Temple burns down on first turn -- options = what?

[tinkthank]

This happened to me, I quit the game, because I couldnt figure out what to do. If your temple burns down on the first turn and you dont have a priest out, aren't you screwed? Since you dont have a priest, you can never build a temple, which you need in order to recruit priests. For nations like Summer and Autumn, this means that you are basically reduced to an Indy nation with ambitions and a pretender.
I suppose I could have waited and hoped for a merc priest to eventually show?

[Taqwus]

Declare a prophet. Or, if you're Dead Ermor and have the gems (maybe a rich map for 15 death gems), see if that's enough to summon any of the unholy priests (can't recall).

[Torvak]

In a SP game just restart, in MP your screwed. Though the prophet method would work it's 200 gold you could spend elsewhere.

[tinkthank]

declare a prophet -- of course, sorry. me idiot

[Yossar]

There are some mercenary preists too, aren't there?

[Taqwus]

Yes, a number of them. Ship Wreckers, God's Justice come to mind. Others too, probably.

[archaeolept]

worse is if you're lab burns down and you have a non-magic using pretender. then you truly are up the creek until a mercenary mage becomes available.

and, of course, there's always having your pretender find a rod of the leper king during the first battle...