Ourselves

## Basic Information

### Title(s)

The Saint of All Vestren, They Who Lit The Stars, The First Vestren, The Conscious One

### Gender

Appears masculine; referred to as non-binary

## Influence

### Portfolio

Stars, light, perseverance, unconsciousness

## Manifestations

### Favored weapon

Quarterstaff

**Ourselves**, the **Saint of all Vestren**, sometimes known as **They Who Lit The Stars**, is an Eldest inheritor of They From Which We Came, the god of vestren, and the head of the vestren pantheon. Their portfolio includes stars, light, and the progression of life. They are also the being in control and at the center of the vesten's collective unconsciousness, as all vestren have vague memories of Ourselves, their values, and their teachings. Originally, Ourselves was the leader of the humans who were first transported to Elegy, before they made a deal with the progenitor Eldest known as They From Which We Came, making Ourselves into a godlike being, with dominion over the vestren and their progression as a race. Their symbol is that of a star within a spiral, potentially representing the tentacles that are said to belong to the incomprehensible forms of the progenitor Eldest.

## Description

Ourselves appears as a cyan-skinned vestren, which dignifies significance upon the vestren race. Ourselves is said to have the most saturated color of cyan of any vestren to ever live, despite the fact they aren't truly a mortal vestren. They are said to be tall for a vestren, but no exact height is verifiable. They wear a large cloak that is partially alive, made up of aberrant creatures and the souls of vestren that have fallen to Dissociation, which moves around like tentacles and can be directly controlled by Ourselves. They are often depicted holding an infant star and their inner body has spots that glow like one. They are also often shown carrying a tinderbox, symbolizing the light-bringing nature of Ourselves.

## Personality

Ourselves, like many vestren, is said to be very inexpressive, lacking as wide as an emotional spectrum and response as compared to the races of Spokenword. However, they still have a deep love and respect for the vestren people, as Ourselves is both their martyr and creator. They are caring for the vestren race, often directly helping them in their times of need, notably in both lighting the stars of Elegy and providing their scions to save the vestren from the lightscourge. They are a very intricate and careful deity, always ensuring that their actions are the best for their people and Elegy as a whole. Ourselves refers to themselves as a plural, since they are the base of the collective unconscious. They are lawful, following the precedents they have set for vestren society and the expectations of They From Which We Came. Ourselves is said to be heavily contemplative, wise, and respectful.

## Abilities

As displayed during the Inherited Era, Ourselves was capable of changing the human strangers of Elegy into the vestren, both to please They From Which We Came and to better suit the people for the environments of Elegy. They have complete control over the stars of Elegy, can create or destroy them at their will, and notably increased their brightness to allow the vestren, who lack darkvision, to see better in the eternal twilight. Ourselves, like all powerful inheritors, can create scions to expand their portfolio and assist their mortal worshipers. They are also said to be able to communicate with the progenitors, despite their long absence from the view of world.

In combat, Ourselves can utilize their stars to burn and blind foes, as well as their cloak to attack lash out at enemies and is capable of casting powerful arcane spells. It is theorized that they would be able to defeat any other inheritor if the need arose, with the sole exception of Cuggunguzu.

## Realm & Possessions

Ourselves' realm is known as Beyond The Stars' Reach, which is located somewhere deep within Elegy's outer space, possibly even further out than the Elegaic System itself. Many clerics believe the realm of Ourselves and most of the Eldest to exist in a heavenly, but aberrant solar system in the far reaches of The Parallel. Beyond The Stars' Reach is depicted as a place full of life and infant stars, where all vestren that fall to Dissociation end up to live in peace with their creator.

Ourselves is in possession of the Tinderbox of Creation, which can make and destroy small stars, and wields a molten quarterstaff known as the Dim Sun.

## Activities

Since their inheritance from They From Which We Came, Ourselves has acted in the interest of the vestren race, helping them survive Elegy and prosper in Theirhome. All of their actions have gone towards this purpose, as it was the directions and conditions of inheritance from They From Which We Came. In the modern day, since the vestren are regarded as much better off, Ourselves has not preformed any miracles and is slower to answer the prayers of their clerics. Many theorize that something large is in the happenings for the Eldest, maybe even the return of the progenitors. Since the Opal Era, Ourselves has delegated the direct overseeing and governing of the vestren to their greatest scion, the Opal King.

Due to the nature of the radiant and glowing lightscourge, some skeptics of Ourselves theorized that they were responsible for the mysterious and destructive force, since Ourselves has domain over light. However, devouts of Ourselves ensure that they would never do such a thing to the vestren, citing their previous accolades as proof of Ourselves' love for their people. Though, the current perceived absence of Ourselves does support this conspiracy.

## Relationships

Ourselves does not often interact with others Eldest beings, including other inheritors. They are said to be allied with Amaathmoor, but the two beings mostly keep to their own machinations. No relationship with Zilvra, Cuggunguzu, He Who Carved The Lands, He Who Enchanted All, or any other inheritor and their scion is known about or is considered important. The Eldest are independent deities, often respectful enough to not tread on each other's portfolios.

Ourselves is the creator of six scions that make up the rest of the vestren pantheon, including their greatest, the Opal King, alongside Fateful Sword, Arcane Star, Fair Maiden, Towering Craft, and Ample Reaper. All of their scions currently reside in Beyond The Stars' Reach, save for the Opal King, who eternally rules over Theirhome as their immortal king.