Zalika the Mirthful
Saint of Whimsy, Battle, Forgiveness, and Humor
Titles: Saint Zalika The Mirthful, The Healing Hand, The Scarred Fist, The Ruinbringer's Redeemer, The Burned Martyr, The Great Godhand
Favored Weapon: Composite Longbow
Alignment: Air
Elemental Lord: Irlaman, The Boltbound Empress
Obedience: Spend an hour honing your body and mind, as well as your battle skills. Do so while notating any good ideas for jokes, gags, pranks, or ways to make those around you smile.
Effect: You may cast Hideous Laughter 3/day with a CL equal to your HD, using a Physical Attribute of your choice for your casting stat(Once chosen, it cannot be changed). You may change one CHA based skill to use a physical attribute instead and make it a class skill.
Divine Domains
Air, Liberation, Strength, Trickery, Good(Friendship and Redemption Subdomains Only)
Holy Books & Codes
The Redeemer's Dictations
Divine Symbols & Sigils
A harp with an arrow knocked on the string
Tenets of Faith
As the air blows free, so too must life be lived free of restraint. Protect the freedoms of others and break the chains of oppression.
Hold no grudges and learn to move on. Approach life's issues and creatures with a fresh face and defend each creature's right to forgiveness.
In all things, laughter rings the loudest. Let mirth and joy be thy tools; let sadness and despair be thy battlefield; and let each life become warmer through the happiness you weave in it.
Speak softly but wield great violence. Tread the path of battle and know it well, but do not seek it out - let battle be the threat to reinforce your words and not vice-versa.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
To see smiles on each and every face in existence.
To break the shackles of tyranny and tear down those who would enslave others.
To all creatures be prepared for battle, but not seek it out.
Followers & Priesthood
Zalika's followers organize themselves into traditional enclaves that organize themselves by "Parish" - areas set apart by different churches to Zalika and ruled by the head of that particular church. They are loosely organized according to both activity within their local parish, power, but also their history of active assistance in the nearby community as well as the tales and songs they have spread. They are ranked just as equally for their musical or battle prowess as they are for their willingness to go out into the world and brighten the days of others - as well as their history of doing so, meaning that a given follower of Zalika can reach high ranks in her church because of their dedication to going out and spreading joy and mirth as they can be promoted for their actual talent. Her followers often carry a great many things and tools on their persons at all times - and those that wear armor tend to carve grooves into it to ensure that when the wind hits it just right whimsical and musical tunes echo out from it in funny noises and sounds. They tend to decorate themselves with all manner of funny paints, cymbals, musical instruments, or other such tools to bring joy to others when it should be required - but make no mistake, they are almost always outfitted for combat and prepared for battle - whether one realizes it or not. Formally in areas where Zalika's churches are common, they are ranked in a structure that places the "Pontiff" - the title given to those preachers and clerics in charge of a given church - at the top of that church and the surrounding region, with larger churches being ruled by "High Pontiffs" that govern over multiple parishes. Oftentimes, in areas with a great root of her faith, the pontiffs of the parishes in the area often meet to discuss matters of the faith to unify their collective direction of their faith. Her faith is just as prevalent in areas with no great civilization, however - her followers often adventure and as such, many exist outside the bounds of the church's traditional hierarchy...though it is customary within Zalika's church to provide shelter and hospitality to those members of the church who arrive from lands afar, no matter their origin - all that matters is the bond they share beneath their Saint. In this way, they are likened to one massive, extended family than a true church.Ethics
One will almost never see a follower of Zalika seeking out battle or slaughter - but neither will one see them shying away from it. Zalika's followers believe that seeking out battle and carnage is a sin of the highest order - one that places the given creature on par with barbarians or other brutes - and that though one should always be prepared for it, battle should never be something sought - it should instead be a thing prepared for in case it does happen. They believe in helping the downtrodden and bringing smiles to those who are dreary or dour, and they are often found on battlefields or hospitals or other areas in dire lack of mirth with great troups of knights bringing small gifts to those in need, telling jokes, and just bringing smiles to those in need. They are most likely to stop and talk down someone they see about to end their life and try to fix that person's life for them, and will often help those in need or those full of great sadness - it is these little, 'small' interactions that prove to their community that they truly care, and is what engenders them to their local parish so intensely - a Church of Zalika will often be a thing zealously protected by the commoners and non-faithful nearby, as many will often grow quite close to the happy, comedic knights of Zalika who seek to help and laugh alongside those nearby. It is also a core tenet of her church that all creatures be given a chance at forgiveness - no matter how serious a crime, a serious cry for forgiveness will be sure to give a follower of Zalika pause, for even if it is a lie it is a thing they take deadly serious - to deny a creature this chance would be sacrilege, and even if it is but a lie such a request cannot be denied.History
As one of her patron lord's most ancient Saints, Zalika and her faith was born a great many years ago during the Age of Conquest - Zalika was naught but a simple nun who, disgruntled by the imperialism of the time which trampled all over the small village that she had grown up in, vowed to stand up to those who would bully others and meet them in their element - meeting violence with the same violence if it meant protecting the smiles of those she cared about. It was these simplistic, naive beliefs of a pious girl in a backwater village that defined much of Zalika's later life - after long campaigns against the Imperialistic Powers of the time, namely the Shaoshu Empire, she was said to led the defense of the last great independant city at the time against the Shaoshu Empire...though she died and was not only burned but crucified by the empire for her efforts, her sacrifice allowed most the town's residents to escape alive from the siege and continue the fight - and her trademark Harpbow, the bow outfitted for music as well as battle, survived and is said to still exist such as to become a symbol synonymous with her church - a tool as useful to smiles as it is for battle. Though she died, after her death she was canonized as a saint by Irlaman, The Boltbound Empress herself, who admired Zalika's convictions and her faith that drove her to die for people she had hardly even known - to fight and die for their smiles - that Irlaman made Zalika a saint and canonized the peasant girl forever - ensuring that her faith would remain a thorn in the side of the Shaoshuan Empire for centuries until its eventual collapse centuries later...a point that was a great source of pride for her church, who saw themselves as carrying on their Saint's Desire for a free empire to the very end. Thus is said to be the source of the vicious burn depicted as covering the right side of her face - sometimes interpreted in newer parishes as Heterochromia - the vicious crucifixion and subsequent burning she endured in her final moments remains as proof of her dedication to her cause and beliefs - to defend the smiles and laughter and freedoms of the creatures of the world, come hell or high water.
Battle might be inevitable - but that does not mean we must seek it out. Nor does it mean we will be unprepared for it.
Divine Classification
Elemental Saint
Alignment
Children
Example Divine Oaths
Oath of the Redeemer: Never allow a creature who seeks forgiveness to be denied an attempt to have or find it, and help them do so where feasible and possible. Give others the benefit of the doubt when you meet them and do not let yourself be biased by another's reputation or past actions.
Oath of the Clown: Make one creature genuinely laugh and/or smile each day, different from the creature the day previous. Make it a point to stop for those who are downtrodden or depressed and make your best effort to brighten their day and lives, giving them some advice or assistance in some way. Find those who bring great sadness to others and fix them.
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