Anaphiel, God of Will

The god responsible for the people's free will and determination to their goals. Under his purview, the people are given their divine right to believe and think as they see fit. Of the gods, Anaphiel is the least-worshipped of the core three due to the encouragement from him to challenge the status quo and push envelopes with their belief. The Garland Empire has often sought to crush and burn his texts and epitaphs so as to wipe him from history's eye. As a result, the believers in Anaphiel no longer use books or other texts - instead, they share a communal bond with him and each other that allows them to never forget and to continue worshiping in a way that continues to make him proud.
Of the three gods, Anaphiel has always been the one most closely involved with those who believe in him - pushing them and urging them to continue enforcing the freedom of their will. The Empire will not discuss the truth that there is a shadow war between a sect of believers acting on Anaphiel's behalf and the Empire at large to change their ways in order to allow the people to believe and think freely - despite their unwillingness to speak of it, the people know if from no other method than seeing it with their own eyes.

Divine Domains

Chaos, Community, Glory, Good, Knowledge, Liberation
Subdomains
Cooperation, Education, Honor, Legend, Friendship, Education, Memory, Freedom, Revolution, Self-Realization

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Formerly a pair of cupped hands around a shouting mouth, now a book being burned while a hand grips it.

Tenets of Faith

Speak Your Mind: There are those who might silence you and your truths. You must speak even through the tyranny, even if it means cutting them down and risking yourself.
Oppress None: Oppression forwards nothing, instead taking the progress that has been made by your forefathers and undoing it as if it were never progress. While not all deserve freedom, all deserve rights above all else.
Knowledge is Power, Cherish It: Though your books may be burned and your texts destroyed, you must retain the knowledge you can and teach it to those about you - what cannot be remembered clearly must be savored in some way, even if it is muddied by another truth or knowledge.
The Law is Not Law: In time, laws will come about that present a troublesome conundrum in the way of things - you may speak, but only when it aligns with their belief. In these times you must say, and do, what is needed in order to let the truth come to light. This may hurt others, and it may bring peril to yourself, but it is your divine right to speak as you must and your duty to say what must be said.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Anaphiel's one and only goal is to push mortals towards a world in which no sentient creatures are oppressed, and instead embraced for all of their differences and uniqueness.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Anaphiel's story is long-told and often exaggerated because of the nature of his followers' methods. Their stories are spread by word of mouth which often leads to the over exaggeration of many facets of his tale. But, there does exist a single recorded instance of his real story within the depths of the Gardland library. Or, at least, it's the most accurate recollection of his tale. 
Before the first pen hit paper, and the Empire was nothing more than a twinkle in the eye of the first Andrezi Gardland's eye, there was a man who toiled fruitlessly in his fields in the hopes that he could turn desolate ground into fruitful farms. Day in and day out, no matter the weather or how tired his arms were by the time his head hit the pillow, he toiled at those fields until he simply could not anymore. And as his hoe hit the ground, and he finally gave his last efforts to the fields of dead ground that lay before him, a single sprout rose from the ground before his very eyes. Camael had seen his efforts - she must be proud of him. So, with only that one sprout to sustain him as he starved and withered, he toiled once more at his fields. As the moons turned and passed, and harvest seasons came and went, he made progress with each turn of the moons. As harvest gave way to rest, a new sprout, and as rest ended and harvest began he collected his meager bounty. No matter the weather, no matter how tired his arms were by the time his head came to rest, he toiled and toiled at those fields. Finally, after years of his struggle, he was truly rewarded. His first real harvest came at the end of the fifth year of his turmoil. 
He ate well that eve. But, not all creatures were thrilled for his success. The bandits that had been eyeing his meager fields for a while decided it was time to seize what they saw as theirs. This man was a farmer and nothing more, so it was nothing more than a few strokes of the blade that felled him. Though they were merciless, Camael saw this and took mercy upon him. The final breath left his lungs and his eyes went dark; the bandits took their claim and feasted upon his meager fields, and as the last plant had its roots pulled from the ground his eyes opened once more. This time, they burned with divinity and the might of his will. His meager fields did not fight back, but the bandits discovered their hate for one another in those moments. 
As the man rose, now crowned Anaphiel by his Mother's power, the bandits slaughtered one another in His name because of the rage swelling in their hearts and souls. As he ascended towards the Bellowing Summit, human and beastmen alike found their wills. Rage swelled in tune with greed, and the first war broke out before there was even a soul to record it. 
A meager farmer found his home atop the Summit, now crowned divine.

