Kalistrade
Kalistrade was an ascetic and mystic who penned a series of dream journals during the early part of the Age of Enthronement that were later collected to form the basis of the Prophecies of Kalistrade, a philosophy and practice toward the accumulation of wealth. These writings preach an adherence to strict dietary, dress, and sexual codes, and claim that faithfully following these strictures leads to the eventual collection of great personal wealth.123
Background
Born in 187 AR into a wealthy family of bookbinders and gilders, Kalistrade became a craftsman himself and was ready to inherit the family business when he fell into a delirium in 221 AR. For bedridden weeks he awakened only to write incomprehensible notes before losing consciousness again. After recovering he became unusually severe and focused, sold his inheritance to his siblings, and left Druma for eight years.2
The records of Kalistrade's journey contain very few names of places, though details suggest he visited Taldor, remnants of Sarkoris, western Kelesh, and Absalom, among others. During this time he compiled his dream visions, notes, and journals.4
In 229 AR, Kalistrade returned home clad in noble regalia with coffers of gold. He spoke only of his strict diet and personal rites, not of his investments, to curious neighbours, rebuffed all suitors due to sexual prohibitions, and refused all handshakes even as he was wearing gloves.2 He gained admirers who became cultists of his practices, which he taught from the writings of his sojourn.4
Kalistrade's teachings resonated so well with the Drumish zeitgeist that they competed against traditional divine religions, and his following attracted hundreds of converts in its early days. By 251 AR, the cult steadily had grown and Kalistrade had edited and refined his manifestos and journals into a manual of core tenets that he titled Ontologies of Self, a work that would in turn eventually become the basis of the Prophecies of Kalistrade.45 He disappeared the following year✝ and was presumed dead.24
His disciples started gathering his writings and argued over their canonicity, importance, and authorship, leaving the cult fragmented in competing factions and relatively uninfluential. In 408 AR, a group of adventurers discovered Kalistrade's tomb, and the factions quickly bought their information and silence before descending into the tomb for a five-day pilgrimage.64 The Kalistocrats found Kalistrade's body within preserved in precious metals, his soul retained in a personal afterlife, and communed with him.4
His revelations resolved many of his followers' debates, and after a year of conventions that included the famous Assembly of Auguries they collaborated to form the common foundations of the Prophecies of Kalistrade as a formal religion.64
References
- ↑ . “Chapter 2: The Inner Sea” in Campaign Setting, 72. Paizo Inc., 2008
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 . “Overview” in Druma, Profit and Prophecy, 8. Paizo Inc., 2019
- ↑ . “Overview” in Druma, Profit and Prophecy, 25–26. Paizo Inc., 2019
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 . “Overview” in Druma, Profit and Prophecy, 25. Paizo Inc., 2019
- ↑ . “Philosophies and Spirituality” in Gods & Magic, 98. Paizo Inc., 2020
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 . “Overview” in Druma, Profit and Prophecy, 11. Paizo Inc., 2019
| WorkThis entity is best represented by this wikipage. | ReleaseThe release date or a partial release date. |
|---|---|
| The Ghenett Manor Gauntlet | August 2011 |
| The Merchant's Wake | May 2014 |
| Bid for Alabastrine | 25 May 2016 |
| In the Grandmaster's Name | 30 May 2018 |