Ignacio

Ignacio, the God of Flame, is a member of the Hireath Pantheon. He is the creator of the kirins, and patron of the Aodh herd. Ignacio is an extremely controversial god due to his role in the God’s War - all herds but his own know him as the instigator of the conflict. Aodhians have historically rejected this view, but recent developments have led them to question all they knew about their beloved father.

## Mythology

Ignacio’s image across Hireath is one of duality, and only Alya comes close to rivaling him in controversy. The northern herds of Aodh and War Forged view him favorably, while the southern herds see Ignacio as a force of evil: destructive and dangerous.

Breim, Serora and Talori each have their own slight variations in how they see Ignacio, ranging from distrust to open loathing. These herds, along with War Forged, tell the story of God’s War with Ignacio as the willful antagonist - a figure who led his kirins to the bloodiest genocide in Hireath’s history, and whose evil deeds are the ultimate reason behind the gods deciding to depart from Hireath.

Aodhians reject this version of events, instead claiming that it was Alya who started the war, while Ignacio and his kirins were the unfortunate victims of her vile wrath. This version tells that kirins fought only in defense, and that it was the lies of Alya and her people that twisted the other herds to join in the fighting; and eventually led to the destruction of the kirins, their culture, and the departure of Ignacio. But even in Aodh, times are changing - the arrival of the violent Heralds of Ash, as well as rumors of ancient Aodhian texts have led many to question Ignacio’s history.

Even herds who do not like Ignacio cannot deny the value of his creations of fire, heat and light; though suspicion may extend even to these - especially fire, which is viewed as the most literal interpretation of his element. As the creator of Hireath’s sun, Sol, Ignacio is the governor of the daylit sky.

He is also the universal patron of fine art and the artists who create it. It is said his kirins were the greatest artists to ever walk Hireath, and the few surviving pieces attest to this.

Pantheons across Hireath place Ignacio and Alya in direct opposition - except for Talori, where they are seen as partners in destruction. Ignacio is only depicted as being particularly close to other gods in some small regional cults, and some mysterious ancient artwork and literature.

### **Virtues**

Ignacio’s six virtues, and the seventh oft forgotten one, are core tenets in the life of devout Aodhians. Ignacio worshippers elsewhere on Hireath tend to share similar interpretations, as many of Ignacio’s worshippers are Aodhian expats, or their descendants. It is said Ignacio grants his favor to those who seek to uphold his virtues.

#### **Passion**

* Passion is the core of all virtue - without passion, the others lose meaning. Apathy is a grave sin towards oneself, a self-inflicted cruelty that limits growth. A lack of passion spells dissatisfaction with life. Ignacio made his people burn bright, not to settle. Passion is a common topic for life coaching.

#### **Creativity**

* Creativity is the virtue favored and sought by artists. Aodhians believe creativity is inherent to each individual walking in Ignacio’s light - problem-solvers, thinkers, dreamers and inventors. It is the creative souls who build Aodh’s future, and there can be no progress without creativity - neither personal, nor that of the nation.

#### **Courage**

* Courage is the ability to stand tall in the face of fear. To be unafraid is one thing, but true bravery is a response to fear, and the will to challenge yourself. Ignacio favors the brave - whether it be risk takers, or those who follow their heart when it is difficult.

#### **Ambition**

* It is in fire’s very nature to grow, to want, to consume. Stagnation, to it, is unnatural. Ambition is the mortal equivalent, the inspiration to achieve greater things, and better one’s self. Ambition is also a form of self-love - Ignacio desires his children love each other, but also themselves enough to strive for their best possible selves. Virtuous ambition is not ruthless; it’s loving.

#### **Pleasure**

* Pleasure in all its forms is revered as a gift from Ignacio. It is to partake in things you love, and considered an important factor in keeping a mind sharp and a heart healthy. Seeking pleasure is what makes an equine happy.

#### **Leadership**

* One need not be the King, or Head of House to practice good leadership. Aodhians aspire to lead by example, inspiring those around them with their deeds and words. Leaders see what must be done, and act upon it - it is a type of decisiveness.

