Avatars

The original travelers to Mon Cadeau from the mainland were largely Christian or Muslim, given their involvement in the Crusades. A large percentage of the current inhabitants still are. However, a new religion formed in the years following their ancestors' arrival: that of worshiping elemental deities (to be named later). Each element is tied to a school of magic, which is in turn tied to an individual's primary humor. Anyone can worship a deity, but this religion is by far the most common among mages. Master Mages are often deeply religious and view themselves as a deity's Avatar once they have achieved mastery. The first deity to be venerated was Terra, the god of the earth. While some people just gave thanks for the land beneath their feet, others literally worshiped it. Terra is often depicted in art as an enormous tree with a forest on his head. Earth is the element of Altemages, whose abilities include transformation of physical matter. Altemages typically wear green and silver as a tribute to Terra. Following the Path of Terra allows an Altemage to achieve mastery of the school of Alteration and potentially become an Avatar. The next deity was Aqua, the goddess of water. Since Mon Cadeau is an island, with limited entrances and exits, the people quickly learned how to work the ocean, developing a dependence on the fishing industry. Aqua is normally portrayed as a beautiful woman rising from the ocean clad in seaweed. Water is the element of Conjumages, whose abilities take many forms, as does water in its different states. Conjumages wear blue and white, the colors of Aqua. The goddess frowns upon Necromancy, a highly specialized form of Conjuration. Following Aqua came Ventus, the god of air. Air cannot be seen but is essential to survival. Likewise, Illusomages and other followers of Ventus believe that illusions are necessary for survival and for harmony among people. Similarly, air can be deceiving; it can make a place colder or contain harmful elements, just as illusion deceives the senses and disguises something or someone's true nature. Ventus is depicted as a man with the head and wings of an eagle rising from a torrent of wind. Unlike Aqua, Ventus smiles upon Illusomages who master the art of Enchantment, which involves distorting another person's mind rather than just their senses. Illusomages often wear shades of yellow and sometimes black, representing the light and darkness inherent in the element of air. The last major deity is Ignis, the goddess of fire. Fire is the element of both destruction and life, just as Evomages can use their abilities to destroy or to heal. There are two popular images of Ignis, one of a woman standing in fire, and another of a woman made of fire. Sometimes she is depicted holding a weapon, such as a sword or a staff, as some Evomages choose to channel energy through objects. Evomages usually wear red and gold. There is one more god, Inanis, who has a very small following even among mages. They are the god of Aether and the object of many Divinamages' devotion. Divinamages are the smallest school of magic; many do not believe in the legitimacy of the school. Divinamages can discern truth, just as Aether refers to supernatural phenomena. Inanis is depicted as either a faceless or an androgynous figure cloaked in purple; Divinamages wear purple as tribute. Divinamages are typically the most spiritual of all mages, and few have become Avatars.