#aroden

Sometimes I want to practice stylization. Or anatomy. Sometimes I even do it.

Does anyone know if the whispering tyrant did something big after failing to take over Absalom the last time?

Because if not I have a theory: Aroden was his biggest enemy and he fucking died while the lich was sealed away. Imagine getting to the city with a brand new undead army, ready to kill your nemesis just to discover that someone else already did it.

If he didn't make anything big after this is because the lich is fuckin depressed, megamind style, after losing his enemy.

No Deity has a greater connection to the goings-on of the Inner Sea Region than Aroden. It was Aroden that helped pull humanity back from the brink after Earthfall, even before he became a god, and the Last Azlanti helped establish a lasting legacy with the Starstone, the city of Absalom, and a multitude of different civilizations throughout the region.

And then he died.

Well, alright, nobody knows 100% for certain what happened to Aroden, but given the fact that his priests no longer receive spells or blessings, it would seem that he is in fact deceased, the ramifications of which are multifold.

Firstly, one of his areas of interest was prophecy, but when his untimely demise broke one of his very own prophecies of his return to the Material Plane, it quickly became apparent that this was bigger than just one dead god, for all prognostication, not just those of Aroden or his clergy, became unreliable and unclear. In other words, something fundamental had changed about the very nature of the mystic metaphysics of the multiverse and fate itself.

Needless to say, the various nations that once revered Aroden as their king of kings did not take this will, leading to decades of infighting and confusion as well, at least until Aroden’s protégé and herald, Iomedae, took the test of the Starstone herself and became his inheritor.

Less widely known, however, is the failure of many of Aroden’s great works. You see, whether it was the magical tree network in distant Arcadia, or the magic orbs he stole and used to bring life and plenty to the Isle of Kortos, Aroden had this habit of infusing many powerful magical objects with his own divine essence, which is great if you don’t expect to die ever, less so if you die anyway, forcing heroes to help heal and repair these wonders that had become dependent on his influence for so long.

But while Aroden’s death had a widespread impact, let’s take a moment to remind ourselves of what the Last Azlanti was all about.

One of the few survivors of the fall of the Azlant Empire, Aroden gathered many survivors and took them east, where he was declared a hero of prophecy. From there he had many adventures as an immortal hero, travelling Golarion and the Great Beyond, until he discovered the Starstone and ascended to godhood.

Thus did he become the god of humanity, as well as of innovations and prophecy simultaneously alongside his aspect as a guardian of history and tradition. Everything about him suggested that humanity was to be a great people with a tremendous destiny. Needless to say, though humankind still sees the great potential in themselves, the death of their god was a grievous blow.

Aroden’s impact, as well as the impact of his death, cannot be understated, and the truth of his final fate is one of the greatest mysteries, if not The Great Mystery, of humanity. Ironically, without prophecy, humanity and indeed all mortal races are now free to forge their own path, their wills determining the impact they have on the world.

When he lived, Aroden’s faith was present in many aspects of daily life in human lands, but now that he has gone, his temples have fallen into irrelevance and disrepair, often coopted by other religions. Most of his faithful have moved on to other gods, but a small handful stay true to the faith, though they lack any true divine power, relying on holy relics and magic items to perform benevolent works. To many, it is a relic of a bygone era, which may seem irrelevant or comfortable depending on who is asked.

 In life, Aroden governed the domains of Community, Glory, Knowledge, Law, and Protection. It is unknown if he also had subdomains, and he doesn’t even have a posthumous deity listing in 2nd edition yet.

Sadly, if Aroden had special blessings for those who devote themselves to obedience to him, they have been lost to time.

Aroden has all but been forgotten in the far future of Starfinder, one of his few remaining legacies is the space station that shares a name with his beloved Absalom, not to mention the Starstone at it’s heart.

Iomedae, The Inheritor, Light of the Sword, Lady of Valor. Pathfinder's Lawful Good goddess of #honor, justice, rulership, and valor.