| The Soldier |
Stop the Press! This Isn't Right! |
The Soldier Other Titles: Bold Tidings, Victory, Resolved Sneer, Luck Associations: Weapons, Battlefields, Dice, Cards Associated School: Battle Core Values: Strength, Survival, Will, Luck
Will
The Soldier is Illumitas’ shard of will. He concerns himself with the raw application of will and determination to accomplish great tasks and overcome terrible odds. Though a warrior like the Knight, the Soldier has a more pragmatic view of conflict and resolution. The Soldier knows that if victory changes things for the better, then all impediments to victory must be abandoned. Ethics, chivalry, fair play, and the bonds of friendship and family must sometimes be abandoned if they interfere with serving victory and the greater good. The Soldier values will, strength, chance and cunning. While sometimes he works in opposition to his siblings due to his willingness to sacrifice for the greater good, there can be no doubt of the aid the Soldier brings to the forces of the Sept when rallied by his kin against their foes. The Soldier stands against all enemies of the Sept, but only when roused either by his kin or by immediate threat. In fact it is said that the Soldier sometimes meets with Grak before great battles to drink and posture. Though Grak is the enemy, he has proven himself a capable opponent, together they reminisce about old battles.
Personality and Behavior
The Soldier seems much more carefree than people typically expect from gods. He knows he will succeed in the end. The only question is what the cost will be. When he gives guidance it comes in the form of orders, commands from a general to a member of the unit. He expects them to be followed with no questions. These orders might be dangerous but when given the Soldier always seems to believe they are what is necessary. Sometimes the orders will be safe, accomplishing what the greater good requires in the moment and the cost will come elsewhere. Other times the orders are suicide missions the cost of completing them is paid by the person following the orders. But always the greater good will be served and always there is a cost. If the mission could be accomplished without a cost… one of his siblings would be the one to do it.
Physical Appearance
The Soldier generally appears as a poorly fed, battle hardened human man, often on the younger side but not always. He wears light armor and carries a variety of weapons. Under no circumstances is he ever regaled in finery. Sometimes light amounts of blood drip down his weapon or clothing, it is rarely clear if it is his or someone else’s.
Avatars of the Soldier
The Soldier has probably made the most Avatars of any of the Sept. There is always a need for one somewhere. This is also why it has been noticed that the gods seem capable of having more than one Avatar at once: the Soldier has done so before and likely will again. One Avatar of the Soldier was known as Hyperion. A Civenite who had the ability to manifest different weapons in his hands at will. Near the end of his life he traveled about Novitas seeking new potential candidates to work for the Soldier. Another Avatar of the Soldier was Varrik Consolati, a hero of the Vleanoan rebellion against Civen dubbed the Crimson Tide of Carcosia for his success in battle, and the lengths to which he was willing to go to bring Vlean freedom.
Worshiping the Soldier
After the Mother, the Soldier is the next most widely invoked god of the Sept. During times of war, Civenopolis will issue pay to their Legionnaires that is minted with the Soldier’s likeness. Prayers to the Soldier are usually short, and may be confused for curses. Spoken in haste at the imminent moment of need, off-color language is always forgiven by the Soldier. Some claim that clever uses of profanity speed the prayer to his ears faster. The Soldier is the god of the foot soldier in the field, of the thief evading capture, of the general planning a devious battle plan, of the prisoner struggling to turn the wheel. His favor sometimes falls on those that the rest of the Sept may regard as heretical or evil. A thief stealing from a well-guarded castle would invoke the ire of the Knight, but would also invoke the praise and attention of the Soldier for his audacity, cunning, and strength of will. Slaying a pregnant mother would violate the precepts of the Mother, but if the babe was destined to become a tyrant the Soldier might grant the murderer strength. Followers of the Soldier are sometimes called Destriants. They follow a simple principle: "do what must be done". The paradox of the Soldier is a complicated one. Briefly put, the Soldier’s cunning, wits, tenacity, and boldness allow his followers to overcome many obstacles others could not. However, faithful followers of the Soldier soon uncover the central mystery of the deity: his gifts could serve good or evil equally well, for there is little inherently good in the Soldier by himself. Instead, it seems the Soldier must be led by the wiser gods of the Sept. Thus, devout worshippers of the Soldier tend to keep themselves in check, advancing only to the penultimate level in whatever arena they visit. Civen worshipers of the Soldier may climb to be a General, but they are commanded by a Senate; the Soldier’s lot in life is to always be led. The cunning and gifts bestowed by the Soldier usually makes his Destriants the right person in the right place at the right time, provided someone else leads them there.
Places of Worship
Temples to the Soldier are found where outnumbered defenders man the parapets above a dread besieging host, or where desperate men form audacious plans. Small shrines consecrated in the moment of need, with each fighting man donating a candle, a coin, incense, or a dagger are the most holy to the Soldier, despite their imperfections and impermanence.
Expectations of Chosen
Those Chosen by the Soldier do what is necessary to serve the greater good. They put themselves at risk and in danger to accomplish what must be done regardless of the cost. To fail the Soldier, a Chosen must allow defeat over doing what must be done. Those that fail the Soldier often fade away un-absolved into obscurity or are sometimes recruited by Darkness or even Grak. Ironically to earn their way back into the Soldier’s good graces requires… doing what must be done to prove themselves again often at great personal cost.
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