Gender Identity

While Anaphiel presents as a male in most cases, his true gender is fluid. From androgyny to idealized femininity he will show himself, and be comfortable, in whatever form he takes. His 'most' comfortable self is as a man, and that is the form he takes most often.

Sexuality

Anaphiel is far from a sexual creature, and will only perform such acts when he genuinely attempts to reproduce - in those cases, he is indifferent towards gender or species.

Intellectual Characteristics

Anaphiel is by far the most wise of the three Divine, despite Camael having eons of age over him. Because of his life's path, he was never graced with the opportunity for a formal education but he instead was allowed to live with the wisdom of the land. His life experiences from birth to unfortunate death are what shaped him into immortality. Despite his life being spent toiling farmlands and doing his best to avoid trouble, his wisdom could only go so far into his ascension. That lapse of judgement that unleashed the first, and most bloody, war onto the planet is what he considers his greatest failure. For all his wisdoms, he allowed rage to guide him for any amount of time. Since then, Anaphiel has resorted to violence on when it's completely necessary.

Morality & Philosophy

Anaphiel is the most 'good' of the three Divine. However, he does not abide by laws unless they suit his plans; he encourages his followers to take this same belief of 'lawlessness' for the sake of the greater good. Laws can oppress, but allowing all creatures their free will can never do so. Camael has often criticized him for inciting chaos and anarchy when it is unneeded, yet every time he has done so it has always been better for the people than if he had obeyed her wishes and thoughts. By far the most in tune with the people, Anaphiel seeks to enable all creatures - men and beastmen alike -  to act upon their will freely so long as it does not hurt another creature mindlessly. He has always preferred the written art of keeping tales, as you can't lose them that way, but because of the Empire's desire to keep anything that they don't like under wraps he has been forced to adopt the ideology of spreading tale and teachings by word of mouth and in small gatherings. He believes that when there must be war, it should be fought in a way that ends it quickly - even if that means demoralizing and degrading the opposing force to do it faster. He is stalwart in his belief that children and the elderly are not part of any war, nor are innocents. If an attack is to be performed, it will never include those parties.

Personality Characteristics

Virtues & Personality perks

Very little is known about Anaphiel, and because of this his virtues, likes, dislikes, etc. are completely unknown beyond mere myths and rumors that spread as a wild accord of the records from people who have been graved with his presence. Of the few things known about him, his minimalism is well-documented and known between the many followers of him. When he appears, he appears in little more than rags and tatters.

Social

Mannerisms

A man reaches up with a rusted pan that has but a scant few coins clinking against its edges. As he rattles it, clearly asking for a few mere copper pieces in order to purchase himself a mere loaf of bread in order to provide himself with at least some food for the day. It is clear that will be his only meal for the day, perhaps even the next few days, and he needs to make it count. As you take a look down at him, you see that his straits are worse than you could have ever imagined - his hair is matted with dirt, blood, and other muds that seem to cake into it and stick it to his head and face. His eyes are sunken and downtrodden, unable to even manage a glance at you to give you so much as a thank you. His body is skinny, little more than skin and bone. His ribs are visible through the skin, his spine is as well, and everywhere you look you can see bone against skin. As you drop a coin in, the tatters of his clothes shift when he looks up and his eyes stare deep into yours - a soft golden glow thanks you and you blink instinctively.
The man is gone, and your coins are returned to you. You feel warm, as if divinity has graced you.

Divine Classification

God

Religions

• The Holy Empire

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Current Location

The Bellowing Summit

Realm

The Upper Reaches

Church/Cult

The Holy Empire

Gender

Male

Eyes

Glowing golden eyes that seem to read you even when you hide your deepest self.

Hair

Short, sheen grey.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Dark obsidian, nearing on the black of the night sky.

Height

6'11"