The Soldier
Kaelarun, no'vaen zhen, ashkai Thu'ren, vasai kelai sharan.
The Soldier, one of the Five Old Gods of Solvar, is one of the most revered and misunderstood of the gods. A figure of honor and destruction, sacrifice and fury, who represents both the glory and cost of duty.
Titles
- The Soldier
- The Flame-Bound Blade
- He Who Marches
- The Dying King
Domains
- War
- Honor
- Discipline
- Ruin
Iconography & Symbols
- A flaming sword
- A burning crown
- A lion on a field of red
- A gauntlet clutching a red thread
His icons are found on weathered war memorials and carved into the hilts of ancestral blades. His temples are built upon the sites of great battles and defeated civilizations.
Worship & Legacy
The Soldier is most revered by warriors, commanders, oath-sworn knights, and rebels who fight for causes greater than themselves. His worship is often solemn, not triumphant--he is not the god of victory, but of the burden carried by those who march toward death for others.
His followers are known for binding their hands or weapons in red cloth, especially before going to war, to symbolize devotion and readiness to die with honor. Vows and oaths made in his name are often done so with blood.
Mythic Associations
- It is said that the Soldier Kaelarun once ruled the world in the flesh, but gave up his throne to become the first soldier. He burned his crown and led an army of mortals against the Fool's agents of chaos.
- The Soldier and The Warden are often spoken of as divine twins--not by birth, but by bond. Together, they are the twin pillars of duty, the sword and the shield.
- Some believe the Soldier still walks Solvar, unnoticed, wherever a final charge or hopeless defense is made.
Pathfinder 2nd Edition
Category: Five Old Gods of Solvar
Edicts: Stand firm in battle; Never flee from duty or abandon your post without just cause; Endure suffering, hardship, and loss with discipline and courage;
Anathema: Abandon a comrade-in-arms to death or defeat; Kill prisoners or wounded enemies without just cause; Wage war solely for cruelty, chaos, or vanity without purpose or honor; Betray your sworn commander, cause, or warband for selfish gain
Areas of Concern: War, Honor, Discipline, Ruin
Religious Symbol: Flaming Sword
Sacred Animal: Boar
Sacred Color(s): Gold, Silver
Pantheons/Covenants: The Faith
Devotee Benefits
Divine Attribute: Strength or Constitution
Divine Font: Heal or Harm
Divine Sanctification: Can choose Holy
Divine Skill: Athletics
Favored Weapon: Spear (or polearm), Longsword
Domains: Might, Zeal, Dust, Toil
Cleric Spells 1st: Bless? 3rd: Heroism? 6th: Hero's Defiance (Heightened)?
Divine Intercession (WIP)
Minor Boon: You stand your ground with unnatural resolve.
- Once per day, when you would be Pushed, Tripped, or Knocked Prone, you can choose to remain standing and unshaken instead.
- You also gain a +1 status bonus to saves against fear effects while within 10 feet of an ally.
Moderate Boon: Your life is tied to your brothers and sisters-in-arms.
- Once per day, if an adjacent ally would be reduced to 0 Hit Points, you can intercept the damage, taking half of it yourself instead (rounded down).
- After doing so, you and the ally both gain a +2 status bonus to saves against emotion and fear effects for 1 minute.
Major Boon: You become a living bulwark.
- You gain the Stalwart Champion reaction (from the Champion class):
- Reaction: If you would fail a Fortitude or Will saving throw, you can roll a second saving throw and use the better result.
- You also become permanently under the effects of Freedom of Movement during battles where you defend others.
Minor Curse: Your strength becomes brittle under the weight of betrayal.
- You take a –1 status penalty to attack rolls when no allies are within 30 feet.
Moderate Curse: You are marked as a coward in the eyes of warriors.
- Allies suffer a –1 status penalty to saving throws against fear effects while within 15 feet of you.
- You take a –2 status penalty to Diplomacy and Intimidation checks with soldiers, knights, and mercenaries.
Major Curse: You are cursed to fight alone and die forgotten.
- You can no longer benefit from Aid actions, flanking bonuses, or teamwork-based feats unless you atone through a mighty selfless sacrifice (such as saving a comrade at great cost).
"Kaelarun, borne of spirit unbroken. Ash-born of the Remembering Flame. Through loss, we bear ceaselessly onward."
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