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Jakob
God of the sun, warriors, truth, and justice, Jakob is the patron deity of the imperial family of Kaezar and, thus, has brought heavy influence to that region. Although just, Jakob's followers have a rigid code of honor, bordering on intolerance. They believe that what their god teaches is right, so thus anyone opposing them must be wrong. Wielding flashing steel in one hand, and brandishing "The Law of Jakob" in another, the Jakobian paladins have almost zealous devotion to their faith, dedicated to bringing order and justice to a lawless world. Bitter enemies of the followers of Taqe, they seek to bring light to the shadows and care little for maintaining the balance between good and evil. Divided into two main factions, the Jakobian following does not always see eye to eye. The more moderate members have arisen just recently, preaching a more tolerant view of others, and are looked upon with disdain by those abiding by centuries of rigid tradition. However, many of the people of the realms look on these zealots as fanatics, and ignore or simply humor them.
Where law is unheeded and darkness prevails, there are those who bear with them the torch of truth to part the darkness.
— Pontiff Uter Klemst III
To the sword there are no excuses, there are no considerations; there is only the cut. Such is justice and wherever justice is concerned lay the ever-watchful eyes of Jakob. One of the eldest members of the Comhairle Nefol, Jakob (pronounced JAY-kohb) is the extreme arbiter of the law. He is the patron of law, order, truth, justice, loyalty, duty, obedience, nobility, bravery, vigilance, chivalry, battle, war, guardians, defenders, protectors and paladins. There are some who say he is manifested in the celestial body known as Solas (or the sun), which is ever the reminder of his watchfulness. Typical Jakobian belief centers on an absolute concept of truth and justice. Once a law has been established, it must be followed to the letter until such a time as that law is either appended or abolished. This is the foundation of essential order and is believed to be paramount in the survival of any given nation or peoples. Justice is meted out with absolute impartiality. There is little room for appeal as the law is the law. Exception and law are mutually exclusive - neither can exist at the same time. There is a saying in the Kivian Empire, "Consider reasoning with a rock before a Jakobian." While this is not entirely true, followers of the lawgiver are not known for their listening skills. Priests of this faith are rigid in their application of the principles set forth by their temple. They tend to see the world in terms of true and false, good and evil, or black and white. There is little room for subtlety or "shades of gray." Oftentimes, Jakob's clergy are righteous to a fault, frequently criticized for strangling the spirit of freedom by steadfastly adhering to the letter of the law.
As a god of war, soldiers and warriors, often appearing among his followers regularly through avatars and various manifestations, venerate Jakob. His views of warfare are mostly impartial, only taking the side of those fighting against his greatest foes, namely agents of Taqe the Deceiver. In all other cases, he will easily bestow his favor upon both sides in a conflict, allowing truth to reveal itself.
Jakob's clergy are fond of lengthy, carefully worded speeches that are designed to leave little room for interpretation. These sermons are painstakingly documented and distributed to the furthest reaches of the church's influence by his faithful. This has led many to observe that there are as many laws governing the daily life of Jakob's faithful, as there are rays in the sun. The Jakobian faith is omnipresent throughout the Kivian Empire with its Mother Church located high on Macomb Bluff overlooking the Firth of Keogh. The Bastion of Radiant Truth represents a fortress within a fortress as those of Malcombe Castle, the seat of the Kingdom of Kaezar, surround its perimeters. Hundreds of clerics, knights and cloistered servants of the Lawgiver man it.
Members of the temple of Jakob who are found guilty of minor or major legal offenses are ordered to seek justice within the legal courts of their current location. After any legal punishments are finished, the individual must face a personal penance that is assigned, in the case of a minor offense, by the Order of Leigor. If the offense was major, the individual must stand before a tribunal of judges picked from high-ranking officers of the Order of Leigor. This tribunal decides the member's fate. Failure to seek legal punishment, or to take part in penance after any wrongdoing can result in excommunication.
