Astartes

The god of war, Astartes is a deity who exists in a state of being simultaneously loved, feared and loathed by the mortal races. He is loved by those whose side he takes, feared by those who are threatened by others and loathed by those he sides against. His divine domain is war, conflict and strategy, before the Divine War he would take great delight in observing the conflicts of the mortal races, often descending to fight alongside his chosen side, revelling in the bloodshed.
Now, however, as one of the brothers of Prota, he is engaged in his own war, the Divine War, hoping to conquer his Divine brothers and sisters and become the ruler of the gods and goddesses.

Divine Domains

• War
• Combat

Common Worshipers

His divine domain means that Astartes is most regularly worshipped by soldiers, mercenaries and others whose lives are heavily linked to the military and military matters. Occasionally whole communities, which are generally under siege or under threat from violence will turn to worship him, for a time or more permanently, hoping that the god of war will take their side and drive their assailants back, or slay them where they stand.
Unusually, ever since the rule of the sixth Emperor of Turelion and Kelbonnar, the Empire of Turelion have almost exclusively worshipped Astartes, officially anyway through the medium of the Imperial Church of Astartes, something which greatly boosts the god's power.

Priesthood

An extensive priesthood to Astartes exists, though for the most part it exists within military organisations, armies and garrisons. Clergy of Astartes are hand picked by the god for their fervour and martial prowess and are trained, generally under the tutelage of another cleric of Astartes to be bolsterers, inspirers and comforters of warriors in battle, as well as fierce combatants themselves.
There also exists a less martial body of clergy to Astartes in the Empire of Turelion, with the Imperial Church of Astartes gradually having drawn on more and more less martial types throughout the centuries, to meet the demand for clergy across the Empire.

Temples

His divine domain means that whilst there are many temple and shrines dedicated to Astartes, there are few which exist outside the walls or boundaries of a barracks, fort, castle or other military structure. On the whole, a town or settlement that has a temple of Astartes as a central feature of its infrastructure, or even one that is simply separate from any military space, is likely to be a place that prizes martial prowess, or whose inhabitants live a lifestyle where violence and service in the armed forces is regarded as the duty of every citizen. The exception to this is in the Empire of Turelion, where every settlement is required by law to have a temple, or at the very least a shrine to Astartes.
In addition, shrines to Astartes are regularly erected on the sites fo major battles, almost always by the victorious side.

Family Tree of the Divines 

Family Tree of the Divines

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Divine Classification

God

Religions

• Sisters of Astartes
• The Imperial Church of Astartes

Species

Divines

Church/Cult

The Imperial Church of Astartes

Age

Unknown

Circumstances of Birth

As recounted in The Origin of the Divines.

Gender

Male

Aligned Organization

The Astartians

Related Myths

• The Origin of the Divines

Divine Sigils and Symbols

Astartes is most frequently represented by the symbol of the labrys, a double-bitted axe. He is also represented by the monstrous forms of the Roc and the Hydra.

Divine Links and Progeny

Astartes is the husband of Wresmella
He is the brother of Prota, Menella, Polephemon, Persephonell, Kroni, Sagosa & Wresmella.
He is the father of Jore, Hvanmara, Zasgrall and Raminit.
He is the Grandfather of Fokrella.
He is the great-grandfather of Athotan.

Mortal Creations

Astartes has dabbled in creating humanoid creatures, hoping to create a race that would be naturally loyal to him and share and reflect the morals of his divine domain. To this end, he created Orcs, pouring into them the savagery that comes upon him in battle. However, his creation proved too unpredictable, with some Orcs being so feral that they did nothing but wage untold destruction at every turn, which proved to be an unending strain on Astartes’ relationship with the other Divines. To add insult to injury, some Orcs rejecting the will of the master almost entirely and settling down into more mundane lives.
After abandoning Orcs to their fate on the Material Plane, Astartes was convinced by his granddaughter, Fokrella, to try his hand at creating a hybrid species with her. She provided her cruel, capricious, but more easily controlled creations Goblins and he poured into them strength, martial cunning, bravery and loyalty. Together they created Hobgoblins, who have proved to be much more loyal and effective servants, though their population is split between worship of Astartes and Fokrella.