Zharos, The Lion Lord
Zharos is the noble and resplendent Animal Lord of Lions, one of the three great Cat Lords alongside Myrras the Cat Lord and Tindara the Tiger Lord. Unlike his kin, Zharos bears the gravitas of a monarch and the solemn dignity of a judge. He is not a prowler of twilight or a slayer of the deep wilds—he is a protector, a leader, a roaring beacon of courage and honor. Among the Beastfolk and druids of Tagyn, he is revered as a symbol of rightful strength and tempered ferocity.
Massive and awe-inspiring, Zharos appears as a towering leonine figure, his golden mane rippling like a crown of sunfire. His fur gleams with the warm hue of sunlit savannas, and his amber eyes shine with wisdom hard-won. Where he walks, the grasses bend not in fear, but in reverence. His roar can calm a battlefield or silence the lies of tyrants, imbued with supernatural gravitas.
Zharos is the guardian of balance through strength—a being who believes that power must always be paired with responsibility. He teaches that the strong must defend the weak, that honor is more enduring than dominance, and that leadership must be earned, not taken. These principles have made him a steadfast supporter of Tagyn, the Goddess of Beasts, and a vigilant watcher of Tindara, whose path once faltered into savagery before she was redeemed.
Though the lionfolk of the pridelands often look to him as a totemic figure, Zharos does not limit his concern to his own kind. Any creature who displays nobility of Spirit and a protective heart may find his favor. He appears in visions to warrior-kings, to battle-scarred champions, and to exiles who seek redemption through just deeds.
Among the Three Watchers of Tindara, Zharos serves as the anchor. Where Myrras is curiosity and freedom, and Tindara is power and passion, Zharos is discipline and valor. His voice is often the final one in judgment, and it was his roar that once bound Tindara’s rage, giving her the choice to return to Tagyn’s path or be cast into wild madness forever.
Zharos's followers include paladins, druids, noble beastfolk, and warrior-tribes who hold fast to codes of kinship and justice. His sacred symbol is a roaring lion’s profile within a golden sun, and his shrines are often built atop cliffs or in vast open plains, open to the sky and crowned by stone altars etched with ancient laws.
To invoke Zharos is to call upon the strength of kings and the will of the earth. He is not quick to act—but once roused, his fury is as righteous as a wildfire and as enduring as the mountains.
Divine Domains
Lions, War
