Arator

L ong after his passing, Arator was granted sainthood as a teacher of knowledge and Magic. Sages, seers, and wizards revere him as a patron saint, and pay respect to his memory, as do all who live by their knowledge and mental power. To many humans, Arator is the patron of the study of magic, and many libraries and wizard academies are built in his name. He is also seen as a patron of civilization, law, and invention.
To many humans, halflings, and dwarves, Arator was the hero who stole magic from the giants and spread it among the three races. He is the bringer of magic and grants his followers the means to understand it.
Arator was the tutor to Kusatta, the saint of secrets. Arator represents the opposite, that of learning, the free expression of ideas. Where his student encourages the hoarding of knowledge, Arator encourages his students to learn, plan, and understand that which they build. He also teaches that with understanding comes responsibility; magic is powerful, and too much power without the wisdom and sense to use it appropriately leads to ruin.

Depiction

Arator is portrayed frequently as an elderly human male with tan skin and a short, white beard, and wears the simple, hooded, brown robes of a monk. Though depictions vary across cultures, particularly the depictions of his robe, he is always imagined offering a burning brazier. To his adherents, this symbolizes his gift of magic through fire, and through fire comes civilization and order.

Tenets of Faith

Love magic for itself. Do not treat it just as a weapon to reshape the world to your will. True wisdom is knowing when not to use magic. Strive to use magic as your powers develop, for often the threat or promise of its use outstrips its actual performance. Magic is art, and those who wield it are privileged in the extreme. Conduct yourself humbly, not proudly, while being mindful of this. Use the art deftly and efficiently, not carelessly and recklessly. Seek always to learn and create new magic.
The blindness of mortals is the origin of all folly. Search for the truth in all things great and small and conceal nothing. Speak only the truth, for lies and misdirection, even for benign motives, are the root of all sorrow.
It is not wrong to use the knowledge that Arator gives to help yourself and your church, but caution should be used in furthering the goals of others as part of their agenda may be hidden. Seek for the hidden motive before you act, and damage not the whole of the realm in which you live out your mortal life.
Seek the perfection of your mind by bringing reason, perception, and emotion into balance with one another. To a cleric of Arator, there is no greater gift than the mind. Aratorian clerics are expected to spend their time and efforts dedicated to learning as well as sharing their skills. The faith seeks to help people to avoid extremes of emotion, with emphasis on planning and preparing rather than reacting to a situation. Most Aratorians know a number of languages and are considered well versed, if not experts, in several areas of knowledge.
Accumulate, preserve, and catalog knowledge in all forms. Books, scrolls, and even oral stories are sacred to Aratorians, and are required to do what they can to recover knowledge, protect them from harm, and catalog their findings. This concept points towards the fundamental belief of Arator — the more you record and catalog knowledge correctly, the harder it becomes to destroy or corrupt.
Be watchful at all times for the spread of corrupt information. Oppose the schemes and unmask the secrets of those that would spread information that is untrue, corrupt, or deceitful. Blind the proliferators with the light of truth and reason. Texts should not be desecrated by misinformation. Although Aratorians do not espouse great passion or intense emotion, whenever priests of Arator encounter a missive or document, or scroll that is purposefully misleading the outcome inevitably escalates to anger. Deceit represents an anathema to the memory of Arator and his faith.

The Church of Arator

The symbol of the Aratorian church is relatively widespread around Meyland and some parts of the Karthan Commonwealth, particularly around their magical societies, but the church has never had much political power or influence. Most Aratorian clerics avoid politics whenever possible, content to instead seek out books, preserve knowledge, and share their love of learning. The Aratorian church usually maintains a temple or shrine in larger towns and cities, often as part of a larger museum, library, or academic institution.
He is often called the “Keeper of Knowledge” due to the amount of information and lore that is kept across the libraries of many human territories in Meyland and the Commonwealth. His academies, museums, and libraries are marked with his symbol of the book.

Portfolio
Civilization, Invention, Knowledge, Law, Learning, Magic

Divine Classification

Saint

Religions

• Mortal Heroes

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Species

Human

Gender

Male

Related Historical Events

• C. -10,000 → C. -9,950 (Estimated)
  War of Broken Chains