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There have been many famous religious figures throughout the history of Aloria, not just mortals who ascended to godhood, or the gods themselves, but shepherds and adherents of the many faiths who stand out for one reason or another. These are just some such figures who have worked to shape the world. OOC NOTE: This list is not meant to be a comprehensive record of every notable religious leader, priest, priestess, or official. The goal of this list, and the others in the People section, is to provide fun, background lore to be discussed in character applications or mentioned in-game.
Basilos Komnenalios
Basilos was born shortly before the exodus of the Evintarian schism to the land of Etosil, and grew up in the rough terrain of the early settlement his family called home. A brave, handsome youth, he became a local fixture to the community, fending off hostile predators, as well as bandits and other nerdowells, from the flocks of animals his community relied upon. By the time he was twenty, Basilos’ path was confirmed to him after a period of consideration, and he worked to become a Unionist priest. He remained skilled with a weapon however, and when some of the first Undead attacks began against the Aetosians, he was at the forefront striking them down. His militarism against the Undead raised his rank among the priesthood, and he achieved a high rank before he turned forty. It was then that he faced his greatest challenge, yet, as the entity known as the Bone King first began his assaults on the Aetosian people. Basilos worked tirelessly to reinforce the faith, and took up the sword himself as in his younger days, leading men in the field, but also coordinating defenses when the Undead attacked the walls of his home city, and other neighboring settlements. By the time of his elder years, he had grown into a renowned leader of the faith, and a published general, whose tactics for dealing with the Undead were among the most common spread across Etosil. Married twice, with a large family, he ultimately died of old age as a well respected religious leader to the Evintarian Unionist faith.
- Date of Birth: September 30th, 66 AC
- Date of Death: July 6th, 149 AC
- Claim to Fame: A highly notable Ailor priest of Evintarian Unionism who saw the rise of the Undead of the Bone King and worked to fight this threat for decades.
Nolanna & Niallan Rubio
These two unique figures, named for the twin gods of art and protection, were born into hardship and turmoil of heresy from their earliest days. The Vultragon were hounded for their fringe beliefs, and the twins’ parents were of this sect. The two Half-Elves thus grew up in a culture of fear and suspicion, hiding in the Daendroque lands of the south but also frequently on the move across the arid lands they called home. The twins ultimately embraced the calling of the faith when they had a joint dream, which called them to the teachings of Vultragon. While Niallan learned sufficiently before taking more to the polesword in order to defend his sister and community, Nolanna was the twin to dive deep into theology and became a true philosopher. The pair thus became a formidable team, and by the time the faith was reformed into Guided Unionism (now reunited with mainline Unionism), and they were free to live their lives, the pair had been recognized as respected Everians. They began to travel across Corontium, engaging in debate and helping foster the growing seeds of the newly legal faith, and this process has continued into today. The Half-Elf twins remain notable, likely in part due to their appearance and roles, with Niallan the inquisitor who asks blunt questions and defends his sister with aid from his followers, and Nolanna artfully discussing a range of religious and philosophical points after being given a reply.
- Date of Birth: March 30th, 284 AC
- Date of Death: N/A
- Claim to Fame: Twin Half-Elves who are well known figures in the faith of Unionism; one is a warrior and cuts right to the point, the other a philosopher and eloquently speaks.
Armin König
Born to what were now minor Wirtem nobles in Corontium following the collapse and absorption of the Wirtemcaller Kingdom, Armin grew up promised to the faith. The youngest boy of four, with two elder sisters as well, he was sent off to begin his studies at a young age, and quickly disconnected from his wider family as he was drawn deeper into learning. His piety was immense, but he was also politically astute and diplomatic. Unusually well traveled for a Unionist priest, being familiar with half a dozen Cultures of Ailor both in Corontium and elsewhere, Armin worked diligently for years. His progress to higher office was blocked by allies of Arch Chancellor Morgan Kade, who had many positions in the Concilly Council. However, when Morgan was removed from power, the Regalian Empire dismissed hundreds of Morgan loyalists from their positions, seeing dozens of Council seats open. Armin worked hard to earn the nomination and ascension to the position of Supreme Reverend, at the shockingly young age of 60. He spent the nearly two decades that followed seeking to reduce the excess of wealth which he felt had corrupted the faith’s leadership. When the Regalian Pessimism came, he openly preached frugal living, charity, and caring, forcing a number of flagrantly wealthy religious figures to commit huge donations to benefit the public good. While some today insist he was assassinated because of this, in the end, he simply died of old age, far outlasting any Supreme Reverend who had sat before him or who would come after.
