So I'm thinking of making my new character the young widow of a high noble who was much older then her and who went off on some adventure or war or something honorable and who died tragically (was there a war in the past 5-7 years?). My character, so overcome with grief leaves her palatial estate to the care of her husband's brother (who was his right-hand guy in all the business affairs anyway); basically to join a nunnery. Because of her own personal tragedy and desperation to find some inner peace, she becomes a cleric and advances quickly. She vows to protect others on noble quests in memory of her late husband. As the heiress she still maintains residence at the estate and either stays there or at one of the temples of her deity while traveling. She has a fairly good reputation in her order mainly due to the amount of donations her brother-in-law is able (at her insistence) to make to the church. She tries to maintain at least some political and business interest, but for the most part, her brother-in-law acts for her. He is a good person and has enough of his own personal business interests invested from his inheritance, and draws a nice enough salary from me that he isn't too greedy with the family money.
I figure if my character was a young bride and it took about 5 years to get to 10th level or so she would be in her mid-twenties. So she is still young enough to remarry. Perhaps that's the brothers real motivation for sticking around?
I'm looking at some of the prestige classes and am leaning to the temple or the other one something like a hospitalar or something like that. Human. I'll have to find a picture. I was thinking at first about going with older like pottifar's wife from Joesph's Technicolor Dream coat, just a touch of evil looking about her, but decided young and misguided-- I mean zealous would be better. =)
I didn't see anything in the PHB that fits my idea of what Augustine would worship, so I made one up. Or at least I am trying to. Augustine is Neutral and Worships Neutral good Amelina also called, Our Lady of Curar Guerra; Neutral Good Goddess of War and Healing. I am thinking of the Spanish Catholics a little. I picture a few really nice Cathedrals and Missions but mainly way-side shrines that provide some shelter for weary travelers. Some of the most beautiful and ornate Chapels are those built by her wealthy patrons or governments wishing her help in their own noble or good causes.
Her main foundations are built upon the ideas that no noble or good cause should go unprotected and that whether by mercy or might any noble or good cause should be carried through to its fullness. Noble adventurers may seek the aid of the Goddess who although she is not directly related to travel, she has positive ties to other Gods and Goddesses of travel and they work together well, Amelina providing protection or healing, and the God/ess of travel providing other help. Often times in war, Amelina will be solicited for help, each party giving their own justification for noble or good cause. Often times it is said victories are won solely because the victors have enticed the Goddess and won her mercy.
Followers of Amelina are taught to rely on tactics as well as chance and as part of their conditioning, learn to spend their free time playing games of either strategy or chance. (Chess or dice). They understand overuse of one or the other can sometimes lead to defeat and learn to be wise enough or humble enough to tell when the time is right for which.
