The Birth of Anselm

The duality of the Lord of Rivers is the essence of his relationship with Karos. Nothing better encapsulates that duality than the Sermon of Creation.

— - Harrick, High Priest of Anselm

From the Sermons of High Priest Harrick

Hearken closely, all followers of the River Lord, and listen to the tale of Anselm's birth, for his story is the story of us all!

Listen, as I recount the tale of the Creator Gods, who brought life to this world. They to whom we owe existence, but they who fell to corruption and did demand that their creations go to war. Give thanks to them for nothing if not the creation of The Second Generation - gods not of Man, or Elf, or Dwarf, but of the natural wonders of Karos. These new gods maintained the fecund gem that the Creators built and then forgot. It is to them that today's Karosians pay homage. They carried this charge for millennia, never wavering in their duties to the land.

But these new gods were saddened as they watched their mothers and fathers fight amongst themselves. They were devastated as they watched the mortal races of the world, for whom they cared deeply, slaughtered by the thousands in the machinations of their parents' wars. They watched fretfully, unable or unwilling to confront their elders, and for centuries, the wars raged.

Until the birth of Anselm.

The newly wrought Lord of Rivers opened his eyes to the fighting around him, and much like his kin, he shook with indignity at the devastation. He watched, at first powerless, as the Creator Gods poisoned his rivers with pestilence and drove out those who relied on the waterways for their lives. He raged as the elder races sent weapons of mass destruction downstream to obliterate their foes. Our lord, though wise, is not patient with sacrilege.

And Anselm had had enough.

But the Lord of all that Flows was paralyzed by indecision. On the one side, he felt compassion and pity for those who had been harmed against his will. He wished to send his new priests out among them with the balm of healing and cleansing waters. On the other, he was enraged by the destruction and longed to punish those responsible. In the end, our nascent lord remembered that "cleansing" can have more than one meaning.

The Priesthood of the Blue River was founded to serve the former purpose, and Anselm wasted no time sending his clerics to provide succor and support to all who needed it.

The Priesthood of the Black River had a different mandate. They lived to punish the blasphemer and any who would harm the innocent. They found and punished the guilty, returning their heads to the river for the glory of Anselm and sending a message to any who needed it.

It would be centuries still until Karos would be free of the Creator Gods, but the birth of Anselm, Lord of Rivers, was instrumental in the eventual victory of our own gods over their creators. It was his Babaylan who kept the forces of hope alive and fighting - with every life they saved, prayer to our Lord swelled like high tide. It was his Maingor who fought on the front lines - with every head severed from shoulder, new faithful bowed knee to the River Lord.

Many today have turned their back on the gods, and we must understand their fear. We faithful remember all that Anselm did to secure our future, even with his first breath. We honor his name, and we carry his word in our hearts. The Twin Rivers will forever flow. They will direct the course of Karos for eternity.

I will cry a single blue tear for you. Then, heads and souls for my Lord, Anselm!

— -Jet, Maingor of Anselm