Monvesian Culture: God-King Cults

In the west, there is a tradition of deifying the leaders of empires.  Clerics may serve these rulers and the cults of their glory as if they were gods or saints.  These traditions are formalized cults of personality.  These priesthoods are long-standing, but the "living saints" they venerate change over time.  Three god-kings have risen to prominence:  the Pharaoh of Raviq, the Mikado of Fuhon, and the Nagaraja of Henjal.

In Prace, a similar cult of personality has also developed around the Emperor of Dray--but the semi-theocratic nature of the Empire prevents the Emperor from arising to the status of god-king.  Given the nature of the Temperamental Orders, however, the Order favored by the Emperor tends to be favored by the nobility as well.

Clerics of the God-Kings

When in service to a god-king, a cleric must choose a domain from those spheres related to the ruler's dominant alignment.  Keep in mind, however, that inheriting the mantle of a god-king will affect one's alignment points:

• Pharaoh, gain 2 AP each in Dynamism and Vitalism
• Mikado, gain 2 AP each in Idealism and Materialism
• Nagaraja, gain 2 AP each in Vitalism and Nihilist

Should a god-king have no clear dominant alignment, then the spheres of the title's temperamental association should be used.

As alignment in Monvesia is fluid, a god-king's dominant alignment will change over time--and successors may be of vastly different alignments than their predecessors. Clerics of the god-kings, therefore, must adapt to the temperaments of their rulers.  Should a cleric's domain become unavailable during play, a new domain must be selected.  All abilities of the old domain are lost, and any abilities of the new domain appropriate to the cleric's level are gained.  The abilities of the old domain are lost immediately; however, the abilities of the new domain are not gained until either 1) the cleric gains a level, or 2) the character completes 40 days in meditative isolation.

Pharaoh

For millennia, the mantle of the Pharaoh passed between neshu, tengu, and minotaur dynasties.  Upon the arrival of the spirit folk in Fuhon, however, the tengu switched their allegiance from the Pharaoh to the Mikado (see below).  When humanity passed though minotaur territory, resulting in the emergence of tainted minitaurs, that race ceased to pursue any claims to the Pharaonic mantle.  Since then, only neshu dynasties have served the role--with the empire ruled having reduced to match.

Though there has never been an anepu Pharaoh, that race continues to serve the neshu emperor--particularly as tomb builders and funerary priests taking custody of the imperial dead.  Though this priesthood is not considered a part of the god-king cult, their rites are considered essential in passing the mantle of Pharaoh on to the next generation.

The mantle of the Pharaoh typically follows male-preference primogeniture.  The eldest surviving son (or daughter, if there is no son) succeeds after the death of his predecessor.

Mikado

The Mikado is the most junior of the God-Kings, though still an ancient mantle.  The first Mikado was the matriarch of the spirit folk when that race arrived in Orbimond.  She was succeeded by her husband, and later by their children in turn.  Though there have been several dynasties since, all have been spirit folk.  It is suspected that the hengeyokai may have a claim on the mantel of Mikado should the spirit folk no longer be able to produce a worthy heir, but such is little more than speculation.

Among the other races of Fuhon (partiuclarly the tengu and hengeyokai), there is a "second emperor" called the shogun and his vassal daimyo who serves as military commanders.  This caste of nobility is charged with the protection of Fuhon.  Generally, the Shogun accepts his place as servant of the Mikado--though there have been eras in Fuhonese history when the two have been at odds.  The military nature of the Shogun prevents that position from ascending to the God-King rank.

The mantle of the Mikado typically follows absolute primogeniture.  The eldest child, regardless of sex, succeeds after the death of their predecessor.

Nagaraja

The serpent kings have ruled Henjal since the beginning of the Empire of the Morning and Evening Star.  The first to bear the title were the dragons of old. When the governance of the Empire passed on to the serpentfolk, so did the mantle of the Nagaraja.  The lizarfolk would be the next to bear the title, and keep it until the final collapse of the Empire.  The mantle of the Nagaraja persisted, however, among the yuan-ti--who inhabit the the ruins of the ancient draconic palaces.  They are seen as the spiritual successors of the empire, and continue to practice the rites of old.

According to the precendent established by the earlier successions, the mantle should have passed to the kobolds--but that race was unable to settle on any one single king.  For kobolds, even the chief of the smallest tribe is treated as a god-king.  Without any solidarity among themselves, the remnants of the other races could not accept a kobold Nagaraja.

The mantle of the Nagaraja is typically elective.  The scalikind noble recognized as most powerful succeeds after the death of their predacessor.