Mairun of the Countless Masks

Appearance

Each of Mairun's aspects has their own unique form, but outside of Rusterov, their form is recognized as that of a white beetle. Their body has been broken into jagged pieces, but these cracks have been patched with filaments of gold, said to be crafted of the emotional expressions of the beetlefolk themselves. Their eyes are vacant, hollow, staring far away into nothing, forever seeking something they shall never find. Their posture is slumped and sorrowful, and they wear the faded and tattered garb of a jester.

In Rusterov itself, Mairun's masks allow them to grant their fragments some color, matching the mask itself. The golden patchwork always remains, a symbol of the enduring scars of grief. Mairun the Curious Traveler wears a golden mask with a confident smirk, and is dressed in the garb of a traveling adventurer. Mairun the Dutiful Watchman wears a green mask with a stoic expression, and is dressed in the common uniform of a Rusterovian town guard. Mairun the Flamboyant Performer wears a purple mask with a goofy, slightly intoxicated grin, and dresses themself as a dancer. Mairun the Caring Apothecary wears a red mask with a caring smile, and is dressed in the robes of a healer. Mairun the Ancient Scholar wears a blue mask with wide, curious eyes, and is dressed in the uniform of a student. Mairun the Bombastic Carouser wears an orange mask with a fierce expression, and is dressed in the garb of a town crier.

Symbols

Mairun has many masks, which serve as their symbols. When wishing to represent Mairun as a whole, practitioners have settled on a small white porcelain mask, shattered and repaired with gold, with a blank expression. Followers wishing to honor a specific aspect of Mairun use a replica of that aspect's mask, often personalized with small details such as dots, stripes, and other patterns. These many masks symbolize the many emotions experienced by mortal beings, and how easily they may be put on or cast aside.

Commandments

• Revel in your joys and fortunes - you never know when they may change.
• Accept all people for who they are and what they do, and adapt if you cannot accept.
• The world is a beautiful place. All you must do to discover your own beauty is find your place within it.

Myth

Long ago, the joyful Mairun crafted the beetlefolk out of shimmering fragments of a rainbow and set them across the forests of Varzzen, helping them whenever they needed help and bringing joy to those who felt sorrow. Their task within The Order Pantheon was to protect the Radiant Mirror, and so they did, keeping its waters pure and serene as well as ensuring that anyone could come to its shores and be rejuvenated and refreshed. Many stories tell of their tricks and pranks, and even more of the festivity they carried with them. Then, after the Battle of the Maw and the death of Zaqātu, said to be their closest friend, Mairun shattered completely, both in body and in spirit. Their pieces lay scattered across the Festive Isles, until the joy, sorrow, rage, and fear of the beetlefolk finally reached them. With this, Mairun was able to patch themself together. Ashamed of their broken form and knowing they could never make anyone happy as they were, they decided to don masks and make everybody happy by being exactly what anyone might need them to be. They have not abandoned the shores of the Radiant Mirror; some say that they visit its waters to gaze upon their reflection and meditate on what they need to become for the beetlefolk to prosper.

Holy Days and Religious Practices

Mairun is said by outsiders to have many feasts and festivals as there are beetlefolk. Festivity and celebration is the one thing they still hold across all their aspects, and thus festivities are incredibly common in Rusterov, to the point where stumbling across a festival in progress is more common than not. The most devout followers will don masks similar to that of the aspect they celebrate, and food, dance, song, and light will ring far across the forests, long into the night.