SYLKRI, God of Horizons
GOD OF MYSTERIES, KNOWLEDGE, AND HORIZONS
Sylkri's followers claim that he knows not only everything that is known at present, but everything that has ever been known by anyone. Quiet surrounds Sylkri like a shroud. Standing apart from the other gods, he rarely speaks directly, even to his most favored followers. When he does communicate, it is often as a barely audible whisper. Sylkri can speak with a booming voice directly into the minds of all the other gods simultaneously, though, doing so when something threatens the cosmic order.
Sylkri's true form is more abstract than that of any of the other gods. He appears only in star-filled silhouette, usually as a hooded, four-armed figure of indeterminate species and gender. Two of the stars in his "body" often shine brightly, suggesting eyes. Sylkri's starry silhouette sometimes takes the form of a bird or a whale. But most often unknown to any he travels the worlds wearing a forgetable face and interacting with those who reside within the worlds. He loves to gain important information and hear individuals personal stories.
SYLKRI'S INFLUENCE
Sylkri holds dominion over everything unseen or unknown. He is associated with the horizon-the brink of the unknown-and with navigation. His followers include scholars, sages, and a handful of sailors who have an inclination toward the mystical. He is worshiped in the vast Horruck regions, and is particularly revered by wizards, scholars and tacticians.
Perfect understanding is like the horizon: easy to move toward, but impossible to reach. Sylkri knows everything that has ever been known on Idavoll, so he and only he decides which secrets should be loosed upon the world, and which must be kept forever hidden. He has existed since the birth of Yggdrasil and numbers among the few who understand the role of mortal belief in shaping the younger gods-a concept even most gods don't fully comprehend.
Sylkri is the only being who has the ability to seal the borders between the mortal realm and Nyx. He uses this power to safeguard the mortal world from reckless divine meddling and enforce the balance of power among the gods and their faithful. Though he breaks this border often, he never uses it to increase his reputation.
SYLKRI'S GOALS
More than any other god, Sylkri simply is. He seeks nothing but to oversee the acquisition of knowledge, maintain the cycles of time, and uphold the divine order. He views his fellow gods as petty and vengeful, and he opposes anyone who tries to obtain power that would upset the delicate balance of the pantheon. Sylkri's responsibility to rein in the excesses of his younger siblings. Unlike Heliod, Sylkri knows that he isn't powerful enough to impose his will unilaterally. Instead, he plays the other gods against one another and serves as a mediator in their endless disputes. He takes care to ensure that the other gods view him as impartial, which he considers essential to maintaining his authority.
DIVINE RELATIONSHIPS
Sylkri strives to hold himself above the disputes of the gods, but like any other god, he has both rivals and allies. Chief among the former is the sun god Heliod, whom Sylkri sees as an arrogant, dangerous threat to the balance of power among the gods. He seldom acts against Heliod openly, preferring to warn others about the sun god's efforts to seize power at their expense.
Since every mortal soul must eventually pass beyond the horizon and into death, Sylkri respects both Erebos and Athreos. He sees Erebos as a necessary check on Heliod's power, and he even allowed Athreos to continue his vital work on the fringes of the mortal world when he bound all the other gods within the fabric of Nyx. Erebos and Sylkri blame one another for Klothys's recent emergence from the Underworld, a situation neither seems able to control.
Purphoros loathes Sylkri for temporarily hobbling his mind following an attack against Heliod, but Sylkri holds no grudge against Purphoros. That particular punishment upset the balance too far in the other direction, and Sylkri is more likely to side with Purphoros than Heliod in the future.
Of all the gods, only Klothys truly concerns Sylkri. He hoped that she would remain secret and secluded in the Underworld, and he doesn't know what her emergence portends. She is the only other god whose existence predates mortal belief, and though he is unlikely to draw her ire by manipulating destiny, he doesn't know how her return will affect the pantheon.
WORSHIPING SYLKRI
Many pray to Sylkri when they need to find something lost, but few dedicate themselves to his worship. Cults devoted to Sylkri fiercely guard their secrets, and their initiates refrain from drawing attention to themselves. Some followers and champions of Sylkri travel the worlds in secret, searching for hidden truths. Many use secret signals to enable them to find safe lodging with other worshipers nearly anywhere.
Sylkri's champions are less his agents than his charges, and he is loath to release them. Even those who leave his service often find themselves unwittingly aiding his agenda for years to come. How did you initially attract the god's attention?
MYTHS OF SYLKRI
Sylkri appears in stories in an ancillary role, often as the impartial judge who ends a conflict between gods. Initiates in Sylkri's mystery cult know other stories in which he plays a more active role, including special versions of well-known legends, but they seldom share these tales with others.
Kruphix's Warning
When Purphoros attacked Heliod in a destructive rage, Heliod demanded that Sylkri intervene. Sylkri constrained the forge-god's mind and memory in punishment for his attack. He warned all the gods that if they threatened the mortal realm with their disruptive quarrels he would bind them to Nyx for as long as he saw fit. As of yet, no god has dared to test Sylkri's threat, but there are certainly those among them who might try if they could see a way to retain their own powers.
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