Thains

Sometimes referred to as "the celestial bureaucracy" due to the organized and systematic manner in which they often hold their interactions, the eidolons of balance are nonetheless not all business. More loosely organized than the saints, the thains tend to be independent beings who only call on each other when necessary to avoid stepping on each-others' portfolios. Conflicts between the thains are usually handled through negotiation, ensuring that the results are as mutually beneficial as possible, though this is not always a fast process. For the most part, the thains tend to remain detached from their followers, expecting self-reliance and stepping in only when asked and absolutely necessary.

### Astilabor (ah sti la BOHR)

Called the "Hoardmistress" by dragons, the eidolon Astilabor represents the desire to accumulate wealth at a healthy level. To dragons, she is also the goddess of comfort and rest. To the rest of the world, however, Astilabor is the goddess of commerce, named so after the Third Incursion of Kaos when Roan chose to surrender some of his portfolio and withdraw from the world. Astilabor represents the positive, healthy aspects of ambition and despises greed and obsession. If encountered in her true form, Astilabor appears as a dragon with scales encrusted with jewels and gemstones. So completely is she covered that the true aspect and color of her scales cannot be discerned. She is venerated by merchants, craftsmen, guildsmen, and all those who seek material gain without doing so at the expense of others. Her holy symbol is a pile of stacked coins on a diamond field. Her favored weapon is the mace.

### Brandobaris (brand oh BAYR iss)

If a creature were going to serve as the eidolon of stealth and self-reliance, then it is a pretty good bet that the individual would appear as a Stoutheart halfling. Not surprisingly, however, his race is the only thing that remains consistent about Brandobaris' appearance. A personable, cheerful fellow, he was once a mortal follower of Cymber, who saw her weakened state after the Third Incursion of Kaos as an opportunity to steal some of her godly portfolio as the god of stealth and patron of thieves. She congratulated him for his deftness and skill, claiming she held no grudge, but Brandobaris still tends to give his former goddess a wide berth... she is, after all, the princess of lies. And while he is certainly a cheerful soul, Brandobaris has a mischievous side and often shows a dark sense of humor, reminding the world that he is not only the bringer of good luck, but also of misfortune. Brandobaris is venerated by halflings of most kinds, rogues of every kind, and is often entreated by anyone in need of an extra bit of luck. His holy symbol is a footprint that appears to be fading in the sand. His weapon of choice is the dagger.

### Brom (BRAHM)

Appearing as a gruff-browed dwarf in chain mail with an axe in one hand and a tankard in the other, there is a twinkle in Brom's eyes that hints at smile hidden beneath his thick, brown beard. Brom is the eidolon of brewing and perseverance, venerated by the dwarves for his many recipes and stalwart defense of their people’s values while alive, and worshipped by the gnomes as the being responsible for bringing their race out of darkness and back into the world at a time when they had been all but forgotten. Like all dwarven gods, Brom is a capable combatant, but he encourages his faithful to find peaceful and creative solutions to problems, holding war as a last resort. His holy symbol is a tankard with the Khazid letter "B" engraved on it, and most brewers among the stout folk work the rune for that letter into their marks. His favored weapon is the battleaxe.

### Chronepsis (KROH nep sis)

"The Silent Watcher," Chronepsis is a passionless observer of the world. He is silent, unconcerned, and dispassionate, but still dedicated to ensuring that time continues to march onward. The eidolon of time, ancestors, and prophecy, He remembers all things and is often entreated by those who need information that is just beyond their reach. While he is venerated by scholars, librarians, wizards, and all seekers of knowledge, his lack of any real stake or interest in mortal affairs and overall apathy is reflected in a small number clergy of, most of whom spend little time outside of his temples. Chronepsis is a colorless dragon, whose scales are without luster. He is a clearly identified outsider in the endless struggle between the metallic and chromatic dragons, the warring of the gods, and the many affairs of mortal beings, yet without his dedication to its continuation, time itself could unravel. His holy symbol is an hourglass, and his favored weapon is the scythe.

