Rhodas

Rhodas is the Intermediate Deity of Honor and Chivalry, and the former Hero God of Man. He spontaneously came into existence during the late Dawn Era, and was one of the first gods to come into being who was not directly created by Lorkivar.

## Biography

### Early Life and the War of Wrath

Rhodas came into existence in the later years of the Dawn Era. Upon the onset of the War of Wrath, he was one of the gods’ foremost warriors, being one of the primary leaders of the younger gods. Cutting down scores of demons, he is noted to have led the defense of the three most important defensive battles of the war: the Siege of Altus Ordnum, when the demons attacked the seat of Coza Dor’s power whilst he was away slaughtering their fellows in the Abyss. The Bloodbath of Darkhold, when millions of demons had poured into the realm of Aquiris Vox and severely wounded him, forcing Rhodas to take command of his forces. And lastly, the Battle of Shrieks, when a horde of demons assaulted the burgeoning Elemental Planes, while no one was left to defend them but the Elemental Princes, who were inexperienced in combat due to their mother Jydea forbidding them from participating in the war. Under the direction of the battle hardened Rhodas, the combined might of the four brothers was enough to repel the attack.

### Liberation of the Aboleth Slaves

After the War of Wrath, during the Mythic Era, Rhodas witnessed the rise of the aboleth empire, and disgusted at the way they treated their mind controlled slaves, the dragons, giants, Deep Ones, orcs, merlings, zartilians, and others, and thusly, he traveled to the Prime Material plane, transforming into a dragon. At this point, the beasts possessed no elemental power, but Rhodas, in his draconic form, mated with their most virile females, which brought forth seven mighty children, each imbued with elemental power. These children went on to annihilate the aboleth empire, freeing all the races from their control.

### Patronage of Humans

During the late Mythic Era, as several gods created their own races or moulded existing ones, a strange race called humans had finished evolving in a remote region of the world. Unlike many of the other races, they possessed no innate magical gifts, or powerful natural traits, or even a patron deity. Rhodas, pitying these creatures, spent thousands of years occasionally intervening on their behalf, preventing other, more powerful races from wiping them out. After the Elvish Emergence, when the elves poured forth from the Feywild and took dominion over the earth, Rhodas once again found himself observing an oppressive, dominant empire extending its cruel reach across the plane. Accordingly, he made a deal with the deities Corgel and Brigid, and obtained pieces of their most powerful enchanted metal, and delivered them to a human smith named Orgum, who forged several mighty swords(later dubbed the Exalted Blades) designed to slay and command the other more powerful races, which allowed the human race to lead the rebellion against the elves and defeat the demigod Glauril Goldeneye. Later, during the mid Runic Era, as several of the gods who had become patrons of races began prompting their chosen races to expand following the defeat of the elves, many sweeping over various human settlements, who, without the power of their Exalted Blades, which had been lost, could not stand against them. Rhodas, moved once more my their plight, declared himself their patron and protector,  battling both Lagrash of the orcs and Maglubiyet of the goblinoids when the two descended to the Prime Material on behalf of their people.

### Decline

All throughout the Runic and the majority of the early Heroic Era, Rhodas remained the Champion of Men, for many years, wielding the power of a Greater Deity as the result of his worship. However, slowly, other gods, witnessing the surprising ingenuity and the ever growing numbers of humans, began seeking them out as worshippers. Slowly, the universal worship of Rhodas by humans began to fade, first in the far east, then the deserts of Otrag-Vakh, and lastly, the frigid wastes of Rhatheim, until only the Andvari remained faithful to him. However, in the middle of the Heroic Era, the angels of Luminium staked a claim to the men of Andvar, desiring human worshippers to offset the imbalance caused by the devils taking in souls. Thereafter, the angels imprisoned him for millennia, and worked with the other gods to convince the humans that Rhodas was in fact, not a deity, but rather a powerful human cleric of theirs, who had become the first knight. Lack of worship would not have been enough to take away Rhodas’s status as a Greater Deity, but the belief of millions that he was a mortal was enough to reduce him to his original Intermediate status. Once his decline was complete, the angels freed him, and allowed him to keep the measly cults that remained. As a result of being reduced to a Saint in the Andvari religion, Rhodas was left embittered towards them, especially after all he had done for humanity. He refused to grant any clerical power to humans at all, and to this day, has not answered a single prayer of the race he feels betrayed him.

## Physical Appearance

Due to his status as a god, Rhodas is capable of taking on any form he so desires. However, all of his guises are of a warrior of some sort.

## Personality

In his younger years, Rhodas was an idealistic and noble being, living by the virtues of honor and compassion, and seeking to teach these virtues to his human followers. He was sympathetic and helpful, constantly lending aid to deserving mortals. However, due to his perceived betrayal at the hands of humanity, Rhodas has grown embittered and jealous, refusing to answer prayers and regarding all with suspicion and spite.

## Powers

Rhodas possesses the standard powers of an Intermediate Deity. Due to his sphere, he possesses a number of special abilities.

Divine Domains: Given his nature as a deity, Rhodas possesses innate control over certain aspects of existence.

* Morale Aura: Rhodas is able to exude an aura that boosts the morale of troops under his command, and causes self doubt to infect enemy troops.
* Oath Manipulation: Rhodas is known to be able to make any sworn oaths utterly binding. If he invokes this ability, it will be impossible for any oaths sworn to be broken, unless a being of equal or greater power forcibly breaks the magic of the oath.

## Skills

Master Combatant: From the onset of his existence, Rhodas possessed immense combative potential. His numerous battles during the War of Wrath perfected his skills, enabling him to become one of the most hardened veterans known among the gods.

Master Strategist: As a seasoned veteran of the War of Wrath, Rhodas has survived countless battles against demons, and as such, he developed a keen strategic mind, which he utilized in countless campaigns against other beings.

## Trivia

* Rhodas was the first deity to be worshiped by humans.
* Rhodas began as an Intermediate Deity, with his human worshipers bringing him up to the status of Greater Deity. However, due to Zarael and the angels convincing most of humanity that he was a mortal, he was returned to Intermediate status.
* Rhodas is a veteran of the War of Wrath.