Celdos reveal, your grace. A particularly apt greeting for today’s subject. For now we turn our attention to the great gods Celdos.
We reach the end of the Five Who Are Ten. Already we have spoken of the four other pairs: Lumanox, gods of life and death. Boucassan, gods of justice above and below. Dagwos, the gods of nature. Elak, the gods of power.
Now we reflect upon the last and most complex of the gods – Celdos, the gods of wisdom and knowledge.
(art by @noanieactuallydrawingalot)
Celdos.
These gods are tied to Mind. The subtle shift of perspectives brought on by experience. The understanding granted by knowledge. The endless pull between teaching and learning, and how easily one can switch between them.
Unlike the other pairings, each half of Celdos bears the name Celdor. Indeed, some argue if there are two Celdor at all or if it is simply one god wearing two masks. In either case, each Celdor is known by their epitaph – Celdor the Storyteller, and Celdor the Traveler.
Celdor the Traveler, the Laughing One, Lady Luck, the Righteous Hedonist, Lord of the Forked Road - the deity of luck, travels, and experience. The Traveler lives up to their name and spends all waking moments searching for what lays beyond the horizon. They are the veins that bind distant places together, the joy of discovery and sharing.
Their temples are the crossroads and inns, their hymns the sound of foreign songs eagerly shared. They take on the form of any who ever walked beyond sight of their homes. And though the Traveler is fond of trickery and deceit, there is rarely malice to their mischief - though woe betide those who break sacred hospitality.
Celdor the Storyteller, the Smiling One, the Muse, the Sage, Lady of the Secret Chords - deity of knowledge, lore, and art. The Storyteller lives immersed in tales and art, always seeking to understand what the Traveler has found and bind together the gathered notes into one beautiful song. They the spark of sudden inspiration, and the dawning moment of clear revelation. Prayers to them come from many lips. Sages and artists. Strategists and minstrels.
The Storyteller is the joy of learning and creating. Their holy places lay in the scent of old tomes and a blank canvas. Their prayers are the sound of quill against parchment and chisel against stone. Though they bear a deep love of lore, the Storyteller knows some things are best left forgotten, and some knowledge comes at too great a price to gain.
As befits gods whose domain spans knowledge and travel, their priests can be found along the roads and deep within the great cities where they guard carefully collected lore. The Celdorite Caravans travel for love of it, often performing for the cities they visit.
In keeping with Celdos’s virtues, you have heard all that I have had to say upon the gods. Take pride in this, but just for a moment. Remember: There is always more to learn.
We have discussed three of the great divines so far. Boucassan, gods of justice. Dagwos, gods of nature, and Lumanox, the gods of life and death.
Today we turn our eyes far further, out into the depths of the Cosmic Infinity. I speak of Elak, the gods of power.
(art by @kaleidoscoperain)
Elak, Elos and Taak. As mentioned, each of the divine pairings are tied to an element of the Cycle Wheel. Elak represents the unknowable Grey. Power drawn from ideals, concepts, and raw emotion.
Elos. Open-Eyes. The Dreamer Awake. The Empress of Void. Deity of Solitude and Enlightenment. Elos has watched this constant churning since the beginning of time, unbound yet focused. The secrets of the universe have revealed themselves to her patience.
Elos is the clarity gained from detachment. Wisdom acquired from breaking free of the cycle entirely. She became the first being to achieve enlightenment in the cosmos, a state of mind that she has freely shared with all those that seek to walk her path to mastery of the Grey.
Taak, Fist-Clutching-Arrows, the Tyrant, Emperor of Stars - Deity of strength and domination. Where Elos is detached, Taak feels the bindings of the universe all too keenly - the chains of command, the bonds of fellowship, even the elemental forces that bind worlds.
Taak is constantly immersed in the flux of the Grey, has walked every plane dreamed of by mortal minds, seen every monster ever spawned by mortal thought and deed, knows their true self written into the very fabric of their being. It is this knowledge that gives him his strength - and the knowledge that all those bindings leads back to him.
Beyond this, little is known of them. They are distant gods, little caring for the mortals that they long predate. Those that do follow in their footsteps are few and far between. Hermits shut away to gain enlightenment. Despots that offer sacrifices for a drop of power. Those with eyes turned toward stars with both fear and wonder.
Keep your thoughts closely guarded and avoid their attention when possible.
Lessons From the Grand Sage II: On the Gods (Boucassan)
Celdos reveal, your grace.
Welcome back. Now, a noble must know more than mortal affairs. Statecraft is the core of your duties, but not the total of them. Today we turn our attentions higher, to the gods themselves.
Many are the deities and spirits worshiped across the continent. But we shall limit ourselves simply to the Five Who Are Ten. These are the closest to our hearts, and our staunchest of allies. As a leader of your people, you will be expected to lead rituals to beseech and appease them.
Each of these gods are a bonded pair, with each tied to an element of the Cycle. One is linked to the positive, and the other the negative. Hence, five gods turn to ten.
First to discuss shall be the ones most closely intertwined with your role as noble. The gods of law and justice, Boucassan.
(art by @botherkupo)
Boucassan are tied to elemental Spirit. They are unbreaking and unyielding – all the better to stand firm against the evils of the world. They are Boudicca and Cassan.
Cassan, the Fair, the Inevitable, the Lord of the Even Scales - God of Justice From Above. He is bonded to the negative Spirit – protective and cold.
Cassan is said to be a judge beyond corruption. Only words and deeds sway his verdicts. Though stern, he is merciful and wise. He is the will behind honor and the force behind justice.
He is the one that guarantees oaths, especially those of fealty. His laws govern the rules of war and the conduct of the great lords. Rule with honor and mercy, and you may count him among your friends. He loathes those that abuse the power of their station – be judicious, be safe. Cassan-blessed are gifted with long and prosperous rule.
Boudicca, the Chainbreaker, the Heroic Spirit, the Lady of Valor - Goddess of Justice From Below. She is bonded to the positive Spirit – aggressive and burning.
Boudicca is the fury of the mistreated. Where cruelty and malice waxes strong, she appears. In hearts, in minds… at times, even physically. More than any other deity, she is fond of manifesting her power in the world. It is said that no one who fights evil ever fights alone, for even if no one else stands with them, Boudicca shall.
More so than Cassan, Boudicca is a goddess that must be actively appeased through diligent ritual and sacrifice. She is eager to aid the lesser against the greater. The surest tonic against her fury is the love of your people.
It is wise not to speak at length upon the gods; too much in one setting may draw their eyes upon you. And it is unworthy to waste their time with idle musing upon their nature. We will return to these lessons at a later date.
