Iroas (God of Victory)

Iroas is the steadfast god of honor and victory in war. When soldiers march to battle, his voice is the thunder of their footsteps and the crash of spear on Shield. Soldiers, mercenaries, and athletes all pray for Iroas's favor in securing victory. Common folk pray to Iroas for courage and Fortitude in times of struggle, for his is the battle nobly fought and won. Bold and confident with a soldier's demeanor, Iroas is the pinnacle of martial pride and bearing. He is stoic almost to a fault, but also exhibits a wry sense of humor. Those who honorably shed blood in Iroas's name can count on his support. Cowards and oath breakers are to be despised, and traitors don't deserve mercy in battle.
Iroas most often appears as a powerfully built Centaur with a bull's body rather than a horse's, clad in gleaming armor and wielding a spear and Shield. He speaks in a booming baritone that projects power, confidence, and courage. He has been known to appear as a burly Soldier or a mighty bull before his followers. Whatever form he chooses, Iroas carries himself with precision and majesty at all times and doesn't tolerate disrespect or undue informality from those who would deal with him.

Iroas’s Influence

Iroas personifies the glory of victory, honorable Combat, and physical competition. He is the unspoken bond between soldiers on the eve of battle, the courage of the standard bearer holding colors aloft in the midst of battle, and the exultation that comes after a hard-won victory. Iroas pushes his followers to excel in their chosen fields, particularly war and Athletics, and gain honor through superior skill, Training, and dedication.
War is, fundamentally, a terrible experience filled with pain, loss, and fear. Unfortunately, as Iroas sees it, war is also necessary. He sees preparing for and winning life's essential battles as being of paramount importance and the highest calling one can experience.
The true Warrior fights with honor, courage, and dedication, and values Training, discipline, Strength, and esprit de corps. In Iroas's eyes, nothing is more valuable or honorable than a honed blade wielded by a trained Warrior loyal to a just cause. This Message is ingrained in the ethos of Akros, the polis that claims him as its patron. His precepts and codes of conduct are incorporated in the civil and Military laws of Akros.
Iroas values Strength and determination in less deadly pursuits, as well. He believes sports are a fine proxy for war, as just as in a battle, superior skill and Strength lead to a victory. What Iroas truly loves is a winner.
Lastly, Iroas urges his followers to blunt the advances of his brother, Mogis. This directive inevitably means Combat, since Iroas knows of no other way to solve problems. Diplomacy isn't an act of cowardice per se, but because it isn't an activity Iroas is prepared to engage in, it isn't something he expects of his followers.

Iroas’s Goals

Iroas sees existence as a series of glorious battles to be won by both him and his followers. War is a testing ground from which only the bravest and strongest emerge. Between battles, there are feats of endurance and physical Prowess to perform. Iroas exhorts his followers to hone their bodies and minds just as they hone their blades. He is certain that to slacken his vigilance and grow lazy would guarantee his demise at the edge of his brother's blood-soaked axe. Iroas pushes his followers to be ready at all times to meet Conflict head-on.

Divine Relationships

Iroas is defined by his opposition to his twin brother, Mogis. Although both love battle, Iroas holds an honorable and valorous view of Warfare, whereas Mogis lusts for carnage and butchery. Iroas firmly believes that mortals will always fight, whether in war or in less consequential pursuits. His charge is to ensure that war is waged with a code of honor and to prevent his brother's depravity from spreading through the world.
Iroas holds an abiding respect for Purphoros, who girds his warriors in the products of his artifice. Iroas sees finely crafted arms as the highest form of art, sublime and deadly at once. Still, Iroas finds Purphoros's volatile temper and bouts of passion unbecoming of one with such Talent at creating Weapons of war.
Iroas champions the cause of justice and thus seeks Heliod's Guidance and counsel from time to time. During Heliod's piques of arrogance and temper, Iroas is the one who advocates restraint and calm. More often than not, the two deities agree where matters of justice and honor are concerned.

Worshiping Iroas

Iroas is interested not in pretty words, but in great deeds. The faithful of Iroas show their piety by comporting themselves well in Contests of athleticism or skill. Swearing an oath to win a battle in Iroas's name and failing to do so is a great shame upon a Warrior, thus such a promise is never uttered lightly.
The fifth month of the Meletian Calendar is Thriambion, named for an annual commemoration of the Meletian conquest of Natumbria. This victory cemented Meletis's control over the entire peninsula. But in Akros, the month is called Iroagonion, for the Iroan Games. These games are the grandest display to honor Iroas. To even compete in the Iroan Games is considered noteworthy, as the poleis send only their finest athletes. The grand prize, besides a ceremonial wreath, is the opportunity to be visited by Iroas himself.

Myths of Iroas

The myths told about Iroas’s deeds acclaim his valor and bravery as well as his inflexibility and stubbornness. Countless tales tell of him or his champions besting terrible Beasts, enemy armies, or threats to the world. Still other stories rise beyond accounts of his victories.

Bulwark of Brotherhood

Iroas carries a battle-worn bronze Shield called the Bulwark of Brotherhood. It symbolizes the Protective Bond shared by all soldiers at war and his determination, ironically, to defeat his own brother. In the myth of Rygyra the Slinger, the Soldier never missed when she launched stones from her magic sling. Yet, even so, her every shot bounced off the giant Minotaur, Raksolcs Ravage-Soul. As the Minotaur terror closed in on her, Rygyra whispered a prayer to Iroas and braced her flimsy wooden Shield, knowing it would offer no Defense against the giant’s strikes. Yet, when the blow came, the Shield resounded with the barest metallic clang—like a pin Falling on bronze. Opening her eyes, Rygyra discovered that her Shield had transformed into a gleaming bulwark—Iroas’s own Shield. Enraged, Raksolcs beat on the Shield, leaving not even a dent. After hours of this, the Minotaur collapsed, panting and exhausted. Only then did Rygyra emerge and strangle the brute with his own tongue.

Draught of Glory

Followers of Iroas often push their physical and emotional limits, pursuing victory above all things. Even as Priests of Iroas coach their followers to be the best, the most experienced religious leaders—particularly those who have retired from athletic competition—warn of growing addicted to triumph. Ultimately, they teach, only Iroas can drink endlessly from the river of glory and suffer no ill Effects. Mortals, though, can grow intoxicated by victory and sickened by unattainable ideas of honor or eternal praise. Therefore, wise competitors are encouraged to seek only their draught of glory—a finite amount that they might revel in but that allows them to experience a life beyond grasping for greatness. Those who don’t find themselves upon the path to despair, personal harm, and the temptations of Mogis.

Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas

One of the greatest of Iroas’s champions, Kalemne is a Stone Giant sworn to the service of the god of war. A Warrior of tremendous Strength and tactical skill, she has imposed martial discipline on the most unruly of troops and has led squads of Giants and minotaurs to glorious victories. Her devotion to Iroas is absolute, and her commitment to victory is unwavering. Countless petitioners have sought out Kalemne over the years, seeking her aid in righting wrongs or preventing disasters. Though she sympathizes with all who tell her their tragic tales, Kalemne has committed to aiding only those who can defeat her in a contest of athletic skill or a test of speed. Those who do can count on her aid, and possibly that of her troops. Those who can’t must seek other answers to their problems.