Avran Pavone

## Religion and Worship

Worshipped as four gods rather than one to accommodate his aliases' unique impacts, Avran Pavone is referred to as: The Sewer King, patron of noble thieves, ambitious sinners, and gamblers; Father Gravemaker, patron of murderers, kidnappers, and torturers; The Golden Son, patron of businessmen, extortionists, and conmen; Needletail, patron of poisoners, alchemists, and ratfolk. As The Sewer King, Avran counts himself as overseeing all evil acts done with good intentions. As Father Gravemaker, the god claims all acts of heinous violence - particularly as acts against prior wrongs. As The Golden Son, Avran is his truest self, overseeing unbridled ambition and greed, every evil act that leads someone to. As Needletail, the god's legend grants him claim over all sorts of ratfolk and acts of chemistry, particularly praising those who exclude magic from their work.

#### End of Life Practices

Though rites may vary by region, end-of-life ceremonies are often lavish and celebratory affairs in Avran's faiths.

In The Sewer King's faith, it is believed that the god's legacy of greed, theft, and bribery brings favor to those who lived their lives doing right by their loved ones even - and perhaps especially - if it meant breaking the law. When someone in this religion reaches the end of their life, they are celebrated for their accomplishments and contributions to the pursuit of wealth and power for the benefit of others. The end-of-life ceremony for a worshipper of The Sewer King is a grand feast, with lavish food and drink served in their home. The deceased is displayed in an open casket, and is dressed in their finest clothing. The feast is centered around a table of goods, garments, and packaged food brought by the guests.

After each guest has placed something on the central table, the deceased is honored with speeches and stories recounting their greatest heists, acts of bribery, and other crimes done to benefit their loved ones. The deceased is praised for their cunning, their daring, and their ability to provide for their loved ones at any cost. At the end of this, it is typical of guests to partake in the game of the "Uninvited Guest," who is often the god himself. The first person to identify the god or one of his saints acting as the "uninvited guest" is then granted the honor of bringing all the items on the central table to needy families in the area, with all other guests looking the other way if they are to take some for their own family.

In Father Gravemaker's faith it is believed that the god's acts of murder, kidnapping, and torture grant special favor those who commit heinous acts of violence against others. When someone in this religion reaches the end of their life, they are celebrated for their achievements and contributions to the pursuit of power and dominance through violence. The end-of-life ceremony for a worshipper of The Gravemaker involves a gruesome display of their victims' remains (often unlawfully exhumed for this purpose), with the deceased's body laid among them, dressed in black funeral garb. The celebration begins with a procession of the deceased's closest associates, carrying offerings of weapons and other tools of violence typical of the deceased. These are placed within the casket, so the deceased can continue their work in the afterlife.

After the weapons have been laid down, the deceased is honored with reenactments of their most gruesome acts of violence. They are then praised for their cruelty, their cunning, and their ability to instill fear in others. Finally, if the deceased was executed, the celebration culminates in a reenactment of the execution, with the "criminal" being put to death in a brutal manner that reflects their past actions rather than their actual manner of execution. The execution is carried out in front of the guests, who cheer and jeer as the "criminal" meets their "end". The reenactor playing the "criminal" is typically an inductee into the church, who is then permitted a formal place within the faith.

In the The Golden Son's faith, it is believed that wealth and material possessions are a virtue and a sign of favor from the god. When a worshipper of The Golden Son reaches the end of their life, they are celebrated for their success in business and their accumulation of wealth. The end-of-life ceremony for a worshipper of The Golden Son would involves a grand banquet, with food, women, and wine served in a lavish setting. The worshipper's next in line (typically a business partner, spouse, or child) is adorned with their finest clothing and jewelry, symbolizing the deceased's success in business and their accumulation of wealth.

The celebration begins with a procession of the worshipper's closest associates carrying offerings of gold, silver, and other valuable items. These offerings are presented to a statue of The Golden Son, with prayers and blessings offered to the god of wealth. After the offerings have been made, the worshipper is honored with speeches regaling their greatest business accomplishments, including deals, acquisitions, and investments. They are mockingly praised for their shrewdness, their ability to take calculated risks, and their talent for making sound business decisions, with each story and speech alluding to their various financial crimes. The celebration ends in a grand display of fireworks and lights, symbolizing the worshipper's journey to the afterlife and their ascent to join The Golden Son in the pursuit of even greater wealth and success.

