Avion

Without Representation

Avion is among the few Gods who predated ascension and is not represented by any race nor bound by culture. Since they are unassociated, they have few allies or enemies. The Church of Avion is rare and Avion's teachings have been lost to the ages, their support dwindles as the decades pass. While essential to natural law, Avion does not wish to be worshipped or recognized. Avion is often criticized by the other Gods for directly interfering with the material plane to evoke or inspire change. He has been tied to consequence as a theme since he has punished countless mortal men and women for defying his wishes. Strangely Avion is without form, though he adopted the form of an Aasimar to represent him on the material plane. He will change forms at will to hide his identity when interfering with mortal affairs, but will not punish anyone who disobeys him unless they were told of his identity. Avion's priests can confer with him directly and act as agents of his will.
The Church of Avion only has one location, a decrepit temple at the center of Avion's Crater that lies in the lake Southwest of Alkhadra (Pochet Khi). The Church acts as a center to the town of Avia, a farm town that uses the rich soil of the crater for food and expansive docks to import and export. It is a modest and unremarkable town but holds some of the most promising scholars of the material plane. There is no traditional school here, but it has become a notorious destination for retired or individual practicians who need privacy and many recourses to further their progress. Countless priceless arts, fighting styles, documents, inventions, spells, artifacts, and specialized studies come from the small community of Avia, and the priests of Avion are highly respected. Avia has hardly any interaction or crime as the people there desire to be left alone, or to their small families, and pay for their land while distancing from their neighbors. There is no real government, as the land is governed by the Church of Avion, and that taxes are paid towards the upkeep of the church itself. Avion's personal protection keeps raiders from abusing the military void, though the priests are often called to action to defend.

To Create is Not to Own

In the beginning, Avion was one of two entities that formed the duality which governs the material plane. In their opposition there was reality, and Avion and Adikas birthed a plane of material from the elemental planes, each ruled by a respective deity that is said to have brought an element from the Abyss. The Abyss itself is not actual, but rather a detached realm in which all things unreal are kept. Little is known of the Abyss or its origin, though it is recognized as a storehouse for anything and everything which is not real, and cannot easily be proven. These deities were without opposition and merely brought with the element a plane in which it can be kept infinitely within the realm of reality. The material plane, formed from complex alterations of the most basic elements, was sewn with seeds of Avion and Adikas' energy, the very power of creation and reality through nothing more than thought and practice. The energy imbued into the material plane was later manipulated to cast spells by the Old Bloods, the first sentient creatures to walk the Strivus (Roots). Unfortunately, once the two creators had formed a universe they were bound to its laws. This limited their abilities, though they still hold boundless energy and the powers of creation and destruction. Avion is not considered by many of his followers to be the "owner" or "ruler" of the lands he created, merely an architect who should be worshipped for his vision. In contrast, Adikas' followers recognize that she has the right to destroy or manipulate what she created, and owes nothing to anyone. They believe that she should be the "ruler" of the material plane. Adikas never condoned these actions but differs from Avion in that she believes deities have no place interfering with the material plane themselves. Avion's followers only came to the conclusion that he is a shepherd because he preached this to his priests, and if he had not involved himself they would likely follow the same thinking as the Church of Fyre (Adikas' Church).

The Church of Avion

Of the church hierarchies and schools of thought, Avion's is one of the simplest to understand. There are only three noteworthy positions in the church. First are Followers, which denotes any person of any class who agrees with his teachings. This applies to anyone who claims such, meaning anyone who claims that they are a Follower is recognized in the church as such. The second is Divines, those who live in or near the church and dedicate their lives to Avion's vision. They see Avion's will as an extension of their own as they agree with his teachings, and appreciate that there is a wisdom beyond their comprehension in each request they are given. Finally, there are Priests. These are Divines who Avion speaks with directly, usually, after they complete numerous requests passed on from the previous Priests and those Priests can no longer perform their duties. Sometimes they are simply chosen, and this decision is respected among the Divines and Priests. There are also Priests appointed by the current Priests after they recommend a Divine to join committee to Avion and he gives them his blessing. These are called Priests of Choice. Avion will give these Priests direct orders at random, and meets with all of the Priests in his Church each month during the aforementioned ceremony of "committee". The school of thought that Avion teaches is strangely unaligned with traditional wisdom, and with both consequentialism and moral absolutism. He explains that Good and Evil are not facts or action or thought, but instead a duality. One cannot exist without the other, and in every act of evil, there is just as much good. Nothing is truly gained or lost. Life does not have any inherent value, so unless an individual decides to value the life they should not despair when it is lost or fear to slay it. The body returns to the Earth, and nothing is truly lost.

Commonly Recited Quotes of the Church:

"Suffering is a blessing granted alongside life, for when you suffer you are reminded you had the privilege of being given something to lose."
"Theory is only strong when it is birthed from observed truth. When the observation changes, the theory too must change."
"Good and evil are not facts of life, they are forces which balance one another. In genocide, the victors flourish and enjoy ignorant bliss, and there are more recourses for the well-being and safety of the remaining masses."
"The villain is not he who stands against a protector. If the protection wrongs them, they are right to defend themselves. The prosperity of being protected is not necessarily goodness, one man's safety comes at the cost of another’s."
"Selfishness and greed can be admirable, to do right by yourself and dispel the pointlessness of an empty life. But above all, to validate the efforts of those who have cared for you."
"Those who know not but altruism are only admirable when they acknowledge that what they are doing does not make them better, but rather a successful follower of their own beliefs."
"The wisest, strongest, richest, most influential of men is worth no more than the feeblest, most foolish, poorest, and most helpless peasant. It is not because they are equal, the difference is undeniable. It is instead because nothing determines our value, and ultimately we serve the same fate."
"Forget where you came from and you will forget where you are going."

Divine Domains

Avion resides in a kingdom within the ethereal plane. He constructed it himself after being bound to natural law and named it the Yucra'vos (Fort of Solitude). The name was an ode to the fact that he had split ways with Adikas, and was now alone for the first time. Adikas and Avion are considered to be the rulers of this domain, though there is no written rule which states it.

Holy Books & Codes

There are two important Holy Books in the Church of Avion. The first is a compilation of quotes, teachings, and short stories recorded by the Priests that represent Avion's vision. It has been passed down for just over 10 generations when the Church was first founded and will continue to be passed down until it is destroyed. The first book ran out of pages, and Avion formed an artifact book titled the Grimith Sieve which could store the contents of any book inside of it. The book would be recorded in the "Table of Contents", and any book could be selected to change the text within the Grimith Sieve. The Sieve's shape matches that of the largest book in its collection so that no matter which book is selected, it can fit without altering the size or format of the original text. These books stored within the Grimith Sieve are labeled "Avion's Vision" and numbered I-III. The Grimith Sieve, which stores Avion's teachings, is not to be replicated or touched unless by a Priest. The second book is a "Lifebook", a story that followers of the Church of Avion read to help guide their decisions, or rather to help them decide what they believe is right. It poses countless questions and scenarios for the reader to decide what they would do and why. Reading the Lifebook multiple times a year is a common practice among followers.

Holidays

Avion's followers practice the Untilas Khat (Ultimate Reconsideration) at the beginning of each month (Three times a year). This holiday involves the followers relaxing from their work for two days and reading the Lifebook. The follower is tasked to identify the flaws in their beliefs and reconsider what they believe is right after learning from recent experiences. There is no pressure to change your view.

Divine Classification

Upper God

Realm

Ethereal Plane

Church/Cult

Church of Avion