Faith in Golarion
Minor deities
Faith in the Inner Sea Region
Deities are organized by Rank. Links tie into Pathfinder Wiki. Subsections tie into this document that cover gods under that section. Deities in Orange have no description. Red text describes the text from which this information is taken (and the hyperlink leads to where you can purchase this book for yourself). The other hyperlinks in this document lead to the Pathfinder Wiki Community and the hyperlinks that are noted with a Section or Subsection after the hyperlink lead to parts of this article.
Characters may worship any Major Deities, Racial Gods, Demigods, Lords of the Empyrean, any God of the Faiths of Corruption, Any of the Minor Deities, follow the Other Non-Human Deities or follow a Philosophy. Clerics, Inquisitors, and Paladins must follow one the faiths above or a Philosophy. Clerics and inquisitors get their spells directly granted by a deity or greater power. Paladins usually, get their spells granted by a deity or greater power, there can be exceptions though. Witches get their powers from more shadowy forces called Patrons. Dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings and orcs may worship the non-human deities of their racial type. Worshipers gain the domains granted (for those who have domains) as described under their entries. Non-humans may worship any of the non-human deities. Oriental characters worship on of the gods of the Tian Xia. Druids typically pick one of the Duidic Philosophies or worship Gozreh. Characters may even worship and abstract concept like an alignment. For lawful characters it is the lawful domain, for good characters it is the good domain, for evil characters it is the evil domain and for chaotic characters it is the chaos domain. If you are true neutral then you get access to either the air, earth, fire, water, weather, or the animal domain.
If you have access to a domain then you may take access to that domain's subdomains as well, provided your alignment doesn't restrict you. For example; if you are worshipping Calistrai (who is Chaotic Neutral) then you get access to the Chaos, Charm, Knowledge, Luck, Trickery domains and the Azata, Curse, Deception, Lust, Memory, Thievery subdomains. The Demon and Demodand domains are listed as subdomains to the Chaos Domain, but a cleric of Calistrai doesn’t get access to those domains. If a cleric is chaotic evil then they can still worship Calistrai, but they can’t take the Azata subdomain since their alignment opposes the Azata. A cleric can take any of those domains or subdomains and pick spells that they are able to cast from those domains; when they normally regain their spells (good aligned characters typically pick dawn, evil aligned characters typically pick dusk, and neutral clerics can pick whichever of the two they wish). When regaining their spells, they may select a new domain or subdomain, which they normally have access to, and choose their spells from. However, the granted powers of their chosen domain or subdomain may only be changed when the cleric advances a level (note that usually a subdomain replaces a granted power of its parent domain). You must inform the DM when you change domains or subdomains and record those changes on your character sheet. Typically, a cleric gains access to two domains and may choose one domain spell per level each day, this rule merely increases the cleric’s choices. There is no rule that prevents you from changing to a domain or subdomain you previously had. Ideally, a cleric takes their domains at first level and sticks to those domains (that is according to the standard rules). I am allowing clerics to chose between their available domains for their domain spells. Note that domain spells may not be converted to heal or harm spells and so cast spontaneously.
Please read the section on Alignments and my personal view on them at the end of this article. This view differs from the rules slightly.
Inner Sea Region Major Deities
Azlanti pantheon
Abadar Gozreh <1> Pharasma <1>
Osirian pantheon
Outer Gods
Abhoth Nhimbaloth Shub-Niggurath
Azathoth Nyarlathotep Yog-Sothoth
Vudran pantheon
Dhalavei <1> Likha <1> Vasaghati
Diomazul <1> Meenashdu <1> Vineshvakhi
Tian Xia (the Oriental Region)
Abadar <1> Kofusachi Shelyn <1>
Daikitsu Lady Nanbyo <1> Shizuru <1>
Desna <1> Lamashtu <1> Sun Wukong
Fumeiyoshi Lao Shu Po Tsukiyo <1>
General Susumu Nalinivati Yaezhing
Hei Feng <1> Pharasma <1> Yamatsumi <1>
Other minor deities
Child-goddess Namzaruum Zyphus
<1> =Denotes that this god is frequently worshiped in the Inner Sea region. The gods of the Inner Sea region are also frequently worshiped there.
