upper echelons of the faith with some of the most ruthless and power-hungry individuals in all of Golarion.
The Church of Razmir is a relative newcomer to Golarion. Founded only 47 years ago, the church is constantly looking for ways to expand. Although currently limited in influence to the lands around Lake Encarthan, where its faith barges constantly sail to spread the gospel, the church sends missionaries far and wide to spread the word. If a community seems at all receptive, the church sets up a shrine, allowing missionaries to manipulate local politics and expand their influence. Although they often start by gifting food, drink, and even gold to the locals in a display of Razmir's prosperity and beneficence, these gifts quickly turn into loans and coercion. Of course, ifthe residents accept Razmir and donate regularly to the church, such pres sure is unnecessary.
Their strong-arm tactics make disciples of Razmiran generally unpopular with members of other religions, who see them as little more than a well- organized gang seeking to expand their protection racket-yet as some Razmiri priests point out, the same could be said of most religions, and at least the Church of Razmir follows through on its promises and takes a direct interest in the worldly success of its faithful.[1]
CHURCH OF RAZMIR[1]
Those who seek true power devote their lives to the Living God, Razmir. His faith is one of prosperity and power and those who worship him can share in his bounty.
Location Thronestep (Razmiran)
REQUIREMENTS
Initiation Fee Varies (poor acolytes get in for free, while those with wealth might be expected to pay up to 500 gp)
Initiation Test Those who join the church must travel to the fortress of First Step to be trained. Once there, the acolytes are subject to various powerful spells and alchemical concoctions fashioned to erode their will and make them easy to educate. Those who fight against these methods are locked away deep beneath the keep and are never heard from again.
Offerings 10 gp/service period
MEMBERSHIP
Obeisance Check Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Use Magic Device
Service Period 1 month
Excommunication 3 consecutive failed Obeisance checks (execution)
ACTIVITY
Conversion (+1 Fame) Once per month, you can convert the owner of a local business, a government official, or a noble with a successful Diplomacy or Intimidate check (DC equal to 10 + your Fame) to increase your Fame by 1. The DC increases because you must continuously convert increasingly resistant locals to impress the priests.
AWARDS
Ascendant (10 PP) You advance to become an acolyte of the second step. Your can add a gray sash to your robes, indicating your increased standing. Once per month, you can call upon the aid of two acolytes of the first step, who follow your orders without question (unless the orders are suicidal or obviously against the tenets of the faith).
Treat these acolytes as Ist-level warriors. The acolytes serve you for 1 day or on one task, whichever is of shorter duration. You can also borrow up to 100 gp of nonmagical gear from the church to outfit these acolytes, but you must replace anything that is lost or destroyed.
Domain (5 Fame, 20 PP) You are given control of an area in a city that the church controls. While you do not dictate business practices or day-to-day operations, you are treated deferentially at all businesses in that area (usually about five, offering various different goods and services).
If the businesses openly support the faith, treat NPCs at these businesses as if their attitude toward you were one step better than it would be toward others. Businesses that secretly oppose the church might seek to undermine you, subject to the GM's iscretion. In addition, once per month you can request a contribution from these businesses. While you must donate much of this money to the church as part of your monthly offering, you receive 1d6 x 10 gp as a stipend for gathering this wealth. If these businesses offer services or nonmagical goods, you receive a 20% discount on these goods and services.
Intimidating Student (5 PP) You have earned a reputation for being fierce and demanding, causing those you encounter to give in to your wishes more readily than they would to others. You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff and Intimidate checks. In addition, when you successfully use Intimidate to demoralize a foe, that foe is shaken for 1d4 additional rounds.
Using the Church of Razmir[1]
Whenever the Church of Razmir appears in a town, there is bound to be conflict with the local government, businesses, and other religions. The following adventure hooks are suitable for those dealing with the church, as well as those seeking to become members.
Business Opportunities: The church has decided to expand its influence over local businesses. Their plan involves having a number of acolytes commit petty crimes against targeted businesses, such as burglary, vandalism, and assault (while not wearing their robes, of course). As the pressure on local businesses mounts, the church offers to help stop the crime spree in exchange for a small donation. Over time, this evolves into a relationship in which the businesses pay to protect their properties from the rampant crime. Non-Razmiri characters are called in by a local trade guild that does not want to deal with the church, while prospective acolytes are tasked with convincing the businesses to pay up.
Faith Barge: Traveling around the shores of Lake Encarthan and up and down the nearby rivers, these barges bear missionaries bringing the word of Razmir to the ignorant masses. When they dock in a town, the missionaries' first j ob is to impress the locals with the wealth and power of Razmir, which is often done by throwing a raucous party at which they hand out free food, drink, and even money. During the festivities, the missionaries talk to the local business owners, hoping to find one who might be susceptible to their message. If successful, they leave a member or two behind to found a new shrine to the Living God. Not surprisingly, such visits end up causing chaos in town as the local leaders attempt to maintain control over the town after the visit. Local defenders are often called upon to look into these visitors, while neophyte priests are often sent on such journeys to spread the word ofRazmir and earn money for the church.
Local Respect: The other faiths in town treat the church ofRazmir like a petulant upstart, and for the most part, the local townsfolk agree. The church has decided to start a campaign to improve its standing among the locals while simultaneously discrediting the clergy of other faiths. They throw lavish parties for locals, inviting them to enj oy free food and drink, while quietly running a smear campaign against priests of other churches, revealing scandalous secrets (some of which are likely lies). Non-Razmiri characters are asked to investigate the source of the recent rumors, while Razmiri characters are tasked with spreading them even further.