- Date of Birth: June 15th, 201 AC
- Date of Death: January 29th, 279 AC
- Claim to Fame: The Ailor Supreme Reverend of the Unionist faith with the longest tenure, who worked hard to remove the corruption of Morgan Kade from his institution.
Trenne Stjerndal
The child who would grow up to be a great figure for the Fornoss faith came from humble, though obscure, origins. Trenne is believed to have originated from the scattered northern islands of Corontium. Surviving the Cataclysm with their family, Trenne’s faith compelled them to explore the newly shaken world, and seek out the names of those lost or forgotten from the recent disaster. While they started close to home, exploring the ancient grave sites of the islands, they eventually reached the now changed territories of Ellador and Northbelt, still suffering from the seismic shift of the world. They worked with great diligence to record all names possible, as well as refound as many shrines and temples as possible where they had been forgotten or allowed to fall into disrepair. They traveled far and wide across the Velheim world, and it is sometimes claimed Trenne may have helped start the Skagger Horde, indirectly, by speaking of the relative stability of their homeland to a broad audience. However, others state the safe harbor that was Corontium was already drawing attention from struggling groups in lands surrounding the Archipelago. Regardless of this legacy, by the time they returned home, aged yet still devoted to their task, they had recorded an astonishing number of name scrolls, and carried on the task right up until their final months, when age compelled them to rest, and then pass away peacefully.
- Date of Birth: Est. 9 BC
- Date of Death: Est. May, 70 AC
- Claim to Fame: A diligent and caring Fornoss worshiper who helped the Velheim people remember the names of the fallen and maintain their faith.
Menvaela Olsanna Bel-Solvala
The Teledden priestess named Menvaela was never clear in her origins, beyond that she came from a western territory of Altaleï which fell during the collapse of the Allorn Empire. However, it is commonly rumored she was a survivor of the Night of the Weeping Stars, and so was one of the few faithful to experience the terror of the birth of the Kathar firsthand. She traveled during the early decades following the Cataclysm, and would later prove that she had been walking the Long Way, the ancient pilgrimage route through the great temples to each Estelley deity. While she had to settle with getting as close as she could to some sites lost or inaccessible, by the year 100 AC, her powers as a Mage and her oratory skills were at their peak. She used these skills to prosthelytize and reinforce the faith across the rebuilding Allorn world, as well as refound a series of temples across the various principalities. Unlike those she came to train in each region, who often became entangled in the politics of their respective homelands, Menvaela remained impartial, driven to reunite the Teledden and indeed, all Elves, in the one true faith of Estelley as well as violently resist the Kathar. This put her at odds with the Teldden of Ithania and the Solvaan of Corontium, but she did not care, continuing her missions across the homeland, and world, until her death shortly after the new century began.
- Date of Birth: Est. 20 BC
- Date of Death: February 10th, 301 AC
- Claim to Fame: A powerful Estelley priestess who reignited the faith in the wake of the collapse of the Allorn Empire.
Iddin En-Ila-Manatar
Born shortly after the end of the Allorn Empire, Iddin was a Half-Eronidas with an Ailor mother. Despite this heritage, which marked them out as unique in a society just becoming acquainted with the myriad Races of the wider world, Iddin was studious and devoted to the faith of his people. They were drawn to travel across the Eronidas world, seeking sites to engage in visions, as well as looking to understand the developing divergences between the Eronidas cultural groups. He was open with all, and understanding, returning home after three decades with notebooks of his experiences, and writings on the various systems of belief from across the developing Eronidas world. He spent the last few decades of his life compiling these notebooks into formal works, as well as noting his further visions. He remains well-regarded for his theology, and many of his descendants have taken the same path he did.
- Date of Birth: Est. August 25 AC, 9 AC
- Date of Death: January 12th, 103 AC
- Claim to Fame: A devout Half-Eronidas who followed the faith of his people and explored the evolving theology of all Eronidas.
Neyin Zhira He
Neyin lived through the greatest period of upheaval and transformation for her people, and took a surprising role in shaping the modern world of the Sihai. Born to the northern kingdom of the Sihai, her early life was simple and quiet, and from a family of six, she left the home soon after she matured to follow the life of a priestess. She languished in this role for decades, competent but never shining. However, in the final decades before the Cataclysm, it is claimed she saw visions in her dreams, powerful, vivid imaginings of lands far away, and chaos incarnate. She redoubled her work ethic, and rose to rule over a great temple just as the Sihai’s world changed forever. Their Dragons were dragged into slumber after protecting their chosen Race from the evils of the Akula, and Neyin stood as one of their most steadfast supporters, helping to secure three notable Dragons in three temples, including her own. She then traveled to the Jade Wall itself, and rallied the people of the north to its defense several times over the coming decades, while also working with other Sihai leaders to establish new routes of supply and avenues of cooperation. Sometimes also called the Jade Priestess for her fervent support of the Jade Wall, she died in its defense, though her body was recovered and prevented from being twisted by the tainted flesh of the Akula.
