Kesar'Arrat
The Woeful Traveler
As the sun sets, the birdsong of the forest fades, replaced by the symphony of crickets and cicadas. A set of humanoid tracks morph and shift to a more bestial form as the residents of the forest heed the call of the full moon, the beacon of Otsana, Mistress of Lunar Madness. As the Forest folk heed the call of the moon without thought or restraint, a single snow-covered cliff rises above the primitive and the carnal. Here, the tracks in the snow remain humanoid, bound to the silver-lined path that stretches before them. For while the forest kin fall to baser instinct and emotional whims, Kesar’Arrat demands control and restraint. And although his Moonlit Rise is a permanent, stable beacon, The Woeful Traveler goes wherever the silver path dictates he go.
Kesar’Arrat was a patron of the guilty and sorrowful, of the addicts who sought to regain control of their lives, of the lost in need of guidance, and of lycanthropes of the forest who desired to be freed of the moon’s tantalizing glow. He was often little more than a star-spattered silhouette outlined in silver, but was also commonly depicted as a broad-shoulder shifter man with long black hair and fur-lined garments. While primarily worshipped by a small portion of local lycanthropes and shifters, Kesar’Arrat was commonly a guide to those lost and in need, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Follow the silver path, and you will find that which you seek... and what you need.
Of Lycanthropes and Shifters
As a goddess of the full moon, Otsana heard the calls, prayers, and pleas of those who worshipped the moon. Although apprehensive of gathering those infused with lunar madness, Kesar’Arrat was unable to deny his sister’s request. And so, the god of the stars travelled across Jalasar for nearly a century, collecting those who had been touched by lunar madness. During his travels, the silver path guided him to the sorrowful, the broken, and the lost. As he had done with his sister, he took their woes upon himself, leaving them lighter. In his divinity, he was capable of carrying a greater burden than mortals. In his absence, the Forest Folk grew in number, falling under the influence of Otsana Daciana. Over the generations that followed, they became the first true lycanthropes, gifted and blessed by Otsana, the first Lycanthrope. And over more generations, the lycanthrope blood thinned, and the shifter race emerged with only a distant memory of lunar madness infused within their blood.
True Lycanthropes were more likely to follow Otsana Daciana, while shifters were more commonly found in the service of Kesar'Arrat. A natural dynamic developed between Kesar'Arrat and Otsana Daciana, between the Wildlands and the Moonlit Rise. Otsana Daciana embraced her emotions and instinct fully and preferred to spend more time as a wolf than a woman. Her people mirrored her. Kesar'Arrat preferred to contain his emotions, to practice restraint, and to resist the whispers of lunar madness that lurked in the recesses of his mind. His people mirrored him. Like the moon, Otsana waxed and waned. Like the stars, Kesar'Arrat was constant, ever present... even if the lights of the world drowned him out.
Fall to Corruption
After the Barrier went up, war and conflict rose up across the Jalasaran continent. Sorrows and agony prevailed as countless lives were lost when the divine personally entered battlefields, releasing waves of divine wrath felt beyond the borders of their respective regions. The yoke that Kesar’Arrat carried became heavier and heavier, but despite its weight he persisted, holding all agony, sorrow, and strife within himself. Not even his chosen clergy were privy to the emotional maelstrom that raged behind the cool and collected face of their god.
Throughout history, Kesar’Arrat had often guided Otsana’s people back to their more human aspects when they fell closer to the waiting jaws of primal madness. Despite his attempts to guide and intervene, the divine siblings grew distant as Otsana became increasingly enamored with living as a beast and as Kesar’Arrat strained beneath the agony he carried. As the continent was plagued by war and strife, Kesar’Arrat turned more towards his people – to those he felt oath-bound to protect. And then true lunar madness beset the Wildlands. Word reached Kesar’Arrat that his sister had been lost to the whispers of the moon; that her people had become uncontrollable and savage brutes, attacking all who ventured into the Forest. The heaviest burden Kesar’Arrat carried was the first he ever shouldered. A memory that only he knew. If she had accomplished such bloodshed before her divinity, what would she do if it was unleashed now?
A part of Kesar’Arrat had always known where the Silver Path would lead in the end. From the beginning, they were always destined to destroy one another. The hollow echoes of a cursed ritual engraved on their souls. And when the deed was done and the guilt within him unbearable, Kesar’Arrat stumbled and his corruption consumed him.
Divine Domains
Night, the Moon, Stars, Navigation, the Path, Control, Restraint, and the North Star
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The Moonstone, a moon-like compass with the north star in the middle
Tenets of Faith
The Silver Light & the Silver Path – In the hours of night, one can hear the whispers of the moon and stars, ethereal and eternal guardians and guides. The lost must merely look to the silver light to find the path they seek. A ship in the night may seek the aid of the stars, but another may turn inward. Let the light of the moon illuminate the path towards enlightenment, towards freedom, towards the easing of your pain.
Share the Burden – The Silver Path cannot be seen by all and not all who walk it can bear the burdens encountered along the way. The broken and the lost need a guide; they need a shoulder to lean upon until they can walk once more on their own. Take their woes and their sorrows with open arms; bear the weight that would otherwise crush them. And know that the Woeful Traveler will always ease your sorrows when your yoke becomes too heavy to bear alone.
The Beast Within – To serve as a guide of the Silver Path, one must open their heart to both the sorrow and joy of others. Yet, take caution and care. For the beast within feeds upon raw emotion and instinct. Sharpen your mind so that you may still and calm your raging heart… lest the beast be released and all reason lost.
Relationships
History
Born as mortal twins, Kesar'Arrat and Otsana ascended together to the silver light and lunar madness. No matter how far he travelled, Kesar'Arrat always returned when Otsana called. And no matter how far she fell into lunar madness, Kesar'Arrat could always call Otsana back... until one day he couldn't.
Divine Classification
Spirit of the Land
Current Status
Corrupted
Current Location
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Aligned Organization
Related Myths
Related Reports
Ruled Locations
Concepts
Kesar'Arrat and Otsana Daciana
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