Exaire

Title
 Pantheon
 Gender
 Temples
 Symbol
 Realm
 Portfolio
 Domains
 Holy Days

# Description

As the child of Enerin and the giant queen, Ruska, Exaire exhibits traits of both; he has the long, magnificent beards endemic to the giant kind, and borean-like stripes all over his body.  Due to his divine heritage, however, these stripes are bright gold.  His skin elsewhere is a slate gray.  When he manifests himself, his arms are disproportionately long and muscular.

In art, he is often depicted shirtless (and, in several frescos, is just fully nude).  Unlike many of his peers, he often forgoes fancy weaponry or jewelry.  He is often depicted wielding the sword that Bhamneuli forged for him, Rimbrot (Rhyme-breaker in the Tongue); a massive thing, honed to such an edge that it was said it could slice magic itself.  He is also occasionally depicted wearing the gauntlets given to him by his mortal kin, Hunavard (Knuckle Warden in the Tongue).

# Personality

As the god of combat and glory, Exaire is usually depicted as something of a violent oaf by his opponents; to those who follow him, Exaire is the pinnacle of personal glory in combat, and an example for all to follow.  Exaire encourages the solution of problems through marital prowess and physical violence; depending on the case, that is either the exact solution that cuts through a lot of unneeded chatter, or the worst possible thing.

He encourages self-reliance and the bursting through of personal limitations; he does not offer his power to those who do not reach forward of their own accord.  His portfolio of glory also means that those who shy away from the spotlight rarely catch his eye; his followers are those who serve as exemplars in some way, and want everyone to know it.  While this sort of confidence can be good, it can also become overwhelming and can serve to damage the relationships of those around you.

# Divine Realm

Exaire’s personal realm is the Weathering Peaks: the pinnacle of a vast mountain buffeted by gales and trapped in a swirling maelstrom of ice.  Several of his mortal followers find their ultimate goal to be to travel to the Peaks while they are still alive, bracing the icy winds and trials to prostrate themselves in front of the Trial Master while they still draw breath.

The interior of the Peaks is filled with several mortal giants, who serve Exaire.  It is here that one can fight to their heart’s desire, with their sword arm never growing tired, and their bodies never giving out underneath the strain.

# Relationships

His relationship with his father, Enerin, is somewhat strained; while Enerin represents (in part) tactics and warfare, Exaire represents the maverick who does what *they perceive* that needs to be done, heedless of orders.  There is clear love and respect there, but Exaire and Enerin are simply far too different to see eye to eye on many things.

His aunt, Idona, *despises* Exaire; she finds him a boorish idiot with no regard for anything other than himself which is not *entirely* inaccurate.

He does maintain cordial (albeit with bickering) relationships with both his elder sister Tarin and his younger sister Kotune.

# History

Exaire was the result of a chance encounter between Enerin and a historical queen of the giants, Ruska.  Ruska was traveling through the plane of Covenant in search of a place to settle down with her people.  It was said that the giants, tired of their long pilgrimage, began to grow rowdy, disturbing an idyllic forest in the meantime.  Enerin arrived on the spot, offering to guide them somewhere more to their liking.  Ruska took him up on this offer, and the two worked side by side to guide the giants out of the utterly too peaceful fields of Covenant to somewhere more suited to their desires.  During the last night, the two lay together underneath Covenant’s sky.

Nine months later, Exaire was born, with clear celestial markings declaring his lineage.  Enerin and Ruska decided it would be for the best for the young Ohefa (as he was known by the giants) to be raised by his people, and then join his father in his court once he grew older.

The time with his mother’s people worked on him in clear ways; by the time Ohefa arrived in Covenant, he had already internalized much of his people’s ways.  This became especially clear when Exaire began to demonstrate abilities far beyond Enerin’s other children (who were of celestial blood but not of full god hood, having no portfolio to govern).  Enerin realized that Exaire was special beyond just his lineage, and began to train him thusly; Exaire grew more and more until he finally gained a portfolio underneath him, fully ascending into godhood.

With this growth came a move: Exaire no longer resonated with the plane of Covenant; he moved to the wilder lands of Deliverance, where he began to settle in and create his divine realm.

# Followers of Note

* Selise Marivaldi: archon Warden of Starlight
* Varad Inulatho: borean acolyte of the Starlight Amphitheatre