In the religion of Needletail, it is believed that using secrets, poisons, and blackmail can be used to gain influence and power - and the favor of the god. When a follower of Needletail reaches the end of their life, they are celebrated for their success in acquiring and leveraging secrets, poison, and blackmail to their advantage. The end-of-life ceremony for a follower of Needletail is a secretive gathering, with only the closest associates of the deceased invited to attend. The venue is dark and smokey both to symbolize the secrecy and danger associated with the worship of Needletail, and to conceal the identities of those attending. The celebration begins with a ritual cleansing where followers wash their hands and faces with water infused with poisonous herbs and spices, followed by a procession of the followers, who would offer poisonous plants and animal parts to a statue of Needletail, with prayers and offerings made to the god of secrets and poison to treat the deceased as he does his own son, Yellowtail.

After the offerings have been made, the followers share their most closely guarded secrets with the statue of the god to honor the deceased. This is done in a manner that ensures secrecy and confidentiality, with the understanding that any breach of trust would be punished severely by attendees in life, and by the god in the afterlife. The celebration ends in a feast with food and drink infused with poisonous herbs and spices, symbolizing the followers' willingness to embrace danger and risk for the sake of power and influence. Any traitors who'd been invited are poisoned in this manner, and their bodies disposed of.

## Personal Life

### Romantic Relationships

Avran Pavone's life has had several fraught relationships - many of them early on in his life. As the legitimized son of Lord Alexi Pavone of Koqr, the young man had no shortage of suitors though he found his most fulfilling relationships with his father's servants. The earliest and most notable of these was with Fatima D'zan, whose freedom Avran bought after they'd broken things off romantically and began a business and revenge-based relationship that ended in his ascent to divinity.

Avran later met his wife, Ellisa Sinclair, when she was given to his father as a gift. She was passed between the lord's sons, eventually being given to Avran by Tomasso. Though their courtship was practically nonexistent in terms of time, the pair's son Dantha was conceived before they were married, prompting their plans of wedding. Avran's preplanned murder at the event led to Ellisa's ascension - caused by her successful efforts to resurrect him against the will of other death deities - and then to his own ascension to a higher form of divinity because of the power it granted him. The pair remained together until well after both Ellisa and Avran's ascent to divinity, with the two having a brief divorce in the Cyclopian Rule period before eventually getting back together later in that same period. They have had dozens of children together, listed here. Ellisa largely serves as a moderator of Avran's more ambitious plans, preventing him from undertaking the assassinations of other gods. In return, Avran helps to sway his wife's hand into helping mortal causes, keeping her from being a wholly inactive deity.

Zudri Aflok was the first of Avran's extramarital partners, and is the one most approved of by his wife. Avran first encountered Zudri after her father, Croushikra along with the horseman Death, sacrificed her to Avran (who'd newly become a hero-god) in order to gain favor from him. This effort placed her directly in his bed as a result of the new god having not set up a true altar to receive offerings yet, with the next closest thing being his bed because of the hedonism associated with his religion. She was his first oracle as a result of this process, and, rather than take advantage of her, the god got her out of his home as quickly as possible to avoid complicating his relationship with his wife. Zudri and Avran did not strike up a relationship until nearly a decade later when she was 24, initiated largely by Zudri though the transition from late-night fling to a true relationship was caused by Avran's frustration at having to lie to his wife and to pretend he had no reason to be upset when other men made advances towards the tiefling. Ellisa's approval of Zudri came as a shock to Avran, but to neither of the women as the pair had also been having an extramarital affair behind Avran's back.

Alexander Crowley was rumored to have been in a multi-decade affair with the god before the daemon's marriage to Lilliad, though this is little more than rumor. Though the two men are shockingly close given their differences, that closeness is solely due to their common participation in The Order of Bastards And Turncoats and in the varied affairs of Beetlewood and the greater Kingdom of Spades which they are both bureaucratically involved in. These rumors have largely originated from a period shortly after Grief's death, when Alexander first joined The Order Of Bastards And Turncoats and was staying in Avran's home. The fact that these rumors have some substance behind them means nothing to Avran or Alexander, seeing their time living together as the base of their centuries-long friendship.