Siamorphe
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Okay. I need someone to explain this diety to me.
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Siamorphe
What's this about old and new Siamorphe? How can a God be just chosen as a successor?
Thanks
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Siamorphe in the current setting is the "Old" Siamorphe. The one portrayed as an old man. From what I gather from that wiki-post. Siamorphe is "semi-divine" meaning they have godlike powers over their portfolio but they are not permenant gods. Imagine a god's portfolio as its divine power, everything that makes it a god. For example when Mystra died, a mortal named midnight gained her portfoilio and became the "new" Mystra. Its probably similar with Siamorphe, but you are going to want to go with the 3.5 version of him, instead of the new 4.0 version on the wiki.
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The current Siamorphe is, in fact, the female incarnation. I would also assume that the "long line of deities" (Faiths and Pantheons p. 107) of which she is the current one represents her portfolio on some level, of royal, noble blood coming to power and ruling in a way that is just.
The first bit is according to the Faiths and Pantheon's book, the second is just conjecture on my part.
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Thank you the answers so far!
I'd welcome any thoughts on that, especially if a DM could express an opinion. (or several different ones… :) )
So... is it basically a mortal with divine powers? Will he/she die of old age? Or only due to agression? How can a mortal, physically bound to a certain location in the realms answer prayers, grant spells, and watch over followers?
Playing a priest, would I be aware that he/she is only another human being, who I happen to worship?That's... weird, isn't it?
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Siamorphe is the physical and spiritual manifestation of noblesse oblige- the right to rule by basis of bloodline. The deeds of your ancestors carry over into your generation and you embody the wisdom, intelligence, and innate ability to rule that the common individuals do not.
Noblesse oblige is a French phrase literally meaning "nobility obliges".
The Dictionnaire de l’Académie française defines it thus:
Whoever claims to be noble must conduct himself nobly.
(Figuratively) One must act in a fashion that conforms to one's position, and with the reputation that one has earned.Siamorphe is essentially the embodiment of feudalism in FR, and the current system of nobles/kings/rulers are her doing. Some priests state one can only become a noble (and have others inherit this title) by blessing of the Church of Siamorphe and have been known to refuse to recognize, and even persecute those 'nobles' who claim title but cannot prove it by blood lineage.
Essentially, Siamorphe does indeed, and embodies the spiritual and physical passing of power from successor to successor, and each individual is meant to embody the tenets of regal nobility and just ruling over their subjects. She, by right of inheritance, holds the very title of SIAMORPHE- (You can roughly claim it means ULTIMATE NOBLE or Ruler of Nobles). Where Nobanion may hold ROYALTY in his Portfolio, it is an essentially empty one because without the nobles of the land, the King would hold no power.
Throughout history, in reality and FR, nobility took on different forms. Cormyr for example holds a constitutional monarchy and gives protections to all citizens, in Zhentil Keep for example, the ruling class holds absolute power and rule on whim. In each case, Siamorphe would give the nobility the right to rule based on their bloodline. Think England, even nobles were taxed and had to serve in government and were denied pensions and empty titles if they could be proven to be incompetent. English noblemen were closer to their peasants (they also numbered in far fewer numbers). In France, nobility held absolute power, covered a much wider base of people (400,000 nobles in France, ranging from dukes to relatively wealthy peasants) during the time of Louis the 14th) and could not be taxed, persecuted for anything less than High Treason, and enjoyed many, many privileges that would eventually cripple the country.
Thus, you can interpret Siamorphe in a variety of ways- the embodiment of just rule- the embodiment of the privileges that come with being a noble, or the embodiment of the unequal classes in the Forgotten Realms (there is NO SUCH THING AS EQUALITY IN FR). Siamorphan churches have even began gathering followers amongst the halfling "Nobility" in Tethyr and the Purple Marches…
Don't think of Siamorphe as a person- but think of Siamorphe as a divine Bloodline. Her children inherit her position and will eventually become deities themselves if they should inherit her portfolio. Your deity is the bloodline of Siamorphe, you are "their" divine vassal who owe you owe allegiance to. Much like a Knight swears fealty to the line of the King. Just as the Patriarch of a Noble family dies, one steps up to succeed him. Should there be no successor, the house dies out. So one of the duties of the church of Siamorphe is to ensure the survival of the noble houses, protect their status, duties, and privileges and sharply remind houses should they fail in these said duties.
Siamorphe makes nobility REAL and ensures these houses hold the wisdom and fortitude to rule, without her, one could argue that the nobility would be like anyone else and would not have the right to rule, and only the illiterate mob (OH MY GOD DEMOCRACY RUUUUN) would rule.
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thank you very much!
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Heavy emphasis on the opposition to democracy or anything resembling mob rule and would remove the rights of nobles.
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Well, Siamorphe seems one of the better thought out gods in FR.
I will attempt to play a cleric… despite all my difficulties in english. I've already failed portraying him verbally. :) -
Siamorphe is great, lots of scope for a follower of the faith at the moment!
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Well, Siamorphe seems one of the better thought out gods in FR.
I will attempt to play a cleric… despite all my difficulties in english. I've already failed portraying him verbally. :)All that stuff I posted up top? My own thoughts. No research done at all beyond what you posted. Look at RL nobility historically and look at FR Nobility and see if you can make Noblesse Oblige badass.
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I care not how you derived it, the community seems to validate it with raising no objections. :)
I might dig our own sheepskin (called dogskin in hungarian… a fact I shouldn't advertise too much...) to serve as motivation.
No idea how to make it compatible with the limitations of the gameworld... But my characters tend to fail anyway. And I still have a good time.