Falvren Dyr (dire) appears as a large man with flowing red hair. His armor shines like the sun, his blade carved from the moon. On his shield is the head of the God of Darkness whom he slew in personal combat at the beginning of Time. The scars he bears are from every war ever fought.
Dyr’s followers espouse a life of self-reliance; a strange dichotomy for those devoted to a God. Dyr despises prayer and those who ask for assistance. Rather, he blesses those who survive on their own wits, cunning, and strength. Dyr only drops his hand to protect those who show courage and prowess in battle; he never assists those who ask for it.
A God who doesn’t like being relied upon, worshiped by heroes who don’t like relying on anyone. It’s a perfect fit.
Aelon is often called “the Wounded God” for he is missing his right arm. He gave it up to forge an anvil, Urdrazen. His blood and flesh cooled the hot metal from the center of the world, his divine essence blessing the hardened iron. Now, anything made from the anvil is stronger than any material found in the world. Blood iron weapons made upon it are the desire of every warrior in the world – as is any item Aelon Valeron creates.
But Aelon is more than just a blacksmith; he is a God of many means. As God of Craft, he is skilled in nearly every endeavor. He is a master sailor, a cooper, a tailor, and a brewer without peer. Creation is his trade, and any who seek to better their skills need seek no further than the temples of Aelon Valeron.
Ashalim Avendi appears as an old, blind man; a beggar with a cup, sitting on the side of the road, begging for coins. The story tells of a rich man who was accosted by a poor, blind churl sitting on the side of the road. The rich man shook his purse of coins at the poor man, mocking his poverty and ill fortune. The beggar smiled and said, “What you give is what you get.” As it turned out, the beggar was none other than the God of Fortune, and the story ends with the rich man on the side of the road, blind and penniless, holding out a cup, pleading for coins from his own servants who no longer recognized him.
The followers of the God of Fortune remind the world that the Avendi is a fickle god whose favors can turn on the toss of a coin.
Appearing as a round, happy, middle-aged woman, Manna Renay is commonly known as the Goddess of Hearth and Home. A shrine to her sits in a prominent place in every household. While some may dismiss her as “the cooking goddess,” she is, in fact, the goddess of Motherhood, Childbirth, Medicine, and Safety. She is often pictured with a cat and dog at her feet or under her hands as she was the one who taught men to domesticate these little guardians.
She is also the protector of children and it is known that she whispers the secret language of her protectors (cats and dogs) in an infant’s ear when it is still in its mother’s womb. Those who revere Manna Renay remember this language; those who do not, forget it.
The god who is closest to the people is Jonan Drax, sometimes called “the compassionate,” sometimes called “the lawmaker.” It was Drax who handed down the first formal Code of Laws people lived by. This 7-article code outlined a basic system of law and justice. It was because Drax so loved the world he gave it law and the realization that with introspection, compassion and understanding, men could become better than what they were.
Those who follow Jonan Drax are called “paladins.” These warrior-monks wear the Code of Law on their bodies: the very words tattooed to their flesh. The ritual – which takes several days and is painful beyond description – empowers the paladin with blessings. It is said those who wear the code need not eat, sleep, or drink. They cannot be infected by disease or suffer the effects of poison. They are also completely bound by Drax’s laws, and even a slight slip jeopardizes the blessings bestowed by their god.
A paladin of Jonan Drax seldom – if ever – uses weapons. His body is a weapon – infused with the power of his god. Draxian paladins are often called upon by judges of the Empire for their ability to sense truth and dispatch villainy. And while they do not stand above the legal system (their god was the one who enacted it), they sometimes operate outside of it, to make sure justice prevails even when law might fail.
Talia’s temples are exotic and foreign. Her priestesses (she accepts no priests) are beautiful, witty, and well versed in the arts. All the arts.
A common misconception of Talia’s followers is that belong to a sex cult. This is incorrect. Talia’s priestesses are skilled lovers, but they are also painters, poets, sculptors, and musicians (as well as composers). All artists revere Talia, seeing her as the archetypal muse of all muses. Talia’s priestesses know the proper methods of preparing and eating elegant meals, the techniques of banter and debate, as well as the high holy art of love.
In return for their devotion, the followers of Talia learn secret arts no other school or academy in the entire world knows. In addition, she bestows blessings and magic that are secret… and seldom seen. The use of magic for any mundane purpose is taboo. Even if only to save her own life, Talia’s priestesses are reticent to their secret magics outside the confines of Talia’s Domain.
His followers call him “the Patient One,” or “Tyane Bran, the Indefatigable.” He is always portrayed as a small man with long, well kept hair and diligent eyes, standing to the side of an event, watching from a distance. He is always watching, never acting. In the tales of the Patient One, even the smallest actions are viewed as monumental and full of meaning. He only chooses to act when it is most appropriate, when it is most necessary, when it is most effective.
His devoted follow his example, watching and listening, providing their knowledge when it is needed, acting only when it is most necessary. They distain what they view as “the corrupt world of temptation” preferring the world of thought and reason, the world of spontaneous and immediate action.
