The All-Witness
Truth. Many people believe there is only one type of truth. The objective true. Fact. Law. Supposedly immutable. However, that is not the case. Subjective truth exists. Truth from each person's point of view. Everyone has it and it drives us to act in correspondence with those truths. That is our right but it must not be forgotten that if we act against others for our truth, so others act against us for the same.
The All-Witness, also known as: Listener-And-Speaker, The Beacon of Truth, The Investigator, and Truth-And-Consequence, is the deity of Truth, Fairness, and Vengeance. They are one of the most widespread gods and a member of the Adventuring Seven. Their portfolio includes: subjective vs. objective truth, fair treatment of others, and karmic retribution. They mainly reside in either the Endless City of Archaon, Mien Su's Spire in Iekon, or the Great Library of Nistra.
Divine Domains
The All-Witness's major domain is that of Truth. They and their followers recognize two types: Objective and Subjective. The former is also known as hard truth or law, supported by facts, evidence, and more. These are usually seen as immutable even though they can be disproven such as mathematic or scientific laws or theories. Subjective truth is the opinion of an individual that they believe is true from their interpretations, even if they are lying to themselves. There is also a subcategory of both that They and Their followers consider "ideals". It is either an attainable and well-understood goal for hard truths, or an impossible or unknown in terms of attainability goal that is still objectively good for soft truths. The followers of The All-Witness teach people the difference and discuss both to help them come to terms with them or change them.
The next major domain is Equity and Fairness. Each person can have the ability but not all have the environment or tools to make it happen. As a result, The All-Witness's followers provide services that give both to those who need it. They also fight for the rights of those who have been discriminated against since all are equal in Their eyes and their followers. To some, that means using political or even martial means.
Vengeance is the last major domain and the strangest for non-believers to understand. The All-Witness doesn't push others to seek vengeance. however, They and Their followers recognize that people have their own subjective truths that push them to act against their own injustice. As a result, they are welcome to do so but accept this will invite retribution back onto them, completing the cycle.
Artifacts
The Eyes of Truth are a pair of glasses that allow someone to pierce through illusions and falsehoods. They can also see through lies and half-truths in written form. Those who deal with Devils are always looking for something to mimic this artifact. It is said The All-Witness has used these glasses in Their own deals with any entity for knowledge to make sure no one tries to pull something over on Them.
The Amulet of Vengeance is an artifact made for The Unbound when He charged the army of Devils during The Blood War. It is said that each blow landed on Him was returned tenfold. The artifact was given back to The All-Witness after the campaign ended. Shards of it can be found by adventurers with other powerful qualities as well.
Holy Books & Codes
The Tome of Revelations is one of three books in The All-Witness's faith. This tome focuses on the perspective of truth in religion and Their faith. Often, the different variations talk about stories or myth spread in the various cultures about the All-Witness and what is believed versus what is. It talks about what role objective and subjective truth serve in life and the role of Their priests in helping followers ponder and question and even how to question their faiths.
The Equity Book tells how to treat others fairly. it is often specific to each culture, calling out discriminations that are common each society and how to combat them. It also teaches about how all are equal in the views of the gods and equal in death especially, even for those that fight against the final end for all mortals.
Varied Vengeance is summarized as a tome on how best to take revenge but that is farthest from the truth. It teaches priests how to help people process the emotions that drive people to vengeance. And how to aim that vengeance if they can't let it go to hurt the least amount of innocent people.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Like other members of The Adventuring Seven, The All-Witness has multiple symbols to personify Them and mark Their followers. For Truth, it is an eye, usually an open one on top of that. Another is balanced scales to symbolize equality and fairness they strive for. And for vengeance and Karma, it is an endless knot, forming the never-ending cycle of vengeance.
Tenets of Faith
- Do not try to show subjective truth as objective truth or vice versa
- Ensure equality and fairness for all
- If you pursue vengeance, be prepared for others to seek vengeance onto you
Divine Goals & Aspirations
It is hard to truly figure out the goals of The All-Witness, even amongst Their followers. Some believe They wish to learn all they can and sort the different truths of the universe. Others believe They are trying to achieve equality for all people through different means across every world. Whatever the truth is, They leave it to others to learn and interpret for themselves.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
The All-Witness routinely picks a form that best fits Their situation. usually to blend in or avoid notice as They search for knowledge or observe others. The only trait consistent across all Their forms is a white-blue glow of Their eyes.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The All-Witness was born in the gap between the disappearance of the Eternals and the rise of The Infinite Planes. They found Themselves fluctating between Iekon and Archaon, never sure about where they would stay and learn until they found the plane of Nistra. As a result, they were able to avoid The Blood War in its entirety. However, that didn't stop Them from aiding The Unbound by giving Him the Amulet of Vengeance. They weren't surprised when They and The Unbound were both punished for The Unbound's campaign against the Devils. The All-Witness was pushed to share Their herald to watch over the God of Freedom.
They accepted it because that was the natural outcome of Their actions. Of course, They allowed Their heralds and allies to join in The War for Avestra. It wasn't long after the war They departed from Nistra, perhaps to discover more about the X'ith'ila and Outer Ones. Or something else has caught Their eye. Regardless, from time to time, they make their way back to the three realms they favor, to share and discuss what they've learned before heading out once again.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Divine Allies
The Unbound and The All-Witness are an alliance few ever expected if not for their connection to justice and their unexpected partnership during The Blood War which allowed the war to end in Good's survival. Their followers however see their partnership as absolute sense. The two sects often work together in the pursuit of justice or to curtail the destructive fire of vengeance. Unbound often have Witness followers as advisors or the followers of the Witness are goaded into pursuing justice. Their greatest alliance is when they both see the inequalities of society and work together to fix it, first through pacifistic means but the moment their protests are met with hostility, the two sects show exactly why their gods are ones not to be spurned.