Modes of Belief (from Faiths and Philosophies)
The countless beliefs spread across Golarion can be divide into the four broad groups presented below, though some fall into multiple categories. These categories have less to do with a faith’s dogma than its structure—how the faith is organized and taught. Getting a sense of the different options can help you decide which style of belief is best for your particular character, and each section notes classes that are commonly drawn to that mode of belief.
Communal (from Faiths and Philosophies)
Communal beliefs are built on national, cultural, racial, or other group indemnities. They prescribe duties and privileges specific to the group, maintaining its unique identity over time and keeping longstanding traditions alive. Religious and philosophies that are communal reflect concerns that are relevant to the group and its traditions as a whole. In some societies, weak or nonexistent law enforcement leaves a communal belief as the only institution to mediate between people. Though some groups hold up their communal beliefs as superior to others, many are simply different—the members of a tribe might be proud of the influence of their heritage without looking down on foreigners for not sharing in it. These beliefs usually engender loyalty between members.
Cavaliers, paladins, and those concerned with honor are commonly attracted to the lawful bent demonstrated by the majority of communal philosophies, and bards often find their cultures’ beliefs inspiring.
Ichimeiyo, Rahadoumi atheism, some pantheism, and ancestor worship are examples of communal philosophies.
Ecclesiastical (from Faiths and Philosophies)
Ecclesiastical beliefs are those centered around deities and mediated primarily by priests such as clerics and adepts. In addition to a deity or deities, all ecclesiastical groups share the assumption that there is at least one ultimate authority on their respective principles (such as a deity, divine herald, or high priest) who understands more than everyone else and teaches and leads those who understand less. Lawful and neutral deities usually have well-structured hierarchies among their clerics, and the leaders of such movements often wield a great deal of authority over those below them. Members are expected to defer to the judgement of their superiors. Ecclesiastical religions serving chaotic deities, on the other hand, tend to be disorganized, often so much so that they begin to resemble individualistic traditions.
Many ecclesiastical traditions strive to inspire patience and a respect for authority among believers—though individual prophets and visionaries might buck the power structure to attempt sweeping changes and reforms within a faith, potentially creating sectarian conflict or instigating clashes with other faiths.
All clerics and most inquisitors and paladins follow ecclesiastical traditions as members of deity—based churches, and some druids and other divine casters do as well.
Well—defined churches, dedicated to deities and pantheons are as a rule, ecclesiastical in structure.
Individualistic (from Faiths and Philosophies)
The tenets of individualistic beliefs are rooted in the power of the self. Some groups that encourage individualistic belief also have a religious component, holding up a god or ideal as the model for the individual to aspire to but others merely teach about the potential locked within each person. The focus of any individualistic path is on the power of each person to carve out her own destiny and choose her own way of relating to the world. These philosophies and religions often tout practical benefits that lure in ambitious new practitioners.
Many fighters and rangers practice individualistic beliefs, appreciating the freedom to work out their own directions in life. Sorcerers and rogues gravitate toward these beliefs for similar reasons, but especially because they’re commonly accustomed to relying o their own wit and luck to get by in difficult situations. Monks and wizards, on the other hand, often appreciate the way that an individualistic path encourages them to grow beyond worldly limits and attain their full potential.
Sangpotshi, the Prophecies of Kalistrade, the Whispering Way, and many codes of honor are individualistic beliefs.
Shamanistic (from Faiths and Philosophies)
Shamanistic beliefs rely on the guidance provided by certain special people who are particularly well equipped to interact with the divine world. These chosen individuals, commonly called shamans, are different than ecclesiastical priests in that they intercede with many different divine forces on behalf of themselves or their adherents, rather than dedicating themselves to a single one. Non-shamans who hold shamanistic beliefs generally rely on shamans who hold shamanistic beliefs generally rely on shamans to interact with and interpret the spiritual world on their behalf. Although these lay believers generally have little personal experience of the divine outside of certain shared rituals, a few lucky (or unlucky) souls stumble upon their own brief contact with divinity, such as a vision glimpsed in a fever dream. A shaman might reach out to deities or revere the natural world though druidism and the Green Faith, but could also cut deals with a variety of entities, from empyreal lords and archfiends to kami and fey.
