Kress
"Who knew you could feel the sound of a lute, or taste a beautiful still life, or hear the silence of a starry night? I think that 'art' is what we call anything that makes our senses not make so much sense."Kress
Kress is the god of art and music, and is frequently referred to as the Minstrel of the Gods. From his first moment of consciousness, when he heard the Song of the Beginning, he was fascinated with beauty and art and song, but the notes he produced were harsh and discordant, and his paintings dark and murky. He spent many moons wandering on his own in the wilderness, meditating and trying to unravel the fabric of the world so he could put it back together in a way that was beautiful in its own right. It is widely agreed upon that either Kress taught the songbirds to sing, or the other way around—though nobody is quite sure which. It is said that he reached enlightenment on the peninsula Stonehook in southern Jeltir, as he stood at the tip of the cliff looking out onto the ocean. Here was where Evendur finally saw fit to reveal to him the secrets of art and music, speaking to him in the crashing of the sea. In this moment, his previously grey eyes turned blue as he beheld the beauty of the endless ocean. For followers of Kress, this spot is held as sacred, and a great temple to him stands not far from it. Kress is usually depicted as a young man with elf ears and blue eyes, playing or holding a flute with his hands covered in paint, frequently with a songbird on his shoulder or flying near him.
Relationships
After his enlightenment by the seaside, Kress sought out Alaya to learn about the sea from her. From what she told and showed him, he created a great many compositions, and they developed a close friendship. Though Alaya wanted more, Kress never saw her quite in this way, which eventually created a rift between them. In the end, Kress married Vedanav, between whose scars he painted beautiful patterns, and they had two children, Gonvarg and Zhamat.
Followers
Kress is much beloved by elves for his pursuit of beauty. In every race, he has a great many followers among bards, performers, musicians, and artists. His clerics tend to be either wanderers or isolated artists, working on their craft away from other people. Temples to Kress are fairly uncommon outside of elvish settlements.
Associated Customs
The vow arras: All Meydran priests, as a part of their studies, create a small tapestry, called a vow arras, to represent the direction of their growing relationship with Evendur. While what is done with these tapestries varies from order to order, Kressic priests are the only ones to incorporate them into their priestly vestments and wear them for all their lives.
"Let words fail": An expression used when someone else is struggling to describe something. If possible, the sentiment is followed by a dance, music, or some other nonverbal expression.
Festival of the Silver Drums: A Talazichian holiday taking place on January 18th of each year, with roots in the life of the Kressic cleric Pola the Waker who lived in the EL 700s. It is celebrated with traditional songs and drinks.
Temples and Relics
Kress's pan flute is kept in his temple in Creswik, and a shawm he once played is housed in his temple in the small seaside town of Averov in Gaulvista.
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