The Martyr

The Hanging Man - The Martyr Core Alignment: Neutral Domains: Knowledge, Pain, Journeys, Arcana   The Martyr originally was known by a name that has since been lost to all but the most obscure channels of knowledge, and it is perhaps one of the many sacrifices the Martyr has made for knowledge across the various ages. When the first Martyr’s bright and shining golden gem was forming, the first form that came through seemed young, and childlike, but lacked much of the power that the other gods possessed, and was constantly pushed back as other gods faced darkness and danger, seeing the weaker and near perfect child as something to protect, and to save from the dangers of the world. However, deep into the Void War, the vibrant lands of Aunir began to fade, more and more, after the Vault below their lands had been sealed away by an attack nearly a century before. Many of the gods fought harder and harder, thinking the Void had destroyed something vital beneath the surface, and continued to charge below, but were turned away by a dangerous threat that left them weak, and tired, on the edge of something none of the gods understood. The silence of their stony enemies left the gods perplexed and in fear, but the childlike Martyr stole away one night, away from the protective “prison” the other gods kept them to. They stole away into the underground, and wandered the passages alone, until they found the first of the Duskborn. Silently, they listened in the dark caverns of Aunir, listening to the stories of Vaulters that had been trapped…. Stuck behind walls of the Void, but rather than give into the corrupting influence of its Honeyed voice, they turned to experiments and magics. What once was 80,000 Vaulters in a City of magnitude beyond belief, had turned to little more than 30,000 creatures that were stone giants, surviving through the essence of those who volunteered to be sacrificed for the many. However, they were able to delve further into Aunir’s depths, into depths were the darkest of creatures made by the Void had created fortresses beyond dark walls that no Mortal being could pass, without forever being trapped in the Inky darkness. The Duskborn could travel directly into the Void… without dying. Not forever, or they could suffocate and perish, but the Martyr had found an army that could help push back the darkness even more. When the Martyr returned to the surface, they were no longer a child, instead of an adult, leading a lost person who had made the impossible choices for knowledge. The Martyr made even more decisions, taking the chance to listen and learn, learning more and more of Kalio and the Void’s dark secrets, learning from the Duskborn, the secrets of how to stand in the Darkness, and some believe that before the end of the War, the Martyr spoke to the Void directly, travelling months into its inky blackness, and confronting the jealous Titan directly. Many of their mantle holders have made similar dark and disconcerting decisions in their lives, often for the knowledge or power needed to deal with worse fates. However, the Martyr has time and time again shown that understanding and a lack of fear can lead to incredible changes in the world, sometimes through the power of knowledge…. And sometimes through the stories that will result from a touch of compassion.     Core Beliefs of the Martyr’s Faith   Some things in this world can old be found, by taking a risk. Stepping outside the realms of comfort and control. Your worst enemy may be your best ally in disguise. The best things in life do not come cheap. Nothing worth it, is ever without cost. True good comes though sacrifice, and real success comes at the end of a trail of pain. Sometimes, you have to take the weight of the world onto your back. But you dont always have to shoulder that burden. There is a time to offer yourself to the whip and lash, and a time to drop the weights to show your strength.