Iomedae

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lady Valor, The Inheritor, The Paladin God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The epic of Iomedae is well-known – a human paladin so devoted and so dedicated to the righteous fury of her cause that Aroden Himself reached out across the battlefield of the Shining Crusade and lifted her up to become his herald. In this capacity she served him, performing even greater deeds and gaining a fanatical following of her own…until the great god’s mysterious death, when she unexpectedly inherited the domains of Glory, Law, and War. More of a trust than a gift, one might say.
Many of her followers are still bitter towards Pharasma – who, being both Fate and Death ought to have seen and warned of this eventuality. Possibly averted it. Who knows?
The holy places of Iomedae are sometimes great cathedrals, sometimes ancient temples to Aroden being maintained in his honor, but either way Iomedans love to build massive structures with massive statues and hold large masses with clerics preaching from pulpits. While she is the patron goddess of Justice and Righteousness, many less-devout commoners refer to her as the patron goddess of Telling You How Bloody Wrong You Are And Which Hell You’re Going To. For every bard inspiring the world with tales of heroic crusades and holy knights combatting great evils, there is another one somewhere warning of villains who thought they were doing Good in the world and were mistaken. On the whole, the worshippers of Iomedae certainly attempt to be a good influence on Golarion, but their reputation for zealotry is not without merit.
Iomedans are not known for their social graces – often disdaining the “less serious” deities like Shelyn or Desna, still harboring that grudge against Pharasma, and frequently arguing with followers of Sarenrae over the danger and weakness of showing mercy. Not to mention, historically, when armies of great evil arise, it has been the crusaders of Iomedae who hold them back, defend the defenseless, and pay for it with their blood. There is something to be said for the paradox of tolerance, and Iomedans will say it every chance they get.
The heraldry of Lady Valor often includes majestic beasts, Lions and Giant Eagles and the great Gryphons of course. Merciless predators with a reputation for dominion, the royalty of their respective environments.
Traditional symbols of war, swords, shields, and spears are her favored weapons.