Khaldor

Strength does not make one right, but it can make for a powerful argument. The careful and measured application of power can temper steel or debate, shatter armor or belief. The most dangerous of foes can wield patience like a javelin, loosened not in haste but only after careful regard; or twist temperance like a shield, deflecting attempts to goad the wielder into a misstep. A true warrior’s strength does not begin and end along the length of their sword arm, but rather is the interwoven might of a disciplined mind and an experienced body. Khaldor is a paragon of this balanced, holistic approach to conflict, as comfortable on the battlefield as he is in the debate hall. More than simply a master of war, he is a champion of conflict in all its nuance.   Nor does his skill end with conflict. The head of his own massive warhammer, an anvil containing the heart of an ancient fire elemental known as the Hammervil, doubles as his personal forge from which some argue the Summoner’s War was won before the first divine strike landed. As the divine blacksmith of the gods he has no equal. It is said if he knows the intended target he can visualize a killing blow from weapon conceptualization through forging all the way to the final lethal delivery, and the weapons that bear his sigil are the legends that mere mortal blacksmiths can only dream of crafting. The greatest of his achievements also serves as the ultimate testament to his skill; legend holds that Khaldor wrought the great spear of Shiva-Nys with such divine grace that no enchantments adorn the weapon as there were no improvements to be made upon perfection. With such an impossibly towering reputation, who wouldn’t worship such a god?   Patronage: The lava filled cracked anvil sigil of Khaldor universally marks every blacksmithy on Veyrsrhea, or so his high devouts would have you believe. To its customers, the symbology conveys they’ve arrived in the right location. To its workers, the sigil is a solemn warning; woe to ye who are lax. The forge is a harsh mistress, and danger abounds for the complacent or unwary. Artisans in general may adorn their workshops with the cracked anvil, but the implied message rarely carries the same weight for them as it does the forge workers. Those who pursue martial combat as an artform or a singular goal in and of itself often strive to emulate Khaldor’s unparalleled mastery of warfare, though it be an impossible goal to chase. Far rarer still, those warrior devouts who forge their own weapons seek to Khaldor’s enlightenment of total effort, to eliminate the distinction between the self and the weapon. Tyrants, even benevolent ones, and those who value strength above all else will invoke Khaldor as divine precedence for their right to rule by force, though few can approach the eloquence of his philosophical discourse. Aspiring orators and politicians alike pray to Khaldor for inspiration, especially when intending to deliver forceful speeches. Bards invoke the fire of Khaldor to inspire their audiences and move them to imagine greatness within their grasp. Even thespians may pray to the Prince of Pride before taking the stage, hoping not only to carry a sliver of his gift of speech, but also to help them become their character so that they might truly appreciate the challenges they’ll portray. A not so insignificant number of theater performers commit to a traveling year trying to live up to the poetic heroes they play, and some even manage to earn a play of their own. While any competition may count amongst its participants devouts of Khaldor, professional athletes embrace his teachings of total commitment to any conflict, and gladiators in particular are said to embody his tenets. Finally, generals and others whose responsibility it is to marshal the strength of others study the works and legends of Khaldor and his devouts of yore, seeking the stratagems to best their enemies.   There is one group of devouts that require particular note, even more so than blacksmiths; slaves. Legend holds that impossibly long ago Khaldor, perhaps as a lesser deity or in a weakened state, was captured by a cabal of powerful primordial dragons who forced him to forge objects of great beauty to fill their insatiable lust for treasures. When his captors eventually lowered their guard after years supposedly breaking his spirit, he secretly crafted his anvil into a great warhammer, and in a volcanic rage slew his enslavers. While Khaldor is commonly grouped with Mircalla and Essthiss as the necessary evils of the Summoner’s Patheon, the sin of slavery is so antithetical to his nature that a distinct lack of slavery is noted within the realms of mortals on Veyrsrhea that worship the Pact, which is to say most of the world, due to the immediate and violent response of his followers upon discovery. It is said he keeps an ear most keen for the prayers of his devouts bound against their will, and even that his avatar makes personal appearances to impress upon especially horrideous slavers just why he is known as The Roar.   Worship: One of the most important steps in a blacksmith apprenticeship is receiving the hammer-brand; from the fires of the first forge an apprentice desires to work, their master brands them, usually on the shoulder, with the Hammervil of Khaldor. For those beings with no skin to brand, such as dragonborn, other means have been developed such as carefully carving the symbol or magically branding. This brand not only marks them as an official member of the forge, but serves as a painful reminder to always focus on the task at hand, lest they invoke the wrath of Khaldor with a fiery accident. This branding is a solemn ceremony in which all members of the forge will attend, baring their own brands regardless of bodily location. While every forge may not be a temple and every anvil an alter to Khaldor in the same way that Ohsan’a claims every hearth, it is not uncommon for a Khaldorian temple to have a stone wrought anvil for an altar, or perhaps even an actual retired anvil for those who can afford one. His temples are typically always rounded, not so much to symbolize equality as the belief that anyone can rise to the center, or top, despite their beginnings, with enough strength. They also tend to be stadium-styled for seating, though their architecture can vary greatly from orate marble lecture halls to mossed stone amphitheaters.   Exercising the mind and/or body are seen as acceptable forms of worship, be it alone or in groups, not only to embody Khaldor’s tenets, but the offering of the devout's blood, sweat, and tears are thought to greatly empower the prayers he receives. Similar to Hadyn, incense is a popular way to begin a prayer to Khaldor, and some of his temples are well known to smoke like chimneys; the thurible is almost as official as a badge of office for his high devouts as much as the traditional hammer topped staff. Alternatively, small shrines, especially in homes, may have a tiny chime shaped like an anvil to be struck to begin a formal prayer. In small villages with no formal temple, devouts may awaken early and wait in quiet meditation at a window or doorway for the sound of the strike of the blacksmith’s hammer to begin prayer time.   For more organized worship, in the temples a high devout will often pose a moral, ethical, or social quandary for the faithful to ‘wrestle’ with, encouraging the listener not to seemly consider a fable’s moral, but to directly insert themself into the tale, to experience the characters’ dilemmas and challenges. Perhaps surprisingly to some, a popular form of this self insertion is stage plays, often held in the temple itself, where the devouts can attempt to figuratively experience the trials and tribulations of a Khaldorian Fable themselves. Often his temples will be the only proper stage for great miles throughout rural areas, and many folk justify trips for his shows as a form of pilgrimage. Finally, tournaments of strength are often held in his honor, and a small golden anvil is a common prize to be won for the most skilled. The tournaments can be as varied as there are temples, but races of various natures, throwing sports, and wrestling are believed to be among the deity’s favorites to observe.