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Al-Asir and Marani are the Inspired Gods of Unionism, the divine inspiration and guard against inventions of evil in technology.
- Al-Asir (right) is the God of Invention, and doubles as the Draconist God Marik.
- Marani (left) is the Called God of Inspiration, and is Al-Asir's closest friend and confidant.
- The Inspired Gods' Golden Lesson is that technology brings forth great progress, and to share with society is a virtue, and that sin the creation of killing machines that automate death.
- The Telocar Temple in Al-Alus is the holiest site to the Inspired Gods.
- The Inspired Gods are the patrons of Technicians, Engineers, Inventors, Architects, Craftsmen, and Laborers.
- Al-Asir was always a God, revived by the Everwatcher as a reincarnation of Marik (which the Qadir deny, claiming immaculate creation). Marani ascended to Godhood after his divine contributions to Al-Asir's work were recognized.
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For expanded lore, click here.
Description
Al-Asir (right) and Marani (left) are the Inspired Gods of Unionism, the divine inspirers of innovation and technology to better wider society. Al-Asir is the God of Invention, and often works with creators to improve their designs for greater effectiveness. Marani is the God of Inspiration, and the best friend of Al-Asir, often providing ideas for future technological advancements. Together, the Inspired Gods represent technology, resourcefulness, inspiration, altruism, conscientiousness, and discoveries. They are represented by Al-Asir's golden gears, or Qadir arm tattoo shapes in glowing gold. Their main holy place is the Telocator Temple in Al-Alus, the only one outside of the Regalian Empire. Rituals belonging to the Inspired Gods involve the act of inventing, or just tinkering with technology, reading books and improving skills, or just generally engaging in crafts from simple wood carving furniture to advanced architectural planning. The act of production for someone else, even at the cost of payments, is considered a virtuous activity for the patron Gods of Craftsmen, this is why object creations are always blessed by the Gods.
Virtues
The Virtue of the Inspired Gods is to better society through the sharing of knowledge and technology. The concept of research and development is one valued highly by Unionists, as improving the functioning of the Regalian Empire and well-being of its citizens not only makes the Empire a better place to live, but also frees up resources to focus on other areas in need of development. The ability to constantly improve upon previous systems is a strong tenet of Unionism, allowing the faith to adapt to changes in society. Even if some technological changes may come to a surprise to those unfamiliar with the science behind them, Unionists nonetheless are quite open to such advancements, and often speculate on how a new invention can make life easier.
Vices
The greatest Vice against the Inspired Gods is to create machines which automate death. Technology should always be built with the intentions of improving the quality of life to those around them. To create a machine for needless killing only aims to take life from others, and does not benefit society in any capacity. There is a key difference between inventing a new firearm, which has a benefit of reducing the number of casualties in battle and preventing needless bloodshed, and creating a machine programmed only to kill, which only automates the killing process and removed the morality behind going to war. All technology much be created as a response to the saving of life or the reduction in death, and never designed for making killing more efficient for killing's sake.
Legacy
Al-Asir was born as Nadir Al-Taqdeer, and predates the founding of Unionism by a century. He is believed to have been immaculately conceived by the Everwatcher before the Great Storm, and tasked a group of Qadir to raise him into the God he is known for today. He is also believed to be the reincarnation of the Dragon Marik, though most Unionists are indifferent with the notion. Marani, known by his full name of Marani Keita, is Al-Asir's stalwart protector and confidant, acting as an invaluable friend around the Qadir who are often too comfortable and casual around the God of Invention. Their pariing is unique, as Al-Asir is a Qadir, whereas Marani is a Songaskian. Together, they reside in Al-Alus by creating technology to help out society, but also work to mend the societal trauma between the Qadir and Songaskians which has existed for centuries during the Sariyd Empire.
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Allest and Brand are the Martial Gods of Unionism, the promoters of strength in martial arms, and of fraternity and loyalty in the military.
- Allest (right) is the God Emperor of Warriors, serving in life as Emperor Allestrain I Ivrae Heiligenblut.
