Fleshing out a stranded cleric

[Pinjata]

So ... I need to flesh out an NPC.

A cleric of Sun God Ra was a member of a sect in decline. Power of their god was usurped by another and sect disappeared into hiding. It was prophecised that Sun God Ra will rise again and some members of the sect decided to entomb themselves in a hidden temple deep within the Desert to await the return of their god to power.

NPC is a cleric of this god (male human, about 60 years of age) in this temple and he is awakened by a group of strange strangers. He notices that temple is in complete darkness (an omnious sign), as well that strangers do not speak Common language. They do however understand some weird version of Draconic. It seems they have intended to loot the temple(which is indeed in a sorry state). They explain they have encountered many undead in the temple and as cleric explores this statement, he confirms it. Most of his religious brothers have turned undead. The temple seems to have sunk deep into the ground and the terrain has turned from desert to grassland. Also is completelly different. It's unclear how long these holy men have slept.

As he prays to Sun God Ra, he gets a response. His god is still alive and kicking (granting powers), but explains little on where and when the cleric is.

How should he react?


thanks

[Geddy2112]

After the initial shock wears off, I think a cleric or any religious character is going to breathe a huge sigh of relief that their deity is alive and kicking. If possible, they would probably ask for spells to translate and speak with the rescuers, divination spells to figure out the world, and ways to put the fellow priests back to rest.

Long term goals would be figuring out the nature of the deity's role in this modern world, is the church still running? Old god, forgotten god, myth, absorbed into another church or religion?

[Coidzor]

Save those brothers of his that he can.

Purge those that have fallen into unsavory forms of undead. Assuming that they're, y'know, mummies, some of them might be perfectly sane and rational, just rather tied to the temple.

Purify the temple as best he can, possibly making a note to come back and raise it from the earth at a later date once it is within his power to excavate it.

Determine where he is by venturing forth and then finding the church of Ra to get reconnected to a priestly hierarchy and possibly give it a kick in the pants.

If he can't find the church of Ra then he's probably obligated to try to restart it, possibly by showing the greatness of Ra by adventuring and then building up a flock during downtime. Obviously this is easier if there are other survivors and not just him.