#### **Redemption**

* Redemption is not so much a virtue, as the understanding that should one step astray from the path of Fire’s Virtue, there is always, always a way back, should one try hard enough. Redemption is the act of saving yourself, seeking forgiveness and finding ways to begin anew.

## Worship

Ignacio is generally not well liked by any of the southern herds, tolerated by the Forged due to their alliance with Aodh, and revered without equal by most Aodhians. Ignacio’s worshippers in southern herds generally seek to keep their alignment with the god a secret to avoid stigmatization.

Ignacio is commonly given gifts of burning incense. Candles and other open flames figure heavily in his worship everywhere.

### **Aodh**

In Aodh, Ignacio is without equal, and often revered as the primary (and usually only) patron. He is known as a loving father. He is compassionate, powerful and terribly jealous, commanding loyalty and devotion in exchange for his undying adoration. Aodhians believe Ignacio to be a ferociously protective god, ferocious and unyielding in the defense of his children.

Fire is honored above all other elements - flames and suns feature heavily in most aspects of Aodhian visual culture. Sunlight is considered the most precious of Ignacio’s gifts, and absolutely necessary to maintain good health; making most Aodhians avid sunbathers when they have the opportunity. The Flamines are Ignacio’s priests within the metropolis of New Valore, and are believed to be his mortal mouthpieces.

The Heralds of Ash similarly revere Ignacio, their creator, and are confused or angered by his absence. Some of them believe that Ignacio will only return to them once the modern heretics have all been destroyed.

### **War Forged**

Ignacio is not that popular in Onea, but his blessings are considered very useful, especially to warriors and smiths. Ignacio is often sought out for his blessings specifically, rather than as a god to be truly devoted to; Ignacio himself is viewed as a vain, hedonistic and fickle god who values power and beauty over function. Outside Aodh, War Forged has the largest base of equines devoted to Ignacio - mostly due to the consistent interaction between the two herds. Most of these worshippers live either in Skeldr Town, or near the Eithnian border.

The Bloody Flanks, on the other hand, hate Ignacio and all he stands for. They believe Aodh is a direct reflection of the god’s own character, and as such, they see Ignacio himself as an oppressive, vain and destructive god.

### **Breim**

Ignacio is extremely unpopular among the Umare, feared and seen as a symbol of death and destruction. He is not openly worshipped, and those that carry his blessings are shunned. Praying to Ignacio is likened to black magic - a secret, evil deed that sullies your own soul, or sets curses upon others. Ignacio’s dominion over fire and heat is respected, but never to be praised.

Kawaru are a bit less severe in their opinion, but not by much. Ignacio is to be feared and respected for his dominion over fire. He is seen as a god that is volatile and quick to anger, his wrath upon those who don’t give him his due respect is terrible. Ignacio is the industrious god of the forge, useful but not praised. He is seen as the brother of Argus and the Goddesses, but a traitor to them.

### **Serora**

Ignacio is thoroughly disliked, even hated, by the Serorans. He is considered to be evil, a traitor to their great sky goddess, a bringer of strife and destruction. Those who openly worship him are regarded with suspicion, and may even be shunned, and so prayers to Ignacio are usually given in secret. To worship Ignacio is to invite bad luck and strife upon oneself and their whole community. It is believed Alya will turn away from those who praise her traitorous brother.

Water Bandits lack a consistent religious identity, but most of them are Seroran, and share their views of Ignacio.

### **Talori**

Talori see Ignacio as an evil, bloodthirsty god, and the greatest evil to ever walk Hireath. He is loathed and feared more than anything else, and is considered the antithesis to Cascade, her polar opposite. Those blessed by him are viewed with fear and distrust. He is believed to be the husband of Alya, working with her to bring the mortal world to an end.

The Rogues mistrust Ignacio, and rarely openly worship him, but generally view him more favorably than the mainlanders - and know not to offend Aodhians by talking ill of their god during business meetings. Ignacio is seen as mischievous, untrustworthy and jovial - something of a trickster and tempter who may lead mortals to great trouble, or great fun.

### **Vagabonds**

Unaligned Vagabonds come from many backgrounds, and worship many different gods. Some are direct reflections of their original herds, others have their own belief systems.

