Under Their Sign

The Sancti of Hél

Quite a peculiar tradition, the one about the Sancti. Where the dwarves have their Champions and the gathlains celebrate the mightiest of them all with banquets and feasts, the people of Hél remember and pray the ones among them who have shown to be particularly close to the teaching of a God. Once every ten years they expose the icons of their Sancti on the main square of the city, a big fireplace in front of each one of them. Every Sancti who has answered the Recall (this is the name of this ceremony) will light up the fire. They don’t care, though, and will celebrate and pray even for the Sancti who have no intention of becoming a minor god. Some scholars will argue if it’s of any use to pray to a famous dead person, but luckily for them none of the followers of the Sancti have the misfortune of being a scholar.
from “Wonders and Wanders of Two Friends: the mysteries of Hél” by Loveday.

• • Sancta Iustia

T h e F i r s t C r o w n e d

There's not much to be known about Sancta Iustia. She was the First, and legends about her don’t speak about her personality. Legends say she has been a paladin, and among the ones who first came to the peninsula. She is the one who set the first stone of Vitra, which kept its original name even after all the years that have passed since its foundation.
She has never answered the Recall. Her weapons, a polearm and a shield, are preserved in the Temple of the Winds, in Vitra.
[Recalled by: Ivernia (Goddess of Justice and Wind of Freedom, Breaker of chains and slayer of undead)]

• • Sanctus Augustine

T h e S h i e l d O f H o p e
He was one of the most famous heroes of his time, known widely for his courage and the fearless attitude he showed when danger came. Lochem, always a target for piracy, under his protection bloomed in the city that’s known nowadays for its technology’s vanguard. Deserved his Sainthood when he stood against Captain Nightfall, during the Siege of Waterfall, and he released a shield that covered the whole city, lightening it up during the storm.
Has answered the Recall, is known to be one of the most generous Sancti while offering help.
[Recalled by: Ibuku (Martial God of Protection and love for one’s home)]

• • Sancta Mercymore

T h e O r d e r W i t h i n
Mercymore was the first one to set the rules for one of the currently oldest and most prestigious schools of magic. She has been a magic expert during her life, and her ambition led her to become one of the maxime specialists, famous all around the world. Her most famous research has been about the uses and advantages of Ivrium, which is a mineral that can be found beneath the surface, and how it can be used by magic wielders to power up their enchantments.
One of her theories, which was never confirmed, talked how, in her opinion, the ivrium must have deeply modified the natives of the area. She always protested heavily against the massive cult of the dead practiced in her hometown, Minotar, and settled down in Grimmrock among the Free Cities.
She has answered the Recall.
[Recalled by: Zarir (God of Magic, Math and Inquisitiveness)]

• • Sancta Cassiopeia

T h e R o s e U n b l o w n
Cassiopeia hadn’t been her true name, legends say, as nobody - not even herself - was sure of what it had been. She had been a changeling, a stolen child - born in the wilds of the Swamps, raised in Steenbergen.
She had been the promoter of the Winterbloom Pact, the first official non-belligerent agreement between the Cities and the people of the Swamps. Without her diplomatic efforts, it’s believed it wouldn’t have been possible. She died in the invasion of Steenbergen by the Empire, protecting the orphanage with her life.
She has never answered the Recall.
[Recalled by: Avra (God of Medicine, Dedication and Commitment, sacred Patron of compassion)]

• • Sanctus Cyrus

N e e d l e O f T h e S c a l e
Cyrus had been one of the most important legislators of the region, one of the founders of the non-aggression pact infraspecies that was signed by the most prominent authorities of the respective races.
His battle for equal civil rights and his death, caused by a small group of extremists, inspired various movements all across the peninsula. A statue of the man can still be found at the doors of Vitra, one hand facing the road that leads to the Swamps and one facing the city, to symbolize that all lives are equal in front of the law.
He has answered the Recall.
[Recalled by: Ivernia (Goddess of Justice and Wind of Freedom, Breaker of chains and slayer of undead)]

• • Sancta Ianthe

T h i e f O f H e a r t s
No war has ever been won with fair play and silly jokes; when the game is tough, every opening is an invitation. Ianthe Velvet-Hands has never been the perfect child. Born noble under the insignia of the Empire, she ran away from home at the tender age of fourteen when they tried to cut her horns and her tail, now full grown. Joining the rebellion was the natural consequence and among their lines she bloomed. Her name meant menace and chaos, but also hope for the people of Vannar - and all the cities chanted her name. She never saw the Revolution she had fighted for, but her work inspired the flame of her people long after her death.
She has answered the Recall.
[Recalled by: Lonely Trickster (Protector of changelings, arcane magic and freedom)]