The most well-known shamans are druids and oracles, although witches and summoners sometimes take on similar roles due to their compacts with powerful beings. Shamanism is also common among barbarians, who might prefer its rooting in the concrete, physical world or who experience the divine during rages and other ecstatic emotional states.
Druidism, juju, and totemism are shamanistic systems of belief.
Atheists are just as likely in Inner Sea society as they are in our society; it is not that they disbelieve in greater beings of immense power, they just claim that those beings aren't gods. They give examples like Cayden Cailean, and Iomedae who were mortals, who passed the Star Stone Test, and rose to become a greater being. Sure, they can now grant inquisitors and clerics their spells; but they started out as simple humans. In the kingdom of Razmiran all religions are outlawed except for the worship of Razmir, the living god. Elsewhere in the Inner Sea all gods are honored.
Minor Deities (from Faiths of Purity)
Apsu; the Waybringer: Said to be the father of the metallic dragons and in dragon lore is credited with being the creator of the original gods of Golarion as well as one of the gods responsible for imprisoning Rovagug. He is Lawful Good, and his domains are: Creation, Earth, Good, Law, and Travel. His symbol is a platinum dragon in flight. His portfolio includes; dragons, glory, leadership, and peace. His favored weapon is the bite or the quarterstaff. Worshipers can come from any class (except for cleric and paladins since Apsu doesn’t grant spells) or dragons.
Kurgess; the Strong Man: In life Kurgess, was a notable strongman and athlete who, it appeared, was incapable of losing in any sporting competition. As his legend (and his winnings) grew, his enemies plotted his ruin, not caring who got hurt as long as Kurgess died. In the end he allowed himself to fall prey to a deadly trap during the annual Raptor Run. Legend has it that Cayden Cailean and Desna raised him to demigod status, and he is the patron of competitors in the feats he loved in life and of travelers who need to make haste. His symbol is a flexing humanoid arm breaking chains. His alignment is Neutral Good, and his domains are; Community, Good, Luck, Strength, and Travel. His portfolio includes bravery, competition and sport and his favored weapon is the javelin. This faith is still in its infancy, so it doesn’t have much dogma. His followers tend to be those who aren’t looking for too much definition in their lives: barbarians, bards, fighters, rogues, and some sorcerers. You can find your fellow faithful at wandering fairs, tournaments, carnivals, and competitions. Some of Kurgess’s priests carry traveling shrines to these places, and you can find healing for free from them—as long as you can beat them in a test of strength.
Milani: The Everbloom: originally, a minor saint associated with Aroden’s worship, looked to in times of unrest and oppression. The death of Aroden and the rise of devil-choked Cheliax catapulted her into the role of patron saint of rebels everywhere. She is the goddess of revolutionaries and partisans, people who struggle to lift the boot of the tyrant from their throats. Her symbol is a rose growing and blooming from bloody cobblestones. Her alignment is Chaotic Good, and her domians are Chaos, Good, Healing, Liberation and Protection. Her portfolio includes devotion, hope, and uprisings, and her favored weapon is the Morningstar. Those who share the faith with you keep themselves hidden—the powers that be crush rebellions, and deal harshly with people who speak against their tyranny. Her followers might be of any class except a monk or paladin; Milani has no known monasteries, and paladins cannot accept her chaotic nature. The main centers of her faith—if you consider a loose confederation of hidden churches to be a center—are in Galt and Cheliax. The church has no formal hierarchy, instead preferring to operate in isolated cells for safety and to support the most gifted rabble-rousers.
Monasticism (from Faiths and Philosophies)
Monasticism is the practice of isolating a group of like-minded individuals from the rest of the world in an effort to devote their attention to a certain matter without distraction. Monastic traditions generally fall into one of two groups: religious practice and self-improvement. Although these groups may draw members with very different motives, they share one quality: all monastic groups seek refuge from temptations and distractions that might prevent them from reaching their goals in the outside world. Not all monasteries expect their members to stay forever, many merely train initiates for a time before allowing them to explore their own needs in a manner of their choosing after they demonstrate a certain level of mastery over the monastery’s traditions.
Martial Monasteries (from Faiths and Philosophies)
Martial monasteries teach the arts of fighting as a route to self-understanding and inner peace. In order to perfect reliable techniques, monasteries sequester their students away from the influence of their homes and associates for at least short periods. In a new place, a wiling student can more readily let go of the bad habits he has developed over the years and become aware of the subtleties of his own movements, his breath, and his own mind. Fighters, monks, and magi are the most common students of typical martial monasteries.
