Caedalin, The Artist

Caedalin, The Artist, is the the first feylord of the Wellspring, the ancestor of the elves, and the god of art and creation. Sometimes referred to as "The Font of All That Is Made", they are one of the most widely respected and worshipped members of the Eternal Court, making them among the greatest powers in the universe.
Beginning their life as a tiny sprite shortly after the creation of the Wellspring, Caedalin was infused with the creationary forces of their birthplace. As they wandered the ever-expanding landscape, they discovered that they could manifest their thoughts and imaginings - an ability that gave them an incredible edge against the growing influence of the archfey. Their rivals sought to snuff out Caedalin before they could become a threat, sending unrelenting beasts to kill them in the night. But Caedalin conjured a spear to slay the beasts - and then an army of fey to defend their self. Over generations, this army would become the elves, the Artist's most beloved creations.
After a long, arduous war, Caedalin consolidated power and laid down their spear to become the unprecedented ruler of the Wellspring. The wisest elves would rule in their stead. The Artist would write poems, sing songs, paint beautiful portraits and casting bursts of creative energy - an artform that would come to be called magic. It is said that as much of half of the Wellspring was imagined by Caedalin. If the Wellspring is endless, they made it twice so.
But after aeons of composing glorious magical symphonies, Caedalin grew bored and took up the challenge of creating a god, a peer and a sibling that would be more refined and less selfish. From the stone of the Wellspring, Caedalin sculpted Beldain, The Cooling Iron - and together, they ruled for a time.
Even this was not enough, for Caedalin is a restless soul. So as the Wellspring collided with Aorna in just the right place, Caedalin and Beldain crossed the bridge into the material plane, followed by the elves and the dwarves. The Artist was inspired by the beauty of the garden that Ausalai, The First Seed had been tending, especially by the lives of mortals, the temporal nature of their existence offering a meaning that they had never felt in the realm of endless life and growth. Caedalin's joy poured from their lips, whistling a melody into the air, the first music to come to Aorna. Not so different then magic.
Caedalin is a founding member of the Eternal Court. They would go on to travel to the moons of Aorna, where they would meet Luthena, The Imagined Maiden, her realm of dreams enrapturing them, a place of pure possibility, pure creativity. They would marry, building a castle on the moon Othena, and giving birth to four children: Aeyar, The Summoned Spark, Eiludi, The Knotted Souls, Glimmer, The Celebration and Thelena, The Inevitable Embrace. They would stay there for much of history, until the War of the Awakening, when Tattarus, The Eyes in the Dark attacked their fortress, coiling around Othena and sending Caedalin and his family plummeting to Aorna.
To take back their home, Caedalin would pick up the spear they had laid down when they conquered the Wellspring. Though it would be shattered in a battle against Rach, The Bloody Ground, the Artist would forge the two halves into scythes that they would use upon their return to the moon. Together with Luthena and Vados, The Last Stand, Caedalin would fight back the monstrous Tattarus. But the only way to ensure that the beast would never again threaten the material plane was to imprison him in the Aftersleep, the realm of dreams. Luthena, Caedalin's great love, fell asleep forever, sealing away the threat. Unable to continue without her, it is said that the Artist still sleeps next to her to this day, his body becoming the stars that scatter the sky. They are together in dreams.
Caedalin is followed by those from all walks of life: elves, bards, wizards, sorcerer, writers, musicians. Like the magic they helped to bring into the world, they are depicted as erratic, impulsive, restless and even selfish, but they always strive, in the end, to do what is right.

Divine Domains

Art and Creation

Holy Books & Codes

• From The Well: A collection of stories from Caedalin's time in the Wellspring. It explains how they grew from a tiny light of fey energy, to the most dominant of the archfey, to the god of creation itself. It is presented as an autobiography and often comes across as self-aggrandizing and arrogant - and many of the stories contradict each other. That said, it is the closest thing there is to a history of the Wellspring and the origin of the elves. 
• Crossing the Bridge: A chronicle of Caedalin's journey to Aorna with their sibling Beldain, The Cooling Iron. It explores the elven migration from the Wellspring to the material plane and goes into elaborate detail about Caedalin's time there: from they moment they whistled music into the air for the first time, to their love affair with Luthena, The Imagined Maiden, to their great battle with Tattarus, The Eyes in the Dark during the War of the Awakening.   
• Inspirations: A book of poetry and songs, contributed to by priests of Caedalin - as well as other artists - that serve as prayers. It is constantly updated and can even be subscribed to as a monthly magazine in more populated areas of the Merchant Sea. 

Divine Symbols & Sigils

• A golden violin. 
• A beam of light transforming into a rainbow in a prism. 
• A warbler sitting on a perch. 
• A fountain with clear water. 
• Two blue eyes looking upward. 
• A tree stretching from the ground to the sky, piercing a cloud.
• A twinkling golden star. 
• A nebula.  

Tenets of Faith

1. When we sing, when we dance, when we play, we touch the Wellspring. 
2. To create is to become a fragment of the divine. 
3. Our thoughts can be made reality - and through this we change our world. 

Holidays

• The Melody of Spring (1-10 Dalcrest): Celebrated in the first week of spring each year, The Melody of Spring is a joyous time when flowers begin to bloom and creative energies are in the air. Local musicians hold concerts every night, troupes of actors perform dramatic and comedic plays, poets read their work in the streets. Many bards graduate from their colleges during this week, using it as an opportunity to celebrate. It is also considered the period when the Wellspring is closest to Aorna.
• The Dance of the Feylight (25 Belhainord): Though there is little proof, the Dance of the Feylight is believed to be the day that Caedalin conquered the Wellspring and gave birth to the Elves. To celebrate, those of Elven heritage will meet in town squares at midnight to engage in an ethereal dance that all worshippers of Caedalin learn from birth. 

Physical Description

Body Features

Caedalin rarely appears in the same form twice, preferring constant change and growth to stability. However, they most commonly appear with elvish features. They have ears as long as their head, pointed at the tip, black hair gathered in braids or dreadlocks, and a slender face with curious eyes - eyes that glow like star-fields. They often wear a robe that shifts between brilliant colors, draped over their body loose, like a toga, shimmering like a gem in the light. A gold crown adorns their head with a green leaf sticking up from the front.  
In statues and paintings, Caedalin is often depicted as a glowing yellow light. However, when envisioned in their humanoid form, they are seated at a throne made of trees from the Wellspring, whistling - or playing a violin. A bloody dagger rests on their ankle, representing the danger they can pose if necessary. Two curved blades sit on the floor below them, retired, but close enough to be used in a moment's notice. The three moons of Aorna rise behind their head.

Divine Classification

God or Goddess

Religions

• Church of the Eternal Court

Species

Elf

Church/Cult

Church of the Eternal Court

Pronouns

She / They / He