Watcher

The **Watcher** is a deity worshipped in Sibyllism. He is referred to as a male, and the prophetess Sibylla, who inspired the foundation of the Ministry, is considered to be His wife. While the Ministry believes that the Watcher is all-powerful, and created all things, they also believe that He has turned away from them. The Ministry believes this to be because of the faults of His creations. He will not answer prayers, grant wishes, or do anything of the sort until humanity proves itself worthy of His attention again.

### General Information

It is said that long ago, the Watcher created the Dreaming as His first world. His first children, the spirits, made in His own image, inhabited this world. However, the Watcher turned away from His first children, because while the spirits could alter their world at will, they lacked a soul and could only imitate what they saw, being unable to create or imagine anything new for themselves. Dissatisfied with the result, the Watcher left the Dreaming behind, creating the physical world and its inhabitants instead, separating the two by putting the Veil in between them. He did not realize, however, that by doing this His first children would be able to observe His new children and grow envious of them.

The children that populated this new realm had the spark of the divine within them, which pleased the Watcher. While their world was more solid than that of the spirits, these creatures were able to imagine and dream new things because of it. But then the Original Sin was committed: jealous spirits who would become the Deceivers whispered to the men of the new world from across the Veil, turning humanity to worship them instead. After imprisoning the Deceivers underground as punishment, the Watcher turned away from mankind, and departed from the Golden City. He despaired, for His first children had no urge to create, and His second children created sin. But the Deceivers still whispered to men, teaching them blood magic, and ultimately, the Seven Apostles, magisters of the Adamantine Imperium, used the knowledge of the Deceivers to enter the Golden City, committing the Second Sin. Initially attempting apotheosis, they instead tainted the Golden City and were cast back to the world by the Watcher, transforming them into ravenous monsters that corrupted all they touched: the first Fiends. Later, Sibylla, who had captivated the Watcher, convinced Him to forgive his creations. But Sibylla was betrayed by her mortal husband, and burned at the stake, driving the Watcher to turn away from mankind once more.

As of the present day, the Watcher has long since left the world. The Ministry teaches that one day, when the teachings of the Holy Tome have reached all four corners of the world, the Watcher will finally return and transform the world into a paradise. Until that day, however, He only watches for those few who follow Sibylla’s teachings. When they die, the Watcher brings them to his side. All others wander the Dreaming throughout eternity, forever lost to the Watcher’s sight, eventually returning to the "Void." The motive to create paradise in the world by spreading the teachings of the Holy Tome is often cited as the reason the Ministry called for a Crusade against the elves of the Sylvandale, who refused to worship a "human" god.

Although a great many people believe in the Watcher, there are also many who do not; the Welserine, the Cleve, the Sylvan elves, the followers of the Orc, most dwarves, and several dragon cults being the most known.

## Customs and Cultures

**Wintersend** was an ancient Adamantine holiday which has now become a celebration of the **Watcher**. It stands for the end of winter in many lands and coincides with tourneys and contests at the Proving Grounds in the city of Adamantium. In northern lands, this holiday has become a day of gathering for trade, theater, and, in some areas, the arrangement of marriages. It is celebrated towards the beginning of the year.

## Other Names

While the Watcher bears other names, such as the *Light of all Life* and *Watcher of the World*, none are as contentious as *Ardeus*, which was first used in the Adamantine version of the Holy Tome. Translated as "creator, maker" in ancient Rigoric, *Ardeus* was used in place of Watcher, and many Adamantine sibyllans believe this to be the Watcher's true name.

Since the Red Crusades, however, some Ministry scholars have attempted to push away from sharing certain similar beliefs, with *Ardeus* being among them. Not all in the Maudesian Ministry disagree with the possibility of *Ardeus* being the Watcher's true name, though, leading to contention among them.