Religious Monasteries (from Faiths and Philosophies)
Religious monasteries are founded on the teachings of a particular ecclesiastical religious tradition and allow worshipers to spend their time meditating and studying without concern for political, social, or financial matters. Few churches of chaotic deities maintain monasteries, since the solitude and stability typically does not mix well with their areas of concern, but lawful religions often take advantage of monasticism. Torag, for example, sponsors monasteries near dwarven settlements. In which residents abstain from all but the most necessary interactions with the community so that they can meditate on the mysteries of metalcraft and prefect the art of smithing. The church of Pharasma maintains several secluded enclaves for those priests who seek communion with their deity’s aspect as seer. Clerics of Shelyn use monasteries to prefect their arts and refresh their love of life before returning to the work among the common folk. Followers of Iroi blend the religious and the martial, as they use the instruction of their god to guide their own self-perfection. A few oracles retreat to places such as these to experience their visions among a group that respects the significance of divine revelation and may aid them in interpretations.
Sangpotshi (from Faiths and Philosophies)
Sangpotshi is a philosophy of reincarnation, teaching that individual souls are reborn over the course of many lives, gradually accumulating experience until they escape the cycle of worldly suffering and travel to Pharasma’s Boneyard and their final reward. Followers of this tradition meditate in order to unite all parts of themselves, ensuring that they never forget the lessons they have learned or falter on their path toward enlightened release. Out of respect for the power of tolerance and a strong desire to avoid evil acts, practitioners of Sangotshi often avoid using lethal force. They prefer to avoid distractions, suffering, and selfishness, and thus attract many monks and a few self-aware rogues.
Monastic Centers: Tian Xia (Quain, Zi Ha).
Other Philosophies
Diverse Minor Traditions
Centers of Belief: Andoran, Cheliax, Gerb
Common Believers: Barbarism, oracles, witches, wizards
Compatible Beliefs: Atheism, monasticism, pantheism
Incompatible Beliefs: Codes of honor, totemism
Not all philosophies take the place of religion, and Golarion has many, from political philosophies to shared methods of looking at the world. Political philosophies include communism (practiced in Bachuan in Tain Xai), monarchism (practiced in the majority of Inner Sea nations), and authoritarianism (practiced primarily in young nations), Agnosticim, the belief that the truth of divine matters is unknowable by mortals, is a common choice for those uninterested in divine truth and who are content to make their own way in the universe (especially arcane spellcasters).
ommon rule is the controversial, individualistic political ideal that people are fit to govern themselves, and that the authority to rule must be given freely by the general populace, not claimed as a divine mandate automatically granted to kings and queens. All people are held to deserve a voice in the government that accts on their behalf and serves their interests of defense and public policy. It has thus far been practiced on a wide scale only in Andoran and Galt. While it has flowered as a road to peace and prosperity in Andoran, it has unfortunately produced only bloody mob rule in Galt. Proponents of common rule are widely characterized as either virtuous champions of the common folk or trouble-making busybodies convinced they know better than thousands of years of tradition. It’s true that common rule proponents rarely have much respect for what is old simply because it has managed to go unchallenged for so long, but how open they are to having their own ideals questioned varies. The most fervent champions of common rule tend to be idealistic fighters who come from a common background or philosophical types such as wizards, as well as clerics of Cayden Cailean. (For more information see page 43 of the Inner Sea World Guide).
Demigod Worship (from Faiths in Balance)
Demigods include a vast array of godlike beings. Although rarely as powerful as conventional deities, they nevertheless still manage to attract worshipers with their most specialized portfolios. Followers of demigods are as diverse as their countless patrons, but these devotees often share a few common traits. They are usually desperate in some way, either hungry for power they cannot get on their own, despairing for liberation from a terrible burden, or in need of a spiritual connection no typical god seems able to provide. These individuals usually act alone or as a part of a small and secretive cult since worship of most of these beings is often looked upon as strange, if not suspicious.
