Irori

From PathfinderWiki
Irori
Irori's holy symbol.
(Deity)

Titles
Master of Masters;
Iro-Shu and the Enlightened One (in Tian Xia);
the Perfect Human (in Vudra);
the Perfect Man
Adjective
Iroran
Realm
Alignment
Areas of Concern
History
Knowledge
Self-perfection
Worshipers
Monks, Vudrani, green dragons, dwarves, mystics, ascetics, hermits, historians, martial artists, scholars
Edicts
Be humble, help others perfect themselves; hone your body, mind, and spirit to a more perfect state, practise discipline
Anathema
Become addicted to a substance, destroy an important historical text, repeatedly fail to maintain self-control
Cleric Alignments (1E)
Domains (1E)
Healing, Knowledge, Law, Rune, Strength
Subdomains (1E)
Competition, Education, Inevitable, Language, Memory, Restoration, Resolve, Thought
Cleric Alignments (2E)
Domains (2E)
Knowledge, might, perfection, truth
Alternative: change, vigil
Favored Weapon
Open hand, representing unarmed combat (unarmed strike); fist
Symbol
Open blue palm;
Master's Rebus
Sacred Animal
Sacred Colors
Blue, white
Source: Inner Sea Gods, pg(s). 84–91 (1E)
Gods & Magic (Second Edition), pg(s). 30–31 (2E)

Irori (pronounced ih-ROHR-ee)1 is the god of enlightenment, self-perfection, knowledge, healing, and inner strength. His followers claim that he was once a mortal who achieved absolute physical and mental perfection and thus attained divinity of his own volition.23 He is one of the core gods of, if not the most powerful deity of, the Vudran pantheon, but has an increasing following in the Inner Sea region as well.4

History

Stories told in the Azvadeva Pujila recount Irori's quest for enlightenment and ultimate ascension to divinity.4

Relationships

Irori respects that other deities are different spiritual beings and that what is correct for him may not be so for them. He, therefore, tries to avoid interfering with other divine beings, unless they threaten his work or his people.2 He has a particularly good relationship with Abadar,5 and has an ongoing feud with Asmodeus, because of the Lord of Hell's penchant for corrupting or destroying the things that others have built.6 Due to his importance in a just, stable society, Shizuru is friendly with Irori.7 A minor rivalry exists between his faith and those of Cayden Cailean, Iomedae, and Norgorber, as he considers their rise to deity status through the Test of the Starstone as cheating.2 Despite this tension with Iomedae, followers of her faith allow paladins of Irori to train in their Tempering Hall in Absalom.8 Cayden Cailean, however, finds Irori "stuffy".9 Erastil respects Irori but has his usual philosophical niggles about Irori's "selfishness".10 Irori also sometimes comes into conflict with Nethys, whose chaotic aspects the Master of Masters finds unharmonious;6 Magrim usually serves as an intermediary between them in case of friction.11 Urgathoa, goddess of hedonism and excess, finds Irori's strict moderation annoying.12 For the same reason, Hei Feng disrespects Irori and expects his followers to treat Irori's in the same way.13 Chaldira Zuzaristan views him as a close friend, but he considers her 'help' irritating.14

Irori's mortal nephew, Gruhastha, followed his path to be a god in his own right as well. He now serves as his uncle's advisor, but disagrees with him on some finer points: Irori views obstacles as individual challenges, but Gruhastha considers them something that must be addressed for the greater good of society as a whole.15

Appearance

A depiction of Irori.

Depictions of the Master of Masters in art are quite rare because his followers believe that his true form cannot be adequately described by mortal hands. When he is depicted, he is generally shown as a physically flawless Vudrani male with a shaved head, except for a long, single braid, wearing sandals and simple robes. He is generally shown sitting or in meditative stances.26

Realm

Irori makes his home on the plane of Axis, in a realm called the Serene Circle.16

Providence

Irori shows his displeasure by sudden and mysterious cramps, fatigue, or hindrances in the form of sickness or insanity.6

Servants

Irori holds enlightenment and the quests for knowledge and self-perfection of both body and mind above all. As such, sentient creatures are more associated with his faith than any animals or beasts.[citation needed] His divine servitor race, the pavbaghas, look like enormous white tigers, but are actually the reincarnated souls of his enlightened followers.17