- Brand (left) is the Called God of Gladiators, serving in life as Arch-Chancellor Alexander Kade "the Giant".
- The Martial Gods' Golden Lesson is that loyalty to the state, the army, and fellow believers is a virtue, as is physical strength, and that sin is treason, deceptiveness without morals, and adultery.
- The Hero's Contemplation Temple in Gloomrot Forest is the holiest site to the Martial Gods.
- The Martial Gods are the patrons of Soldiers, Generals, Commanders, Gladiators, Warriors, and Homosexuals.
- Allest ascended to the Pantheon upon his death, whereas Thedmir was not recognized until the Emended Unionists declared him a God.
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For expanded lore, click here.
Description
Allest (right) and Brand (left) are the Martial Gods of Unionism, the promoters of strength in martial arms, and of fraternity and loyalty in the military. Allest is the God of Warriors, and was also a Vessel-God in life before ascending to the Pantheon following his death in battle. Brand is the God of Gladiators, and was a God to the Emended and later Guided Unionists, before being incorporated to the unified Pantheon in recent times. Together, the Martial Gods represent bravery, boisterousness, glory, victory, martial prowess, dependability, and steadfastness. They are represented by two crossed swords, one with blood to symbolize the battlefield, and one dripping with tears to represent the loss of comrades in these conflicts. Their main holy place is the Divine Heroic Contemplation Temple, located in the Gloomrot Forest of the Crown Isle. Rituals belonging to the Martial Gods involve some kind of brotherly oath, a promise to protect someone until one's dying breath, or swearing fealty and undying loyalty to an overlord in war. Allest and Brand were glorious warriors each in their own right, so in many ways, prayer before battle and battle itself is a form of worship in their names, as is love persevering through war.
Virtues
The Virtue of the Martial Gods is to be loyal to the state, military, and fellow believers. While the Prophets also speak of loyalty, their lesson is more about faith and trust in general cooperation, whereas the Martial Gods preach for the actual demonstration of this loyalty, by actually pledging to support others and work alongside them through thick and thin. A secondary virtue is physical strength, as promotes reliability and the ability to help others, rather than becoming dead weight and a liability. General exercise is seen as paying respects to the Martial Gods, as a fully sedentary life isolated from others breeds inaction and a lack of comradery with the faithful.
Vices
The greatest Vice against the Martial Gods is treason, and deceiving one's allies for personal gain. It is seen as the greatest betrayal of Unionists to spend decades fighting alongside brothers and sisters against common enemies on the worst battlefields, only to turncoat and become the very thing you fought against for so long. While the term backstabbing is metaphorical in most cases, to Unionists the act of deceiving one's comrades may as well be a literal knife in the back, as the harm caused may as well be the same. Finally, adultery is equally considered a Vice against the Martial Gods, as the act of marriage is considered a sacred pairing between two lovers, where there are no secrets shared between them. To betray such an intimate bond is to be the scum of the earth, and unworthy of even the Everwatcher's unconditional love.
Legacy
In Life, Allest was known as Allestrain Ivrae Heiligenblut, later known as Emperor Allestrain I. Brand was known as Arch-Chancellor Alexander I Kade "the Giant", though his divine name was taken from his nickname Bram given by Allestrain. Allestrain and Alexander were lovers in life, despite each of them being married (Allestrain to Eolaria Brunig, and Alexander to Leona Weissburg). It is believed that due to the Emperor needed to have an Empress to sire future heirs, that the four of them entered into sham marriages for political convenience, while actually being intimate with their "true spouses". Allestrain and Brand were instrumental in launching a rapid series of military conquests for the Regalian Military, while also implementing the Navigation Acts to cement Regalian authority over states that surrendered peacefully. Allestrain would be killed in battle against the Nordskaggers, after which the Concilly Council declared his ascension to the Pantheon as God-Emperor Allest. Alexander would continue to fight in the name of his deceased lover, eventually dying on the same battlefield several years later. He would be declared a God by the Emended and later Guided Unionists, before the mending of the schisms made him a Duo God with Allest.
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