Overivew
When a Terranian is in their most dire situation, they come to Illmater to seek comfort, and the resolution to carry on.
Worship
For those downtrodden, or beset with ailments, Illmatar and his priests are there for support. The temples tend to spring up in the most impoverished areas of cities, and the Priests (The Unbroken) do much outreach in the homeless and invalid communities. The Great Paladin Order, The Clamor of Resolve, swears fealty to Illmater. From their headquarters in Barcalzoa,
Madrinada , the order has become known as the Unbreakable Center, for their massive shields and heroic stands against insurmountable odds.
Lore
The Gospel of Illmater states he was an original human, handcrafted by
Gond, God of Creation, Craft and Terrain himself. However, he was lost early in his creation, and spent the majority of his life exploring the untamed expanse of the newly created world. In his isolation, Illmater begain learning and thinking about the existence of the individual. He eventually encountered an incredibly violent and ravenous tribe whom he began living alongside. Over time he was able to preach to them the philosophy he had developed during his journey. He emphasized the natural harshness of the world we lived in, but that one's purpose is to endure. If we allow our inner sin to consume us, we can never be free. By enduring our existence, and preventing the suffering of the outside world from empowering our sin, we can truly be free. Through his teaching he pacified the tribe. Soon after their enemies came asking for penance for all the suffering and pain they had previously caused. Illmater offered himself up as retribution, in order to absolve the tribe of their past transgressions. Moved by this act of sacrifice, the other tribes agreed, and he was put to death, but it did create peace in the land. In the years that followed, people from each tribe began preaching his beliefs, which soon created a massive following, which led to his resurrection. The newly resurrected Illmater continued his previous journey, wandering the planes, experiencing everything the universe imposed upon individual existence. This is where he discovered the primordial being known as
Loviatar, Goddess of Pain, Lust, Torture and returned her to the Pantheon.
During the shattering Illmater ascended to godhood. However, he did not participate in the battles between gods. Instead, he continued his journey on
Terrania teaching humans how to resist the urges dictated by the condemned gods.
Iconography
Illmater is represented by the Hand of Endurance. It is a reminder that we are not alone. In our most dire times he will be with us, and provide the strength and fortitude to carry on.
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