Paladin of Yog-Sothoth - Suggestions?

[Rechan]

So, I started a new campaign. And I told the players "I'm making my own setting, but I'm being very relaxed about it. I'm not going to overtly decide on all the gods. So, you want to be a paladin or cleric? Pitch me a god."

So a player took me up on the offer. He picked paladin, turned to me, and said "I want to worship Yog Sothoth."

I grinned. I can work with that. Especially for my campaign. Besides, the notion amuses me to no end.

The character is not being open about his faith, for obvious reasons, but I've made Yog Sothoth fairly obscure. The player looked up Yog and discerned that Yog, among other things, is associated with the element fire; I can work with that too.

However, the Player asked, "So... what are my rituals/tenants? When I pray, what do I do?" And I think I should add to that question, "What is my code as a Paladin".

Any suggestions out there, oh ye who are familiar with the Mythos?

I did three things with Yog Sothoth:

1) Link The Dweller of Thresholds to Yog Sothoth, and even gave the character a scroll capable of summoning the Dweller (when he's later in level).

2) Yog Sothoth does not like demons. Demons are tainted elementals, fire and the raw energies of free form that have been corrupted and warped, bent on the undoing of existance. And since Yog is in existence, well that can't be useful. Yog seeks to Purify the once-elementals of their corruption.

3) Sothoth doesn't like Dagon (and by extension, Demogorgon).

 

[Asmor]

Based on what Wikipedia has to say about the Yogster, I'd probably play up gateways and doorways as symbolically significant. Thus, the paladin for example might pray at threshholds and gateways.

Of course, with Yog'sothoth existing in all time and space, the paladin really only needs to pray once...

 

[Nifft]

The order portrays itself as the Paladins of Freedom -- but their secret texts speak of a very extreme form of freedom, including freedom from the Paladin's Code, human morality, and eventually their sanity (of course).

Star Pact Warlocks already throw around Radiant damage (Dire Radiance, for example), so you don't have to worry on that score: the Elder Evils and the Divine Host apparently use the same special effects shop.

- The Order of the Sundered Chain always volunteers to guard city gates.

- "None shall pass through this gate in chains!" (They don't like slavery in regions where they have influence.)

- "Relieve yourself or another person of at least one attachment every day."

- Key / Gate and singular / plural themes in prayers: "Alone, the prayer in my heart. Countless, the prayers in the temple. Let my mouth be the gate, and my voice the key that opens the gate. In one faith, we are many; in our many hearts, we are one."

Cheers, -- N

 

[Particle_Man]

One interesting thought is that it might look like the paladin has abandoned his faith (since 4e allows for paladins to abandon their god's dictates but keep the kewl paladin powers they gained) when he goes mad and does weird (so a commoner might think) but the true believers would know that the paladin is actually doing what Yog "wants", in so far as an inscrutable higher-dimensional being can be said to have predictable desires.

So, what alignment would you be going for, here? Unaligned?

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

Maybe there aren't very many known rituals. The worship of Yog is ancient and there are few organized worshipers left. It's mostly academic at this point. The reconstruction of purged or lost texts.

The paladin has to figure out things for himself. He probably had at least one mentor, but that's long gone. He'll be on a search for knowledge, not just a mindless divine-powered meat shield.

 

[pawsplay]

Worshippers of Yog-Sothoth are required to use Sandra Dee as a bookstand.

 

[Filcher]

This is SO cool. Rechan's game for the win.

 

[Rechan]

Maybe there aren't very many known rituals. The worship of Yog is ancient and there are few organized worshipers left. It's mostly academic at this point. The reconstruction of purged or lost texts.

In this case, I gave a loose definition. The Paladin came from the "Order of the Dark Light" (his naming), and their cover is the "Order of the Crucible". I told the PC "Your superior had received a vision. It wasn't exactly clear; there was lots of burbling and writhing, but the gist was that the New Continent holds promise to Yog Sothoth. Your superior has tasked you with going there, to spread the faith, and see what can be won in the name of Yog."

An abandoned city founded by worshipers of Yog Sothoth (Paizo's "Crucible of Chaos" could work here) in the middle of the jungle seems rather appropriate. Perhaps the Far Realms overlaps the city, a spot where the Far Realms bleeds over, but there are protective wards that prevent it from spreading beyond the ruins of the city. Maybe the place is held by Yog's enemies (Dagon, Demogorgon), or has some ancient texts and tech.

Taking the suggestion from w_earle_wheeler, the order is partly academic, because it's difficult to hunt down those purged texts. The other part is... all too willing to venture into the Far Realms, to get "First Hand" experience, in hopes of visions.

So, what alignment would you be going for, here? Unaligned?

I really didn't ask. I imagine so.

A paladin of freedom. I can work with that. ("Let me free you from the confines of your frail flesh." *stab*)

 

[El Mahdi]

I'm so stealing this concept. These are all outstanding ideas. A Lovecraftian Divine Crusader . . . Creepy Cool!