Azu (æ zu)

The Great Physician, The Artist’s Friend Azu

Patron of artists, craftsmen and physicians, Azu is a popular deity amongst the civilized peoples of Arda, and one of the first of the ascended deities.

Divine Domains

Arts, crafts, medicine

Holy Books & Codes

Art of Healing Art of Healing is a treatise on healing and healing philosophy. It contains herb lore, anatomy and other subjects related to healing the sick and injured. The book also contains much on Azurite teachings

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Rod wrapped in thyme

Tenets of Faith

Azu believes that a healer should heal whomever needs healing to the best of their ability. He believes that artists and craftsmen should be free to create. He acknowledges the need for them to earn their keep but believes that their creativity shouldn’t be fettered by political concerns. To Azu a strong individual should always try to resolve disputes through nonviolent means first, and that the wisest should lead.

Holidays

Winter Crafts Day; 29th of Divy—This holiday is celebrated by the local temples of Azu opening their doors to craftsmen to display their wares, and non-craftsmen to come in and see what is available.
Apothecary Day; 25th of Pagon— Celebrated in early summer when herbs are just beginning to ripen, and apothecaries out restocking their supplies.
Art Celebration; 5th of Goyag—Similar to Winter Crafts Day it is an opportunity for artists to show off their work.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Azu is a deity and therefore in splendid physical condition.

Body Features

Azu is typically depicted as a middle-aged man with brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in worn artisan’s clothes and an apron stained with many colors. He typically carries a rod wrapped in green sprigs of thyme.

Facial Features

Azu is almost always depicted as bald, with a thick brown goatee, and brown eyebrows.

Apparel & Accessories

He usually appears dressed in worn artisan’s clothes and an apron stained with many colors. He typically carries a rod wrapped in green sprigs of thyme.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Azu was a priest-king of one of the first human kingdoms. He rules wisely for many years and introduced many innovations. At one point a great threat appeared and he set forth to deal with it. It’s unknown the exact nature of this threat, though some believe it was the Tarrasque while others claim it was a plague of some sort. Regardless of the true nature of the threat, Azu succeeded in averting it, and saved not only his own kingdom, but the other primal kingdoms. He was never seen again on the mortal world.
It was shortly after the locust wars that miracles attributed to Azu were first manifested. The first was the spontaneous healing of Menes who claimed to have seen Azu while lying on his deathbed. However, it wasn’t until the settling of the New Kingdoms that the worship of Azu really caught on.

Accomplishments & Achievements

His accomplishments as a mortal occurred so long ago, that the details have been lost in the mists of time. As a deity he has not done much preferring to guide and shepherd the mortals rather than engage in the intrigue and politicking of the other deities.

Intellectual Characteristics

Azu has a sharp piercing intellect, and is always on the lookout for new information particularly when it comes to healing.

Morality & Philosophy

Azu believes that a healer should heal whomever needs healing to the best of their ability. He believes that artists and craftsmen should be free to create. He acknowledges the need for them to earn their keep but believes that their creativity shouldn’t be fettered by political concerns. To Azu a strong individual should always try to resolve disputes through nonviolent means first, and that the wisest should lead.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Azu seeks to advance knowledge particularly when it comes to healing or crafts. However, he does not eschew other types of knowledge. He also desires that new discoveries be shared as far and wide as possible.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

As befitting his status as patron of craftsmen and healers Azu is a talented craftsman with any craft and an extremely skilled healer, even without the use of magic. He lacks the interest and the talent to be a good politician, often coming out the worse for someone else’s machinations.

Likes & Dislikes

He loves well done craftwork and craftsmen who take pride in their art. He likes a well-ordered society and encourages his followers to encourage law and order. He dislikes artists forced to censor their art for political reasons, and he hates needless suffering.

Virtues & Personality perks

Azu is very straightforward not prone to being cryptic.

Vices & Personality flaws

Azu can be too trusting at times, while long experience has taught him not to take people or things at face value, he is quick to trust those who have not given him a reason not to trust them.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Azu is a relatively pacific deity preferring to negotiate rather than fight. However, he is not a pacifist and will fight when necessary. He is on good terms with Emku, Kauppa, and Laki. He is a friendly rival with Mudutu, who also is a patron of craftsmen, but the two have allied in the past against Asmodeus and Asbu. Vaalea views him as an adopted son, and while Azu is fond of Vaalea but doesn’t view her as a mother figure. In addition to Asmodeus and Asbu Azu is particularly an enemy of Mursu. While Azu prefers to avoid open confrontation when possible, he works behind the scenes to undermine Mursu’s influence whenever he can.
Servants Azu is served by a number of Archons (who serve him despite his being neutral and not good. He is also served by several saints.
Unique Servants
Alnaza the clean, saint of hygiene
Eanka the saint of weavers
Impftoff the plague fighter, saint of healers
Künstler the saint of painters
Lehm the saint of potters and those who work with clay

Social Aptitude

For all his dislike of politics Azu is a very open and gregarious individual. He tends to be everyone’s friend unless the individual in question has betrayed Azu or otherwise earned his distrust.

Divine Classification

Deity

Religions

• Church of Azu
• The House of Life

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Church/Cult

Church of Azu

Honorary & Occupational Titles

The Great Physician, The Artist’s Friend

Gender

Male

Eyes

Dark brown eyes

Hair

Brown, but bald, he does possess a goatee however.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Dusky