Bilgi - God of wisdom
Mortal life
Bilgi was born as Isetar Dalkyn in the small village of Sifa in the year 317 of the First Age. Already as a child he was obsessed with learning new stuff. Even at a young age, he read everything he could get his hands on. When he was still considered a teenager amongst the Valoperi, he left Sifa and traveled the continent seeking as much knowledge as possible. He traveled all over Mirintha, spent several years with the trolls, tried to follow the tracks of the dragons, and visited just about every library he could find. The more knowledge Bilgi accumulated, the wiser he became.
When he was around 50 years old, he decided to open the biggest library in all of Mirintha. He collected everything there that he deemed valuable. Over the years, the number of books steadily increased, and authors, historians, and researchers vied to have their works included in Bilgi's library.
When he was around 50 years old, he decided to open the biggest library in all of Mirintha. He collected everything there that he deemed valuable. Over the years, the number of books steadily increased, and authors, historians, and researchers vied to have their works included in Bilgi's library.
Steps to ascension
The more knowledge Bilgi amassed, the wiser he became. Surprisingly, he aroused the interest of Kära, the goddess of love and sexuality. Their relationship began when Kära, wandering around Mirintha, saw a large gathering of Valoperi all standing in front of a nondescript house. Curious, she approached the house and, as was her wont, immediately attracted everyone's attention. She confidently crossed the crowd and entered the small house. She walked straight into the house opposite the entrance and saw what, or rather who, was attracting attention. A handsome, young Valoperi was sitting at a desk, receiving documents. He concentrated on the content of the texts and either accepted them, to the delight of the bearer, or rejected them, to the obvious disappointment of the bearer.
And so she sought him out again, only to achieve the same result as on her first visit. Intrigued by how eager Isetar was to gain knowledge and frustrated that she didn't have his undivided attention, she made him a proposition. She would give him access to all the knowledge of the gods if he would devote his attention solely to her in return. Isetar interrupted his work and looked at Kära thoughtfully. She decided that a little more persuasion was needed and gave him a little insight into the knowledge he could gain. Then she took this knowledge away from him again. Shocked by what had happened, he immediately sent all the visitors away and took Kära back to his bedroom once more. After another night spent together, Isetar agreed to devote his attention to Kära in the future if she would give him the knowledge that she had lent him for a short time.
However, since Kära did not think that Isetar would really only concentrate on her in his current environment, surrounded by so many books, she explained to him that she would make him a god and that he would have to spend his life with her at the seat of the gods. In return, he would receive all the knowledge of the human and divine world and, moreover, become immortal. Isetar accepted this invitation without hesitation and so Kära asked her parents, the divine beings who existed from the beginning of time, to make the young Valoperi one of them. They granted their daughter's wish and from that day on Isetar was known as Bilgi, god of knowledge and learning. Bilgi left Mirintha with Kära and never returned. Together they had two childern, Nauda and Satuma.
Kära stood directly in front of the young man and waited for his attention. He looked up briefly, saw that she had no document or anything similar with her and waved her aside. Shocked by this unexpected lack of interest, Kära's fighting spirit was awakened. She tried again the following day, but only achieved the same result. So she watched him for a while. On the third day of her observations, she went to him again. She whispered to him that she would tell him the greatest secret there was for mortals if he would spend a night with her that would satisfy her. Without hesitating for long, Isetar sent all the visitors away and led Kära into his bedroom. There, the two spent the night together. As it turned out, Isetar was a really good lover and Kära would have been quite satisfied. And so she told him a secret that no other mortal knew. As soon as he had gained this knowledge, the inquisitive young man lost interest in the goddess of passion and turned back to his books. Some time later, Kära wandered around Mirintha again, her thoughts always returning to the young Valoperi.
Kära meets Isetar for the first time
Worship
Temples in the traditional sense were never built for Bilgi. However, all libraries, educational institutions, and courtrooms in Mirintha are dedicated to him. The biggest of those instituions surely is the Great Library of Sifa. Typically, these institutions contain shrines dedicated to Bilgi. Those seeking knowledge or about to face a court trial would do well to visit one of these shrines beforehand. It is customary to pray to Bilgi and burn a piece of paper on which a secret, known to absolutely no one else, is written. By burning it, the knowledge of this secret is believed to transfer from the petitioner to Bilgi. As he increases his knowledge in this way, the petitioner's wish is granted in return.
Depiction
The depictions of Bilgi usually do not differ significantly from one another. Since he was still quite young when he left his mortal shell, he is usually depicted at correspondingly young age. In most cases, he is shown reading a book or some kind of text. There are also paintings of him, sharing his knowledge with others and teaching them what he nows. In a few instances, he is also portrayed in his role as a mediator. Those statues and paintings are normaly only found in courtrooms.
Classic depiction of Bilgi
Divine Domains
- Knowledge: In his mortal life, Bilgi was known for accumulating knowledge.
- Wisdom: After becoming smart and thinking a lot about what he knew, Bilgi became the wisest being on Mirintha.
- Law: Due to his wisdom, people came to him for judgment and Bilgi was always known for his wise and just decisions.
- Pride: Being smart, wise and just can lead to pride, and Bilgi was most certainly a pride person.
Tenets of Faith
- Seek Knowledge Relentlessly: Followers must pursue knowledge and wisdom throughout their lives, understanding that learning is a sacred and never-ending journey.
- Defend Truth and Justice: Stand against falsehood and corruption. Defending the truth and ensuring justice prevails is a core responsibility.
- Maintain Pride in Accomplishments: Taking pride in one’s achievements is encouraged, as long as it does not lead to arrogance. Acknowledge your strengths and contributions with humility.
Holidays
The day on which Bilgi ascended from mortal to deity, 13th Rain Moon, is a holiday in all regions of Mirintha. It is a day of reflection, on which the population commemorates that it is possible for mortals to attain divinity. Most residents try to visit one of the more esteemed libraries on this day and ask Bilgi to grant them wisdom. Among the poorer segments of the population, this holiday is given significantly less importance. After all, who has time to worry about divinity when they don't know what they will eat in the evening?
Wow, das ist echt mal ein cooler Gott. Ich musste so lachen bei seinem Aufstieg, weil ich mir das einfach sooo gut vorstellen konnte (in meiner RP-Runde habe ich nen Priester des Wissens und der Weisheit, dessen Entscheidung sicherlich sehr ähnlich ausgefallen wäre. Aber da ist der Platz schon besetzt). Und auch, dass die Göttin ihn dann erst recht wollte. Ein wirklich schöner Artikel, wobei ich mir ein bisschen mehr dazu gewünscht hätte, dass er auch schon zu Lebzeiten richtend tätig war, einfach zur Abrundung. Aber egal, die Story ist einfach zu gut. Der wird extra erwähnt in der Challenge ^^.
Ah ja, den Teil mit deiner Rolle als Richter hab ich nur ein wenig angerissen bei der Darstellung von ihm, das hätte ich im ersten Teil noch etwas mehr ausführen können. Danke für den Tipp!