Church of Aeyed

The Church of Aeyed is the largest monotheistic religion on Vennar, and the majority religion on the continent of Venastor. The church worships Aeyed, considered the supreme and only god, who began as an agricultural and warrior god, the God of the Seeding and the Harvest. In religious history, Aeyed is said to contend with the Goddess of Blood and Shadow for the fate of humanity, in the interest of their growth and supremacy. He is an ancient deity dating from before the fifth age, discovered by a lone man named Jeremiah lost in the deserts of Nos. Jeremiah took this religious experience and spread word of it through all Venastor, proclaiming a new supreme deity. Jeremiah would wander the lands for decades, his family and followers creating a pseudo nation of nomads, spreading word of this new deity for all to hear. The worship of Aeyed would persist through to the present day, even past the Fifth Rise of Dorath.

### Aeyed

* Supreme God
* The sun, a bundle of wheat, a harvest sickle or scythe
* First day of each week

Aeyed, Lord of All, Light of Day, Supreme God of All Humanity. Aeyed stands above all others worshiped as deities, leading the ranks of heaven in eternal war against the Goddess of Blood and Shadow and her endless legions. He is represented by a beautiful young man with golden hair draped in white silk bearing a sheaf in His left hand and a harvest sickle in His right, a halo of light obscuring His face. When His followers go to war, Aeyed is often depicted in armor of silver and gold, His silks shaped to long tendrils of cloth flowing behind like wings.

Aeyed prides the virtues of charity, chastity, diligence, humility, kindness, patience, and temperance. In pursuit of these virtues the Church of Aeyed is the largest charity organization in the world, granting free room and board to those in need, and regular healing services within their sanctuaries. The Church also hosts the patronage of knightly orders, enforcing the law and just rule within the borders of their God's demesne.

Aeyed holds dominion over all things, but raises humanity above the rest. In His long pursuit of the Goddess of Blood and Shadow Aeyed has found capable warriors and administrators in humanity, granting them dominion of the world in his physical absence. Though other Wise Folk such as elves, dwarves, and halflings are worthy of Aeyed's love, they are subservient to humanity within the bounds of Aeyed's demesne. It is said that one day, when humanity has conquered all lands beneath Aeyed's light, the final battle shall commence against the Goddess of Blood and Shadow, and He shall step down from His throne in the heavens to rule over a new, utopian world.

## Seraphim

As Aeyed holds dominion over all things, Heaven works to strengthen this claim and grants Him the Seraphim, powerful beings of varying origin that rule the highest orders of Celestials. These Seraphim Vassals lead Aeyed's angelic armies in war with the Goddess of Blood and Shadow, but also watch over His followers in the mortal world while embodying the seven virtues of their God.

### Afetra

* Seraph of Chastity
* A white lamb

Afetra represents purity, innocence, and chastity. Afetra reigns over the pure and the unspoiled, protector of children and those who dedicate themselves fully in mind and body to Aeyed. Holy ground is said to hold the gaze of Afetra, who sends her celestials to watch over and protect it. Her doctrine institutes the purity of the body in pursuit of purity of the soul, refraining from immoral acts and the sullying of one's virtue. She is the patron of loving parents, orphanages, and nunneries. She is closely tied with the Seraph of Temperance, Etradiel.

Afetra was sent by the legions of heaven to support Aeyed in his bid for the Mantle of Mortal Rule, and was never worshiped as a goddess before her arrival, though she was revered as a protector of children and holy places. Ancient legend holds Afetra as the guiding light that led Luke in his works during the Fourth Rise of Dorath. She is represented by a healthy and happy young girl with white hair, cradling an infant lamb in her arms.

### Chezadel

* Seraph of Kindness
* Cupped hands offering a liquid

Chezadel represents kindness in all its forms, often sparking the offering of other virtues in no respect to self-advancement. He is the cool water to the seething anger, the love of a mother teaching her children, the providence of charity. Chezadel is often mistaken for a servant of the other seraphim, but he stands as their equal, working to advance the virtues they embody as a whole as opposed to individual betterment. He is patron to all kind acts, and encourages kindness in all who walk in daily life.

Chezadel has no apparent history, having served Aeyed from the beginning of His rise to power, and was first among the seraphs chosen for their duty. He has ever been by his God's side, encouraging understanding for the pagan among His priests, and working to advance the worship of his God through the works of His church. Chezadel is represented by a figure draped in cloth hiding all features save two eyes of golden light, and two hands dripping liquid silver.

### Edelah

* Seraph of Charity
* A rose enveloped by ribbon, butterflies, a cornucopia

Edelah represents beauty of the self, and the virtue of charity. She leads the celestials of Aeyed to charitable acts, granting mortals the means to give unto others, the capacity to sacrifice for their community, and the will to do so even when they have nothing. Edelah gave of herself when she granted mortal kind the freedom of will stolen from the Shattered God, and when she surrendered the Mantle of Mortal Rule to Aeyed. She has given of herself time and again, expecting nothing in return, yet granted a place among the highest order of Aeyed's dominion.