### Dumathoin (DOO mah THO in)

Beloved by the Ædar and Værgar, and usually appearing to be one of their number, Dumathoin is the eidolon of mining and hard work. He is also the patron of exploration, which serves to expand his veneration beyond the stout folk. Unlike Brom and Moradin, who reflect the dwarven stereotype with boisterous and sometimes brooding personas, Dumathoin reflects the steadfastness of those people. He is a quiet and practical being, dedicated and determined, driven to find new places and discover new things. He tends to spend a lot of time on his own, and is often call the "Lonely Delver." Because of his inquisitiveness and extended periods of solitude, he has formed rather unlikely friendships with Aeana, the eidolon of curiosity and freedom, and Laera, patron of adventure and destiny. He is always bringing them new things to examine or taking them to new places to explore, allowing their zest for the unknown to feed his own unspoken desire for companionship. Dumathoin is revered by miners, explorers, and craftsmen is the provider of safety in dark places and provider of raw materials for manufacturing of goods. His holy symbol is a solitary mountain. His favored weapon is the military pick.

### Eshara (eh SHAR ah)

When Dyanæ was struck down by Az, the godling was robbed of her portfolio with the discovery that, in preparation for her own death, she had already hidden her godspark within her eidolons. The youngest of her chosen successors was Eshara, who still bears the countenance of a young human girl, knocking on the door to adulthood but not quite passed through. Eshara is the eidolon of the sky and storms, the bringer of rain, and the breaker of clouds. It is said that the weather changes with her mood and attitude towards any given region of Tanicus, and while she appears to be subject to the mood changes of a pre-teen girl, she is also relatively easily swayed with praise and offerings to bring her storms under control. But while Eshara may appear young, and have the reputation for having the emotional maturity of a child, it would be foolish to truly believe that of the young eidolon. Despite her apparent age, Eshara is a wise being, careful in her choices, and for the most part deliberate in her manipulation of the climate... though she does have something of a temper when offended. Among her followers are druids, farmers, traveling merchants, and all others who live at the mercy of the weather. With the death of Az, Eshara has become the primary patron of the Saerasi people on the continent of Thyrin. Her holy symbol is a pair of javelins, her favored weapon, crossing through a cloud.

### Inessa (ih NESS ah)

Chosen by Faylinn to be her successor as goddess of magic, Inessa was a rather radical choice as Faylinn's successor, given the conservative and traditional nature of her predecessor. Unlike Faylinn, Inessa had no association with the Cabal but was a sorcerer and cleric in her mortal life, and when first chosen by the falling goddess, she had no interest in the power or responsibility inherent with being an eidolon. As a result, her perspective in magic is very different and, while she is still a firm adherent to the idea that magic should be governed by clear rules, Inessa believes that the path to the arcane is a personal one, a journey that each practitioner must discover for themselves. This perspective has not only led to a greater acceptance of sorcery across the world, but it has also revitalized the Cabal, reforming their teaching methods from a strict, academic design to a more one-on-one mater/apprentice style of education. For her part, Inessa seems to be a quiet, introspective deity focused on the refinement of the Art world-wide, less concerned with the affairs of mortals and more with the stability of the Weave. Her symbol is crescent moon encircling an eight-pointed star. Her favored weapon is the quarterstaff.

### Laera (LAY rah)

The sister and opposite number of Leira, the eidolon of divination and misdirection, Laera is the goddess of adventure and destiny. Unlike her predecessor Riva, Laera is not so concerned with the weaving of fate, leaving that to her sister. Laera is more interested in charging forth toward adventure and seeing where destiny takes her. Whereas Leira is a quiet, cautious sort, her sister is boisterous and excitable. She is close friends with the eidolon of freedom and curiosity, Aeana, with whom she shares many traits. When the two are together, they are rarely found in their home domain, instead having run off on some adventure or another or going to see Dumathoin's latest discovery. Laera loves a good story almost as much as a good song, but the one thing she enjoys more than her own excursions is watching mortal adventurers and experiencing risk and discovery vicariously through them. Laera is venerated by all those who choose the adventuring life, who hope that she will lead them to great wealth or a glorious destiny. Her symbol is a knotted rope, and the rapier is her favored weapon.

### Lendys (LEN dis)

The eidolon of balance and nature, Lendys appears as a massive dragon with ruddy, gray-brown scales and bright, green eyes. For centuries the last living follower of Io, he revels in the natural world and seeks to preserve it wherever he can. His purpose can be a hindrance to the growth of civilization, however, as Lendys is neither a fan of technology nor the people who use it. Lendys does not like change. This makes him a very unpopular god among the stout folk and fosters fear and distrust among more urban peoples. For the most part, however, as long as civilization and advancement progress at a pace that does no excessive harm to nature and the ecological balance is maintained, Lendys is content to allow it to continue. To cross that line, however -- to act on ambition with no concern for the natural balance -- is to incite his wrath. Lendys' faithful are primarily druids, though he also counts clerics and paladins of the Ancients among their number. He is venerated by all those who work the earth or live off of the land. His holy symbol is an oak leaf. His favored weapon is the club, whether a normal club or greatclub.

