Soldas, Patron of the Cullkin

Soldas
The Divine Nomad
Domains: The Living, The Dead, The Lost
Holy Symbol: A Wreath

“We all seek our own form of repose but for some it may not be found. But life goes on, and still we search, while others lay in the ground.”

Soldas is the only Eternal to have more than one creation. It is not because of some great virtue or honour bestowed upon him that he has many, it is due to his own failings. His first creations did not last long, falling prey to rot and disease. His second creations left in the night, and to this day their fate remains unknown. The third were the Cullkin Dwarves, and to them he taught the lessons he had learned. He is commonly depicted as a Cullkin Dwarf with three faces and clutching a wreath in one hand. His three faces symbolize the watch he keeps over the living, the dead, and the lost. The wreath he holds symbolizes the togetherness that he keeps close to his heart. 

Soldas is also the reason that natural undead exist. Before he made the Cullkin Dwarves, but after his second attempt at creation, he struck a deal with the Primals to return bodies of the unfortunate dead in the wilderness to the closest settlement to be properly laid to rest.

 

 

Tenets
The core of Soldasan faith is the three different and distinct faces that you show to the three different domains he represents. While these three distinct faces do very different things, they all work towards solace for all. 

The Living have lives full of difficulty in all forms, and their trials do not need to be compounded by fear or anxiety. The Living must have strength and a brave face, so they can continue their fight without fear. To Soldas, it is those who are still living that require the least help, and the religion does not focus much on them. 


“To the Living, present a brave face. For they have a long and difficult road ahead of them.”

The Dead have reached their rest, and it should stay as undisturbed rest. To them, Soldas presents a face of caring, remembrance, and pity. To him, the dead are to be left to their final rest, which is to be left undisturbed. Soldas does not suffer those who would use the dead as tools in any manner. That is not to say that the religion has problems with those who raise the dead, merely problems with those who use the dead as tools. There is a sect of the Church who will raise the dead so they may have a final goodbye with their family before going peacefully to their final rest. Wayward and restless spirits are to be handled delicately and are to be put to their final rest, as letting them suffer is a pain that none should go through. The Soldasan Church is very divided on the topic of undead, but the one thing most can agree on is that once an undead is taken care of, the body should be returned to the family or close friends for a proper burial. Another important part of taking care of the dead is assisting to make sure they are remembered, whether through gravestone or simply a name in a book. 


“To the Dead, present a kind, and caring face. For they have come to their final rest and should be respected for the hardships they have faced.”
 
The Lost are those who have lost their way, in any sense. It is said that Soldas feels the most for those that have become lost. To them, Soldas presents a determined and forgiving face free of judgement. He cares not for the reason that they have become lost, only that they are searched for and eventually found. Always the quickest to mobilise at the word of a missing person, the Church sees togetherness and unity as two of the major driving forces behind humanity’s continued survival, while for Soldas himself it is much more personal.

 
“For the Lost, present a determined and forgiving face. For they have reunited, so their past must not harm them any further.”

 

 

Clergy
Clergy of the Soldasan faith sort themselves into one of three sects, based on which of the three tenets they feel resonate with them the most. Those that choose to not formally serve in the Church typically spend their time wandering the continent from settlement to settlement offering funerary rites.

 

The Church
The Church of Soldas as whole is rather divided, and has separated into three different sects, each one prioritising their acts based on the tenets they favour most. There are three main sects. The Beholders of Dareldor, the Venators of Goddumir, and the Ushers of Glorifir. Originally they stood united under the banner of the Church of Soldas. But due to mounting tensions between the Beholders and the Venators, and the chronic absence of the Ushers, the Church essentially split around the year 975. This schism was initiated by the Beholders, but neither of the other sects objected.

The Beholders of Dareldor is the sect of the Church dedicated to the Living. They seek to embody to the world the brave face that humanity needs to overcome their trials. Headed originally by Bishop Dareldor, they distanced themselves from the rest of the Church around the year 975 after a decade of tension within the Church. They actively work with other Churches and the military to assist in presenting a unified front for humanity. They mostly serve as the martial arm of the Church as far as most people are concerned and are active participants in the retaking of Venga and Lumeria.

The Venators of Goddumir is the sect of the Church dedicated to the Dead. They seek to embody the kind of caring face that the dead deserve in their rest. They were headed at the time of the schism by Bishop Goddumir, who for a time advocated for unity, but did eventually relent when the Beholders of Dareldor decided to split from them. Most of their faithful are cryptkeeper and funeral celebrants. Although, there is a small group within the Venators that specialize in hunting rogue undead and have developed many techniques and tools to that end. It is their job to make sure the dead are taken care of, and that the sanctity of their rest is not disturbed. Being the largest sect has led them to be what the common folk think of when one mentions the Church of Soldas.

The Ushers of Glorifir is the sect of the Church dedicated to the Lost. They seek to embody the determined and forgiving face that the lost deserve in their wandering. It was said that a servant of the Church by the name of Glorifir originally led a movement separating their service from the Church as a whole so they may better perform their duties of finding the lost.