- Date of Birth: July 19th, 120 BC
- Date of Death: March 3rd, 87 AC
- Claim to Fame: A great Sihai priestess who worked long and hard to reinforce her people’s faith after their Dragons were forced to slumber.
Bareen Kaarpäla
Bareen Kaarpäla has served the Estelley gods for over a century now, being born to a minor noble family and originally training in the art of combat and tactics. However, he embraced a spiritual calling upon seeing a comet one night, and the dream which followed. He initially remained undevoted to a single group, and traveled the mountains of the north for a decade, schooling himself in philosophy and keeping his body in rigorous shape. However, he ultimately devoted himself to the cult that maintained the Temple of Starsight, an Estelley sanctuary that focused its intellectual pursuits on studying the stars and performing divination. In his many travels, he had collected knowledge which aided him at the temple, helping him to improve the optical devices the Temple made use of, as well as repairing some of their damaged equipment. These handy skills, and the thankless wordload taken without complaint, soon raised Bareen to a place of note in the cult. Since then, he has continued to rise in stature, noted for not directly tracking Crystallum, but instead focusing on the activities of the Home Fleet of the Maraya, apparently having begun a new train of study for acolytes in seeking out their ships, or falling ships in a few rare cases, to help map their motions across the heavens. He believes this will one day let them confirm the nature of Crystallum, but beyond this task, he is a respected Estelley philosopher as well, and has read many thousands of fortunes in his time.
- Date of Birth: April 17th, 180 AC
- Date of Death: N/A
- Claim to Fame: A notable Suvial astronomer and astrologer of the Estelley faith known for tracking the activities of the Maraya Home Fleet.
Rama Niambele
Rama was born soon after the Cataclysm, in what is broadly considered the golden age of the Songaskia people, as they finished their decades of work refitting the various Pearl Cities under their control, allowing them to celebrate their culture, and carry out the wishes of the sun. Rama was noted from an early age for her magical potential, and was quickly ushered off for schooling, where she was initially on track to become a battlemage, to support the constant efforts against the Qadir in the Masaya’s south. However, her faith and piety saw her change course, prompted by her observation of a parhelion while isolated in the desert on military training. She took to her new path with vigor, and was soon on the frontline of conflict, though her role was as spiritual guide for the warriors of the empire. She did this work for nearly two decades before being recalled to a Pearl City where she took up an administrative position helping run the metropolis. Crime notably dropped, and she was commended by the Massya himself for her work. The final decades of her life were spent in religious contemplation, and delving deep into the philosophy and theology of other faiths, crafting arguments to refute the other religions of Aloria. It was in this later stage of life that she finally allowed herself to have a family, and her three daughters all took up their mother’s path in life following her internment in a place of honor among the Choir of Dreams.
- Date of Birth: January 26th, 11 AC
- Date of Death: August 17th, 241 AC
- Claim to Fame: A zealous priestess of the Songaskia faith who served her people in various roles for over two centuries.
Menzot Manneztel Olziirn
Many would say if evil has incarnated in Aloria, it is as Menzot Manneztel Olziirn. With the start of her life a huge mystery, she emerged after the Cataclysm as a great leader of the Kathar faith of Evolism. Often said to have been one of the very Mages who helped create the Kathar Race on the Night of Weeping Stars, Menzot would travel the Dread Empire for decades, engaging in power plays with many rising families, other faith leaders, and battling as many as a hundred challengers to her power. Then, when that got “boring,” she vanished, and later reappeared. She then held a Game of Blood that was not topped for decades, and carried on her life as if she hadn’t been gone for three decades. Her greatest claim to fame, as one might call it, was playing the Great Kaahls off each other in a marvelous, heinously complex intrigue that allowed her to summon and bind an unusually powerful Demon named Paldrax to her service. This took place in 260 AC, and shortly after, around 270 AC, she vanished, and has not been seen since. Her death would have been trumpetted to high heaven by her killers, and many believe she is on another “walkabout” like her quest into the wilds. But where this journey is taking place, or with who, is impossible to say.
- Date of Birth: Est. 40 BC
- Date of Death: N/A
- Claim to Fame: An infamous Kathar Mage-priestess who helped reinforce the Kathar understanding of Void Worship and exemplifies its goals.
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