Bahamut

Perhaps the most mythic deity of the pantheon, fragmented stories far older than recorded history swirl in the dragon god Bahamut’s wake. He is primal in a way that not even the deities of nature are. Bahamut is. Bahamut was. Though religious scholars debate heavily on the exact nature of deities, whether they age, and whether time has any appreciable meaning to them, there is no denying that the deity exudes a palpable crushing pressure of the weight of countless ages around him, whereas mortal so called ‘ancient’ dragons can only achieve base fear; If there is such a thing as the eldest deity in the pantheon it is surely he (though this is contested by the high devouts to Phoenix Sol). His is the knowledge of experience. Lessons learned firsthand, through blood and fire, sweat and tears. He is not the wise one on the mountain; he is the wisdom of the mountain.   Patronage: Those with wanderlust, who are driven to seek out new experiences, whose imaginations take flight in the spark of embers and flicker of flame around a campfire as stories of old are sung and spun like golden thread; these are the people that Bahamut speaks to in their dreams. As the legendary progenitor of his race, kings and queens adorn their sigils with his scepter as a symbol of the strength of their rule. The scarred, the wounded, or simply those ashamed of some aspect of themselves tattoo dragon scales over their perceived imperfections, echoing the grievous wounds Bahamut’s sister-queen Tiamat marred him with before he slew her, as a defiant declaration that they are stronger than the weakness others might see in them. Many keepers of knowledge consider Bahamut to be their patron deity, especially those who seek to share their wisdom such as librarians or counselors. Finally, among the Summoner’s Pantheon no deity is so universally worshipped amongst a single race as Bahamut is worshipped amongst dragonkind, both pure and otherwise.   Worship: For devouts of Bahamut pilgrimages are a sacred communion, something to bring them closer to the deity. It’s not quite that important exactly where one travels (although there are a multitude of popular locations related to his worship) as the journey itself is the more the goal over the destination. Often adventurous spirits will mark particularly exotic or difficult to discover locations with some form of his scepter, anything from simple scratches in a rock face to miniature shrines. The most popular of these locales may become sites of pilgrimages in their own right, shared amongst the faithful and thrill seekers alike. For those who can not travel far due to ailment or time constraint, simple meditation is seen as a humble but effective form of worship through self reflection. Often organized worship of Bahamut will take the form of semi formal lecture through a thought provoking parable or news from far off cities, followed by silent consideration. Devouts are traditionally encouraged to unburden themselves before beginning meditation or prayer, and will often strip themselves down to whatever level local social norms and their own comfort levels dictate. Such candid exposure can surprise newcomers in more open minded communities. Finally, the more wealthy devouts often pay tithes to temples, public librarians, and even lyceums dedicated to Bahamut. While hoarding the coinage by the high devouts is seen as in poor taste by those who donate, it is somewhat more acceptable to spend excess tithes on fine décor (particularly if crafted with precious metals) to decorate said buildings as this is seen as adding to Bahamut’s hoard in a way that can still be enjoyed by the community.