• • Sanctus Pyrra

B l o o d B l o o m
Deserved his Sainthood by putting an end to the incursions from the Underdark in the city of Lakdar, sadly famous for the entrance that lays a few miles from it; he covered himself in the blood of his enemies, carrying a rotten smell of flowers and death. He founded the Crimson Flowers Order. He was a known thug during his lifetime, deciding to change his path after losing all his companions during a drow raid.
The Crimson Flower Order accepts among its ranks everyone, from criminals who choose to join instead of spending the rest of their life in prison to volunteers. It’s common enough for paladins and clerics who are near the end of their life to join the Order and spend their last years of wisdom fighting Underdark’s perils - and helping others surviving them as well.
He has answered the Recall.
[Recalled by: Avra (God of Medicine, Dedication and Commitment, sacred Patron of compassion), Ibuku (Martial God of Protection and love for one’s home)]

• • Sancti Valency

P r o m e s s O f D e d i c a t i o n
Valency is a Sancti known for their contribution to the creation of a stable system of Consecration, which was perfected by the work of their life. They consecrated the first generation of Blessed Children, keeping them checked during their - short - lifetime. At that time, it was the only way to save children who would’ve surely died because of the terrible pestilence that raged during their life. They worked until their last days to assure that their work would preserve the children's freedom of will.
They never answered the Recall.
[Recalled by: The Weeping One (God of Sacrifice, Pain and Repose)]

• • Sancta Titania

Q u e e n O f S a c r e d N i g h t s
Her beauty was beyond comparison, and she was, when alive, a powerful Archfey. She earned her Sainthood by fighting mercilessly against a Balor called Ygar, who was summoned by the Empire’s army as a last attempt to win the War of the Falling Stars. They failed, and when the demon summoned a Neverending Night, she used all her power to kill it. She burned bright, and still today she is depicted with a crown of stars around her face (and deep hatred towards demons). Sometimes, the crown covers her eyes in later representations.
She has answered the Recall, even if she is known to refuse to Bless children who are offered to her. It’s also known that she has joined the Fey Court of Holivine.
[Recalled by: Ivernia (Goddess of Justice and Wind of Freedom, Breaker of chains and slayer of undead), Lonely Trickster (Protector of changelings, arcane magic and travelers)]

• • Sancta Cytherea

E v e r g i v i n g S u n l i g h t
Maybe the first one to walk under the Sun bearing the Bless of Avra, she took very seriously her self-imposed oath of putting her Bless to a good use. She instituted the Evergreen Circle, to which she dedicated all her life. Having been born without any magic abilities, she focused on learning the secrets of the bodies around her. She wrote many books on the matter, often overstepping into other culture’s habits to offer the reader the widest view possible.
It’s been said that she used to braid her beard and keep flowers on it, so when she lowered to look at her patients they could feel comforted by the sweet scent of them. Because of this legend, the members of the Evergreen Circle often carry lilies and roses with them. They adopted, long after their Sancta had died, a green tunic as uniform to be sure they’d be always recognizable among the crows.
She has answered the Recall.
[Recalled by: Avra (God of Medicine, Dedication and Commitment, sacred Patron of compassion)]

• • Sancti Loveday

T h e K e e p e r O f T h e T o m e
Sancti Loveday is, to quote them about themselves, “a mystery in a box, whose key was lost by a very forgetful kitten long ago”. They are one of, if not the, most prolific authors the world has ever seen. Their massive main work, “Wonders and Wanders of Two Friends'', called the Code by the academics and the WTF by much more modest people, counts a body composed of almost 250 books which topics go from the culinary tour between the Free Cities, to the flora and fauna of small villages at the very borders of the Empire, where the Dunes begin.
Even if largely flavoured by the annotation at the end of the every page, written by the famous Nemo (the unnamed assistant of Sancti Loveday during their travels; as everybody knows, Nemo lost their name very early during their life because of an unfair contract signed by a malicious faery), the Code is still one of the most valid way to look for informations as it gets constantly updated.
They had not answered the Recall, but somehow every century or so a new book signed by them appears in almost all the main libraries around the world. Some theories say that Sancti Loveday was never a real person, but an organization instead.
[Recalled by: unknown. Their icon appeared three centuries ago among the other Sancti’s icons, and was never taken down.]