Kosmas

Kosmas is the oldest of the Soul, and was the first god to make contact with the equine-kind. It is unknown if he was also the god to first make contact with the cervids.

Dutiful, stern and scholarly, Kosmas is not the most exciting god, but none would deny his importance to their very existence. Kosmas seemingly enjoys observing the mortals, but is not the type to intervene on trivial matters.

## Sphere

God of thought, Kosmas is the enabler of intelligent life on Amaranthine. He is the first of the Soul, and it was his presence that made the coming of the four others to equines possible - he is the basis of all spheres related to mortal action.

He is also the god of knowledge and learning, depicted as studious and hungry for information. His sphere includes not only facts, but also stories, legends - even lies. It is said that he records everything that ever happens, committing all knowledge and action to memory in divine ink.

For the third element of his sphere is order - Kosmas detests chaos and irregularity. It is under his guidance that things come to fruition as they should, cause and effect working as intended.

### Secondary Sphere

As the god of knowledge and thought, Kosmas also governs over many related spheres of mortal experience. He is the god of memory, for what would be the purpose of knowledge if it could not be remembered. His propensity for order also leads him to govern over logic and causality.

Kosmas is also the god of language; and by extension, speech. He is the one who taught equines how to speak and express their thoughts and knowledge in a way that may be understood by others. The final element of his sphere is science - the child of logic and knowledge.

## Mythology

Kosmas is considered to be the leader of the Soul, being not only the oldest, but also the one who enables the other spheres to exist in the first place. He is depicted as a dutiful, if somewhat stern, older brother and father figure to his younger siblings, but is closest with Ricmod, who has a similar personality to his own. He is often at odds with Lykke, whose very sphere seeks to overthrow the order he works so hard to upkeep.

Although his sphere is ever present in all mortal dealings - from the lowliest peasant to the highest court - Kosmas himself is known to be a silent god who rarely seeks to intervene or influence, even when sought out by mortals. When he does intervene, it is only in matters of grave importance, often to uphold order. Like balance, cosmic order is not necessarily always to the benefit of mortals.

Most of Kosmas’ work is silent. According to legend and folktale, it is Kosmas who often puts an end to various threats to the mortal realm - be it an errant mage, or a sibling going a bit too far. His sphere is rarely made visible to mortals in a literal sense, but it is said that the feeling of “flow” experienced by artists and scientists alike is a touch of his divine influence.

Kosmas is exclusively depicted as male.

### Appearance in Art

Usually depicted as dark grey or brownish, unmarked save for a single white marking in the shape of an eye. He is often shown as tall but lithe, with short-shorn hair. He is accompanied by a raven with starlit eyes - the bird is often shown perched on his head, and its wings may cover his eyes. The raven usually holds his quill, but it may also be depicted in front of him, held in teke, ready to write.

His halo may be any color, often softly glowing, and depicting floating symbols, letters and numbers. He is shown surrounded by books and scrolls, some of them yet bare of writing, signifying all the knowledge he has collected and will collect. He is typically shown in a library or other similar settings - when present in a more dynamic piece, the writing may be shown on his skin.

It is not uncommon for Kosmas to merge with his raven, becoming a pegasus with raven wings, or even being depicted as the animal itself. When the raven is intended to symbolize Kosmas himself, it often gains his halo, and writes with its own feather.

## Worship

Kosmas  is the patron god of scientists, scribes, teachers and many other intellectual professions, but his worship is widespread.  Kosmas has a holiday dedicated to his arrival on Amaranthine, as this is considered the moment of birth for equine civilization. He is rarely worshipped as a primary deity, but is generally respected by the populace.

An altar to Kosmas will be present in virtually any church or wayshrine that is not solely dedicated to some other god. Places of worship dedicated exclusively to Kosmas are somewhat rare, and mostly found in universities and grand libraries. Every library in Amaranthine has a statue of Kosmas or a raven at the door, as these are believed to shield the collection from Tesni’s wrathful fire.

Kosmas’ favored offerings are ink and quills, especially ones made from raven or crow feathers. His third offering is also the primary method of prayer with the god: Kosmas receives offerings in the form of prayers written on parchment. His temples are filled with small, anonymous notes, wishes, secrets and pleas, collected by priests onto walls and hanging from strings. The worship of Kosmas leans heavily on self-reflection in the form of writing - and some say that the scientific process is in of itself a form of worship.