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Well, success of any god is measured through the proclivity of their faithful, correct? Having been exploring the docks of Baldur's Gate, I couldn't help but notice that her temple stands there, quite out in the open and available for all to see. Talos I do realise is also worshipped over in the temple quarter, though given his repeated failure to take the bitch goddess' folio from her I would rate her abilities above his, if not the number of her faithful.

I gather that this is not limited to the gate however and that any city with a port will allow, and occasionally request, the founding of a temple to Umberlee. With a monopoly on drowned souls, she clearly has established an immutable foundation from which to operate.

I'm sure that I'm missing a whole swathe of points that refute this, but that's what discussion is for, right? ^.~

It is out in the open because it is not permitted to be in temple quarter. *G*

The reason for this it is easier to defend, but also has the hazard of followers being recognized and removed later. *EG*

Oh there might be another reason for being placed where it is, random, some policy of appearing to accept diversity, etc.

The way I always understood polytheism of the FR I think it's only a matter of being practical. Sailors and anyone embarking on a long sea journey is bound to go to the temple of Umberlee, make a sacrifice to secure himself from her wrath etc. It's like the ancient Greeks. You make a sacrifice to the god you need help from or ask a favor of and it doesn't have to collide with you having a patron deity as it is. Baldur's Gate is a port city and sailors would make sacrifices and pray to Umberlee no matter what, so it was only logical to build her temple in the docks and her alignment doesn't mean she will or won't destroy the ship you're traveling on.

Well, that's my point. All port cities need to be on good terms with the sea, and Umberlee is the one to placate. No point placating a GOOD sea-god, they'd not pick on innocents anyway.

She's got a solid niche there and honestly, I can't see her being outed unless someone takes over her folio. There's also the fact that she favours drowned souls more than any other, and wives of sailors lost at sea are known to donate to the temple to try and ensure a more comfortable passage for their departed family to the halls of whichever god they worship. Hostage pay, basically. . .

It's a heck of an operation, you can't deny that.

I always saw Umberlee as like a cross between a standover thug and dodgy insurance saleswoman:

[Priestess of Umberlee to ships captain] Nice boat there ye have there skipper, shame if anything would happen to it, know what I mean? For the low price of a mere 100 gold coins we can insure that your ship is not destroyed, now how good is that eh?

Not even that! More:

"If I'm in the mood to break something and there are other ships around, I am moderately less likely to decide that it is to be yours."

Hey, she's [i:16epera1]evil.[/i:16epera1] What did you expect? >w<

I always looked at it as a sailor talking about going to Davey Jones' locker. It wasn't a welcome fate, though sailors who can no longer sail will speak of it wistfully. Didn't the captain of the Sea Elf worship Umberlee?

Bah, if you're in the sea and you get thrown over board, just need a good Orca or Dolphin to assist you; Umberlee can't drown a creature of the sea.

[quote="veraka":33b1lo6u]Bah, if you're in the sea and you get thrown over board, just need a good Orca or Dolphin to assist you; Umberlee can't drown a creature of the sea. [/quote:33b1lo6u] I wouldn't be too sure of that, orcas and dolphins can still be drowned. Plus, defying her is a very quick way to get her to pay extra attention to you.

[quote="Ra'Sona Races-The-Wind":392d59rs] I wouldn't be too sure of that, orcas and dolphins can still be drowned. Plus, defying her is a very quick way to get her to pay extra attention to you.[/quote:392d59rs]
Granted, no creature of the sea is indestructible, however, from what I know of both Orca's and dolphins, even a super-powered over the ocean poses no threat to them; I've heard on more than one occasion of both creatures besting category five hurricanes.

Well, now that i think about it she doesn't actually have to kill the dolphins. Just you. Your best bet, apparently, is to wait it out until she gets bored and be suitably terrified of the awesome power she commands. Or just bribe her to leave you alone, she's always willing to take sacrifices of gold, possessions and drowned souls.

She gets bored quite easily, IIRC.

LMAO, yeah, either that or just cast underwater breathing upon yourself.

Who needs water breathing.. you take extra souls on your ship, and every so often they have an "accident" and go overboard. Your ship goes by free, maybe even a "boost" in better sailing. Of course.. this requires your alignment to be not so good. Then again.. if you're a prisoner ship.. s'all good.

A prisoner ship, hmmm; so you could be a paladin and still, 'technically' be in good graces, especially if your patron deity is Tyr, after all criminals deserve justice

Then again this is a goddess... so I believe there's an old saying I heard some wheres. Pleasing a woman is like swimming the ocean... in this case swimming the ocean is not a good idea, solely because of her. So in case of the ship.. you might wanna start throwing them overboard quickly or sink the whole ship. A buffet of lost souls.

And I swear, it's paladins like you that make the scheme enjoyable because you know how to play around with things so it's all good.