### Leira (LIE rah)

As the eidolon of divination and misdirection, Leira is the other side of the coin from her sister Laera, eidolon of destiny and adventure. Whereas the latter encourages her followers to charge forward towards their destinies, Leira's faithful are taught to move forward with purpose, looking to prophecy for guidance, leading her to be the patron of those who embrace caution and careful planning. But Leira also thrives on mystery, weaving just enough misdirection into her prophecies that only the most discerning interpreter can uncover the secrets within the Weave. Because of her deliberate nature, Leira often comes across as the quiet and guarded wallflower lurking in the corner at her sister's cotillion, but that should certainly not imply any weakness or ineptitude on her part... she simply chooses her interactions carefully. Leira inherited Riva's role as the weaver of the Great Tapestry, and all of reality passes between her fingertips. Because of the nature of their eidolon, her followers often tend to seem like they are not entirely focused on the present, often seeming distant or distracted. Leira's holy symbol is a blindfold with an eye embroidered into it, and her favored weapon is the dagger.

### Lethik (LETH ik)

Annwn's most faithful and powerful eidolon, Lethik inherited her portfolio as adjudicator of the soul after her death at the hands of Az. Unlike his predecessor, who often involved herself in the affairs of mortal, bargained with the dead to return to the world, and wreaked havoc on those who escaped her realm without her leave, Lethik focuses his concern primarily with the realms of the dead. His rule for resurrection magic is simple: one per customer. Attempts at successive resurrections on the same individual become increasingly more difficult, even rebirth through reincarnation though the latter is easier by nature. Overall, however, Lethik is a fair judge and weighs the soul of everyone who arrives in his domain with careful eyes. In addition to their roles as undertakers, embalmers, and funeraries, his followers also serve as guardians of graveyards, tombs, and mausoleums, protecting the sanctity of those who have passed from the world. Because of this, Lethik is a strong opponent of the undead despite being a member of the pantheon of balance, and often sends his monks, warriors, and clergy to hunt and destroy such creatures where they threaten the natural world. His holy symbol is a set of scales in perfect balance. His favored weapon is the mace.

### Moradin (MOHR ah din)

The inheritor of the dead god Fergus' mantle as master of the forge and primary eidolon of the stout folk, Moradin appears as a tall Ædar with dark hair and eyes, his thick hair and beard neatly braided. The smell of ash and molten steel follows him around, and his skin and clothing are marked with soot. Moradin is a stern patron with an intimidating presence and booming voice that can shake the halls of the dwarven caraks with his fury. Known also as the Forge Father, he is a master craftsman, having forged the weapons and armor of the eidolons and tutored the best smiths from most of the great forge-clans. While Moradin is most associated with the stout folk, he is the eidolon of all craftsmen who work in stone and metal, and shows them all favor as deserved by the level of their craft. He often blesses those craftsmen that create an artifact or tool that impresses him for both its craftsmanship and artistic beauty. He is venerated by stonemasons, blacksmiths, weapon and armor smiths, and all those who work with their hands. His holy symbol is the hammer and anvil, and the warhammer is his favored weapon.

### Rillifane (RILL ah fain)

The patron of hunting, beasts, and wild places, Rillifane appears as a male Wyrnsidh in hide armor carrying a longbow. His hair is unkempt, twigs and leaves tangled into the strands, contrasting his eyes which are green and betray a cunning mind. He is a being of few words, relying on his instinct to guide his decisions and actions. A ferocious fighter, Rillifane fights like a cornered beast if attacked, allowing his rage to guide him in battle. Venerated by rangers, druids, and other who live off of the land, Rillifane cares at least as much for the wild creatures of the world as he does for his higher-order followers. He is not only the eidolon of those who hunt beasts, but also of the beasts themselves. He pays no favor to one over the other, recognizing that all of his creatures have their place in the ecology of the world. His holy symbol is the paw print of a bear. His favored weapon is the longbow. The fey wolf pack that was once controlled by the Hunting Hart now serves Rillifane in his hunts, as he works to defend the wild places of Tanicus.