One of the Prime Divinities. Romeus is the God of Grief, Sorrow, Love and Romance. A duality of a divinity. He embraces love, even if it brings sorrow and grief. A hopeless romantic. The embodiment of "It is better to have loved than to have never loved at all".
There are many of those whom seek love and companionship. There are those that feel the sting of loss, the pain of grief, the cold grasp of despair. But these are things that can help us grow, for in that watered ground a new flower may bloom. Romeus is the guardian of love, the guide of grief and the lover of the lost.
When he appears to the mortals of Aetheus, he usually wears a near-transparent gown. Known for his lustrous red hair that drapes to the ground, his eyes of shining emeralds.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, only then will the world know peace."
Church of Romeus
His highest priest is known as the Heartwarder. Usually known as the most handsome or beautiful clergy member both inside and out. They are expected to keep their appearance as flattering as possible and shower others in sweet words.
Romeus's clerics seek to bring beauty to the world in many forms, all of which are pleasing to the senses. They create works of art, become patrons for promising actors, and import exotic luxuries like satin and fine wines. When many seek love or companionship, the clerics of Romeus are there to guide and to inspire to new lovers, paramours or those waxing and waning in the grief of a lost one. They provide the means and the time to listen, to work through shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, building upward from the loss and working out through the depression into acceptance. Each person deals with grief differently. At some point in life, one will encounter grief, whether it is the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, the end of a relationship, or any other change that alters life as you know it. They teach that every moment is a gift with a loved one, and life will find a way of working out for the better. When professing about love and affection, they preach that are not any less of the person they were when they have lost something - but are much more richer by the experiences they have had, whether with their partners, family or through the work. Love is also not exclusive to emotional or sexual partnerships, but it can be affectionate companionships, friendships, it can be enduring over many years, the love between a parent and their child, it could be playful flirting, intimacy, infatuation or physical attraction. It can be self-compassion, or giving love to oneself when it is most needed.
His followers also enjoy looking beautiful, and hearing tales of romance. The stories range from star-crossed love, true love overcoming all else, and following one's heart. But they also carry tales of great tragedies, sorrows and overcoming true sadness. From these stories, these songs, they attempt to fill the void in people's hearts and evoke their true feelings - whether they may cry, become angry, withdraw, or feel empty inside. These are natural feelings.
Romeus' clerics are flighty and somewhat vain, given to dancing and wild celebrations. But most are considerate, passionate and uphold a patience to allow others to express their feelings in a effective and sometimes practical manner.
The hierarchy is loosely organized, and clerics are free to join or leave a temple's ranks as they wish.
They preside over marriages and rites of passage ceremonies for young elves, although they aren't required to marry, as Romeus' concern is love, and not necessarily marriage. But also they preside over divorces and funerals, and councilling sessions to routinely check the progression of others, giving them hope and advice to move through their sorrow.
Members of Romeus' clergy spend their days cultivating beauty and love in all their myriad forms, and by being by the side of the ones they love, admire and remain loyal. Many of his clerics tend fine gardens, while others amass personal or temple-based collections of gems, crystal sculptures, and other fine works of art. While things of gold and crystal, particularly jewellery and statues, are favoured. Beautiful art in any form is admired, collected, and displayed.
Romeus' clerics always have to be finely dressed, and displaying one's personal beauty to its best advantage is a requirement of every cleric of the Heart of Fire. The clerics dress in gold robes and worship her by fountains and springs.
Worshippers
Those that worship Romeus are lovers, paramours, families, friends and companions, vagrants, unemployed artisans, aspiring artists & bards, widows and widowers, orphans and the hopeless. The beautiful and the ugly, the lonely, the deathly ill, those in grief, in sorrow and otherwise.
Orders
Order of the Ruby Rose
A knightly order affiliated with the Church of Romeus, made up of bards, fighters, and paladins. Their primary mission is to guard Romeusan temples and holy sites, and occasionally accompany clerics doing good works or questing for something important to the Lord of Love. They seek to helping communities recuperate from grief, those that face attacks or raids from bandits or monsters, or to celebrate unions or reunite families with their loved ones. Or to bring the terrible news of the loss of loved ones in battle, from disease, from faraway journeys - or break the news for a summons of divorce, being fired from a job, or bring comfort to orphans. Initiation into the order is done by standing vigil in a temple of Romeus for an entire night. If the god shows his favour by granting a vision or some other boon, the candidate is accepted into the order.
Temples & Shrines
His temples usually hold social salons and display mirrors for use by lay parishioners. Some of them even have public baths for the local populace. They would hold private and peaceful garden courtyards to conduct talks, prayers or business with those in love or facing a great loss. Some of his temples act as orphanages, or even great dance halls for celebrations and marriages.
His shrines often stand on the corner of busy city streets. They have a small ornate overhanging with a mirror underneath. They are used to check one's appearance while honouring Romeus' with prayer. Some shrines even hold perfume and cosmetic items for those who cannot afford such luxuries themselves. For those that seek to work through their loss and sorrow, they hold empty pedestals and wreaths of flowers and light candles to give a prayer to those that have passed, or needs to silently speak with the dead in private grieving ceremonies.
