Zargoran

“Why kill a thousand men if one will do the trick?”

Zargoran is part and Leader of The Seven, the Deities of The Ur-Ashaar, which is the predominant Faith amongst The Hominid Strain. He is most commonly associated with fire, charity and deception, as well as revelry, celebration and hedonism.

Depiction:

Almost all depictions of Zargoran describe him as a mostly regular Hominid man with dark hair and olive skin, standing a little under 6 feet (180cm) tall with a toned, but not overly muscular physique.
Most other details vary from place to place: some depict him as having long flowing locks, while others say he has short frizzled hair or even none at all. Most sources say that his eyes have a golden glow like the divine flame, but some others, mostly located around The Conflux Sea, describe them as being milky white, as if he was blind.
His choice of attire varies widely, so he is usually depicted wearing whatever is the most common fashion choice for upper class men in the region.
Zargoran is almost always depicted together with a flame or fire of some sort, this can either take the form of a flame being part of the depiction, be it painting, stele or statue, or literal flames, which are lit around any shrines and statues dedicated to him.
Despite some of his rather boisterous titles and aliases, Zargorans appearance does not invoke feelings of divinity, he appears as a mostly regular man, which, according to some theologians and scholars, is the point. According to them, Zargoran is meant to be a symbol of Hominids triumph not only over Dragonkind, but over their very Gods, for it was not a God or a supernatural entity, but a regular man that felled the Mother of Dragons.
It goes without saying that this interpretation is rather unpopular with scholars and theologians of The Draconid Strain.

Personality:

Zargoran is generally described as a kind and easygoing man, who rarely, if ever, loses his cool. This kindness should however not be confused for naivety or weakness, as Zargoran is a cunning schemer, willing to stab anything and anyone in the back if he deems it necessary.
Many stories describe him wandering the world, both aiding and punishing those he deems worthy of such treatment, sometimes anonymously, sometimes revealing his true nature.
Besides his pastime as a vigilante, Zargoran enjoys parties and festivities, encouraging celebration and hedonism whenever it is even remotely appropriate. He has a reputation as a philanderer, sleeping around with both men and women, much to the dislike of Enana, his wife and fellow Immortal. On occasion he is also known to be a bit arrogant.
Zargoran is not a warrior, but a strategist. The Stories of The Ur-Ashaar describe that, while he can definitely hold his own in combat, he is leagues below the battle prowess of his fellow Immortals in direct confrontations. Where he shines, is planning, strategizing and scheming, taking care of his foes without ever having to swing a weapon in the first place.

Relations:

As leader of The Ur-Ashaar, Zargoran interacts regularly with his fellow Immortals, whether they want him to or not:

Enana, Zargoran Wife and partner, swings between loving him and wanting to strangle him in his sleep. Her mood towards his chaotic tendencies and shenanigans varies between mild annoyance and frustration, but she cannot help but respect him for his intellect and tactical genius. Zargoran loves his wife of course, he just wishes she would relax a little.

The Relationship between Zargoran and Catriona could be described as strained at best, and openly hostile at worst. Zargoran has attempted to woo Catriona on many occasions and she does not appreciate his advances. The fact he’s already married just makes it worse.

Arkas rarely interacts with Zargoran, and that is how he likes it. Zargoran visits his old friend on occasion to check up on him, but they have few interests in common.

Arcana and Zargoran seem to be quite fond of one another, no doubt due to their shared appreciation for secrecy, and they like bouncing ideas off of one another. According to some scriptures, it was Arcana that told Zargoran how to claim the Divine Flame from Tiamat.

Torgael avoids Zargoran whenever and wherever he can, as every time Zargoran shows up, he either wants something from him or plans to sow chaos in his domain.

Followers and Worship:

Zargoran is one of the more widely worshiped deities of The Ur-Ashaar, though the epicenter of his followers no doubt lies in Northern Zagesi, where he is the patron Deity of several kingdoms and other polities, with his most prominent Temple being located in the City of Ashuur.
His followers come from a wide range of social classes: peasants, craftsmen, mercenaries, politicians, courtiers and even rulers, as they all see something in Zargorans teachings that they find appealing: Pragmatism. Zargoran does not tell his followers to be honorable, or that they must donate to charity, or that they have to “fight for what is right”, even though he encourages and welcomes those things. No, his teachings are quite simple and all essentially boil down to a single point: Do what you have to, so you can do what you want to. Or to put it into context, take care of yourself, so you can take care of others.
The vagueness of Zargorans teachings does however come with some issues, namely that they have often been abused for nefarious means in the past. Rulers justifying terrible atrocities and wars in his name is just one of many examples.
Zargoran is most commonly invoked for guidance, aid and good luck. He cares little about the form which sacrifices and prayer dedicated to him take, though he strongly denounces the sacrifice of living beings. A practice that has become quite common with his followers is “The Wanderers Meal”, which is a symbolic act in which followers of Zargoran set aside a portion of whatever food or drink they are having at an empty seat at their table, inviting Zargoran to dine with them.
While all seven Immortals of The Ur-Ashaar frown upon slavery to a degree, Zargoran is by far the most vocal about his disdain for the practice and his followers have been known to incite slave revolts even in foreign lands.

Tenets:

Do as you must: “What justice is there in a beautiful world, which will not let but a few share in its bounties? None I say! So as I speak, let it be so: There is no crime in the desire to thrive, therefore do as you must to make it so, break your chains and stake your claims, as we have done before!”
Incite Revelry: "In a world of strife and hardships, laughter and joy shall be our beacon! Embrace revelry and find joy, even in the darkest of times. Let laughter be our armor against despair, and our weapon against adversity. Share its gifts, for in its contagious merriment, bonds are strengthened and spirits uplifted.”
Master Deception: "In a world ruled by cruelty and violent men, true mastery lies in the art of deception. Navigate the veils of falsehood and wield them to your advantage. Embrace cunning and strategy, for the clever mind can outwit any foe. Remember however, deception is a tool to be used wisely, sparingly, and with discretion, for a true victory can only be achieved through clever manipulation, not blind deceit."

Titles and Aliases:

The Trickster King
The King of Kings
The Thief of Fire
The Laughing Rogue