Astëros God of the Sea

Astëros   Astëros (T: He of the Ocean) is one of the three brothers who emerged from the creating of the Vellyr by Eitor, though he was second to be created with Melcas coming first and Xeros coming after, then Shuvii and Arista. They they are not blood brothers Melcas named him his brother as they came from the same creator and had the same long term goals, to rule and keep order. Astëros is the God of the Sea, Storms, Strength, Guardian of the cities of Edénar as well as other domains which he delegated to his children.   He is the creator of the first sea life before he gave that power away to his daughter out of his love and for her love of living things, since Astëros removed Avarë’s curse to never breath life again Avarë married Astëros and dwelt with him in his kingdoms of the sea, out of the watchful eyes of Emmandell and Melcas. Since Avarë is the Goddess of Life, their child would inherit some of her power, just like Aia did, (though she could not create and only heal). Astëros created the Hirya, enormous creatures with long tails and two massive fins that glide through the water and can even fly for a brief moment. These he used to travel often as he loved them dearly, yet they could move very fast and they became his symbol, and they were forever loyal to him.   When the Vellyr first came to be the brothers who were the oldest of the Istendaro chose their domains according to age, Melcas being the oldest chose first, and he chose the Sky. Though initially, Astëros was desperate to inherit the sky yet once acquainted with the beauty of the sea he quickly grew to love it. Xeros was the more jealous as he wanted to choose and not be given his realm, being the last brother to pick, he was forced to command the Afterlives as his domain, though he wanted the sea. In the myths of the Isten, it is said that the three brothers of the Vellyr threw down the Tarriin Gleddienne in the mythical war of the Vellyr and the Tarriin, though the other Tarriin were shaping their own realms at the time and Gleddienne was ruling over Galafrinas alone. A mighty battle was waged and fought across Galafrinas and it came down to Gleddienne being forced out of Galafrinas and through her own doors, though this is unlikely, as the Tarriin and most of all Gleddienne and supremely powerful even when weakened.   Whilst Melcas and Xeros spent lots of time in Emmandell, Astëros preferred to spend more time in the rest of the world, dwelling more often in the deepest of the seas, preferring the solitude. In his kingdom of Sequasatëna at the very bottom of the Velastë Ocean he sat upon his throne and would rarely come to the councils of his brethren, only coming when the matter deemed most important for him to council in.   When Melcas veiled Galafrinas, Astëros could only watch as the beautiful seas around Emmandell were shrouded from all that would see them. Astëros was saddened by the hiding of his beautiful island from the rest of the world and was happier when people came and went from Emmandell, as though he was one of the Vellyr, he was better respected and more loved than his brother. This is partly due to the influence his daughters had on the sailors and sea towns and cities that operated on the sea. Astëros also highly respected Tomorin and loved his son Astëmen of whom he was good friends with, the son of Astëmen was Tavalas who later became Astëros’ champion during the War of Heredimon. Upon witnessing the slaughter Astëros grew enraged with Melcas but did nothing more to invoke a confrontation.   During the lifting of Emmandell, Astëros was the physically strongest of the brothers and so lifted his side higher, this is why the landscape on the northern side of the island where the mountains are are significantly higher than everywhere else. Astëros lifted his side higher so that when Ranvii constructed the pillars to hold the continent, the northern pillars are much larger. Astëros was very much opposed to the lifting of the island as it would disrupt the sea massively and cause untold damage, but Melcas took no heed of it and forced him to anyway, this was the first nail in the coffin for Astëros and Melcas. One of the direct effects of this action was the near obliteration and annihilation of the islands of Kinavarníl, which were almost destroyed by rising sea levels and earthquakes. Due to the massive displacement and earthly movements a great wave almost fell on the island and the sea beds were risen higher towards the surface leading to he rise in sea levels. Astëros came and with his staff he repelled the wave and raised a great rocky wall that would keep the lands of Kinavarníl safe. As the world was nearly broken and the foundations changed, the islands of Kinavarníl sank a great distance so that the water level outside the wall was much higher. Astëros built these walls all the way back to Tamar, and a road was established along the sea bed that would lead to Kinavarníl. Titanus also came to Astëros’ aid and helped him repel the vast wave and build the wall, an immense task for a single god.   During the Vellyr - Fenyr War, of which Melcas was one of the prime causers, Astëros played a big part in the beginning, this being before Emmandells lifting into the heavens and the death of Tomorin. Towards the beginning of the Second Celéum, Astëros was much more violent and angry, he had three children with the Goddess of Harvest Arista, the children being named Utarr, Onëas and Tinnëa. Arista was jealous of Avarë, a Fenyr, being the wife of Melcas, the chief of the Vellyr. This led Astëros to grow enraged often at Aristas constant neglect for their children and him in a false fantasy of being the wife and queen on Emmandell and the world. After multiple affairs with different people to take his anger out on Arista and get revenge for her neglect, Astëros eventually had an affair with Avarë which then led to their marriage, and four children, who are named Omira, Maion, Hadros, and Olaphinel. All of Astëros’ children apart from Hadros command an aspect of the sea.   It was during the Vellyr - Fenyr War, that Astëros became more torn between the struggles of each side, he began to love Avarë of the Fenyr but also did not want to betray his brothers, so after a long time of fighting, he threw a great wave over the entire battle grounds and washed the entirety of the forces of both the Vellyr and Fenyr away. This single act ended the war, as everyone by that time had become weary of war, and took no pride in it anymore. However he hoped the war would unite the two clans into one, and the Vellyr and Fenyr could co-exist, but Melcas’ word was final, and most of the Fenyr were banished from Emmandell forever. As Astëros loved Avarë, he went with her into banishment, though he was still able to come and go but with less freedom, (he could only visit for certain amounts of time, or he couldnt go to certain places, suh as Gardelas and Ekema. During the final years of the Vellyr - Fenyr war, Emmandell had been lifted into the sky so that none others from the world apart from the gods could reach it. Melcas devised this as a way to keep the war between the Gods and only the Gods. By doing this, having Arthiad murder Tomorin and banishing the Fenyr, Astëros betrayed Melcas and Xeros, and joined with Avarë, keeping her safe and with him in Sequasaténa.   More to be written soon…