Most outsider demigods offer unusual abilities or rewards in exchange for a price in keeping with their natures and interests. Through their small cults may have their own ecclesiastical traditions, most outsider demigod worship is shamanistic or individualistic, since these demigods usually require at least a little esoteric knowledge to tap into their powers, and outsiders usually enter into surprisingly personal relationships with their cultists. Demigod worshipers generally dwell at the fringes of society, ignored or untouched by the wider culture of the Inner Sea region.
The primary exception is the archdevils, each of whom maintains his own ecclesiastical organization under the auspices of Cheliax.
Groups of demigods commonly worshiped on Golarion (as well as sources of more information) include:
· Archdevils (powerful devils and rulers of Hell: see Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Princes of Darkness, Book of the Damned).
· Demon lords (competing rulers of the Abyss: see Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lord of Chaos, Book of the Damned
· The Eldest (mysterious fey entities of the First World: see The Inner Sea World Guide)
· Elemental lords (masters of the elemental planes: see the Inner Sea World Guide)
· Empyreal lords (angels, azatas, and agathions who have attained divinity; see Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Chronicle of the Righteous)
· Great Old Ones (unknowable creatures of madness from beyond the stars: see Pathfinder Adventure Path #46)
· Horseman of the Apocalypse (the harbingers of famine, death, pestilence, and war; rulers of the daemons of Abaddon: see Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Horseman of the Apocalypse, Book of the Damned)
· Psychompomp Users (vigilant, dispassionate stewards of dead souls; see Pathfinder Campaign Settings: Inner Sea Bestiary).
See Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 for information on additional demigods, including the asura ransa, kytoon demagogues, oni daimyo, and rakshasa immortals.
Tamashigo (from Faiths in Balance)
Tamashigo teaches that all or nearly all things and qualities have spirits suffusing and protecting them, such as the powerful kami. Respecting these spirits smooths the path of destiny, while disregard for them attracts their ire in unpredictable ways. Spirits can be appeased with offerings and the construction of shines in the home and at the sties of great natural beauty. Tamashigo’s teachings imply that there is no such thing as good or bad luck, and that all events are the will of some being or bad luck, and that all events are the will of some being or another to whom a respectful person can fight, and whom a clever person might outsmart. Those who subscribe to these beliefs often react to this knowledge with great calm, satisfied that their awareness and respect will allow them to curry favor with benevolent spirits and deflect the ire of more dangerous ones. Tamashigo is popular among oracles and witches, who feel they have insight into the spirits world, and rangers, who appreciated spirits taking some of the responsibility for the safety of the wilds where they are worshiped.
Achaekek (from Faiths of Corruption)
Aehaekek is the Mantis God and exists solely to kill for the gods. Created by the deities to destroy those who would seek to steal their divinity, the Mantis God is a deadly hunter, striking his targets unerringly no matter their strength. His alignment is lawful evil; his domains are Death, Evil, Law, Trickery, and War; and his favored weapon is the sawtooth sabre.
If you worship Achaekek, chances are you are a member of the Red Mantis, assassins who emulate their Mantis God’s perfect form. You do not strike at rightful monarchs, who have been seated by the will of the gods, but hunt and murder all others for payment, including those who have seized the throne through duplicity or coup. Your god does not actively seek your worship, but neither does he punish you for your hubris in worshipping him. You regard assassination as the highest sacred rite, and the greater the difficulty in your contract, the more holy it is when you finally succeed. If you are not of the Red Mantis, you must prove your devotion to Achaekek though your daring kills.
The Red Mantis assassins are devotees of Achaekek, the Assassin of the Gods. Created to emulate his style and poise, the Red Mantis constitutes the only organized religion devoted to the Mantis God. Its members model themselves on both his tactics and his persona, using the mantis mask to strike fear into the hearts of their foes. Hidden away on the island of Mediogalti, the Red Mantis can strike anywhere in the world—provided the price is right and the target is not a rightful monarch. The assassins have no higher goal or strategic purpose beyond the sacred act of the kill—they do not meddle in the affairs of nations for their own sake, nor do they play politics to gain favor. They strike for free only when their employer attempts to cheat them or an outside force tries to destroy them. Otherwise, they exist much like their god: as terrifying tools waiting to be used by an appropriate employer.
