Feindal Adamant

Feindal Adamant is a god in the Gnomish Pantheon, known as the Great Dreamer of Heroism, occupying a place in the pantheon close to (but not quite) of a god of war. Patron to those in military service or who practice adjacent crafts, Adamant's worship is somewhat uncommon amongst gnomes, though his legends are well-known. As a result, his only real organized church is in the city of Hall Hill. A neutral good diety, he grants those who take up his charge of defending the defenceless and selfless heroism his divine blessing, and the most faithful gain access to the domains of Artifice, Fire, Protection, and Strength.

His symbol is a baguette-cut emerald, or its iconography representation. While not inherently warlike per-se, Adamant's followers are the best warriors in the Hearthlands and his blessing goes with those who fight in his name, so long as their causes are just. He is known to have favoured a short sword in his legends and those who fight in his name are often armed with the same.

History

The legends of the Great Dreamers are numerous, but Feindal is most famous for an act known as the Barrowpurge, a campaign Feindal lead with a retinue of other strongmen to purge the Hearthlands of an infestation of wights that had risen up from their graves. He's also known for legends of dragon-slaying, and is said to be the reason why the dragons in the Bay of Dragons tend not to move west into the Hearthlands, even now.

Relationships

Feindal is not known for his charm. He does not make friends with the other members of the Gnomish Pantheon, and the violence inherent in his teaching and preaching means that a few even consider him ascance. That said, his motives are known to be unassailable and he is respected for his prowess on the battlefield if not for his silver tongue.

Especially since the Hearthlands became a protectorate of the Atarlie Empire, some legends speak of Feindal as a companion, and occasionally a rival, to Merellien Chaebalar or Navarre Yesbella.

Appearance

Feindal is figure of gnomish proportion and features but nearly human size, standing more or less as tall as mortal elves. With a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his lips, he otherwise appears the grizzled veteran - somewhat scarred in the face and grey in the hairs. He is usually depicted wearing a particular set of blackened, gilt full plate, and is said to fight with the steadfastness of a dwarf.

Realm

Feindal's realm is Valorhall in Elysium, an expansive gnomish dwelling, finely furnished, where his followers, brave fae, and heroes of even other cultures are welcome for feast and festival.

Providence

Feindal is the god of the fortunate disaster; the landslide that cuts off an enemy advance or throws them into disarray, the flood that makes the approaches to you position impassible, and the like.

Servants

Azatas serve Feindal in Elysium, and occasionally even travel to Ahren on her orders to deliver messages of importance. He does not maintain a divine herald - like all the gnomish gods he frequently appears in dreams to speak his prophecy instead.

Church

Like all the gnomish gods, Feindal's followers are not given to large displays of worship, though a shrine in his honour does exist in the city of Hall Hill.

Worshippers

Guards, Policemen, and soldiers follow Feindal's teaching, as to athletes, especially athletes who attempt to earn their living through their prowess.

Clergy

His clergy wear plain robes in natural colours for the materials from which they are made, by long tradition, eschewing dyes and bleaches as unnecessary expense. Many are military or guard chaplains, though quite a few are adventurers. Feindal's Company, as these latter are known, is a semi-organized body within the greater church, members of which wander the wilds of the Hearthlands seeing to it's ongoing security.

Temples & Shrines

Shrines to Feindal are usually personal in scale, depicting an icon of him or an emerald, of which he is said to be fond. The larger Shrine of Feindal in Hall Hill has more in common with a duelling arena than a proper church.

Holy Texts

Gnomish gods do not leave behind divine liturgy, though they do maintain a presence in the greater folklore of the Gnomes, and priests of Feindal frequently carry bound volumes of his more popular legends.

Church History

Feindal's church is of a size that it occasionally actually has an influence on the politics of the Hearthlands, and in times past they stood in opposition to parties who supported establishing the region as a protectorate of the Atarlie Empire. The church's sudden change of tune once the matter was resolved is part of a recent decline in its membership, made worse by the decreased need for one of its most populous cohorts - border wardens.

Holidays

Feindal's followers celebrate an eight-day Octyliad of sporting, athleticism, and formal combat that begins with the summer solstice. These festivities are held in Hall Hill and often attract spectators (and occasionally participants) from foreign lands.

Favoured Animals

Rabbits and hares are sacred to Feindal. Though seen as cute and helpless, many is the farmer who can tell a tale of a rabbit having done serious harm to a cat or dog that tried to make its supper of it.