Question about the MNKs

So to be a Monk do you have to worship Rahlgr? Did all monks worship that diety?

Lore-wise, Yes they all worshipped Rahlgr. They were known as the Fist of Rahlgr, in fact. Gameplay-wise, no your character does not have to Worship Rahlgr to become a Monk.

Just like how Seekers don't have to worship Azeyma, you become a free-paladin (rather than sultansworn) after training, and so on. The Jobs/Races have their lore, but you, being the Warrior of Light, get to bend the rules a bit.

That's the fun bit about being a wandering do-gooder when you start the story instead of an established part of any of the major sociopolitical structures. You could be a Halone-fearing elezen from a reputable Ishgardian family but worship Rhalgr and become a Bard. Strange folk, adventurers, but anytime you have belief systems you also have cultural outliers.

Eorzeans kind of worship all the twelve anyway, no ?

They have one god that they prefer amongst the others but it's not as if worshipping was exclusive to one god.

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Originally Posted by PocketFreye

Did all monks worship that diety?

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I like to think that not all monks, or Ala Mighans for that matter, saw Rahlgr as their personal deity, if they even subscribed to such a practice. Yes, Rahlgr, the Destroyer, was the gaurdian of Ala Mihgo, a military nation, and it's probable that the majority of its citizens favored him over the other members of the pantheon. But, adventurers aside, I think it's likely there were a healthy population that chose their own god(s) for their own reasons.

As for the Fists of Rahlgr, I would hold them to no other standard. The temple itself was dedicated to Rahlgr, but I highly doubt placing him above the other Twelve was a requirement for joining the order, where an aptitude for hand-to-hand combat was likely a far better, if not sole, qualifier. Ala Mihgo's main military power was in their lancer brigades and monks, and with their warmongering tendencies, I doubt there was much room to be that choosy when it came to recruits. Besides, the Fist of Rahlgr wasn't as religious as they were interested in honing their martial art. That is to say, praying to or serving the will of Rahlgr wasn't their agenda, it was becoming as destructive as possible and "drawing" that power from the Destroyer himself.

I speak in the past tense, of course, because not only is the temple no more and it's order disbanded (as far as the realm is concerned), but the worship of any deity in Ala Mihgo today is strictly forbidden by its Garlean occupants.

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Originally Posted by treuhavik

I like to think that not all monks, or Ala Mighans for that matter, saw Rahlgr as their personal deity, if they even subscribed to such a practice. Yes, Rahlgr, the Destroyer, was the gaurdian of Ala Mihgo, a military nation, and it's probable that the majority of its citizens favored him over the other members of the pantheon. But, adventurers aside, I think it's likely there were a healthy population that chose their own god(s) for their own reasons.

As for the Fists of Rahlgr, I would hold them to no other standard. The temple itself was dedicated to Rahlgr, but I highly doubt placing him above the other Twelve was a requirement for joining the order, where an aptitude for hand-to-hand combat was likely a far better, if not sole, qualifier. Ala Mihgo's main military power was in their lancer brigades and monks, and with their warmongering tendencies, I doubt there was much room to be that choosy when it came to recruits. Besides, the Fist of Rahlgr wasn't as religious as they were interested in honing their martial art. That is to say, praying to or serving the will of Rahlgr wasn't their agenda, it was becoming as destructive as possible and "drawing" that power from the Destroyer himself.

I speak in the past tense, of course, because not only is the temple no more and it's order disbanded (as far as the realm is concerned), but the worship of any deity in Ala Mihgo today is strictly forbidden by its Garlean occupants.

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you are both right and wrong (king Theodoric said that he was the "chosen" of Nymia which is the reason he tried to destroy the fists of Rhalgr) and wrong when you state that the monks weren't religious as the reason he wanted them gone is because he feared that with them being the religious "center" of Ala Mhigo that they would gain more power and support from the people than him.

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Originally Posted by dragoelete

you are both right and wrong (king Theodoric said that he was the "chosen" of Nymia which is the reason he tried to destroy the fists of Rhalgr) and wrong when you state that the monks weren't religious as the reason he wanted them gone is because he feared that with them being the religious "center" of Ala Mhigo that they would gain more power and support from the people than him.

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And here I was thinking I finally conveyed a complete and straightforward sentiment in the lore forum, lol.

I made no mention of Theodoric or the fall of Ala Migho, and it's not as if I'm saying The Fists of Rahlgr weren't religious, they very much were, as are the vast majority of Eorzean citizens.

Basically, my aim was to expand on what lololink posted;

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Originally Posted by lololink

They have one god that they prefer amongst the others but it's not as if worshipping was exclusive to one god.

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Yes, The Fists of Rahlgr worshiped The Destroyer in hopes of furthering their martial skill, but I don't think it's out of the question to say individuals among their order had their own divine preferences, Rahlgr included. I certainly don't like the idea that The Fists were religious zealots like the members of the Heaven's Ward or Ishgardian Inquisition. Think of them more like the Thaumatuge's guild of Ul'dah, walking the path of Thal, if you will, to further their understanding and power. Again, we simply can't rule out the possibility that members of such organizations are capable of favoring a god other than the one of which their profession is associated, if they even have a preference.