Dahak (from Faiths of Corruption)
The child of Aspus the Waybringer, Dahak is called the Endless Destruction, for it was he who named the first dragon gods and then shattered them into smaller beings, the ancestors of modern dragons. In this way he is responsible for the split between dragons of good and the dragons of evil. He is said to have been the creator of the metallic dragons, inventing them solely so that he might spill their blood in cruel hunts. His alignment is Chaotic Evil; his domains are Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Scalykind, and Trickery; and his favored weapon is either a creature’s bite or the whip.
There are few organized sects centered on Dahak, in large part because this is a faith largely of dragons and serpentfollk, with few humanoid worshipers. Dahak considers the best sacrifice to be a metallic dragon, staked out on a plateau and its entrails spilled across the mountain to cool under the uncaring stars. You can identify other members of your sect by the symbol of a fiery falling star, often worn somewhere on the body. In most civilized lands, few people know or recognize this symbol, and so you can often wear it openly and plot destruction without fear of being discovered.
Elemental Lords (from Faiths of Corruption)
Birthed from the hearts of their planes, these beings are the embodiment of raw and natural power. They are straightforward and demand utter fealty, and when you venerate the Elemental Lords, you do so out of a crazed respect for their domain. Their alignments are neutral evil, and their domains are their element and Destruction. Ayrzul of Earth’s additional domain is Strength and his favored weapon is the Morningstar. Hshurha of Air’s domain in Weather, and her favored weapon is the longbow. Kelizandri of Water’s domain is Travel, and her favored weapon is the trident. Ymeri of Fire’s domain is War, and her favored weapon is the longsword. You hold one element as the strongest and thus honor that lord above all others. You may be a druid or a ranger who has slipped into madness, or you might be a caster devoted to the pure study of your element of choice. You do not enter into theological debates; for you, the physical is all that matters. You celebrate your lord’s worship in a place that echoes his or her power (a volcano, a sea cave, and so forth), and offer living sacrifices to honor your lord’s strength.
The Four Horseman (from Faiths of Corruption)
Within the depths of Abaddon, the devastated and twisted landscape falls under the jurisdiction of the Four Horsemen, the personifications of pestilence, war, famine, and death. The current Four Horsemen are Apollyon (Pestilence) with the domains of Air, Darkness, Destruction and Evil; Charon (Death) with the domains of Death, Evil, Knowledge, and Water; Szuriel (War) with the domains of Evil, Fire, Strength and War; and Trelmarixian (Famine) with the domains of Earth, Evil, Madness, and Weather. Each Horseman’s alignment is neutral evil. Those who offer sacrifice to one of the Four Horsemen either are fearful of the apocalypse the Horsemen promise to bring, seek to trigger the massive catastrophe themselves or are members of crazed hateful, and nihilistic monster cults. If you are a human and you truly follow one of the Four Horsemen, then you worship utter oblivion. You follow the Horseman whose form of annihilation most coincides with your own imaginations of the apocalypse.
Ghlaunder is the Gossamer King, accidentally released from his cocoon in the Ethereal Plane by Desna, and now hunted by that same goddess. This god of disease appears as a gigantic mosquito, and is said to feed on heart’s blood and souls, exchanging the power of the living mortal for disease, oppression and mindless hunger. His alignment is chaotic evil; his domains are Air, Animal, Chaos, Destruction, and Evil; and his favored weapon is the spear.
Your coreligionists frequently bear the grab of other faiths, seeking to worm their way into the good graces of hamlets and villages in order to infect these places with their latest disease. They do not necessarily want to kill their targets, just to infect them, sicken them, and drive them toward Ghlaunder, who can remove the worst and most painful of their symptoms. You can recognize your fellows by their sickly pallor, vermin-infested clothes and homes, and persistent coughs. In particular, you seek out ancient jungle temples, miasmatic swamps, frozen carcasses in the snows, and wherever else you might be able to discover a new disease for which there is no cure. You can spread the word of your god as you spread evidence of his power.
Great Old Ones & Outer Gods (from Faiths of Corruption)
You know that this world is a fragment of a larger, darker cosmos, a speck in the massive blackness between stars known as the Dark Tapestry. You know that your life is small and insignificant and mortals delude themselves with stories of glory and heroes. One day, the stars will align and a bright and barren reality will shine into the world revealing its true, stark nature. On that day, madness will reign, and the Great Old Ones will move once again and join the Outer Gods to turn their terrible gaze upon Golarion and all existence, so that even the gods will quail as they are subsumed and devoured. The cultists of these gods are similar, and frequently work together when they encounter one another. They care nothing for human politics, expect insofar as these politics work toward the ultimate end of bringing about the final day of destruction. The following number among those Great Old Ones and Outer Gods most widely worshiped on Golarion, though others are worshiped in the remote corners of the world.
