| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Hear me Locust! I will unmake you. I will turn your wasteland into a paradise. I will lead your scorned children to heaven. I will burn your body and from the ashes grow a garden of such beauty and goodness that all who see it will be restored. I will name it Deskari so that in time your very name is one with life, joy, and love. I will take everything that you are and make it holy!
Lord of the Verdant Waste
Son of Vengeance
Home: The material plane
Alignment: Lawful good
Temples: Former temples of evil faiths. Wastelands. Ruins.
Holy Symbol:
Portfolio: Wastelands
Bees
Reclamation
Worshipers:
Mendevian crusaders
Residents of the Worldwound
Surveyors
Tiefling paladins
Domains: Fire, Good, Law, Plant
Subdomains: Archon, Ash, Growth, Redemption
Favored Weapon: Bastard Sword
Tuoni is a not properly a deity, rather a mortal risen to the heights of mythic power. The scion of Ragathiel and a tiefling paladin devoted to his service, Tuoni’s nature and heritage are an important part of who he is. From his father’s side he gained a heritage of iron, fire, and vengeance, but also fertility, honor, and leadership. From his mother, mortality, the fury of the abyss, and a desire to create new life. Raised by his mother and adoptive father, Tuoni was taught early, and firmly, the importance of discipline and self-mastery, and the need for order. For some it might be enough to simply follow their heart, but for him, and his mother, righteousness was a code found in the sacred texts of good divinities. If the heart cannot be trusted, something else must guide it.
This reliance on external codes, and the identity of his parents, made becoming a paladin a natural choice that he trained for from early on. Having spent many of his formative years in Lastwall, Tuoni identifies strongly with that crusader tradition and bears the shield and sword mark of Vigil proudly.
During the fifth crusade, particularly with the reclamation of the city of Drezen, Tuoni became an beacon to many, and organized his followers to best help in the restoration and defense of the city. As he grew in power, he found that his most devoted were able to draw not just inspiration, but real, tangible, power from him in an manner not unlike how he did from his father. This humbling, and exhilarating, power would have great effect on the path he would take.
The attention demanded by being a good leader caused him to notice, really notice, the tortured landscape. He heard stories from crusaders whose ancestors had once called this land home. Of temples desecrated and herds that had once provided sustenance turned into undead abominations. And through all this, in the middle of a war for the soul of a world, children were born. New life was made, and the only horizon for those children to see was a hellscape from a lunatic’s nightmares. This would not be tolerated. The hordes of the Abyss would pay for this crime and the land would be restored. More than restored, it would be made good.
An important part of the Verdant Waste’s faith is the belief that all sentient beings have the ability, and right, to determine their destiny, and so is popular among those who have decided to reject their heritage. Though many of these are individualists who favor the flexibility of chaos, this is not the case for all. Some desire to change, or recognize the validity of arguments in favor of it, but lack, or feel they lack, the ability to do so one their own, and seek a firm structure to build their new lives around. These are often individuals who have failed to achieve their goal previously, or for whom it is an ongoing struggle, such as pit-born tieflings who must continually master their fiendish heritage. Others simply recognize the strength that comes from being part of a united community. Marks of Justice and other magically binding oaths are popular among the faithful. Though there is some variation, all require the bearer to be truthful and uphold the noblest crusader ideals.
X has a fondness for bees, particularly honeybees. As creatures which work together to enrich and benefit all around them, they represent the ideal X strives towards. They turn hollow trees and rock clefts into astounding and beautiful homes full of multitudes working together. From this reclaimed home, they go forth, promoting growth and turning nectar into a delicious and nourishing food. Though generally unaggressive, bees are willing to give their all in defense of their hive, and their sting is painful and lasting. Bees are also the source of X’s prefered libation, mead. There is an element of pugnaciousness in the choice as well. As insects tend to be favored by gods of chaos or evil.
