The Lord of Time

Saturn

Written by UmbralGoat

The future is Time's offering for change...

— Saturn

Saturn is the eldest Celestial Dragon on Vernelis, said to be the father of all living beings. He is a benevolent God, sworn to the eternal protection of mortals since the Dark Era.

He is one of the most important religious figures on the planet, though he does not attempt to insert himself into the daily lives of those who worship him; most who worship him do so out of respect for his history.

He is said to have the direct ability to control time itself, making him one of the most powerful beings of the Celestial Pantheon. It has gained him the title Lord of Time and Order.

Appearance

Saturn is a gargantuan creature, closely resembling the Ancient Dragons that once roamed Vernelis. He is quadrupedal, with a rather muscular figure for his apparent age. His body is covered with vibrant, orange scales, save his paled, soft underbelly.

His head is square, with a large muzzle and large ears that point backward. Across his face are most notably a set of massive scars that carve from the top left of his forehead to the right side of his muzzle, leaving one of his eyes permanently discolored and squinted.

Long, silver hair falls from his head, a mane that continues down along his spine to the tip of his tail. A matching beard hangs from his chin, reaching up his cheeks. His wings are often folded against his back, with a fair amount of wear from the years past.

Personality

Though Saturn is often pictured as stoic and imposing, he is considered one of the most compassionate and caring gods of the Pantheon. He is patient and will rarely show aggression towards those who approach him. Those who have spoken to him will note that he is very conversational, even during serious events, and in attempt to show respect, he will lower his head to meet their eye-level so that he doesn't look down on them.

Despite his casual demeanor, he still prefers a more distant relationship with his followers. He rarely seeks out interaction with mortals and instead observes from afar.

Conversely, he loves interacting with his descendants whenever he can.

Mythology

...But the past is Time's reminder of what has been done. Even I am not above that.

— Saturn

The most widely accepted tales of Saturn's early years are told in the Epic of Saturn. The epic once only told of Saturn's history, but has expanded to include the entire official cosmology of the Celestial Pantheon.

According to the first of the collection's stories, there was a time when the oceans of Vernelis were of water and not clouds, when the darkness of The Blackness did not yet exist, and when Saturn did not have a physical form. He was a being who was one with the Universe, overseeing all that came to be alongside his brother, a being named Hesþilis. Saturn influenced the order of the Universe, and Hesþilis commanded Chaos.

Some believe they were beings even more powerful than the Roaring Trinity, giving them purpose on Vernelis to create life, and through the Trinity, all of Dragonkind was born. Direct descendants of gods for mortals to worship. This balance was kept for eons until the Great Death and subsequently, the Dark Era.

When the Great Death came, Hesþilis demanded control, seeing no purpose for Order when Chaos ultimately had the final say. The balance was destroyed, and Hesþilis took physical form to directly impose his power. Saturn scolded his brother, but did not intervene at first.

Their arguments brought about quakes and devastating storms, but their feud would come to a head when Hesþilis took drastic measures, destroying the Roaring Trinity in their petrified state. The shift in their delicate balance of power released their magic, and Hesþilis used it to unleash catastrophy on the world. Saturn reluctantly took his own physical form to battle his brother, not wanting to cause any more destruction than had been done.

Their battle lasted weeks, and all the while, mountains crumbled and mortals of all kinds perished in the crossfire. They chased each other in states of weakness, and for a time, Hesþilis had the high ground. He had no regard for what was caught in his attacks, while Saturn was forced to be reserved, for the sake of any nearby beings. Hesþilis knew this, and he exploited it.

Saturn's victory was not one of glory. By the time he defeated his brother, the story says much of the world had crumbled and become desolate. Saturn stripped Hesþilis's Soul from his body, and with it all of the Trinity's power. He absorbed their power for himself, which killed his brother. Using the magic of the fallen Ancient Dragons' Souls to lift the lands of the world into the sky, the world would be reborn in the heavens. He cast Hesþilis's remains to the darkness that came to be The Blackness, to remain forever.

Aliases
The Bringer of Old Age
Lord Saturn
The God of Time and Order
Age
Est. 450,000 years
Date of Birth
14th of Voliþivur, 0 BDE
Species
Celestial Dragon
Deity
Ability
Strand manipulation

Height / Length / Weight
10.5m (34'5") / 29.3m (96'2") / 22,500kg
Gender
Cis Male
Pronouns
He / Him