The Raven Queen and The All-Witness have a partnership based on the truth of divinations and the equality of fate and death. The All-Witness has been called to Her side or visited to discern the truths of what She learns from divinations. Ravenites follow a similar process but also call on followers of The All-Witness to help people through death, either their own or anyone they're close to. Additionally, Ravenites have a keen interest in dealing with inequalities as their goddess does hold the portfolio of Unity. And when the people who handle the dead start to push for greater equality, the powers that be are keen to listen if they wish to avoid the rise of undead.
The Exchange and The All-Witness both believe in a fair deal so it makes sense their followers would believe the same. Followers of both keep a keen eye on the merchant trade and economics in general, especially when it comes to the rights of workers. The Exchange followers are keen to make every deal equal and The All-Witness's feel much the same. It often aggravates guilds and merchants when they attempt to raise prices or pay workers less than they think they deserve.
Heralds
The Watcher on the Edge is a herald shared by both The All-Witness and The Unbound. She watches the latter but for the former, she is performing investigations to learn more. Her inquisitive nature makes her quite the investigator despite her lack of social graces. Many investigators who follow The All-Witness have been inspired by her, forming their own organization or practices known as Watchers. She finds them rather amusing and keeps an eye on them from time to time.
The Vengeful is an Ethereal created by The Ethera's subconscious drive for vengeance. At first, it lashed out at all who wronged others, seeing into the minds of all mortals. However, The All-Witness opened its mind and quieted the drive within its very being. It wants to achieve vengeance but it does so through others and doesn't always to jump to violence as a result. Followers of the All-Witness who seek justice or vengeance commune with this Herald to point them in the right direction or temper their own drive. It's also common for the Vengeful to seek out those wronged and whisper to them, teaching them how to seek vengeance in the right way that will not destroy them.
Other Allies
The All-Witness doesn't have many true allies amongst mortalkind. They are too enigmatic for non-followers to truly have a group of. Many followers are investigators, enforcers of the law, or activists. Other followers include those of scholarly pursuits such as professors or arcane matters. The Watchers is the main group of non-followers outside The Adventurers' Guild that could be considered Their ally. The "organization" works to uncover the truth as investigators of any subject but they especially focus on the occult, specifically related to Aberrations.
Amongst Eternals, there aren't many who have an affinity with The All-Witness. Those that do are vengeance seekers or those who seek greater understanding of the universe they recently returned to. Eternals who seek vengeance are often adoptive parents, driven to this by the loss of their words. Many who felt that way joined in the attempt to establish the Eternal Empire. Most Eternals who end up that way usually return to Aeternum to recover from their grief.
Enemies
Most enemies of The All-Witness are those who twist the truth for their own purposes. Fey and Fiends both find themselves on that side, the Fey for their mischievous ways and Fiends for the sake of either new subordinates or for cruelty's sake. The Watcher and the Vengeful alike have dealt with both for their own goals, disrupting their schemes or revealing them to others.
The Orzin Cabal are the main group of gods that The All-Witness has a problem with. For the Orzin push their followers to take truth and knowledge and hide it from others, even though inevitably, it will make its way back into the world again. It should be no surprise that the traitor god Madun often has followers who also worship The All-Witness.
Hobbies & Pets
The All-Witness often searches libraries for subjects They're researching, even heading to mortal ones when the libraries of the Infinite Planes don't have the information they need. There have stories of libraries closed for the night and the librarian returns in the morning to find the God of Truth sitting at a table with stacks of books that they're still reading through. It's an amusing but also terrifying sight. Especially with the large owl that follows Them around and reads books themselves, either in the form of an owl or even turning into a form similar to an O'rei'i.
The truth can help but harm: A warning about the truth. Sometimes the lie one tells themself is better than the truth because their minds can't handle what they learn.
What's fair isn't what's right: Fairness requires tough choices to be made and sometimes being treated fairly doesn't feel great. Sometimes that means the same pay for the same skill, sometimes the sentences regardless of circumstance. But each will reach the same endpoint even from different starting places.
Vengeance brings relief but also pain: Sometimes revenge brings the greatest satisfaction when one gets back at those that wrong them. However, that opens them up to someone else doing the same to them. It is meant to convince someone to either give up their quest for vengeance or accept what their final fate will be when they gain vengeance.
Pathfinder 2e Stats
Areas of Concern truth, fairness,
Edict make others realize the weight of their acts, expose and root out malicious lies, pursue fairness for all, pursue your personal truth
Anathema spread a falsehood as truth knowingly, refuse to accept the consequences for your actions, be a bigot
Divine Attribute Intelligence or Wisdom
Religious Symbol An open eye
Sacred Animal owl
Sacred Colors gray, white
Devotee Benefits
Cleric Spells 1st: mindlink, 3rd: hypercognition, 7th: retrocognition
Divine Font harm or heal
Divine Sanctification can choose holy or unholy
Divine Skill Society
Domains truth, knowledge, introspection
Alternate Domains glyph, duty, vigil
Favored Weapon longsword
Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Stats
Domain Knowledge, Order
Homeland Archaon, Iekon, Nistra
Pantheon The Seven
Symbol An open eye
Typical Worshippers Investigators, Guards, Scholars, Activists
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