| Title |
Alignment |
Weapon |
Portfolio |
| The Neverempty |
CG |
Fists |
Brawling, Drinking, Night |
The Church of Esters
Find yourself a cup, friend! // Come in and caw. // But throw a punch down and // expect the claw.
Esterite Drinking Song # 52
The church of Esters might well be the most jovial group of people on all of
Enos. Formed shortly after the god's famed ascension in 1327QE, it is made up of all those that seek merriment, a good fight, and sweaty entertainment during the twilight hours. There are those that worship Esters as a martial master of mind and body in monastic temples across the planes. Others worship The Neverempty as a god of merriment found at the bottom of a stout's glass. Still others see him as a guardian of the night and protector of the far reaches of civilization bordering the wilds.
Regardless of what aspect is worshiped, Esterites are found scattered throughout communities, as they have no centralized church. Their monasteries are as close as the church gets to shrines, but they are often focused on the development of the individual rather than the clergy writ large. People in the church are usually the jovial sort, but there are those stoics that find a way to philosophize about the inner joy of taking a punch with a fat-but-stiff upper lip.
The Ascension Story
Esters began his life under another name. While that name is lost to time, historical records show that he was a farmer not at all unaccustomed to defending his land from every sort of creature - be they beast, humanoid, or stranger still.
Fittlingly, The Neverempty's journey to becoming a werebear happened entirely by accident. Stories tell that the destined god was out after a wild night drinking and stumbled into the domain of a local hermitic figure. How it happened is unknown as the stories vary wildly, but the farmer that would be known as Esters wrestled that hermit, learning only mid-fight that the creature he was engaged with was far more bear than simple mortal. After his first shift during the next Mortalic Wake, Esters was rejected from his community, not because of the danger he posed as a werebear, but because his parties while a bear often resulted in excessive property damage amid the ruckus and revelry.
After his expulsion, he wandered about Enos making a name for himself, mostly for winning drinking bets of increasing unlikelihood. He never lost love for his community though, and when he heard tales of movement of an invading force that was projected to storm straight through his old home of Nors Val in what is now Pran,
Arnast, he found his way back across the sands to make his stand.
The werebear Esters then ascended to godhood after drinking the most potent brew ever known to man before single-handedly killing the entire army of Ephistian invaders with only his claws.
Holidays
Brawling Day. This day, Tertia 27, marks the day of Esters' apotheosis. Werecreatures of all sorts find themselves freed of their compulsions and inhibitions on this night each year, hidden by the will of their patron. Some choose bloodlust, but most choose the sort of activities Esters favored in life. Should this holiday occur during a Mortalic Wake, the result is a Mortalic Midnight - one of the most dangerous nights Enos ever sees. Beasts of all sorts exposed to the open sky gain strength and sentience, and stumble about in drunken fits of violent playfulness that seem far more like rage to any unlucky enough to be caught in the wild spaces.
Traditional Dress
The dress of those Esterites that choose to show their faith varies widely. Most eschew shirts, some do away with any form of clothing. Other still prefer the comfort and warmth of homespun, comfortable things. Those of a martial bent favor ornately decorated leather handwraps, and many choose to grow their nails long, some even filing them into wickedly-sharp claws good for both playing the lute and shredding invaders.
Aphorisms
Fists Up, Heart Open. It is a good idea to be guarded against all things, but do not forget yourself and close your heart or home to others in the process.
May the Darkness Fill You. While usually implying "with child" at the end, this saying, originally meant as a fertility blessing, has taken on a more general meaning to wish someone an eventful night.
