Beings, Mar'an and the Other

The Dalmer’s view of existence of gods or godlike beings is basically, “If no one believes in a god, does he exist?”

There are Five beings: Ast, Arl, Aul, Ard, and Ari, that challenge this notion as they display near deistic powers. The Dalmer do not believe in these beings (ie. worship) but admit that their powers are wondrous, and want to find out how to replicate them.

The beings are thought to be the children of Mar’an, and a being known as the Other, Oathbreaker, the Deceiver, and other, less polite titles.

There is speculation of a sixth being, known only as a concept: the Anchor, little is known about this being other than he keeps the beings bound to the realm of the Dalmer, serving as a sort of Warp Anchor.

### **Ast**

The eldest (or second depending on sources) son of Mar’an and the Other, known as the King of Stonemasons, Lord of Broken House, Duke of Shell Village, Ast is most well known for the innumerable tales and stories he appears in, becoming a folklore character in Dalmer culture.

**Powers:**

**Bellow laugh** (the sarcastic laugh)

**Character traits:**

According to folklore, he is a very tall and wide framed man, with a large belly, and is long of hair and beard that resembles a lion's mane

Papersmith: Ast has the power to fold paper into anything he desires, and these Folds can move on their own, executing Asts orders as his messengers and friends.

Ast is considered the most knowledgeable of the beings, some saying his wisdom is infinite

Ast is very shy, timid and maintains a strict neutrality to events in which he does not take part

Asts domain is known as the Cave of Scriptures, a massive underground library littered with books and wondrous Folds of all shapes and sizes.

Ast is an excellent cook, to the joy of settlements at the sight of his approaching lumbering frame.

**Relations**:

Warhorn of feasts

**Traditions inspired by Ast:**

On Mar’ans day, Ast shaved his beard and hair as a sign of respect, the settlements he visited seem to follow this custom.

### **Arl**

The Second (or third) son of Mar’an and the Other, his titles include the Cadet, the Westbound

**Relations**:

### **Aul**

The Third (or Fourth) son of Mar’an and the Other, his titles include the Dome, Manywives, the Eastbound,
**Relations**:

### **Ard**

The Fourth (or fifth) son of Mar’an and the Other.

**Relations**:

### **Ari**

The Fifth (of sixth) child and only daughter of Mar’an and the Other.

**Relations**:

### **Mar’an**

Female representation of the Dalmer empire, legends state are that she was a Dalmer princess that ruled over a royal court/band/clan of seven elected kings/knights/noblemen she was at some point viciously assaulted by a rogue Termagant (sources differ on where it came from, some say it came from a crack in a mineshaft, others say it came into the fortress disguised as a diplomat, others say it appeared from a nutshell in the princess’s meal) the seven immediately took chase to the “ends of the earth/into a deep chasm/into the sky/into the sea” and tossed her into the “abyss”. When they returned, they found that the assault had left the princess in a deep sleep (coma), (this explains the Dalmer general disdain/distrust of magic).

For varying reasons (unable to treat wounds/unwilling to touch the princess/doctors were killed/magical radioactivity the princess radiated after the attack) they placed their princess into a “glass coffin” (a proto stasis chamber) so that her courage and strength could forever be seen by all, or until their science would bring back their beloved princess. The seven created the Long Watch, who were sworn to guard her forever, and were each given a ring of power to aid them in their task, but this would ultimately fail.

Although the Dalmers Long Watch was vigilant, the princess (now referred to as queen) was stolen from the Long Watch, by a being that would later be known as the Other, the only being to ever best (at the time) the Long Watch in their vaults (ever since they have become the Treasury, an order of knights hell bent on safekeeping treasures.

This story is the reason the Dalmer are protective of their women in general, although this view is fading with time.

A theory has appeared between the similarities between Princess Mar’an and the being known as Mar’an, but the Dalmer still ignore if it is the same person.

**Relations**:

### **Secret of the Deceiver**

The Deceiver was sent by the Termagant to assassinate the princess in order to weaken and divide the Dalmer (although it probably would’ve simply unified them) in fact saved the Princess in order to preserve (whatever) but instead gifted her with his powers to allow her to live, after a while fell in love with her and fathered many children with her, the five beings and the anchor. When the fifth was born, the Termagant returned and used her magic to mutate the sixth child as revenge for the Deceivers saving the Princess, creating the Anchor. After this, the Deceiver left to hunt down and track the Termagant, despite Mar’ans’ protests. Her children would grow to see him as alternatively an ally or an enemy.

There are some theories that persist, and say that the Anchor keeping the beings on Welt is actually the firstborn child of Mar’an.