A particular sect who serve Padraig, Lord of Light, espouse the philosophy that no creature is inherently good- all creatures, including newborn babies and kittens, are evil by nature, as their focus is only (and can only be) on the self. Their belief is that only through conscious choice, and choosing the right path and right actions, can anyone hope to attain purity of spirit and true goodness.
This is not to say that they treat children (or kittens) badly; they merely believe they don’t know well enough to have chosen good paths. Much of the sect’s symbology and argot revolves around walking right paths, and “rising” like the sun. At its best, this sect is warm, welcoming to any who claim sanctuary and an earnest desire to change and redeem themselves. It encourages moral choice as a foundation of day-to-day life, and consideration of others. At its poorest, it revolves around meaningless ‘micro-transactions’ of “right choice” to do absolutely standard things (like “I walked the right path by making sure I welcomed every seller in the market today”), and mealy-mouthed confessions of “falling” by walking the wrong path, and begging forgiveness of the gathering for their future choices. The sect, originally small in size, grew remarkably when one of its adherents attained true ascension and transformation into one of the Host, due to his actions as a teacher of moral philosophy, and his renown in redeeming an imprisoned devil through years of struggle. That one is now known as Raduriel, the Ascended Son, and is often the Intercessor called upon by members of the Sect who have any spellcasting ability. How you can use the Sect of the Ascended Sun in your games: • A player character, especially a religious one, might be from the sect. This means they could be a faithful believer in its philosophy, or perhaps someone who is cynical about its premise. • A powerful Ascensionist might be attempting their own transformation, by commissioning the building of a cathedral in a dangerous and monster-haunted area. They firmly believe that they are walking the right path by doing so, and if it is successful, it will mean a safe place making the area peaceful for many years. However, he is blind to the danger it places his congregation in, and how much help they need beyond “having faith and walking the right path”. • Powerful PCs might have reason to call upon Raduriel himself. He is willing to serve those who do good, but his payment for such a task is more likely to be a promise to change, or to help others do so. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 9 February 2019) Comments are closed.
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