Horleus

Cult

The god of trials, of challenges, of victory and the victorious, Horleus is an ancient god who was once much more powerful than today. He commanded an enormous following in the western hemisphere of A'therys which was brought to ruin by its own action. Horleus is very rarely remembered in the modern age, especially in the east, though when he is mentioned he is used more as a folktale figure to teach morals to children. There are a few zealots, considered insane by most, who foretell of his return to test humanity once more, but this prophesizing is generally ignored.

## History

Horleus was not always the forgotten god he is now. During the Winnowing, he led many followers, which coalesced into a nation of his own in the early Age of Balance. Upon that island nation far to the east of the Daggerlands, the Trials of Horleus were eternally run by every citizen; those who won were praised by the god and rewarded greatly, while those who failed met their untimely demise. Horleus does not care for honor as Vrovona does, he merely understands victory: those who win deserve what they have accomplished, no matter the means they used to get there. Of course, a nation such as this could not stand the test of time, and the competetive people within eventually tore the place apart. Legend holds that this was quite literal: instead of simply dwindling their numbers to the point of ruin, the island sank beneath the sea, torn asunder by their actions.

It is unknown whether he left A'therys during the Second Calling or not, with neither nation nor land to rule over. His entire population, or else what was left of it, was lost when the island sunk. Most assume he stayed on A'therys for at least a few centuries, constructing various trials to which he could subject other humans. Stories have been passed down across A'therys of a wandering god who would test mortals and reward them greatly for their success, or kill them when they failed. Though he has long since been relegated to fable status, Horleus is almost certainly still watching events on the plane with an all-too-real eye. Humanity faces its greatest challenge yet in the absence of their gods, and the God of Trials could not be more pleased.

## Appearance

Horleus' physical form is not well known simply because the original trove of knowledge about him has sunk beneath the western seas. To gain a better understanding of his appearance, mortals are forced to look to drawings made and tales told in the wake of his ancient wanderings. Horleus is largely humanoid, though he takes the head of a frightening beast. From beneath an ornate metal war-mask protrude four enormous tusks, curving around and framing two prehensile trunks. He is said to have enormous ears that fan out from his head, tattered from competition and decorated with many earrings. The mask itself is wrought of iron and leather, covering the entirety of what would be his face and leaving only empty holes for eyes that seem not to be there. The mask is also decorated in jewels of many sizes, echoing the rest of his clothing; Horleus wears various armor pieces wrought in the same style, mostly covering a scarred and withered hide of gray. His physical form inspires fear and awe in all who have seen him, and his appearance was no doubt a sharp impetus towards victory in the minds of his ancient combatants.

*Originally written by OccidentalAnvil for the more official A'therys wiki*