Kallipilos (kah-LEE-pee-lohs)
God of Clay
Kallipilos is the deity of crafting. He is typically depicted as a male dwarf with hands caked in dry clay, though in the north it is not uncommon for him to be depicted as a goliath. His symbol is a pair of hands shaping either a ball of clay or an unfired vase. He is a member of the Theonínta.
While Fytanke Efforos is most often seen as the source of all life, it was Kallipilos who created the first mortals by sculpting them from clay in the image of himself and his contemporaries, and firing them over the fires left behind by the battle between Calamêtes and the Theonínta, thus infusing them with life. He then shaped beasts for them to hunt and taught them how to make things for themselves, which led directly to the rapid proliferation of mortals who quickly came to outnumber the gods themselves.
The other deities tolerated Kallipilos’s creations, but grew frustrated with having to share the world with such fragile beings, leading to Kallipilos compromising by building each of the deities their own realm with which they could do as they like, save for the Underworld which was crafted by Ptourge and the domain of Thalakyma beneath the seas, which were inaccessible to most mortals. These realms, the heavens, were crafted from the stars in the sky—a gift from Nypoloita—and are thought to be accessed through constellations drawn between them. This transition of the gods into the heavens began the Age of Mortals.
Kallipilos is the husband of Pola, though while he appreciates her rigidity and order he has a soft spot in his heart for those who would break from convention in order to foster creation, leading to some friction between them. He shares a great respect for Ptourge, and it was he that convinced her to allow mortal shades into her Underworld, though he secretly believes that his mortal designs are superior to her devils.
For his part in the creation of mortals as well as his standing with the Theonínta, Kallipilos is the subject of many cults in Koss. His worshippers are often craftspeople, though they are more focused on pottery and clay/brick architecture than arts that require metalworking, which typically fall under the domain of Ptourge. Temples to Kallipilos are often works of incredible and unique craftsmanship, at times carved into mountains or existing natural phenomena which are thought to replicate Kallipilos’ creation of the heavens from the stars.
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