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+--- Thread: Worshiping the Twelve (/showthread.php?tid=5548)
Worshiping the Twelve - Prosopeio - 11-19-2013
Been trying to work on the theology and doctrine behind those who follow Rhalgr. Mostly for my character, one of the many survivors of Ala Mhigo's old ways from before the King of Ruin. Due to this, I've taken a look at the gods and goddesses associated with him, and from there a greater look into the Twelve themselves, and I began to wonder.. how are they viewed? While character creation gives us their common depictions and what spheres of influence they have, I begin to wonder more and more on how mortals view them in general.
For example, Rhalgr the Destroyer. Is he seen as a being to be worshiped out of fear? Is his name used as a curse upon others? His symbol, after all, is that of a meteor falling and one cannot help but see similarities in his icon and the fall of Dalamud. But then, why dedicate a city to him as well as a martial faith? I have a hard time viewing the Fists of Rhalgr as being a bunch of people who simply destroyed things, if so then there would be no refugees within their walls. Following that, what of his wife (master?) Nymeia? A weaver who oversees Fate, she is prayed to by gamblers or those seeking fortune. Why are Fortune/Fate and Destruction wed? Is it to symbolize that all things end? If so, is there some meaning behind their children being War and Craftsmanship? What is the meaning behind any of the Twelve's relationships?
I have a bunch of material built up for my character, J'rhiki Tia's, view of the Path of Destruction he follows. The entire idea is that Rhalgr does not represent wanton destruction, but instead the Destruction that is required for all life to rebuild and grow. The trees that are felled to give wood for building homes and ships, the animals that are slain to give food to one's family. The personal barriers and limitations one has in order to grow past them into a stronger person.
Still, there is likely lore of the Twelve hiding somewhere... if not, anyone want to help me out in building some?
RE: Worshiping the Twelve - J'ruzho - 11-19-2013
Actually, that analysis makes a lot of sense. I didn't quite put that much thought into the relationships between the gods, but it seems to actually have meaning. For example, Fate/Destruction's children being War and Craftsmanship can signify that both War and Craftsmanship are products of the combination of Fate and Destruction. War being more on the pure destruction side as well as the ending fate of some civilizations, craftsmanship being about "destroying in able to build", as you've said, as well as the advancement of civilizations. I'm not sure if I said that in a way that makes sense...
Anyway, I think a good place to start would be to look at all of the twelve Gods and their relationships with one another. This could lead to us being able to infer a lot of things.
RE: Worshiping the Twelve - Ildur - 11-19-2013
There really isn't much lore anywhere in game about the religious traditions or rites of Eorzean gods, except maybe Ishgard, and even then all we get is that they have the silliest method to discover heretics. Everything else is vague and all we have is that there's reverence to those who died (seen in the graveyard north of Drybone: people make offerings to the dead) and that you can pray to the gods. Do they have specific prayers? Specific offerings to them? How is their priesthood? What we can infer is that some priests seem to be of the catholic-ish variety (again, from those in the church north of Drybone), but then I have no idea who they are supposed to be priests of. Nald'thal, maybe?
Let's go back to the relationships between gods. I can't find why you think Nymeia is Rhalgr's wife. She is his master, but Halone and Byregot aren't childrens of her. At least there's nothing in lore suggesting that. Though I guess you could imply that Rhalgr had to be with a goddess in order to have those two.
However, since the gods seem to be more metaphysical than physical (unlike, say, the Primals, who continuously manifest in the world with a body), any relationships between them must be by definition metaphorical.
So, let's see. We have Fate (Nymeia) and Time (Althyk) being brothers. Time is the father of the Sun/Inquiry (Azeyma) and the Moon/Love (Menphina). The Moon is married with the Wandering (Oschon), who is brother with Trade/Death (Nald'thal, who are actually Nald and Thal, two aspects of the same god, often refered to as twins).
Then we have that the Sun/Inquiry (Azeyma) and Knowledge (Thaliak) is mother of Fertility (Nophica) and Navigation (Llymlaen).
To finish, we have that Destruction (Rhalgr) is father of War (Halone) and Craftmanship (Byregot), with the later being also pupil of Knowledge (Thaliak).
With all those relationships, and with my stomach empty, I can deduct the following:
-Nymeia, Althyk, Thaliak and Rhalgr are the main gods, as they are the only ones that weren't created by divine marriage.
I should probably spend more time thinking on this subject, but anything that sprouts from there will be just speculation. There's not much in-game (that I have seen, anyway) to infer, induct or deduct about the religion of the place besides "Yeah, gods. They are a thing and you can pray to them!"