The Daemon Sultan Azathoth is a gibbering mass at the center of the universe, and is a being of raw power and uncontrollable destruction. When you worship this Outer God you take the chance that your every calling will result to a surge of devastating power, but your hubris is often such that you believe that you (of all those who have ever called upon him) can control it. His alignment is chaotic neutral; his domains see Chaos, Destruction, Madness, Sun and Void; and his favored weapon is the Warhammer.
The worship of the Great Old One Bokrug comes from dreamers infected by his spawn. You are a rural type, perhaps originally a worshiper of Erastril, but your eyes have been opened and you now see the truth. You are closer-mouthed and secretive, and on the dark nights you snatch travelers for sacrifice—or to carry his dark seed to sprout in a new location. His alignment is chaotic neutral; his domains are Chaos, Destruction, Water, and Weather; and his favored weapon is the ranseur.
If you worship Cthulhu, you are half- or fully mad, and have been touched by the vast tendrils of this Great Old One. Your dreams shiver with undulating, pulsating waves of massive proportion. You hide your worship in barely trodden places slowly infecting those around you with your visions of the Dreamer in the Deep rising from his sunken city. He is the herald of the Outer Gods, the devourer of souls who makes pure the world for their return. His alignment is chaotic evil; his domains are Chaos, Evil, Madness, and Void; and his favored weapon is the dagger.
If you devote yourself to the King in Yellow, Hastur, your faith is insidious. You plant enchantments and steer your victims in subtle ways toward envisioning the Yellow Sign, at which point their souls are doomed. You create congregations devoted to helping Hastur manifest his avatar, drawing forth his essence in your chosen victim, and then unleashing him upon the world to gather mortals for his eldritch purposes. His alignment is chaotic evil; his domains are Chaos, Evil, Rune, and Void; his favored weapon is the rapier.
Mhar, the World Thunder, is a Great Old One of pure elemental destruction. If you worship it you gather near volcanic vents and seismically active rifts, hoping to spark geological events by spell, device, and living sacrifice. One day, you are sure, you can force open the proper vent and watch your great god emerge from the void where its essence still hangs. You compete with the worshipers of Rovagug for prime spaces here, for though you both seek destruction, you believe that the followers of the Beast are myopic and brutish. Mhar’s alignment is chaotic neutral; his domains are Chaos, Destruction, Earth, and Fire; and his favored weapon is the heavy pick.
The Crawling Chaos, Nyralathrotep, takes many forms, each of which offers its own domains, but his alignment is chaotic evil and his primary domains are Chaos, Evil, Knowledge, and Magic. He most often takes the form of either a batlike entity known as the Haunter of the Dark (whose additional domain is Trickery and favored weapon is the quarterstaff). If you worship Nyarlathotep, you believe he is the Outer God who ties together the worship of the Great Old Ones, and you follow him as the one who will open the doors to the uncaring light of the stars. You work with assassins poisoners, and demagogues to bring about the deaths of kings and reformers, turning the world toward chaos
Like Lamashtue, Shub-Niggurath is thought to be responsible for the introduction of frightening species into the world, but unlike the Demon Queen, the Outer God’s children are a more aberrant get. Your rites sacrifice to aberrations, offering children and infirm to tentacled and oozing horrors that should not be. You have an unho9ly fascination with the which slithers, scurries, and oozes, and you believe that one day, should you mate with such a beast, you will achieve unity with your master. Shub-Niggurath’s alignment is chaotic evil; her domains are Animal, Chaos, Evil, Plant, and Void; and her favored weapon is the dagger.
Brought to Golarion in the wake of the Starstone, the Great Old One Xhamen-Dor infects and destroys those who come across its fungoid slaves. Whether you have been infected by a stray seed or you wish to retain yourself, as a follower your primary mission in life is to ensure that you aid the Inmost Blot in spreading itself far and wide, so that it becomes as globe-spanning intelligence and can return to the stars. Its alignment is neutral evil; its domains are Death, Evil , Plant, and Trickery; and its favored weapon is the spear.
