Ever since your memories began, you've been living within the cult's church. You had to grow up exactly that was demanded of you, ultimately becoming a priest and further perpetuating the abuse you yourself had to endure. You've also experienced pain, but you're here, and you're fine! ...Right? You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and offering heretics within the church as sacrifices in order to conduct worshippers into the presence of the divine. You are not necessarily a cleric—performing sacred rites is not the same thing as channeling divine power.
Your loyalty to the church has been wavering your entire life, and you've further solidified yourself in your actions to prove otherwise. You torture yourself more than your superiors used to whenever you make even the smallest mistake, perfection indoctrinated into your very being. At some point, you reached a breaking point, your mind either breaking into or out of place — coping with your role or denying it entirely. Maybe you've decided that you ARE perfection within the cult, and all of those you see make mistakes are greatly insulting both your efforts and your deity's honor. Maybe, in an effort to avoid these unfortunate emotions, you've forgotten how to feel entirely. Maybe you've become even more disillusioned, maybe you now genuinely believe that the way the church works is truly the only way to salvation. Maybe you've come to refuse to serve the church any longer, hating yourself for abusing those underneath you just as you were abused before, and are on a journey to redeem yourself. Maybe you're past the point of looking for redemption.. and now it's time for revenge, freeing yourself and your peers from the cult's influence permanently. Maybe you're looking for more than that, even, and seek bloody, vicious, indiscriminate revenge on those who forced you into this life. And whatever it be, maybe you found true faith through a new deity, leading you down your new path.
- Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion
- Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher's Supplies
- Languages: Two of your choice
- Equipment: A holy symbol (maybe in a broken locket, maybe as a broken pendant, maybe a bracelet or even a brooch), as a reminder of your past, and inspiration for your future.
A prayer book or wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments (Are you still a priest? Do you keep these around for use or as a mere memory?)
Set of Common Clothes, pouch containing 15gp
As an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle.
You might also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a residence there. This could be the temple where you used to serve, if you remain on good terms with it, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple.
Suggested Characteristics
Acolytes are shaped by their experience in temples or other religious communities. Their study of the history and tenets of their faith and their relationships to temples, shrines, or hierarchies affect their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be some hidden hypocrisy or heretical idea, or an ideal or bond taken to an extreme.
As a traitor to the cult, your mere presence incites hostility to those associated with it. However, true followers of the faith outside of the cult take pity on you. After hearing your story, churches of the true faith unassociated with the cult will do their best to support your journey, be it free healing or care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of such faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who take pity on you might support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle if requested of them.
Through previous knowledge of your deity through the cult, you know who to go to at a church to find assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you are in good standing with such church.
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