Unique servants

Cheu Chem
This favored servant of Irori is an intelligent, celestial white tiger.2
The Old Man
Appearing as an elderly human male of uncertain ethnicity, and a dexterity and strength far beyond a mortal of his build and age, the Old Man is Irori's herald.2
Sixth Rebirth
This favored servant of Irori is a dour stone giant monk.2

Church of Irori

Worshipers

Irori is worshiped by all who seek enlightenment and self-improvement. He has many temples in Vudra and on the Isle of Jalmeray, as well as a monastery at Tar Kuata in Osirion.18 Irori is also worshipped widely in Absalom, Katapesh, Nex, Osirion, the Mana Wastes, and Qadira,6 and among Tian19 and Vudrani throughout the Inner Sea region.20 The Monks of the White Feather in Qadira are suspected of being a splinter group of the Church of Irori but do themselves deny this association.21 Most Avistani folk are somewhat put off by the Master of Masters' strict adherents, even though the religion is quickly growing in the Inner Sea region.6 Irori is respected and worshipped by dwarves alongside their own pantheon.2223

Irori also has a large following on the continent of Tian Xia, where he is known as Iro-Shu. The teachings of the god were introduced into mainland Tian Xia by Vudran missionaries in 2187 AR.24 In Tian Xia, his largest centres of worship are in Amanandar, the trade city of Goka, Hongal, Lingshen, Minkai, Quain, throughout the Wall of Heaven Mountains, and Xa Hoi. While many of Irori's Tian followers are monks, across the continent he is also revered by scholars and sages for his wisdom.25

Some green dragons worship Irori and suffer derision for so doing by other green dragons who call such worship the Cult of the Man God.26

Clergy

See also: Champion of Irori

Irori's priesthood consists primarily of clerics and monks. Priests are responsible for mentoring others as they try to attain self-perfection either by guiding followers or through rigorous testing and trials. Each must follow his or her own slightly different path to enlightenment, but there is little infighting among Irori's followers.27 Priests have no formal raiment, but prefer to dress plainly with a single long rope of braided hair they wear around their neck.6 Upon death, masters of the faith are said to join Irori to serve him for all eternity, while those who have not yet achieved perfection are reincarnated to begin the process anew.6

Temples & shrines

Temples are usually elaborate complexes filled with rooms for prayer, sleep, and exercise where the faithful train both day and night to achieve perfection and cleanse their ki, or life-force.27 They are not generally open to the public,6 and petitioners are asked to wait quietly outside and not disturb those who are meditating within.[citation needed]

Absalom

In the Foreign Quarter of Absalom stands a gladiatorial arena called the Irorium with an attached temple, the latter of which is watched over by Ysia Iron-Palm, high priestess of Irori.28

Katapesh

Katapesh is a centre for worship of Irori and the Hall of Irori is found in the Dawn Gate quarter of Katapesh (city).293031

Qadira

The Church of Irori is one of the three primary faiths of Qadira. The Temple-Monastery of Irori lies in the centre of Katheer and there are many monasteries in other parts of Qadira including the Open Palm of Sheehad, located in the foothills of the Zho Mountains.3233

Holy texts

The followers and adherents of Irori's ways hold all knowledge as sacred, specifically that which can help to improve oneself and lead one closer to enlightenment.[citation needed]

Unbinding the Fetters
This is a lengthy tome describing meditation, physical exercises, dietary regimes and other methods to help mortals transcend their limitations.27 It is a difficult book, full of aphorisms, metaphors, and riddles designed to challenge the reader's preconceptions.34

Holidays

Rituals require very specific preparation, both in mediation and diet, and each path to enlightenment may require different holidays and holy experiences. Dates are extremely important to Irori's faithful. Each follower of his teaching must decide for herself what dates are significant, as Irori's faith is an individualistic one. Of particular importance are the days that relate to a given temple or monastery, or that impact a given monk's path toward enlightenment.35

Favored animals

Gods are often associated with certain animals, either because they possess a quality favored by the god, or because the god's faithful feel a special kinship to them. Irori's favored animals include snails, white tigers, mantises, and octopuses.36

Organizations

The Sacred Order of Archivists is a secret society of scholars headquartered in the Chelaxian city of Kintargo that protects and preserves the written word from the revisionist historians in the government and the Hellknight Order of the Rack.37

The Hellknight Order of the Godclaw worship the lawful aspects of Irori, without considering his other values, but are in no way associated with his other followers.38