Edelah's worship as the Goddess of Fate and Beauty was a heated topic among the early church fathers, a pagan goddess so blatantly at odds with Aeyed's dominion as to be seen holding the threads of fate herself. Yet as study and debate raged, Edelah's role in Fate was seen less as a spinner of the thread and more as a caretaker, one who held no dominion of fate but protected it. In this role, she was accepted among the seraphim, and became one of the seven. She is the patron of charities, and praised during a time of good harvest with the giving of excess to the needy. Edelah is represented by a golden skinned, dark haired, beautiful woman, draped in purple cloth that transitions to a butterfly's wings at her back.

### Etradiel

* Seraph of Temperance
* A carafe pouring liquid into a cup

Etradiel represents restraint, mercy, and temperance. Etradiel is the merciful hand in judgement, the quiet voice of reason to a ravenous man, and the guide to those lost in excess. She is the patron of rehabilitation centers, prisons, and court judges. Her preeminent ideal is forgiveness, providing a guiding light to those lost in sin and decadence so they may perform penance and seek a new life. She is often prayed to for spiritual guidance when one is immersed in temptation. When a criminal is offered mercy, it is Etradiel who is invoked so the offender may work to rectify their unjust actions. She is closely tied with the Seraph of Chastity, Afetra.

Etradiel was a pagan goddess of forbearance, in both war and the dining hall, but left her seat amongst the gods to serve the one true god, Aeyed. Etradiel's temples were one of the few of the old pagan gods to wholly submit to the will of Aeyed and be absorbed into the church. She is represented by a motherly figure dressed in modest robes, pouring a carafe of wine into a modest chalice.

### Raziel

* Seraph of Humility
* Lips parted around a white rose, a lock with no key

Raziel represents the secrets of mysticism, the trust of Aeyed, and humility. Raziel is believed to have once been a great king of men, herald of power, and keeper of the vast lore of magic, but willingly stepped down from the pinnacle of his power to serve Aeyed, surrendering his true name, his secrets, and the strength of his armies. He was placed among the seraphim to reward his humility, and granted the patronage of sanctioned magic. Those who lead wisely and humbly, those who keep the secrets of their betters such as scholars and accountants, and the sanctioned mage all serve Raziel with their works.

Raziel's history is lost to time and his own secrets, his true name given over to Aeyed granting him the void of forgotten history. What little is known does state Raziel was among those who rose in the fifth age from the Fourth Rise of Dorath, leading humanity into a new era of greatness through vast arcane power, but gave up his place willingly. He is represented by a thing young man with long dark hair bound by a diadem bereft of its stones, gathering scrolls and ancient tomes.

### Suqat

* Seraph of Diligence
* Merchant's scales holding a key outweighing a coin

Suqat represents commerce, travel, and diligence. Suqat charts the course of trade through empires, across planes, and in the minutia of riverboats. He is the guide for travelers and the Merchant Prince of Mortals. His doctrine encourages honest business, honest work, freedom of travel, and respect for the dead. One of the few seraphs held in esteem by the three elder folk, elves and dwarves hold him in pagan reverence as a god despite his service to Aeyed as seraph.

Suqat was an ally of Valorian during the Genesis War. His legends include being the messenger of Kesathria revealing the primordials' weaknesses, and traveling into the afterlife to retrieve Valorian' soul so the future seraph could ascend into the heavens, following him soon after. Suqat is represented by an old bearded man of sunworn skin and steely muscle, dressed as a farm hand.

### Valorian

* Seraph of Patience
* Tower shield before a bastard sword

Valorian represents valor, legitimate authority, and the virtue of patience. As the ideal warrior Valorian leads Aeyed's armies and serves as His right hand, guiding all that bask in Aeyed's light to just rule. Though he is a warrior and was once worshiped as a war god before the coming of Aeyed, Valorian embodies the Virtue of Patience through his measured action and constant consideration. Valorian' strategies have lead to consistent gain against the Goddess of Blood and Shadow, keeping his growing pride in check with his works of service on the mortal plane. With his shattering of the Shattered God, Valorian granted humanity the possibility of self determination, and enforced the freedom of will given to them by his sister Edelah.

Known as the First Knight, Valorian' worship as a war god dates back to the Genesis War, when he laid down his mantle of rulership of mortals and granted it to his sister, Edelah. Later this mantle was given to his God, Aeyed, and Valorian stepped down from his position as a deity to follow his God as seraph. He is taken as the patron seraph of knightly orders, rulers, and dynastic heads. Valorian is represented by a humanoid figure clad in thick, heavy plate armor, trailing wings of light and often mounted upon a great tamed beast.