Parable of Desna?

[CanadienneBacon]

In part 1 of Paizo's Rise of the Runelords adventure path, the Burnt Offerings module mentions on page 10 that Father Zantus will deliver a "short parable of how Desna first fell to the earth and was nursed back to health by a blind child who she transformed into an immortal butterfly."

I'd like to have a full write-up (I don't care if it's by someone at Paizo or by a fan) of the parable. Does anyone have one on hand that they wrote that they'd be willing to share, or do any of you know where I can find the parable?

 

[thatdarnedbob]

In part 1 of Paizo's Rise of the Runelords adventure path, the Burnt Offerings module mentions on page 10 that Father Zantus will deliver a "short parable of how Desna first fell to the earth and was nursed back to health by a blind child who she transformed into an immortal butterfly."

I'd like to have a full write-up (I don't care if it's by someone at Paizo or by a fan) of the parable. Does anyone have one on hand that they wrote that they'd be willing to share, or do any of you know where I can find the parable?

I think the parable is in a special section focused on Desna in either the 4th or 5th PF installment. Can someone with access to those books confirm or deny? Almost all of my 3.5 stuff is in storage at the moment.

 

[Papa-DRB]

I think the parable is in a special section focused on Desna in either the 4th or 5th PF installment. Can someone with access to those books confirm or deny? Almost all of my 3.5 stuff is in storage at the moment.

It is in the Desna article in Book 2, The Skinsaw Murders.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Found it on p. 73 of The Skinsaw Murders, thanks.

 

[Hammerhead]

Yeah, after listening to that, I'd wonder who would ever do a favor for Desna again. Help a god, get turned into a bug? No thanks.

 

[Rhun]

And that's why my PC in RotRL worships Sarenae.

 

[Starfox]

Gods are like that. In a RL legend, when Apollo, Hermes and Zeus wandered the world and only found two good people in it, they turned them into olive trees as a reward. Before they found those two good people, their plan was to end the world.

I think the idea is that being touched by the divine is reward in itself. Deities are beyond mortal ken - if they look into your heart and see you inner nature and desire is to be a bug, they will fulfill that wish, even if your conscious desire is entirely different.

Of course, a modern existentialist rejects this notion of divine supremacy, but that is a different matter entirely and alien to most people living before the year 1700.

 

[kenmarable]

Gods are like that. In a RL legend, when Apollo, Hermes and Zeus wandered the world and only found two good people in it, they turned them into olive trees as a reward. Before they found those two good people, their plan was to end the world.

I think the idea is that being touched by the divine is reward in itself. Deities are beyond mortal ken - if they look into your heart and see you inner nature and desire is to be a bug, they will fulfill that wish, even if your conscious desire is entirely different.

Of course, a modern existentialist rejects this notion of divine supremacy, but that is a different matter entirely and alien to most people living before the year 1700.

In a way, that reminds of a the short story Hell is the Absence of God. It's a modern story where angels regularly have "visitations" that involve people miraculously changed (for good and bad), millions of dollars of property damage, and the inevitable support groups for those touched by the visitation. (Note: The story does deal with religion from a definite existentialist viewpoint, but whether you agree or not, it's an interesting story.)

 

[Voadam]

Gods are like that. In a RL legend, when Apollo, Hermes and Zeus wandered the world and only found two good people in it, they turned them into olive trees as a reward. Before they found those two good people, their plan was to end the world.

I think the idea is that being touched by the divine is reward in itself. Deities are beyond mortal ken - if they look into your heart and see you inner nature and desire is to be a bug, they will fulfill that wish, even if your conscious desire is entirely different.

Of course, a modern existentialist rejects this notion of divine supremacy, but that is a different matter entirely and alien to most people living before the year 1700.

A greek story where being touched by the gods is a reward? That would be anomalous. Encounters with the divine almost always end badly, the moral is generally make your offerings and hope their divine attention does not fall upon you. Greek gods are self centered powerful forces of the universe and do not care for humanity for humanity's sake. Humans offer sacrifices to the gods and are sometimes individually amusing, pleasing, or desirable in the eyes of the gods. Regardless of whether you are an innocent or arrogant person being touched by the gods will end badly.

 

[Starfox]

Do I delve to deeply into religion if I say these gods were very much projections of subconscious urges and drives the people of the time did not have terms for? To be "touched" or even "touched by god" can still mean to be mad, and that is often the result of being touched by these old gods.