Zet'tallan

"'Praise the great Wanderer, Oh Divinity is he. May he bring you nothing but goodness and warmth, and ever long may your road be.' - An old Noxcess blessing of Zet'tallan"A truly mighty being, colossal beyond mortal comprehension, Zet'tallan the Wanderer once carried our Haven on his back, striding through the Aether as if wading through a great ocean. Now, Zet'tallan sleeps beneath Haven, his original form withered away to nothing but a sapling tree, healing from a grievous wound dealt long ago.

Despite his slumber, Zet'tallan is still active in the world, working through his Heralds, the Travellers, and Invokers. As the God of all things that grow, Zet'tallan rules over all of the plants and animals of Haven, as well as all of its sentient denizens. In a physical sense, Zet'tallan could be called the God of Haven itself, with his other divine companions making up the more metaphysical aspects of daily life.

It is Zet'tallan who cares for the travellers of Haven. Not just his heralds, who take the title of Traveller upon their ascension, but all those who wander. Caravans, vagabonds, nomads, and anyone who travels near and far on the many roads. A follower of Zet'tallan, whose faith lies in the one who brought refuge to us all, will always give shelter to people in need. This generosity can take many forms, whether it be a stalwart shield, held over the injured in the storm of battle, or a simple meal, warm in the belly of a cold traveller.

Theurges*
Like Sensus, who is considered the patron god of arcane magic despite not technically having any real connection to Magi or their craft, Zet'tallan is considered by the greater community of Theurges to be their patron. Having woven the leylines into Haven, Zet'tallan created the ritual circles, though whether or not this was intentional on his part is largely unknown. In truth, much regarding the nature of ritual circles remains a mystery even to this day, but many give thanks to Zet'tallan for the creation of their craft.

Compass Rose
As the centrepiece of Haven, Compass Rose is where all of the aforementioned leylines converge, all meeting at a point marked by the Keystone, an ancient Gemnan artifact of incredible power. Because of this, Compass Rose is considered by many followers of Zet'tallan to be a semi-holy site of their god, despite the relic in question being made by mortal hands, rather than those of the divine. Realistically, most well-read Invokers and priests of Zet'tallan recognize this fact and spread a respectful but cautionary message to their parishioners.

The Frost Feast
In the months surrounding Shaata's breath, life on Haven is often bitterly cold, so much so that being outside at night in the Mountains of Hiyehm during this time can be dangerous and even deadly. Seeing so many travellers and merchants stuck outside in the cold, the Hillanders at the base of the mountains began a tradition of opening their doors to those who needed the warmth. Since ancient times, the tradition has evolved into an annual social event, rather than one based in survival. Having spread across Haven, nearly every city and town holds a frost feast, serving large quantities of food and bringing together warm spirits in the coldest months of the year

Prehistory (First Era)
In times before recorded history, it was Zet'tallan that found our Haven, floating as a simple shard of earth adrift in the Aether. It's origin unknown and it's peoples living in anarchy, Zet'tallan took pity on the lost, and took physical form to take us under his wing. With threads spun from magic arcane and divine, he sewed the mass of land to his back and vowed to carry it until the end of time, a promise which he technically fulfilled, in an ironically twisted sense.

The War of Time & Beyond (Third Era - Present)
In mid-2019 P.E. Zet'tallan was poisoned by the Aether beast Muldratha, whose corruption was unleashed by Tanana's cult of apocalypse in an attempt to destroy this timeline. Though the cult's plans were foiled in the end, and the ensuing War of Time saw the mad goddess Tanana killed, the plague which had fallen upon the Eldest God proved too much for even his divine form to resist. Even as the Grey Wardens drove Tanana's blighted sword through her own breast, Zet'tallan perished as well, retreating into himself to begin the process of revival. Leaving behind the promise of his return, Zet'tallan's Heralds and Invokers now await his impending rebirth, all the while upholding his ancient tenants of generosity and care in his absence.