[quote=@Aleranicus] Something to begin with. I will have to revisit tomorrow, but please feel free to critique as you like! *Hides in pillow fallout shelter, awaiting the GM's ire* [hider=Marius Triar, The Last Cleric of Hiathas WIP] [u]The Dawnfather's Pilgrim[/u] [hider=Marius Unchained] http://webneel.com/daily/sites/default/files/images/project/game-character-design-fantasy-art-hong-yu%20(10).jpg [/hider] [i]"The Old Gods have one thing that these new ones do not. Compassion. Whether you believe or not, Hiathas does not loathe you. Hiathas does not curse you. You are loved by the Dawnbringer."[/i] Nicknames: The Last Dawnbringer, the Pervert Priest Faction: The Cult of Hiathas Age: 29 Gender: None (See Character Description, paragraph 1) Character History: [b]Dogma:[/b] The cult of Hiathas in ancient times was a simple one. The Dawnfather, Hiathas, held daylight, athletics, hope, and non-heterosexual love as the domain of his priests and priestesses. His beloved was Braniel, God of the Forests. The priests were often neither male nor female, but took a third gender blending the two. Those who were born with characteristics of both men and women were looked highly upon and could rise highly within the cult. The Cult gave blessings to marriages between men, women, and those who were neither, pioneered some early healing techniques, and oversaw the harvests in the days of the Southern Republic. Their religious texts mention miraculous healing as well as athletes who could jump so high they seemed to fly and dancers who moved with the grace of flowing water. The Cult of Hiathas held sway within the Old Republican days of the Southlands for generations, up until the time modern scholars posit the war against the Demon Famerin happened. Many scholars note that this "demon" was actually an interpretation of the Eastern Warlord Famahl of the Haru and the devastation wrought by his hordes on the Southlands. And the Hordes did introduce the cult of the One God to the region, which began the decline of the old cults among the peasants. After all, why pay for eight sacrifices to offer at the altars of different gods when you only need pay for one? It wasn't until the fall of the Republic and the arrival of the first Empress that the cult began to enter a true death spiral. The Imperial Church vied with the Eastern Faith for the hearts of the people, but both sides seemed to agree that it was time for the old cults to go. The Eastern Church feels the Dawnbringer's message is too forgiving compared to the realities of the world. Only the One God may dispense with hope and compassion, and they must be earned through blood and toil- not given out like flowers at a festival. The Imperial Church feels the talk of men loving men, of more forms than Man and Woman, of such scandalous talk of life without marriage, to be not only sinful, but unsuitable even for academic discussion. Now universities, the last places where talk of Hiathas and his brothers and sisters happened regularly, are adjusting their curriculum to label the followers of the cult as nothing more than lecherous perverts. Now the Cult of Hiathas has one priest left. And he knows he will likely be the last to carry the Dawnbringer's Torch... [b][u]Relic:[/u][/b] [b]The Dawnbringer's Torch[/b] The Dawnbringer's Torch was said to be a sign of divine favor from his domain. The heart of the Torch fell from the sky during the feast of Midsummer near a shrine to the God outside the city of Veralia in the south. For a time it was enshrined as an eternally burning stone, one that held miraculous properties. Day and night, in wind and snow, the fallen stone would retain heat and glow with an otherworldly power. The people When the time came to seal the Demon away, the Hierarch of the Dawnfather willingly gave up the sacred stone to the greatest smiths in the Republic. Legends say they cut down the entire Forest of Braniel to feed the flames needed to make the stone maleable, forging it as the centerpiece of the Torch. The name of the stave's wielder has long since been lost to time, as has the knowledge of the weapon's unlocked powers, but the stories do note that the stave seemed to blind demons and burn those described as "unworthy" of the Dawnfather's favor. More fanciful tales even state that the Torch would grant its wielder wings- a notion that is quickly dismissed by even the simplest child these days. In the centuries since the binding of the Demon, the weapon has always been carried by a Cleric of Hiathas. And as the ages passed, with religions rising and falling constantly within the borders of the Empire, the passive powers of the staff are the only one that is always noted by its bearers. [u]Blessings[/u] Where the staff goes, the people begin to enjoy kinder weather- clear skies and cool breezes. Hope comes easily to them. The future seems brighter as if the gods themselves are smiling on them. Travelling Companions with the Torch's wielders have noted that they have been inspired to actions that they normally would not feel capable of doing. Legends say that the touch of the wrought steel from the Dawnbringer's Torch is painful to the touch when pressed against the flesh of demons, and that those who enjoyed Hiathas' favor would be granted flight by him. This last power was last "observed" more than six-hundred years ago and has not been noted since. [u]Curse[/u] The staff brings the sense that those around it are God-touched. And joy for blessings one day quickly turn to fanaticism and factionalism the next. If the staff stays in one location longer than several days, neighbors will take any sign of impropriety as offense against their own patron gods. Those who hold no gods in their hearts will simply assume the worst of their own neighbors. If the staff does not move on, in short order a lovely village will become desolate from religious warfare. [hider=In short, this] [img]http://i0.wp.com/blog.animeinstrumentality.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Touhou-Pastoral.jpg?resize=850%2C555[/img][/hider] [hider=Becomes this] [img]http://pm1.narvii.com/5671/e561ad8f3cf81d976f012b10d09162a65326be89_hq.jpg[/img][/hider] [/hider] [/quote] So far I like it. Only don't forget to explain how your character came to the pirates. And all that jazz.