The
Defender:
Portfolio: Protection, Fortitude,
Guards, Defense, Armor, Altruism, Boundaries
The Defender is the Goddess of Protection, the Iron Maiden. She is the chosen deity of all mortals who devote their lives to the protection of others, particularly those that cannot protect themselves. The Defender honors preparedness, endurance, and bravery in the face of insurmountable odds. While those that follow the Mother place the highest value upon each individual life, the Defender understands that sometimes, one individual life must be extinguished so that the many might survive. It falls to the Defender to preserve existence, to protect the whole from destruction, so that life might survive to flourish despite adversity. She is the insurmountable, the immovable, the unconquerable. She is a distant mistress, slow to emotion and slower to action, but much like an avalanche, once in motion, there is nothing in the universe that can hope to match her power. The Defender cares greatly for her followers, and welcomes each one counted among her flock as a potential hero, for she knows that in times of great need, it is often the few who make the greatest difference to the many.
Common Representations: The most common representation of the Defender is of a slim, youthful woman with a stern look upon her face, always clad in ornate full plate armor and carrying a shield. Icons of the Defender are generally shown bearing hammers, to show the preference of the Defender for weapons that minimize open bloodshed.
Holy Sites/Areas: The Defender holds sacred all walls and acknowledged boundaries. As such, her more notable holy sites tend to change as the boundaries of the world change. At the moment, Hurat has much of her attention, as it holds the border against the Orc Lands to the north, but there is no one site that is particularly precious to her. All areas under threat of expansion are held dear to her, and her followers tend to flock to these places, that they might be present if and when her call is heard. The sole exception to this is the shores of the great Lake in Lutha, a site of annual pilgrimage for worshippers of the Defender who flock there to pay homage to the site where the Defender stood fast against the champion of the Summoner in the world’s darkest hour.
Common Livry/Trappings: The Defender’s faithful tend to dress in white with highly visible gray accents and trim, though some choose merely to prominently wear the symbol of their Mistress on their person. True altars to the Defender are always crafted from the shields of martyrs, both renowned and unknown, set upon blocks of granite and kept free of all blemish. In times of war, smaller shrines containing ceremonial helms are used as a more mobile place of worship.
Common Times/Circumstances of Worship: Guards before their shifts, soldiers performing defensive actions, and travelers who seek to avoid brigands commonly invoke The Defender, in her role as the Goddess of Protection. In her guise as the Goddess of Fortitude, the Defender is often beseeched for aid by laborers and craftsman who wish to carry on their work through fatigue and pain, as well as anyone taking on a task beyond their ability, but that must be done regardless.
Omens: A shield shattering in the hands of a combatant is a certain sign of the Defenders displeasure. Though rare, it is said that the Defender occasionally shows her blessing through the spontaneous repair of armor mid-combat. The appearance of unexpected reinforcements in time of need is often interpreted to be the Defender’s work as well, though whether or not She is involved is always a mystery in such cases.
Strongholds of Worship: The Defender’s two strongest locations of worship, outside of New Rukh, are both in Hurat along the border with the Orc Lands. The first is her temple in the fortress city of Bastion, the foundation of which was specifically intended to hold the border against invasion. The second is the recently completed Citadel of the Bear outside of the city of Hurat, a cooperative endeavor by the faiths of the Mother, the Warrior, and the Defender, intended to provide sanctuary from raiders from the Orc Lands, forces to scout across the border, and bolster the Empires defensive strength.
Festivals/Holy Days: The faithful of the Defender have but one major holy day that falls on the fourth Sunday of the twelfth month; the Celebration of Thomas, Martyr of Winterhafen, a scion of the Defender who stood alone upon the docks of that small city on the coast of the Northern Isles as orc and goblin invaders poured off of crude ships. He held the entrance for a full three minutes, long enough for the citizens to fire the docks and send the invaders back to their boats. The celebration itself is a joyous occasion, meant not to dwell upon the memory of a man, but rather to laud the spirit of brotherhood that he gave his life for, and to celebrate the efforts of the individual against overwhelming odds.
Notable Noble Houses: The Duchy of Hurat has been assigned to House Centricon, a noble house that has traditionally strong ties with the Defender, and is whispered to have the blood of Thomas the Martyr in its members’ veins, though Thomas was not known to have had any children. Regardless, Lady Bethany Centricon has a reputation as a fair and unbiased leader, and she counts the High Queen of the Elves among her advisors, a move that has somewhat calmed the subtle undercurrent of anti-Imperial sentiment present in Hurat. © Copyright 2004
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