Ko'suth is a god of battle, victory, athleticism and adversity. He is venerated by career soldiers, gladiators and adventurers who value martial prowess or battling for sport. To Ko'suth's war-priests, every bested foe, broken weapon or grievous wound is a tribute to their god and testament to their faith.
Despite his honorable nature, Ko'suth's lust for battle has historically put him at odds with
Beryllian, whose priests consider combat a last resort.
Followers of Ko'suth typically hold to these tenets:
Might. Life itself is a struggle, an everlasting battle, and like any battle, the strongest side wins.
Equality. It is not what we are that defines us, but what we can become.
Fairness. A stolen victory is no victory at all.
Description
Ko'suth is traditionally depicted as a goliath wielding a longspear, occasionally astride his white lion companion, Nemea.
Holy Sites
Most gladiatorial rings or fighting pits double as a sort of temple to Ko'suth. The god of battle has also created two sacred sites, offering power to those bold enough to earn it.
The Blessed Forge
Created in time immemorial, the Blessed Forge is a beacon of light to the worthy in need of aid. In times of yore, a hero intent on proving themselves by honorable combat against vicious foes would make pilgrimage to the Blessed Forge and ask of its master a weapon with which to defeat their enemies. From this forge a noble knight could draw the perfect sword for slaying dragons, or a warlord could sculpt a mighty helm to strike fear into the heart of even the most wicked of evils. In times of need and with intend for battle, invaluable weapons could be found here.
Sometime in the second age, a foul
Vrunic cult of
The Red God murdered the forge's master and corrupted it into the Forge of Souls. During this time, the forge would create weaponry only after an unwilling, sentient sacrifice was offered, and the weapons crafted from their tortured souls are said to be destined for tremendous evil, to the last blade.
In 304 s.a, Selkie, a powerful champion of
D'haar, went to great lengths to purify the forge and lost her life in the process. Grateful, the God of Battle restored Selkie to life, gifted her his own shield from his arm and anointed her as the new Master of the Forge.
Imperium
Among the more well-known divine creations, Imperium is an archipelago of four islands off the coast of Redcliffe which were raised from the sea by Ko'suth himself as a challenge to any who consider themselves worthy. Since its inception, Imperium has gathered notoriety among Ko'suth's followers and a small population of warriors has sprung up on the archipelago, centered around the central and largest isle.
Travel to Imperium is itself a risky endeavor, but the challenges only grow beyond landfall. Those who make pilgrimage to Ko'suth's isles of battle are pitted against one merciless challenge after another, until they either earn the god's favour or fall in battle.
Ko'suth himself is said to sit upon a throne on the largest isle, Prime Imperium. This island holds the god's greatest challenges--mighty dragons of stone, winds that peel skin from bone and the god's own Saints searching for honorable battles. Accessing Prime Imperium requires a sponsor, one who has survived Prime Imperium themselves and who is willing to risk their reputation before Ko'suth themselves, on a new Champion.
Saints
By their nature, followers of Ko'suth are driven to battle and heroic deeds. It is unsurprising then that Ko'suths Saints are often painted in the dramatic light of near-impossible feats of strength and glory.
Yoril, Champion of the Nine
Confident and highly disciplined, Yoril was a human prior to his ascension. Yoril rarely used the same weapon twice, though he tended to prefer light weaponry. Shortly after his debut at the
Highmountain Arena, Yoril earned the title of Champion marking him as the greatest warrior in the province. Already bored of the competition, he challenged the nine next greatest warriors to a nine-on-one melee and quickly earned Ko'suth's favour.
Gul'thok the Ursine
A hulk, even by goliath standards, Gul'thok hailed from the hill tribes of Meridon and visited every fighting ring he could as a matter of course, and was well-known for wielding a hefty two-handed axe--one in each hand. When the goliath's weapons failed him, he was known to take on the form of a monstrous bear and ravage his opponent. Several of his foes were taken from the arena in pieces
Minerva, the Copperhead
Unique among Ko'suth's followers for her serene and formal demeanor, Minerva is a copper dragon who often takes the form of an elf or human woman clad in copper-coloured silks. Equally unusual among the ranks of decorated, glorified Saints of Battle, the details of the Copperhead's ascension are entirely mysterious.
