Paradox
Harlequin; Jester of the Gods; Nobody's Fool; That blankity blank!; Any name you like, as long as it's a good one
Symbol: A jester's motley hat
Home Plane: Limbo
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Cleric Alignments: Any chaotic
Portfolio: Freedom, humor, variety, whimsy, delirium
Worshipers: Jesters and jokers and fools; very fond of rumpots, crackpots, and how are you, Mister Wilson?
Domains: Chaos, Liberation (Freedom, Revolution), Luck, Madness (Insanity), Trickery
Favored Weapon: Rapier or sap (cleric chooses one)
Physical Description:
The many faces of Paradox could fill a good-sized gallery. His most common form is that of a purple-and-pink striped furry dragon of relatively small size, about five feet from head to tail. He also has a strong predilection for taking the form of humanoid rabbits, coyotes, cats, crows, monkeys, foxes, wolverines, youngest sons, and other traditionally tricky or crazy creatures.
Description of Nature, Personality, and Dogma:
Everyone, at some point in time, wants to break loose from the shackles of routine. Everyone, at some point in time, has a flight of fancy that might take them far beyond anything normal or safe. These momentary whims are the very essence of Paradox, and acting upon them is how he is most commonly worshiped.
Paradox himself is hard to define, which of course is one of his major traits: he tends to shift mood suddenly and without warning. These mood swings seldom result in fatalities, and seem primarily to occur when they will be most funny. What "funny" means is open to interpretation, of course. Overall, Paradox is not a malignant creature, but he is a trickster, prone to mischief, lechery, and to breaking all the rules.
For Paradox and his worshipers, everything is far too serious to be taken seriously. Humor and occasional breaks in routine are how everyone deals with the drudgery of daily life. The problem, of course, is that Paradox is always breaking routine, and always fouling up schedules and daily life wherever he goes, simply by being there. For most, a little craziness is a good thing, but too much is frightening, even to his clerics. There are a few who are truly devoted to the idea of chaos as a way of life, but these people tend towards maniacal actions that endanger or even end lives, and while Paradox still grants them spells, he also nudges others who can stop these out-of-control individuals in their direction. Paradox doesn't mean to cause problems, only wanting to bring amusement and enjoyment and variety to a world that is normally painted in shades of grey, but he doesn't really know when to stop. His worshipers, though, should, in a clear case of 'do what I say but not what I do.'
The most important act that any follower of Paradox can perform is to get someone to act in contradiction of their normal character. Such an activity can take months or even years of planning and preparation. Variety is one of the most important elements that Paradox wishes to introduce into the world, after all, as is the sort of truth that can only be told through humor. Paradox himself has insights that only the insane could have, seeing the world far differently than others. Bringing others to enlightenment through humor is another vital principle of Paradox, and one that finds great expression among many people.
Clergy, Places of Worship, Important Rituals, and Servitor Races:
The clergy of Paradox are as strange and motley a crew as could be imagined. The one thing they all have in common is that they have a great sense of humor, though that in itself is a very broadly-defined term, from straight-men to slapsticks. The other one thing they all have in common is that they have all personally talked with Paradox. What he looked like and what they talked about all vary according to the individual, but they all know it was him, and after that meeting they could use divine magic, which just proves it.
Bars and taverns and clubs are all special places to Paradox, where people go to drink and let their minds wander. Drug dens are places for Paradox's darker, harder side. All such places generally leave a table, a bed, or at least a stool in the back, that they leave empty for Paradox in case he decides to show up and join in the fun. Establishments that don't do so tend to go out of business very quickly, and often for the weirdest of reasons.
Fool's Day is Paradox's day, set in the middle of spring, when many animals are in the middle of their mating seasons and acting in an often uncharacteristic fashion from their normal routines. On this day, it is expected that everyone will attempt to perform tricks, jokes, and pranks on others, and nobody is required to tell the truth.
All chaotic outsiders recognize Paradox's importance and power, and most are willing to obey his wishes, so long as they do not break their personal codes of conduct. The creatures of Limbo all regard Paradox with abject devotion, and all of them are willing to do quite literally anything within their powers to please him.
History and Relations:
Bahamut generally says that Paradox takes more after Tiamat, and Tiamat generally says that Paradox takes more after Bahamut, and neither of them really want to own up to the fact that Paradox was born first of all their children, which means he has more power than any of his siblings, and is the one who has traits fromboth parents in equal measure. It is because he was born first that Paradox is as he is, because he came into existence when the rules that govern reality were still all new ideas, and he had the option of choosing which ones would apply to him. Having opted entirely out of their general application, Paradox mostly makes up the rules as he goes, though he is (barely) contained by the power of Umnos from wreaking too much havoc.
Nobody, god or mortal, really gets along with Paradox all the time, since he's such a chaotic individual, and prone to mood swings that range from the humorous to the violent. For the gods, he's that cousin kept in the attic that nobody wants to talk about, except that Paradox always manages to find his way right into the living room and make himself at home. Of his siblings, Paradox gets along with Ink and Hawl the best, as Ink genuinely loves her older brother as her favorite playmate who always gets the best ideas, and Hawl is fascinated by Paradox's mad genius and prophetic insight and foresight. Nimbus is the one god of them all that Paradox never plays pranks upon, since she's the one who acted as his mother figure in those earliest days, and the only one to whom he can still turn when he's feeling bad, sad, or mad. He did play one practical joke on her, once, but that's where death came from, and he still feels bad about it, so he'll never do that again.
Umnos and Paradox do not get along at all. Umnos (who Paradox insists on calling "the Ticktockman" for reasons unknown) is not hateful about it, but simply sees keeping Paradox in check as a part of its divinely-appointed job. On the other hand, Paradox sees breaking through the various restrictions that Umnos places upon him as part of his divinely-appointed job (the god making the job assignment being himself). All the lawful deities live in mortal dread of Paradox's occasional meddling, and all the chaotic ones want to see what he'll come up with next. In the end, however, Paradox is himself, and what that means is entirely up to Paradox.
Favored Offerings and Justifications for Direct Intervention:
Jokes, especially those of a practical nature, are the finest offering one can make to Paradox, and most especially if they manage to teach others something about their true natures. Most people will raise a glass to Paradox at least once during a night, in the hopes that he'll bless them with a little fun, and then leave them alone afterward. Buying Paradox a drink in proper establishments - the ones that have a place set aside just for him, that is - is considered a proper offering, and oddly enough, all the drinks bought for Paradox somehow vanish over the course of the night they were bought.
As for getting Paradox to intervene on one's behalf…no, no, no - you do not want to get Paradox's attention. Trust me on this one. Not that it matters: he's probably already noticed you.
Told you.
