Vikyn, the Shepherd of Light

Vikyn is the Shepherd of Light. He was created by Talus in the First Era, and since Talus was sealed away, Vikyn has largely taken over his domain. Vikyn offers redemption from evil for all creatures, and those that worship and follow him eventually enter into Paradise alongside him.

## Origins and Creations

Vikyn was created by Talus, with the purpose of the elder god in saving Valazar's creations from Guul's destruction.

During this time, Vikyn often fought bitterly with Nox, the Shepherd of Death.

 After the Elder Gods were sealed away, Vikyn took over the Domain of Light. Shortly afterwards, he and Nox (who had taken over for Guul) reached an agreement: Nox would only claim the souls of those who had died, and he would allow any deity to claim that creature's soul.

## Appearance

Despite being one of the foremost gods of Somara, Vikyn rarely appears in the world itself, generally sending his archangels to carry out tasks on his behalf. When he does appear, he tends to take on one of three forms, commonly referred to as the three Aspects of Vikyn (called Aslan, Bahamut, and Torm).

The first form that Vikyn will take (known as Aslan) is that of a humanoid creature with the head and mane of a lion. In this form, he usually wields a steel two-handed maul. Aslan has golden fur covering his body, and stands over seven feet tall.

The second form Vikyn will take (known as Bahamut) is really two forms, but both are expressions of the same aspect. Bahamut will sometimes appear as a massive, platinum-scaled dragon, or, alternatively, as a platinum dragonborn wearing golden plate mail, and carrying a golden battleaxe.

The final form Vikyn will take (Torm) is that of a light-haired aasimar wearing golden splint mail and a golden crown. He carries a steel longsword in one hand and a shield emblazoned with a right-handed gauntlet (Torm's symbol) in the other.

The aspect that Vikyn takes seems to depend on the person he appears to, generally choosing the aspect that most closely embodies their own values.

## Personality

In all aspects, Vikyn is kind and caring, supporting all good actions. He detests evil, and seeks to eliminate it wherever it can be found. Each aspect, however, has slightly different personalities.

Aslan embodies mercy, redemption, and selflessness. He is kind and fatherly, and will freely offer advice and guidance to those who meet him. Aslan is calm and friendly, and has endless patience. Of all the aspects of Vikyn, he is the most carefree, and believes that even the most evil of creatures are not beyond redemption.

Bahamut embodies courage, passion, and steadfastness. Though he is warm to the servants of good, he has no patience for evil, and encourages his followers to seek out and destroy it. Bahamut also believes firmly in rewarding those who defend the weak, and will honor and equip them to fulfill this task.

Torm embodies duty, law, and justice. He looks down upon those who break the law and harm others, and exacts swift justice upon them. He is unwavering in his conviction, and expects the same from others around him.

## Worship

Vikyn is the most-worshiped god in Somara. The Church of Vikyn was established in Seventh Era in the wake of the Dark World Crisis, and is one of the largest trans-national organizations on the Prime Material Plane. There are Churches dedicated to Vikyn on every continent and island in Somara.

In the aftermath of the Dark World Crisis, many people turned to the worship of Vikyn after the forces of heaven had a large role in helping defeat the invading fiends. This, coupled with the newly created headquarters of the Church in Sanctuary Keep, the accessibility of the religion to all races, and the attractiveness of Paradise, helped make the worship of Vikyn so widespread.

Vikyn has many clerics and paladins devoted to his cause. Most common are clerics of the Light Domain and paladins of the Oath of Devotion, but each aspect also has sects of devoted followers.

For example, Aslan has many clerics of the Life Domain and paladins of the Oath of Redemption; Bahamut has clerics of the Protection Domain and paladins of the Oath of Vengeance; and Torm has clerics of the Order Domain and paladins of the Oath of the Crown.