The Saints

In the Paragonic Pantheon, Saints are said to be those chosen by the Exemplars, mortals (or, to some, former mortals) who found favor with the gods. What makes a priest or servant of a god worthy of the title is not exactly quantified, and there are many "pseudo-saints" whose actual Saint-hood is under contention.

Reverence

Exemplars are less directly worshipped, and more honored through action; Aspects are prayed to in a chapel, regarding matters of great import; it is Saints who receive the majority of prayer, prayers that are considered by some to be trivial. It is considered blaphemous to waste the time of the greater divinities with such superficial supplications.
A thief sends up a prayer of luck to Saint Ilina the Burglar, before breaking into their mark's house; a preacher prays to Saint Makra the Martyr, before delivering a contentious sermon; and a performer will pray to Saint Ruadd the Musician before walking on-stage.
In addition, temples and churches of individual Aspects are often constructed in the name of different Saints and their accomplishments. This sometimes results from the particular Saint being the direct founder of the buildings. Other times they are named based on the location of a miracle. Sometimes there is no discernible reason at all.

The Great Saints

The Great Saints are the six most well-known Saints, one for each of the Exemplars. When they lived is not a commonly agreed-upon detail, though it is generally accepted that it was within the last five centuries. Interestingly, the Great Saints are always depicting as having lived at the same time, to the point of often being perceived as a group of close friends.
Some believe that they were specially chosen by the Exemplars, and have ascended to demigodhood, others that they were simply extraordinary powerful servants of the gods, but no more divine than any other Saint.

Saint Eira the General

Eira is usually depicted as the leader of the six, the Saint of Eratris, the Exemplar of Justice. She is always depicted as being the image of fairness, stern and strict in her dealings. She is the patron of judges, lawmakers, and guardsmen.

Saint Mikael the Sentinel

Also known as the Stormsaint, Saint Mikael is the saint of Aletheia, whose domains include both protection and vengeance. Mikael is most often thought of as being pragmatic and stern, but also compassionate and highly protective. He is most often found to be the patron of night watchmen, city guards.
Mikael is heavily revered in Rhaske and its surrounding nations, but it less common in northern Graveslor. In Klavafeld, he is more often seen as a slightly more demure shield-bearing sentinel, rather than the warrior paladin he is perceived as in the Western continent.

Saint Ksenia the Judge

Saint Ksenia is the mercilessly impartial Saint of Urellis. Aside from her association with such a feared Exemplar, Ksenia is notable in that she is the only one of the Great Saints that is not native to Graveslor or Solistien. She is instead of Ajiri descent.
Ksenia is the patron of gravediggers and their ilk, as well as anyone involved with the funerary process. Her places of worship are often in graveyards, and to have one such shrine in your cemetary is considered protection against undead.

Saint Markov the Philosopher

Called the Physician by many, Markov is the Saint of Venev, the Exemplar of decision and knowledge. Markov is known as being both knowledgeable and good-humored, wise and kind. He is the patron saint of mages and scholars, but also scribes, librarians, surgeons, and scientists.
Despite the fact that in many nations, Venev's domain also includes that of commerce, Markov is rarely prayed to by those pertinent individuals. That type of reverence is instead more often attributed to Ilina.

Saint Olad the Gardener

Olad is accepted as being the most powerful of the Great Saints, though he is one of the less known. As the Saint of Nathos, he possesses control over domains of creation and destruction. He is the patron saint of those who dedicate themselves to the preservation of the beautiful things in the world, druid or otherwise.
Unlike his Exemplar, who is associated with images of the cosmos, Olad is more often depicted amidst nature.

Saint Ilina the Burglar

Ilina is the saint of Ixhaea, the saint of opposites and oxymorons. To some, she is the most favorable of the Saints, to others held with grudging respect and fear. She is the patron Saint of burglars, thieves, and con-men, but also merchants, businessmen, and contractors.
Unlike Ixhaea or her Aspect, Apate, Ilina is a direct patron of thievery and crime. While never perceived as evil or criminal, many who take their faiths less seriously view Ilina with annoyance.