Realm
He resides within the Serene Meadow. Making his home on Evergold, on the plane of Arborea.
Divine Domains
Life - Light - Order - Peace - Trickery
Holy Books & Codes
Tome of Hearts
The Tome of Hearts is a mysterious book, fabled to hold the names of the perfect lovers, partners or soulmates for any mortal being. Romeus' followers believe that this book is in Romeus' possession and that he uses it to guide them on their way.
The Lovebook
The Lovebook is prominently displayed at most temples of Romeus. It holds the details of her sacred rituals, like marriage. It is said that if a couple writes their marriage vows into this book, their love will hold eternally.
Divine Symbol
A wilting (crystal) rose.
Tenets of Faith
Dogma
Beauty is more than skin deep. It issues from the core of one's being and reveals one's true face to the world, fair or foul. Believe in romance, as true love will win over all. Follow your heart to your true destination. Love none more than yourself except Romeus, and lose yourself in love of the Lord of Love. Perform a loving act each day, and seek to awaken love in others. Respond to love at least once in a day. Encourage beauty wherever you find it. Acquire beautiful items of all sorts, and encourage, sponsor, and protect those who create them. Keep your own body as comely as possible and as attractively displayed as situations warrant. Let hairstyle and clothing best suit your personal appearance, striving to stir and delight others who look upon you. Moreover, hide not away, but always seek to present yourself to those around you in a pleasing variety of garbs and activities so as to move them with love and desire. Love those who respond to your appearance, and let warm friendship and admiration flower where love cannot or dares not.
Life is worth living because of the beauty found in the world and the love that draws twin hearts together. Nurture what is beautiful in life, and let beauty's rapturous glow enliven and brighten the lives of those around you. The greatest joy is the rapture of newfound love and the tide of romance that sweeps over those wrapped in its embrace. Find love wherever it takes root, and bring it to its fullest bloom so that all may share in it joy and beauty it creates. Always give shelter and succour to young lovers, for their hearts are the truest guides to life's proper course.
Grief and sorrow comes in and out of our lives, in some shape or form, more than we would like in life. It's hard to know how to navigate our feelings in the midst of such immense change, and if can often feel that you're the only person experiencing what you are feeling. You may have lost someone close to you, whether it be death or divorce or painful disagreement, a tough diagnosis, and you're wondering how to move on. Many go through this, and know that you are not alone - you belong to the largest company in all the world, the company of those who have known suffering. I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are an evil. Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them. It is peculiar, grief. We are so helpless in the face of it. Like a window that will simply open of its own accord, the room grows cold and we can do nothing but shiver. But it opens a little less each time, and a little less; and one day, we wonder what has become of it. What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Romeus' goal is to turn Aetheus into a place of eternal beauty, filled with love and passion - to share in love and loss together, and not be consumed by either. His followers work to fulfil this goal day after day, by living their lives in her way.
Personal History
Said to be the most beautiful person of all creation, even amongst gods.
His history is mostly told in myth regarding his various romances and flirtations, and failed relations with other gods.
There exists tales of his relationships with practically every god of the Pantheon, except Bane, to whom he abhors their acts of cruelty and destruction.
Romeus aided Pelor in the plight of the Yuan-Ti after so many had committed such horrors and denied themselves the ability to love and to feel sorrow - these horrific snake-like creatures that felt no compassion was anathema to the Lord of Love. He did not hate them, for with each one he slayed he wept a single tear - so much that even Melora had begun to feel the sting of sorrow in her heart, and blessed the land upon which the Yuan-Ti fell in Zigaura and Aethallasar with bright, beautiful but deadly flowers that appeared to be weeping, but were deadly to the touch. Known as Heart-throb Lillies, known for their tear-shaped petals and dark-to-bright hued colour.
Romeus aided Pelor once more to bring about the paramour relationship between the Dawnfather and the Spring Maiden, Eostara - after her plight with Bane. For Eostara was fabled for her innocent beauty, and the Dread Emperor sullied and scorned it with his dark words and motivations. Romeus helped Pelor uncover the path that would lead into Bane's lair within the underworld, traversing through the River Styx and calling upon the sorrowful souls to guide them to their destination.
During the Great Cataclysm, Romeus fought with an unlikely companion against the great and terrible Demogorgon that was unleashed upon the world - Sekoloth the Bloodreaver. The shark-god had come to claim the terrible Stone of the Demogorgon, holding its power over it - but wishing to exact revenge against the Gods; Romeus came to sweep away the stone from the deadly creatures grasp, and bring an end to the misery and sorrow spread by the invasive demons. But upon touching it, he felt the madness and darkness of the stone nearly consume him, turning his nails and his hands black - corrupted by the dark essence of the Demogorgon, he could no longer touch anything without corrupting it and turning it into ash. Nevertheless, he carried the stone through the pain and torment that it caused him and hid it where no one could get their hands upon it.
Physical Appearance
