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Table of Contents
Zingle Bells
Backstory
A Metaphysical Scientist motivated to try to understand the absence of humanoid gods in the world, determined to study the theory that if something has enough of a base to believe in it, it summons a related god into existence, or perhaps an aspect of a god. Zingle realized that humanoids couldn’t be forced into belief, so had to use an existing belief to test the premise. This led to the unfortunate but widespread held belief that individual socks vanish in the wash or out of drawers. Zingle converted his house in Goldvale into a Temple, now known as “Zingle's Temple” or “Temple Of The Lost Socks”, and for research purposes established the Order Of The Lock Socks, a faith based on the belief about vanishing socks, that must evoke a chaotic entity as the sock god. This has resulted in Zingle’s Temple making socks vanish rapidly if anyone dares wear them in, and lots of people coming to pray to get their missing socks back, which oddly seems to happen with alarming frequency. The Order Of The Lost Socks is now 5 years old but it hasn’t officially spread beyond town. Zingle intends to see if the Order/Faith can be expanded for whatever might manifest next and needs to get out more, suddenly realizing adventure makes sense.
Brief Time As A Low Level PC
- Firstly, Zingle went from an NPC I'd tossed into the game, to being picked up at as LV 1 PC, a filler character for the party to share, with the intent of seeing how they evolve it. Zingle didn't have a gender of race, I let the players chose and roll him up. Aasimar and Male it became.
- After an adventure involving breaking into a The Cult Of Alden stronghold, the party walked out with a baby unicorn and baby owlbear. Some shenanigans by Jules resulted in the creatures being housed in Zingle's Temple for a few hours, wherein they trashed the place. An** official rule** of the Order is now that Unicorns & Owlbears are not allowed inside church buildings. Zingle in frustration temporarily left the party to make repairs after this incident.
- Due to the game being filled with actual players Zingle hasn't been picked back up and has evolved into more of a NPC…
Further Developments
- It should be noted that the players of this game named the baby unicorn they rescued “Socks” while adventuring with Zingle. Zingle later decided that he'd add to the “Mythos of Lost Socks”1) by posting “Have You Seen Me?” like posters around Goldvale with a sketch of the unicorn named Socks. This wasn't an attempt to find the unicorn, as Zingle doesn't know its whereabouts, but is rather an attempt to unify people in knowing there are more kinds of “lost Socks” out there. Given Zingle's firm belief that unicorns are not supposed to be indoor pets, and because he needs things to be technically “lost” to work with the mythos, he doesn't actually intend to find the unicorn. He just wants to raise awareness of the unicorn being both lost and bearing the Socks name to see if that gives further awareness or focus to the religion.2)
Likes: Toll The Dead spell, Investigating anything religion oriented. Dislikes: Indoor pets, Jules
THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN STILL
- Holy symbol is a sock crossed by a unicorn horn(Sock x Unicorn Horn), preferably done in white, over a blue background. On Zingle's first outing as a PC the party ran into some members of The Cult Of Alden who were wearing blue robes. After that session I painted the mini we're using for Zingle with blue robes, and painted a sock on top of that. Actual mini figure needs a unicorn horn update.
- Zingle counts as the “High Priest” of his order, but also because he's the only actual member of it so far. This order needs to evolve as he gets around finally and spreads the word about lost socks.
- Brumette has joined The Order.
- The Party spotted a couple random people near the Unicorn Grotto who were wearing just one sock each, so that might imply some affiliation of additional people via a strange missing sock nod. It is likely easier to lose a sock than it is to get fancy robes for The Order. However not wearing a sock could result in severe blisters and require healing, forcing the sock-less to seek healing.
- A sock god, likely about as amusing as a Flying Spaghetti Monster needs to eventually evolve in the game world.
Development
- As the noteworthy local cleric in Goldvale, Zingle has researched rituals to banish ghosts in preparation to solve the local issue of Ginger not leaving her house because she became a ghost. He may request that The Party perform this ritual to clear the house.
- To do the ritual The Party must acquire the following:
- An apology note written by the person who killed her (Ema).
- A red candle.
- A chalice of Holy Water.
- Sage to burn.
- Salt to spread around the perimeter of the house (a lot).
