Quain (/KWAYN/)

The Ever-Soul

Overview

Quain is the only deity known to have ascended to godhood since Caydon Rel remade the world as the Lord of Magic. Though how a Gifted became capable of performing such a feat... no mortal truly knows. She began her Path to Power as a Gifted in the Sea of Brass like so many others. There she honed and forged her Veil until it became mighty enough to fend off both God and Titan from the Horned Isle. She proved too mighty to be crushed, too unyielding to be pushed aside, and even when slain her very Echo could not escape the herculean will of the Ever-Soul. She is ageless, eternal, and a beacon to the Gifted who would come after her. The waters surrounding the Horned Isle became known as the Veiled Sea when the mighty Ever-Soul enveloped the region in a permanent and potent display of her Eternal Veil. She calls to Gifted at the beginnings of their own Paths to Power and beckons them to the Horned Isle with promises of tutelage, power, and fulfilled dreams to those worthy who follow the Serpent's Trail.

We must all be dauntless in the face of our terrors. Bow to nothing and stand true to our convictions even if we should die. For only through overcoming adversity and surviving the grip of death, can we learn the true heights we are capable of.

— High Saint of Veils, Words of the Pilgrim's Path

History

Quain's history begins shortly before Caydon Rel's ascension as a mortal child born to fisherman living in the region that would one day become the Veiled Sea. Her clan bore witness to the Lord of Magic's slaying of the primordial gods of the sea, becoming fervent worshippers of his strength from the experience. She was among the first generation of Gifted and helped to establish the core techniques that define the Relic Arts today. The nascent goddess was a true prodigy of her age with an inhuman Veil whose strength rivaled those far above her station. Her peerless aptitude put her among the highest echelon of the Gifted and many, including those among her faithful, believe her to be a founding member of the Banded Circle. She would rapidly ascend the Gifted ranks until attaining the pinnacle of their power on a Path of Shadow, Fire, and Light. When she returned to her childhood home as one Marus' mightiest beings, she attracted the attention of its deepest horrors...

The leviathan that emerged from the eastern seas was as large as an island chain and as fierce as a tropical cyclone. In the fathomless depths of its malice it craved only to destroy that which shone so bright. The battle the pair fought raged for days and shook the very world as this mortal prodigy did all in her power to save her people. Myths say she was struck down with three mortal wounds that day. Yet each time she fell and her dreadful foe loomed victorious, the Ever-Soul would rise again to battle anew. In the final climax of their epic conflict, her Eternal Veil reaches out over the island and sea beyond in a decisive blow that finally slew the wretched beast. The mighty Gifted would go on to claim dominion over all she held within her Veiled Sea. Working to settle and rebuild what remained of her childhood home under the mantle of the Goddess of Veils and Sanctuary.

The Faithful of the Ever-Soul know that the goddess settled upon the corpse of the slain Dread Leviathan. She worked to construct a series of trials along the Serpent's Trail that would lead worthy individuals directly to her tutelage. Over the preceding four and a half centuries she has staved off all those who would dare to invade the Horned Isle, from the The Banded Circle to wayward pirates.

Meeting Quain is required to know this secret.

Speaking to the Shadowed Pilgrims is required to know this secret.

Seeking asylum on the Horned Isle is required to know this secret.

There are 3 secrets on this page.

Divine Classification

Divine

Religions

• Seabound Covenant

Current Status

Observing the Trials of the Serpent

Current Location

Veiled Sea

Realm

Marus

Honorary & Occupational Titles

• Goddess of Veils
• Goddess of Sanctuary
• Patron of Merciful Protection

Age

Appears Middle Aged

Current Residence

Horned Isle

Gender

Female

Other Affiliations

• Seabound Covenant

Ruled Locations

• Serpent's Trail
• Veiled Sea

Holy Symbol

Represented by a smoldering flame sheltered in the endless dark. The flame is said to represent the merciful lady herself, bright and fierce in the face of the overwhelming opposition symbolized by the surrounding darkness she wards away.

Tenants of Faith

Many on Marus worship the Ever-Soul, seeking her divine tutelage on their Paths to Power. Her simple doctrine is spread by faithful Pilgrims who have sucessfully traveled the Serpent's Trail and found wisdom in their trek through its holy sites.

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1. Protect Yourself.
2. Defy Tyrants.
3. Dream Mighty.

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The Ever-Soul's most faithful followers are those who embark on the treacherous Pilgrim's Path of the Serpent's Trail and find the Horned Isle at its end. These Shadowed Pilgrims risk life and limb for the mere chance to speak to their god directly.

Seabound Covenant

Quain approached this divine covenant for membership after her ascension to divinity; it establishes common laws across the seas, divides territories among the powerful, and assigns duties to the affiliated deities and clergy.

Duties

The Ever-Soul, and her pilgrim clergy, tutor many and work to guide future generations on Marus. Her Shadowed Pilgrims travel widely to spread her wisdom and establish standardized practices among the Gifted. Their influence is found among:

• Masters, Teachers, and Historians.
• Alumni, Students, and Children.
• Criminals, Victims, and Runaways.

Description & Depictions

Quain is depicted as the silhouette of a beautiful woman whose slender frame blends away into the background. Her dark hair encircles a pale face and frames her defiant eyes, making you feel compelled to seek new challenges and test yourself through fair contests. The Ever-Soul's kind features are etched like a fine sword marred by battle scars that tell the tale of its epic forging. She is often shown wearing armored robes, like those favored by war mages, woven from churning shadows rather than simple cloth. Her pale hands shelter a gentle golden flame, floating above a thin disc of polished iron, from unseen elements that buffet it from all sides.