Asceal

## Summary

Asceal is the Goddess of Light. She rules the Lustrous Garden, a Celestial Sphere visible from Galbar as a brilliant comet that casts a soft glow on the world in the dead of night and whose trail can be seen even in the day. Once a primordial spirit with no true connection to anything that could be considered a 'place', Asceal was drawn to the Architects universe out of a genuine desire to aid in its creation. Now, among all the gods of this universe, Asceal is driven by a desire to create a true utopia for all beings great and small.

## Appearance

Asceal is the Goddess of Light, so it should be no surprise that
her form is one of light. She appears as a glowing white apparition
of a humanoid woman when in the presence of other gods or those she knows implicitly, and, by manipulating the intensity of the light she radiates, as a blinding beacon of pure illumination among those she means to awe or cow.

While not modulating the brightness of her form
she presents as a tall woman in an ornate dress as luminous as her. She sports long hair and sharp features, but the vague outline of her glowing figure makes further description difficult.

## Portfolios

### **Light**

Asceal is Goddess of that which banishes the darkness and
nourishes life. She does not always control where light emerges
from, nor what feeds upon it, but the flow of light from one to the
other is where Asceal may exercise her power over creation. She may
weaken, strengthen, or redirect the light that flows through the
world and even create new, pure light. That light which she wills
into existence, illumination without source, is a powerful thing,
able to bring day to night and flow around all impediments. Those
rare few she blesses with the ability to summon it are known to be
able to sear flesh and blind the unwary in anger or banish even
living darkness in joy.

## Personality

Asceal is, in absolute terms, a good God. Her primordial spirit answered the Architect's call and came to this universe out of a genuine desire to aid in its creation, and that willingness to lend a helping hand persists. Asceal is driven by an intense compassion towards all thinking beings, great and small. It is a trait that often puts her at odds with her peers, many of whom regard mortals as little more than pawns or playthings. When it comes to it, and given the temperament of deities in general it often does, she is rarely the first to anger in an argument. However, even her forbearance is
not unlimited, and the fury of the Goddess of Light can be a
frightening thing.

When Asceal regards a god or mortal to have crossed the line of no
return she is uncompromising. As she might say, there is always room
for mercy, but sometimes the greatest mercy is to spare the universe
from the existence of something or someone truly evil. Asceal is more
forgiving than most, but as a steadfast believer in the absolute
nature of good and evil her actions can be radical if she feels they
are are justified. That is not to say that she does not believe that
there can be redemption, even for the wicked, but rather she
understands that it is safer to cut out a cancer than let it fester
in the hope it may be healed in time.

As consequence of Asceal's intractable principles she is often the
first to condemn the actions of her peers, whether they be minor
transgressions or unforgivable offences. There is, however, an
exception to every rule. Upon her very entrance into this universe
Asceal was left awestruck upon witnessing the magnitude of the
Architect's creation, and even now she regards the first god as a
being of unfathomable skill and wisdom. The Architect's edicts, even
ones she might be deeply uncomfortable with, she almost always obeys
to the letter. After all, what could she possibly know about the
plans of the very designer of reality? She trusts in the ultimate
good of the Architect's plan, even when the ancient beings orders
test her principles or, more often, the limits of common sense.

Ironically this has resulted in the Asceal, a god who cares deeply
for the plight of gods and mortals alike, being one of the foremost
supporters of a being of known indifference towards mortals and their
petty existences. Asceal excuses the Architect's apathy towards
lesser beings as nothing more than a greater being delegating
responsibility. How could the planner of the universe itself manage
everything alone? It only makes sense the Architect will manage other
things and leave the welfare of mortals to the other gods. At least,
it does in Asceal's mind.

All that said, as before for all Asceal is loyal and trusting even
she has limits. She will obey the Architect so long as she sees the
potential for some greater good in the beings plans, and she will
give the originator of the universe the benefit of the doubt for
longer than she’d consider for any other god or mortal, but
morality is not flexible. Should the Architect ever fall to true
evil, she would be among the first to rise against it.

That might well be a theme in Asceal’s actions. So long as a
mortal, or a god, works towards the betterment of the universe and
the lot of its denizens she will gladly aid them, but the moment she
sees that has changed her retribution for what she perceives as
betrayal will be swift. Asceal is always willing to trust, and will
often overlook minor transgressions, but she is not a fool.

Of course, not even a god can be perennially occupied with matters
of good and evil. For all Asceal is a compassionate deity and cares
for the poor and unfortunate, she does not wish to imitate them.
Among the gods she is not known for her austerity or humility.
When not concerning herself with the struggles of mortals or the
politics of gods she can often be found crafting crystalline palaces
in the Lustrous Garden. Rarely does she inhabit her creations for
overlong, instead abandoning them as soon as they grow to bore her.
Still, she takes care to ensure all of her constructions are stocked
with the finest luxuries the universe has to offer, lest a traveller
be put out upon visiting her Sphere.

When a fellow god does take the time to visit Asceal is usually an
accommodating host, so long as her guests are those she cares to
speak with. Generally speaking Asceal is best described as affably
patient, taking the time to hear out her peers and think on their
words before hazarding a reply. While she may not be a notorious
conversationalist Asceal is glad to converse with her fellows, or at
least the ones worth conversing with. Some gods are content with
isolation, and Asceal is not one of them. If she grows tired of
crafting her palaces or weary from the worries of the mortal world it
is not unheard of for her to seek out the company of other gods for
the simple sake of socialization.

## Creations

Individuals:

Liana

Landmasses:

Istais

Miscellaneous:

Celestial Furnace