Xaaris

Divine Rank: Greater Deity
Alternate Names: The lord of Knowledge, The Archivist

Primary Authority: Knowledge

Secondary Authorities: Learning, Wisdom, Magic, Libraries

Description:

Xaaris is the greater deity of knowledge, the great archivist, the librarian of the brass realms. It is his cause to collect all knowledge there is and make sure nothing is forgotten. He is also the patron deity of scholars and mages, and apart from Mephisto he is likely in possession of the greatest collection of arcane lore.

Xaaris never personally interacts with the mortal realms. He does not care for mortals, only for the knowledge they may hold. He acts through the Malaci, spirits of intellect and knowledge. He is their progenitor and ruler and they are his eyes and ears. All that they come to learn, so does he.

Followers:

Xaaris is worshiped by mages, scholars, clerics, researchers, historians and all professions that value and covet knowledge. The Church of xaaris is rather small compared to the cults of other, more relatable gods. His followers and priests follow differing paths in the pursuit of knowledge.

Moderates
Most priests of Xaaris tend to temples and shrines that are often closer to libraries than shrines. They collect new knowledge wherever they find it, record it, transcribe it and add it to their collection, so that it may aid the community someday. Their libraries often allow petitioners access to their archives for a price.

Puritans
The more extreme Priests of Xaaris value knowledge above all else, but they can be very pragmatic about this. These build vaults and fortresses to guard their Libraries, encode their knowledge and hoard it, not desiring to spread it but safeguard it. These custodians take care of a thousand dark secrets that would be dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands. They also go out of their way to collect and contain such knowledge if they learn of it being loose in the world.

Radicals
The most Radical of the clergy of Xaaris make it their purpose to learn more knowledge by going out of their way to outright create it. These individuals experiment with Alchemy, forbidden rituals and worse, to figure out more and more obscure and even dangerous information. They are also not above making sacrifices in the form of living test subjects or other morally questionable avenues of research.

Needless to say the individual branches of the church clash regularly and sometimes violently.

Clerical mandates:

Vow of Poverty
No unnecessary riches. No houses, no jewelry, no gold or gems unless it is to venerate the gods. If money is necessary to achieve a greater purpose, so be it, but never is material wealth the goal.
Vow of Chastity
Spouses, children and the pleasures of the flesh may bring uncertainty or temptation into the heart of the hammer of the gods. Clerics are thus not allowed them, and a cleric is expected to remain chaste.
Vow of Honor
Clerics are expected to behave themselves with honor. To keep their promises, to accept surrender from their enemies, to stand for the values of their god, until death if necessary.
Mandate of the archivist
Clerics of Xaaris must seek out, collect, preserve and spread knowledge. Organized knowledge is the highest value and the highest goal.
Mandate of Truth
Lying is forbidden, untruths may not stand. Deception must be uncovered in all places, at all times.

A depiction of Samedi

Appearance:

As a greater deity, Xaaris never shows himself. He is only ever described by his envoys or seen in dreams by his followers.