The Warrior
Portfolio: Warfare, Strength,
Aggression, Conquest, Combat, Martial Arts, Weaponry
The Warrior is the Lord of Blades, the God of War. He is the patron of all who make their way through life by the sword, be they honorable soldier or ruthless brigand. He delights in the clash of steel, the spilling of blood upon the ground, and the decimation of enemies. He favors the strong, the confident, and the capable, choosing to lend aid to those who not only promise him the most glory, but who are also likely to achieve it. He is worshipped with every war cry shouted, every blow struck in combat, in every battle won. The Warrior cares only for the brave, the heroic, and most importantly, the victorious. Honorable combat is to be held sacred, observed strictly, and disregarded immediately if it proves to be a disadvantage in a fight. While the Warrior would prefer that all martial matters be resolved with honor and dignity, he also knows that in the end, it is the winners who write the histories, and the victorious author of history may become as honorable as he likes after the battle is over and the enemy no longer lives to contest his methods. Of all the Gods, the Warrior cares most about the number of mortal followers that flock to his banner, as the measure of an army is often found in its size and strength; Quantity, for the Warrior, has a quality all its own.
Common Representations: The Warrior is most often represented as a huge man in shining golden armor, with long blonde hair and skin bronzed by the sun. While the type of armor worn varies by region, the Warrior is rarely depicted as wearing anything heavier or more cumbersome than chain mail, armor being the province of his sister, the Defender. Some smaller shrines, particularly those on current or former frontier sites, prefer a less civilized icon of the Warrior, usually showing him dressed in skins and with a harder, rougher visage.
Holy Sites/Areas: The Warriors holy sites are almost entirely made up of former battlefields. Anywhere that blood has been shed in the name of conquest is held sacred to him, and sites where the dead fell in such numbers that the bodies and weapons were simply left there hold a special importance for him. While the Warrior cares primarily for the sites of clear victories (making most battlefields sacred, as one side usually wins over another), there are a few exceptions to this. One of these notable exceptions is the Hill of Shattered Bones, a steep, unremarkable grassy and wooded hill in Hurat, which is said to be the site of a terrible slaughter of men and elves during the Beast Wars. According to legend, an insurmountable host of evil creatures advanced upon the elven capital in Hurat with such speed that the city would have surely been lost. However, on the day that the city’s wooded boundary drew within sight, the flank of the beast army was attacked without warning by a tiny contingent of men and elves from a tiny town nearby that had escaped their notice. Armed primarily with axes, clubs, and knives, these heroes smashed into the horde with such force that the entirety of the army turned and swarmed over their settlement, eradicating every last man, woman, and child they could find. However, their actions bought the capital a full extra day, most likely saving it from certain destruction, and some say that the Warrior spared the lives of a small number of the villagers, cloaking them in mist and allowing them to escape to the open lands in the east.
Common Livery/Trappings: The priests of the Warrior prefer to dress in scarlet and gold, the favored colors of the warrior. Altars to the warrior tend to be weapons, usually swords, set hilt-first into a stone block, leaving the blade exposed and sharp. These altars are meticulously maintained by the priesthood, edges sharpened, blades oiled, and pricks or small cuts received in the line of this responsibility are considered to be signs of the Warrior’s blessing.
Common Times/Circumstances of Worship: As the God of War and Combat, the Warrior is invoked before battles, duels, and contests of martial skill, to help bring victory to the supplicant in exchange for bringing him glory. In addition, in his role as the god of Strength, the Warrior is prayed to by laborers and fighters who wish to enhance their physical capabilities.
Omens: The shattering of a weapon in the hands of a fighter is a sure sign of the Warrior’s displeasure at that individual. Wandering monsters are often interpreted to be omens of the Warrior, tests sent to determine the prowess of his followers. Lions are sacred to the Warrior, and the appearance of one is always interpreted to be fortuitous for those that see it.
Strongholds of Worship: The Worship of the Warrior is prevalent throughout the Empire in nearly equal measure, with few particular sites holding more significance than any other (barring the main temple in New Rukh). One site that is worthy of note is the Citadel of the Bear, a fortress near the city of Hurat that is cooperatively manned by priests of the Mother, the Warrior, and the Defender. The Citadel is dedicated to the memory of Ursula Ogreslayer, a priestess of the Mother whose actions in life brought her to the attention of the Warrior and the Defender as well. The Warrior’s temple in the Citadel is responsible for the scouts that often venture forth into the Orc Lands, bringing much needed information back to the Empire.
Festivals/Holy Days: The fourth Saturday in the third month of the year is Foundation Day, held sacred to the Warrior throughout the Empire as the anniversary of Gerin Bloodblade’s founding of the city of Rukh, an action that would be the seed from which the entire Empire would grow. This date is celebrated with tournaments and staged combats throughout the day, as well as feasting and drinking. Oftentimes, the tournaments of this festival serve as preliminary qualifiers for any number of local competitions that fall on a later date. The sixteenth day of the fifth month of the year bears mention as the anniversary of the conquest of Hurat, a day celebrated in that province in a similar fashion to Foundation Day, but usually only in predominantly human settlements, as elves tend to find that celebration in poor taste.
Notable Noble Houses: The current Pontifex Maximus,
Storsjon the Warrior, hails from House Tyrsgrim in the Northern Isles. While
this noble house has relatively little historical influence in the Empire (the
concept of noble houses being one that was introduced with the Empires arrival
in the Northern Isles), the Tyrsgrim clan has held a tremendous amount of power
in the Northern Isles for as far back as any form of record goes, renowned for their skill, strength,
and fury in battle. House Callaghan, holders of the Duchy of the Northern
Isles, also bear note, as their family has produced some of the greatest
strategists in Imperial history. Duke Liam himself served in the army under
Storsjon the Warrior as his primary tactical advisor, and is considered to have
been in large part responsible for the defeat of Jurukh Khan in 964 IR. © Copyright
2004
Back - The Mother Next - The Defender