Lesser Saints

The number of those considered saints, not even including those whose status is under contention, is a true multitude. These individuals are known as Lesser Saints, and their domains and alignments range from specific gods, to professions, to abstract groups of people. In Klavafeld, there are saints of nearly every imaginable domain. Saints of drunks and prostitutes, of bowyers and cobblers, of carriage drivers and jewelers.
Some such saints have been proven as divinely gifted via demonstration. Others have been proven demonstrably fraudulent. Curiously, in many places, the punishment for impersonation of a saint, or a false claim of being one, is minor.

East and West

As with many matters regarding the Paragonic pantheon, there is sharp theological conflict between the western continent Graveslor and eastern Klavafeld regarding the Saints.
The Graveslori believe that the Great Saints are the only true "Saints", in that they were the only ones who directly communed with the Exemplars - that they were the only ones who were actually chosen by the gods, instead of chosing the path of religion for themselves. They believe that these six invidiuals were granted vast divine power, along with immortality, and that they have long since ascended to demi-godhood, only reappearing in times of need.
The Klavan people see this as blasphemous, to postulate that mortals could become as gods. They see all the Saints as being equal, mortals who lived and died, murdered and were martyred for their gods.

Martyrdom and Persecution

Throughout the world's well-colored history, people have not always been as receptive to religious teachings and faiths are they are today. The multitude of saints with the caption of "The Martyr" have not been given that title without due cause.
Whether the persecution has stemmed from a generalized condemnation of faith, or revulsion of a single teaching, there have been a number of times throughout history where people were not free to worship as they pleased.
Now is one such time.

Resurgence

With the rise of Achilles, persecution has begun again. However, in opposition of the Sunmaker's claim of divinity, it seems that there has been a new spike in activity of Paragonic churches and clergy. Before the rise of Achilles, worship was periphery, something some took seriously, others less so. But with the God King's rise, religion has risen to the forefront.
The line between priest and propagandist has thinned, as clergy members cry out in the streets to draft new soldiers for the anti-Ascendancy cause.
As with anything, the reemergence of religion has been twisted to suit the purposes of both faction and factionary. For organizations, religious alignment is a way to garner support of the masses. For political movers, it has become a sort of social status to be associated with the clergy or, better yet, of religious status oneself.

"What does it even mean, to be a saint? Nothing. Nothing. I could dress in rags tomorrow, claim to be a beggar with a vision from Asan, or a dream of Edea. If I'm feeling lucky, a direct interaction with Aletheia. And no one could stop me. No one."

-An incredulous scholar

Notable Saints

Saint Makra the Martyr is perhaps the most well-known Lesser Saint, a servant of Aletheia that was martyred at the age of 17.
Saint Ruadd the Musician is a Saint of Ixhaea, and is the patron of music and art. He is the only saint thought to be contemporary to the Great Saints.
Saint Aester the Understanding is notable because of the level of taboo she is viewed with, for she is the saint of prostitutes. Contrary to perception, in many countries such environments are rife with spirituals. No one is entirely sure where Aester's title originates from.
Saint Ublon the Keeper, despite his noble-sounding name, is the saint of drunkards. He is said to protect them in their soporific wanderings.
Saint Biscar the Forlorn is the saint of lost things. What that exactly entails is unsure, especially since her associated deity is not certain. Some view her with reverence, counting her domain to include wandering souls, orphans and beggars. Others say she is a saint of mischief, causing prized or essential items to be lost or to move their location.
Of Khe'an descent, Saint Han the Gambler is the patron of cheaters and conmen. Those who weigh dice in their favor, who use sleight of hand to exchange their dealt hand. She is rarely prayed to in legitimate reverence (a fact some regard as blasphemous) but is instead regarded with a level of humor by her patrons.

"Tisn't cheating if the gods approve, eh?"

-A rueful cheater, upon being thrown out of a gambling hall