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The Everwatcher and Alexander, the Vessel

	The Everwatcher is the Supreme Being of Unionism, and Emperor Alexander is the Vessel God. The Everwatcher holds supremacy over all other Gods, and utilizes the Vessel God to communicate to mortals. The Vessel God is always the reigning Regalian Emperor, with their divinity ending upon death or abdication. The Vessel God's Golden lesson is that all eminence eventually vanishes, so one should not to get too attached to status. The Imperial Palace is considered the holiest site to the Everwatcher and Vessel God Emperor Alexander is the only Vessel God in history to lose his divinity (upon abdication to his brother Cedromar) and regain it (following his return after the Interregnum). Despite his disappearance, Alexander remains the Vessel God, as the Palace and Secilly Council have not declared the Imperial Seat vacant.
For expanded lore, click here. Description The Everwatcher (not pictured) is the Supreme Being of Unionism, the source of all creation, and the final destiny of all things. Unionists believe it was the first thing created at the beginning of time, holding supremacy over all other Gods and Goddesses. The Everwatcher does not manifest in Aloria, and utilizes the Vessel-God to be the living embodiment of its divine will. Alexander is the Emperor of Regalia, and is thus the current Vessel-God of Unionism until his death or abdication (as only the reigning Emperor can be the Vessel-God). Together, Alexander and the Everwatcher represent Divinity, Sageness, Wisdom, Benevolence, Inclusivity, All-Loving, and All-Caring. The Imperial Palace is seen as the chief holy place for the Vessel God, and seen as the holiest site for Unionists. There are no Rituals for the Vessel God, as they are only divine in life, and each successor takes a different approach to carrying out the Everwatcher's will, making it difficult to find any common rituals beyond the imperial coronation and other ceremonies of state. Virtues The Virtue of the Vessel is to be humble and aware of one's own mortality. Nobody lives forever, as even the Vessel God will one day die, so Unionists make an effort to use what time they have to celebrate their achievements and gains in life, while also preparing the way for their inevitable successors. Likewise, Unionists in positions of authority are tasked with being fair representatives of the Emperor's positive characteristics, as the Emperor in turn is representative of the Everwatcher's divinity. By being a fair and just example, Unionists demonstrate the benevolence of the Vessel-God, which helps to encourage even non-believers to emulate his characteristics to benefit the Regalian Empire and further the Great Way. Vices The greatest Vice against the Vessel God is pride itself, and the refusal to prepare the stage for one's inevitable successor. The only way for a society to continue to improve is when one's forebears adequately prepare the next generation with the tools needed to carry on the torch of leadership. To deny and obstruct the transfer of power when the time comes not only causes the creation of incompetent leaders, but also creates cults of personality which detract from the needs of the greater Unionist community. As such, Unionists are obliged to make arrangements to ensure that stability is maintained, so that their deaths do not lead to a power vacuum or future incompetence. Likewise, the faithful should be willing to forfeit their power to another if it benefits the Great Way. Legacy Alexander was born Alexander Kade, son of Arch-Chancellor Moriarty Kade and Princess Alianne Ivrae de Sange, through whom the line of Succession passed through after the death of the previous Emperor, Justinian II. Alexander was brought up to one day succeed his father as Arch-Chancellor, though the Sanction of 302 AC saw him become Emperor instead. Emperor Alexander is actually Alexander II, as the God Brand was known as Alexander the Giant in life. However, the regnal number is often omitted, as Alexander is the first reigning Emperor with that name, and also because Alexander the Giant is referred to by his divine name Brand since his death. Emperor Alexander is the only mortal to have become the Vessel-God twice, as he abdicated the throne to his brother Cedromar before being reinstated after an interregnum period. Despite the Emperor's absence in recent times, he remains the Vessel-God, as he has not been declared dead, nor has any successor taken the Imperial Throne.