Children of Athos

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When it comes to the Selefer the Children of Athos were the most feared. Not only did the most powerful Selefer priests belong to this group, they are also believed to have had extraordinary elemental powers. They claimed they had become one with the sun and their god. And who can blame them for making others believe that given their complete immunity to fire.

— High Sage Syronikir

Children of Athos , or children of the Sun, was an organisation of the Selefer existing mainly out of the most devoted followers to their main god, Athos. The few historic records that can be found about the Selefer tell us that the Children of Athos were the ruling class of this race.
The base for their power is believed to be their superior skill in pyromancy. According to the myths this was thanks to their union with their god and the Elemental Fire Realm. If the Selefer murals and their writings are to be believed, these Children of Athos even had the ability to become completely immune to fire.

Children of Athos Symbol by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

History

Of course I did not meet any Selefer first hand. When I was born our people were already forced underground by them many centuries earlier. But we did have many stories about them, and in them the Children of Athos were the most vile of all the Selefer.
I was never really a religious person but killing our god, and first ruler, is something no Gnome can ever forgive them.

— Yamaderis

by Wizards of the Coast, magic the gathering

Origin

Since there are few records dating back to the time of the Selefer, there is also not a lot known about the Children of Athos themselves. There is no indication when the worship of Athos started but historians believe that this must have been quite early in their history. The Children of Athos are therefore assumed to have existed in the beginning of the Selefer empire at least to some degree.

Rise to Power

Some of the murals found in ruins suggest that Children of Athos were at some point granted the control over fire by their god. It is believed that this was the start of their control over Selefer society. After this event they seem to have changed in form from regular Selefer to fiery snake creatures.

Wars

Some of the abilities of the Children of Athos are however verified in other historic records. Most of these accounts are about wars with the Selefer. According to draconic accounts they were fierce in battle and able to wield powerful fire magic. Some accounts even hint that they were able to create portals directly to the Fire Realm.
The Gnomes even claim that they killed one of their gods, Tanajin, together with his Divine Golem, in a large battle near the Silent Forest. Although it is not certain if this is completly true, the surviving Gnomes of a large battle around that area did form the Underground Gnome Empire later on.
The last account of the Selefer and the Children of Athos dates back to the battles in the Volker region. They do not appear in historic records after the cataclysmic event that occurred there.

Children of Athos

Organisation

Not everything is known about how the Children of Athos organisation functioned. Historians have , however, been able to identify the process of ascending in rank within the organisation.
The lower tier of the Children of Athos consisted mainly out of regular priests without any significant power. Their main function seems to have been only to overlook religious ceremonies.
At some point it is assumed that a priest could climb in rank. When this occured they typically participated in a ritual in honour of their god. From the depiction on Selefer murals historians believe that a sacrifice was placed on an altar first. The priest would then put a flaming knife in the chest of the sacrifice causing fiery snakes to engulf the priest. Once the ritual was complete the priest would have become a Fire Selefer and be allowed to advance in ranks within the organisation.

Powers

Many of the powers the Selefer wielded will probably remain unknown. But some of these powers had been described in historic records. According to myth the receive this knowledge from Athos, a gigantic fiery snake god whose true home and birthplace was the sun itself before being chased away by the other gods.
Most commonly known is the power of the Fire Selefer to be able to withstand extreme hot temperatures, even being able to deal with lava. Another seems power to have been the ability to use advanced fire magic without much effort, a feat which even advanced casters can't always match.
The most important power, and also the one many historians are hesitant to take as fact, is of course the ability to open portal to the Fire Realm.

Fire Selefer by Wizards of the Coast, Monster Manual

Legacy

Even though they are gone for a long time, the Children of Athos have left a lasting legacy. Much of their magical knowledge was adapted by the Avaronians who came after them who in their turn influenced the current Elven nations. Many blame them for several cataclysms which created the places like the Silent Forest and perhaps even the Volker Desert and the Arkash Volcanoes.
Alas their knowledge of Chaos magic was also adopted by those who came after. Although this type of magic is forbidden it is still practiced by some, bringing a lot of harm to the world in the process.