The Lurker at the Threshold, Yog-Sothoth, it is a great power indeed. You believer that it may be the Dark Tapestry itself, that its favor will grant your near-godlike power, and that its increasing intrusions into your world are a sign that it is at least stirring from its torpor to take an active interest in Golarion. You work to create abominations whether through spell or prayer, and infect pregnant women with poison and disease so they give birth to monstrosities. When they cast these creatures out, you snatch them and use them to create still more horrifying lives that will open the door to their father, the Outer God known as the Key and Gate. Yog-Sothoth’s alignment is chaotic neutral; its domains are Chaos, Darkness, Knowledge, Travel, and Void and its favored weapon is the dagger.
Gyronna (from Faiths of Corruption)
The Angry Hag is a matriarchal deity, primarily popular within the River Kingdoms. She is the goddess of bad luck; contracts in the River Kingdoms often include a “Gyronna clause,” allowing one side to withdraw from a bargain in the case of an unforeseen calamity, though at the cost of one’s wealth—for none wish to associate with one who openly admits to being talented by Gyronna’s bad luck. Her alignment is chaotic evil; her domains are Chaos, Destruction, Evil, and Madness; and her favored weapon is the dagger.
If you follow Gyronna, you are female. She does not allow males into her faith, and strikes blind and impotent those she sees trying to appease her. You spread mistrust around you, working as a gossip and slanderer, careful not to be seen ruining the lives you touch. You are vain and self-aggrandizing, and though you may seem alluring at first, your compatriots soon discover that your heart is rotten. You do not build temples; instead you create small shrines of piled rocks, each with a cat’s eye stone placed atop it. Those who feel wronged, jilted, or betrayed leave offerings to the hag goddess here, and you believe your deity can see out of the stone and bless your doings.
Lissala (from Faiths of Corruption)
One of the ancient goddesses of the long-lost Thassilonian empire, Lissala was the deity of duty and obedience. She taught rune magic to her followers, and demonstrated the workings of fate. As the empire decayed, so too did her worship, and the goddess herself. Her alignment is lawful evil; her domains are Evil, Knowledge, Law, Nobility, and Rune; and her favored weapon is the whip.
As a worshiper of Lissala, you revere the ancient ways. What has been passed on to the modern world is a corruption of Thassilonian worship, and though you may receive an echo of her first nature, you believe fully in the flagellation—whether of yourself or others—that purifies your flesh and burns knowledge into your mind. You and your fellows bear runes indicating your allegiance.
Ydersius (from Faiths of Corruption)
The decapitated deity of the lost serpentfolk and ancient enemy of the Azlanti, the Severed God retains some of his strength, and his ophidian worshipers remain a threat to any human (evil or not) who crosses their path. His alignment is chaotic evil; his domains are Animal, Chaos, Evil, Nobility, and Scalykind; and his favored weapon is the dagger.
As a worshiper, you are a poisoner and murderer, revering snakes and those with serpentine bloodline. You gather in tumbled—down places that were once holy to your lord and that crawl with venomous snakes. As a sign of his favor, you handle them and claim kinship with them—and if your god does not approve of you, you are sure to know.
Zyphus (from Faiths of Corruption)
Zyphus is said to have been the first mortal to die an accidental, meaningless death, and to have challenged Pharasma’s judgment. His alignment is neutral evil; his domains are Death, Destruction, Evil, Plant, and War; and his favored weapon is the heavy pick.
When you worship Zyphus, you venerate the idea that random chance governs your life rather than a master plan. You believe that those who look to the gods for answers are deluding themselves. You are bitter and cynical, and you want others to understand that their faith is misplaced. You offer your prayers to Zyphus because he too works against the gods. You dedicate yourself to the pursuit of accidents, learning how to set up long chains of probabilities that result in meaningless death or injury.
You haunt graveyards that have been forgotten or deconsecrated. You might wear a holy symbol made of the bones of a small animal tucked under your shirt, where it can abrade your chest and remind you that death may strike you at any time. Where some might take the opportunity to live life more fully, you see the inevitable end of life as little more than one step in a long and weary road.