As much of Tuoni’s limited time as a quasi-deity has been spent trying to reclaim the world-wound and restore natural order there, he works with many that would seem uncomfortable fits. As beings connected to nature, azatas, fey, and druids are are frequent presences in project camps. Seeking to right the wrongs done, he has sought out beings who lived, or are descended from those who lived, in Sarkoris prior to the wound. Just as important, Tuoni seeks to make the land itself whole. Proper placement of forests, water-courses, plant and animals species. are all considered before taking action. It is not enough to know what was here, though that often provides an excellent blue-print to work from, it needs to be the right choice.
Commandments:
Make the desert bloom
Even the most blasted waste can be made beautiful with enough skill and sacrifice. This applies not only to physical wastes, but to spiritual or personal ones as well. A personal failing or weakness is a chance to prove mastery over self and create something truly unique. Likewise, a thing’s origin or nature does not determine it’s destiny. Some of the emptiest deserts can become the most productive farms with proper watering and tending.
A thousand strikes cleave the mountain
Adapted from one of Deskari’s own aphorisms, this can be used to emphasize the importance of persistence or community. It takes consistent and determined effort to affect lasting change. If you wish to truly make a difference, carefully count the cost, then proceed with fortitude. Likewise, a task that could take one man a lifetime can be done quickly with the aid of others. Much good can be done as a community if it united in the same task. Gather others of a like mind together, and everyone’s goals will be accomplished sooner.
Relations with other religions: Tuoni is the son of the empyreal lord Ragathiel, and so grandson of Dispater and Feronia. He has good relations with his father, rising to power as a paladin in his service. Ascension to near equal status, choosing a different focus, and granting spells to his own worshipers has complicated the relationship. Currently neither are exactly sure how to proceed and have been seeking advice from older deities. A quite religious mortal, X is endeavoring to cultivate relationships with a wide array of divinities, most notably Iomedae and the gods of the crusade, whose servants he has fought alongside, Pharasma, who he feels everyone should be on good terms with, and his paternal grandmother Feronia, with whom he shares many interests. Cayden Cailean’s advice has been sought in regards to the proper fermentation of honey and as a fellow mortal who gained divine power unintentionally. Overtures have been made to Erecura, Dispater’s current wife as a first step in trying to resolve what is, for Tuoni, a troublingly unsettled relationship with his grandfather.
X also has a number of divine enemies. First of all these is Deskari. The demon lord’s incursion into X’s homeworld, and X’s and company’s subsequent foiling of his plan created a fierce enmity. Slaying him in his seat of power and vowing to unmake him roused the dispassionate Lord of Locusts to an eternal hatred, which the Son of Vengence is more than happy to return. Baphomet is a close second for his part in corrupting the crusades. X has also sworn oaths of destruction against Cyth-V’sug, Treerazer, Apollyon, and Trelmarixian, though he freely admits those, with the exception of Treerazer, are long term goals that would require significant help to accomplish. Still, having specifics in mind is more useful than simply saying all of Abaddon and the Abyss.
Holidays: Holidays form an important part of the growing faith as they bring a community together. They are also favored by X himself as opportunities to honor other deities or events worthy of praise, and engage in revelry. X and his followers specifically honor the first day of spring, both as a celebration of new life and to frustrate Deskari’s cultists, and the other equinox and solstices as important markers in the cycle of life.
I'm guessing the Xs in the last paragraph are from before the character's name was decided?
Sounds good for a during-/post-WOTR character with Divine Source, which I'm guessing is what you were going for =)
Gah! I posted the wrong version! Yes, Xs are placeholders for name/pronoun. I must have copied the one I hadn't finished editing. I was debating changing the name to something else.
Yes, this is the end result of a Divine Source focused character from WOTR. Thoughts on possible holy symbols?
Yes, this is the end result of a Divine Source focused character from WOTR. Thoughts on possible holy symbols?A honeycomb.
For some reason I hadn't even considered that, but it might be a good one. It's representative and symmetrical. Thanks.
...that is one of the most badass vows I have ever seen. o.O
^_^ Thanks. I thought so too.
When I first presented this to Mikaze a while back, he mentioned that Veranallia and Brijidine Azatas seemed like they would be good servitors. I'm curious what other people's thoughts are.
Also, how do you think souls, servitors, outsiders, and the planes in general work with a being that can grant spells, but isn't a deity?