Ignacio is somewhat popular among the Vindicators, but has a very dual image - some Vindicators of Aodhian origin are deeply devout to the fire god, while others hate him and blame him for the oppression of the slaves.

Freedom’s Flight shares the Talori’s dislike and fear towards Ignacio, and do not praise him.

Like with all old gods, Cult and citizens of Asylon do not offer Ignacio genuine praise, seeking him out only for his blessings. They are particular favorites of the cultists, as they are great tools of fear and destruction.

## Blessings

Many of Ignacio's blessings are very flashy, as they are based on his sphere of light, fire, and shadow. Ignacio's blessings tend to lend themselves well for combat but lack subtlety.

### **Standard Blessings**

* Fire Manipulation
* Electricity Manipulation
* Shadow Manipulation
* Light Manipulation
* Force Fields
* Illusionist
* Heat Vision
* Pain Infliction

### **Holy Blessings**

* Holy Magic Suppression
* Holy Magic Imbuement

## Places of Worship

Ignacio is not widely worshipped outside Aodh, and as such, his places of worship are heavily centered within the sphere of his own herd.

### **Aodh**

Ignacio is the favored patron of Aodh, and as a result, there are many places of worship dedicated to him, especially within the great city of New Valore. Ignacio’s worship is centered around Sanctums and temples, rather than shrines or holy places.

#### **The Seven Sanctums of New Valore**

New Valore is home to seven Sanctums. Five of them are historical - Ignis, Fernos, Azar, Enya and Vatros- and two are new: Palasa and Oralee. Each Sanctum has their own character and focus, and some of them also feature other gods. However, all of them feature Ignacio as a central element. Sanctums are the heart of Aodhian religious life.

#### **Firerot Chapel of Harborside**

Although Cascade is their favored patron, Ignacio is still worshipped at the ugly, jagged building known as Firerot Chapel. It is the kind of eyesore that would make most Valorians faint - built from rough cuts of stone and timber, with some very slapdash repairs here and there. There’s even some whalebones visible in the construction, emergency repairs from years past that never got replaced with more permanent supports. The Chapel houses a small shrine to Ignacio, and a statue of him created by a local ‘artist’, which is suitably malformed and goes nicely with the rest of the building.

#### **‘Sanctum’ of Bloom**

A small unofficial Sanctum in the town square of Bloom, featuring a great stone statue of Ignacio. The statue is painted each year by the new students for luck and inspiration. The building itself is built around a great oak tree, but built in a New Valore style - black and blue marble front with murals running across the inside walls. The temple is dedicated to Ignacio and Argus.

#### **University Chapel, Bloom**

A small but decadently decorated chapel within the university of Bloom. As the building is a kirin castle, careful effort has gone into maintaining its original feeling and image. The chapel is filled with fine works of art - both ancient and modern. The chapel is dedicated to Ignacio.

#### **Church of Opulence**

An unofficial Sanctum led by Aintza. This church is a functional but beautiful building with a white marble facade, and overlooks the residential districts below from a high hill. It is dedicated to Ignacio, Cascade and Kaia.

#### **Mt. Oriel - The Volcano**

Aodhians consider Mt. Oriel to be holy, and tradition dictates that when Ignacio returned to the world, he rose from Mt. Oriel, heralded by a volcanic eruption. As the volcano is very far away from New Valore, it is rarely visited for pilgrimage - but is a popular topic in visual artwork.

### **Outside Eithne**

As Ignacio varies from tolerated to downright hated among the other herds, he rarely has any major places of worship attached to him. Ignacio worship in Serora, Breim and Talori tends to be private, done behind closed doors and on private home shrines.

#### **Town Square Shrine - Onea, Skeldr Town**

A statue and shrine to Ignacio, located in the central market square of Skeldr Town.

#### **The Temple of the Gods - Sirith, Sterling (Kawaru)**

A Kawaru temple dedicated to their interpretations of the gods, including Ignacio. He is depicted as a blacksmith.

#### **Shrine to Ignacio - Sedo, Alhaj**

A small shrine to Ignacio, tucked away near the edges of the cave. Features a small statue in the form of a bust - both antlers have been sawed off. There is a tiny, often empty altar for offerings.