Introduction

Let's begin by saying that Paizo is being fearless by sending one of their famed Pantheon members to the grave. It's the type of move that will get the masses talking, and talking they did. The publishing of the Godsrain Prophecies had people talking all over social media. Some were discussing who should or should not perish. Others were debating whether the move is a good one for Paizo. There were 10 total prophecies and I know more than one fan was excited to find out that their favorite god or goddess was saved.

Paizo finally announced after ten prophecies were posted that the official god to perish will be Gorum, the Lord in Iron. Paizo mentioned that this death will be part of a months-long War of Immortals event and will slowly work up until Gorum is finally slain. War of Immortals will arrive in October, so the next several months will be exciting for Pathfinder 2E.

Now, having said all that, I am disappointed. Why should I be disappointed? Paizo has put in a significant amount of work into developing this story line, and it will be quite exciting to see it all unfold. There is bound to be a variety of events that keep me reading and watching to see what happens next.

But Gorum? Our Lord in Iron?

Yes, he is a major god. Yes he will be dearly missed. But if I take a poll of a 100 Pathfinder 2E players and ask them which god they care most about, I would be hard pressed to find 5 that care more about Gorum than any other. Sarenrae, yes. Pharasma, yes. Cayden Cailean, yes. But Gorum. Well, let me break it down for you.

God of War, Death is Inevitable

Look, when you think about war, whether in the heavens or on Golarion proper, you assume that people are going to die. That's what war is. A fight to the death. So the thought that the God of War might die at some point doesn't feel like a surprise. It states in his Archives of Nethys post that he cares not for the reason of the fight, just the thrill of battle. So his death here makes sense.

But, what if, and you'll need to stick with me here, what if someone like Pharasma or Sarenrae died? What if one of the most beloved deities in all of Golarion passed? Wouldn't that shake things up more? Would that make it more exciting. Wouldn't that tick a lot of people off? Well of course it would, but I bet it would sell product, whether that's books or adventure paths or art.

Now, before you take my head off and send it to Zon Kuthon, understand that the loss of a beloved character would be tough. Sarenrae would be exceptionally difficult, given her general focus of so many clerics out there. And if Pharasma were to pass, could you imagine what might happen to all those undead that have no where to go? And Cayden Cailean? Well, bards would have no one to worship, right? But let's dig a little deeper shall we?

Major Shifts and Major Chaos

Lets take a look at post Gorum death. There is no God of War now. No one whose edict is to attain victory in fair combat, push your limits or, bizarrely enough, wear armor in combat. Additionally we won't have someone telling us not to kill prisoners or surrendering foes or win battles through underhanded tactics or indirect magic. Gorum can't command us to not prevent conflict through negotiation. Does that change much at all in how war currently takes place in Golarion. Not significantly.

But what if there was no Sarenrae? No deity to remind us to protect our allies or proved aid to the sick and wounded. To tell us not to create undead or deny a repentant creature an opportunity for redmption? And with so many worshippers, what would happen? Would a new god stand up to take her place and lead the good warriors in their time of need? Or would some chaotic identity try to weave confusion among her followers and bring a downfall to the Church of Sarenrae?

And then you have someone like Pharasma. She literally serves as the arbiter of a soul's destination after death. What would occur if she would to be removed from power? Would the Horsemen finally find a way to wreak havoc upon the world and end all of reality? She has been there since before recorded history and will be there at the end of time. Unless she died. What would happen to Golarion. Would civilizations fall? I'm not saying she keeps order, but it does feel like her loss would be epic.

Gorum's Death is Easy and Newsworth – Enough

In the end, I suppose that you can't always go full nuclear when you are trying to spice things up. You have to make waves without drowning everyone. I understand that. And Gorum is a good choice here. He's a big enough figure to feel weighty, but less important than some of the major players. I know the story is gonna be pretty amazing and I'm excited about it.

But I will always think, "What if?"