To outsiders, all followers of Jakob appear to be militant at first glance since even casual dress for a follower of Jakob includes a sword at their side. In reality, there is a strict division between the clergy and militant members. Lightbringers begin their journeys in the ranks of the common worshippers of Jakob. The militant branch of the temple invariably discovers those who lead a truly devout life and who demonstrate exceptional proficiency in combat.
When a potential Lightbringer is discovered, a Lightbringer from either the Order of the Radiant Sun, or the Order of Leigor approaches him. This elder Lightbringer is assigned by superiors to act as a guide for the potential member. The elder Lightbringer instructs the young recruit in the laws, duties, and methods of the Lightbringer. After a short initial instruction, official ties between the new Lightbringer and the two orders are severed. The new Lightbringer then embarks on a philosophical journey of discovery. It is during this time that the Lightbringer prayers and rituals are bestowed on him by Jakob, as a means to enforce his will. During this period of self-discovery, the Lightbringer hones his skills, strengthens the bond with Jakob, and learns the Law of Jakob. The Lightbringer may either forever choose to remain a common worshipper of Jakob, spreading the faith in their own way, or may opt at some point to join one of the two militant orders of the temple. This is the Lightbringer's prerogative.
Another less common situation is that the follower of Jakob takes it upon himself to fight for the religion. These individuals fall into the ways of the Lightbringer through their own actions. As they crusade in the name of Jakob, they begin to form a bond with their god and the prayers of protection and justice that the Lightbringers utilize become apparent to him.
Attributes
Aliases | The Sun God, The Lawgiver, Sword of Justice, The Great Defender |
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Portfolio | Honesty, Truth, Oaths, Justice, War, Battles, Warriors, Valor, Bravery, Honor in Battle, Rulership, Loyalty, Duty, Obedience, Territory, Protectors, Defenders, Guardians, Vigilance, Paladins, Obligations, Laws, Contracts, Bureaucracy, The Sun. |
Corporeal Domains | Courts, Battlefields |
Central Themes | Honesty, Valor |
Personality | |
Virtues | Duty, Pride, Conviction. |
Sins | Oath-breaking, Fickleness. |
Physical Avatar | Lion, Golden Scales of Justice |
Symbol | A golden greatsword crowned with a radiant sun |
Animal Symbol | The Lion |
Color(s) | Gold, Royal Blue |
Element | Plasma |
Material Affinity | Gold |
Gem Affinity | Sunstone |
Holy Book | The Law of Jakob |
Temple/Shrine Style | Neo-classical (Bijapuran influences) |
Magic Sphere | Astral |
Primary Dominion | Right (truth) |
Secondary Dominion | Body |
Tertiary Dominion | The World |
Conceptual Family | Future |
Spell User Type | Hybrid |
Spell Style | Duplicates arcane effects through astral. |
Direction | East (rising sun) |
Time of Day | 10am -12pm |
Month(s) of the Year | Deatre |
Season | Early Summer |
Religious Holidays | Cha'Solas, Deatre 21 – The Longest Day of the Year |
Seasonal Holidays | Summer Solstice |
Opposite(s) | Taqe |
Allies | Duvan, Lyra, Serene, Thine |
Enemies | Shaellis, Taqe, Vaen |
Facets
Velin
Lesser Power of Honesty, Truth, Oaths, Justice
Velin appears as a somber-looking dwarf with a bandage over his eyes holding a double bladed greatsword.
Moibur
Lesser Power of War, Battles, Warriors, Valor, Bravery, Honor in Battle
Moibur appears as a daun warrioress in her twenties.
Lagnus
Lesser Power of Rulership, Loyalty, Duty, Obedience, Territory
Lagnus appears as a regal-looking Shwana Inda'Sim.
Prinae
Lesser Power of Protectors, Defenders, Guardians, Vigilance, Paladins, Obligations
Prinae appears as a vulfen male in his mid-thirties.
Legior
Lesser Power of Laws, Contracts, Bureaucracy, Order
Legior appears as a fussy potbelly haefdin male in his mid-fifties.
Solas
Lesser Power of The Sun
Solas appears as the sun and beams of sunlight.