The Pantheon: Athorn

Alignment: Lawful Good

Athorn, Defender

Portfolio: Protection, loyalty, duty, courage, shields, armor, guardianship

Symbols: A shield, a helmet, a lion, a castle, an oak tree

Holy days: Guardian's Vigil, Shieldbearer's Day

Relationship to Osphar: Sibling of Osphar, the God of Redemption and Forgiveness

Relationship with Ordanos: Allies in upholding order, as both gods work to maintain balance and protect those in need.

Relationship with Lokthar: Athorn often opposes Lokthar's chaotic tendencies, trying to keep anarchy from taking hold.

Relationship with Erothea: Athorn appreciates Erothea's creativity, as it often leads to new ways of protection and guardianship.

Invoked: Warriors, guards, and other protectors invoke Athorn for strength and guidance; offerings of weapons and protective amulets are presented.

Depiction: Athorn is typically portrayed as a stout, muscular god with a strong and imposing presence. The Duaru claim him as their primary deity, though humans scoff at this heresy. He is shown clad in a suit of heavy, ornate armor, adorned with lions and oak leaves, symbols of his guardianship and strength.

Athorn’s War

 In the Zamanic age, when the gods still walked the world, a devastating war erupted due to a tragic misunderstanding. Athorn received a vision. The vision showed him a vast army, composed of demonic creatures and undead horrors, led by a sinister figure wielding a fearsome weapon.

Believing that the vision was a message warning him of an impending catastrophe, Athorn sought the help of his fellow gods. Together, those gods and goddesses that agreed with Athorn rallied their celestial armies and prepared for a great battle to protect the mortal realm from the malevolent force. However, the vision was not a divine message, but the work of Espraxis, the goddess of trickery and deception, who sought to sow discord among the gods for her own amusement.

As the celestial armies descended upon the mortal realm, they found no demonic legions awaiting them. Instead, they encountered the combined forces of Thenos and Shatis, two human kingdoms who had formed an alliance to repel the threat from the heavens, sent to their wise folk in a series of visions. Confusion and fear gripped both sides, as each believed the other to be the enemy foretold in their vision.

The misunderstanding quickly escalated into conflict, with mortals and celestial beings alike caught in the crossfire. The war raged for years, causing widespread destruction, loss of life, and immense suffering among the mortal populations. Eventually, the truth of the deceitful vision was uncovered by the human hero Khaman, and the gods retreated to their celestial realms, filled with shame and remorse for the destruction they had inadvertently unleashed.

In the aftermath of the war, the good-aligned gods sought to make amends for their actions by aiding the mortal realm in rebuilding and healing. However, the scars of the war would remain as a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences of misunderstanding and deception, even among the most well-intentioned of gods.