References

Paizo published a major article about Irori in Tide of Honor.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. Erik Mona, et al. “Appendices” in Campaign Setting, 246. Paizo Inc., 2008
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Sean K Reynolds. “Gods of Golarion” in Gods and Magic, 22. Paizo Inc., 2008
  3. Colin McComb. “Faith: Gods of the Inner Sea” in Inner Sea Primer, 26. Paizo Inc., 2010
  4. 4.0 4.1 Erik Mona, et al. “Chapter 1: Characters” in Campaign Setting, 39. Paizo Inc., 2008
  5. Sean K Reynolds. Abadar” in Seven Days to the Grave, 69. Paizo Inc., 2008
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 222. Paizo Inc., 2011
  7. Kate Baker, et al. Shizuru” in Faiths of Golarion, 56. Paizo Inc., 2018
  8. Owen K.C. Stephens. “Places” in Guide to Absalom, 14. Paizo Inc., 2008
  9. Sean K Reynolds. Cayden Cailean” in Children of the Void, 62. Paizo Inc., 2008
  10. Sean K Reynolds. Erastil” in Rivers Run Red, 71. Paizo Inc., 2010
  11. Kate Baker, et al. Magrim” in Faiths of Golarion, 45. Paizo Inc., 2018
  12. Sean K Reynolds. Urgathoa” in Ashes at Dawn, 71. Paizo Inc., 2011
  13. Kate Baker, et al. Hei Feng” in Faiths of Golarion, 26. Paizo Inc., 2018
  14. Kate Baker, et al. Chaldira Zuzaristan” in Faiths of Golarion, 6–8. Paizo Inc., 2018
  15. Kate Baker, et al. Gruhastha” in Faiths of Golarion, 18–21. Paizo Inc., 2018
  16. Sean K Reynolds. Irori” in Tide of Honor, 69. Paizo Inc., 2012
  17. Sean K Reynolds, et al. Inner Sea Gods, 295. Paizo Inc., 2014
  18. Jason Nelson & Amber Stewart. Osirion” in Osirion, Land of Pharaohs, 8. Paizo Inc., 2008
  19. James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 20. Paizo Inc., 2011
  20. James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 23. Paizo Inc., 2011
  21. Brian Cortijo. “Faith: Religion in Qadira” in Qadira, Gateway to the East, 23. Paizo Inc., 2009
  22. David Eitelbach, et al. Dwarves of Golarion” in Dwarves of Golarion, 6. Paizo Inc., 2009
  23. David Eitelbach, et al. “Persona: Gods and Minions” in Dwarves of Golarion, 29. Paizo Inc., 2009
  24. Erik Mona, et al. “Chapter 5: The World” in Campaign Setting, 202. Paizo Inc., 2008
  25. James Jacobs, et al. “Life in the Dragon Empires” in Dragon Empires Gazetteer, 60. Paizo Inc., 2011
  26. Mike McArtor. Green Dragons” in Dragons Revisited, 42. Paizo Inc., 2009
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Sean K Reynolds. “Gods of Golarion” in Gods and Magic, 23. Paizo Inc., 2008
  28. Owen K.C. Stephens. “Places” in Guide to Absalom, 28. Paizo Inc., 2008
  29. Brian Cortijo, et al. “Adventures in Katapesh” in Legacy of Fire Player's Guide, 4–5. Paizo Inc., 2009
  30. Brian Cortijo, et al. “Katapesh” in Legacy of Fire Player's Guide, 16. Paizo Inc., 2009
  31. Brian Cortijo, et al. “Faith: Religions of Katapesh” in Legacy of Fire Player's Guide, 24–25. Paizo Inc., 2009
  32. Brian Cortijo. Katheer” in Qadira, Gateway to the East, 18. Paizo Inc., 2009
  33. Brian Cortijo. “Faith: Religion in Qadira” in Qadira, Gateway to the East, 22. Paizo Inc., 2009
  34. Colin McComb. “Faiths of Balance” in Faiths of Balance, 13. Paizo Inc., 2011
  35. Colin McComb. “Social: Religious Holidays” in Faiths of Balance, 31. Paizo Inc., 2011
  36. Amanda Hamon, et al. Animal Archive, inside back cover. Paizo Inc., 2013
  37. Colin McComb. Faiths of Balance. Paizo Inc., 2011
  38. James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 266. Paizo Inc., 2011