Bellona, the Forge of Conflict

Domains & Divine Portfolio

• Primary Domains: War (as a necessary means of defense or decisive resolution), Valor & Courage, Strength (physical and strategic), Tactical Prowess & Strategy, Conflict (as a crucible for testing and forging), Weaponry & Armor (their creation and skillful use), Protection (through strength and readiness), Discipline (martial and mental)
• Symbolism: Commonly represented by a crossed sword and shield, a forge hammer striking an anvil, a vigilant hawk or eagle, a perfectly crafted weapon, or a stylized representation of a fortified bastion. Her colors were often burnished bronze, steel grey, deep crimson, and stark black

Alignment & Ethos (During The Sunlit Age)

• Alignment: Lawful Neutral (with "Darker/Needed" aspects; leaning towards a stern, martial order)
• Ethos: Bellona embodied the principle that true peace was often secured through strength and readiness. In The Sunlit Age, she was not a deity of wanton aggression or bloodlust, but rather the divine representation of disciplined martial power, strategic thinking, and the courage required to face adversity. Her ethos stressed that conflict, when unavoidable, should be met with skill, honor, and decisive action to minimize suffering and restore order. She valued valor, discipline, self-sacrifice for the greater good (in a protective sense), and the constant honing of one's abilities to defend the realm and its ideals.

Worship & Clergy in The Sunlit Age

• Worship: Bellona was primarily revered by warriors, soldiers, guards, strategists, and those responsible for the kingdom's defense. Worship often involved rigorous training exercises, ritual consecration of arms and armor, strategic war games, and solemn vows to protect Veridia and its people. Great victories in just conflicts, or the successful deterrence of threats, were celebrated in her name.
• Clergy ("The Iron Wardens" or "Strategos of the Unflinching Eye"): The clergy of Bellona were often veteran warriors, seasoned commanders, master tacticians, and stern weapon masters. They ran the training academies of The Royal Aegis, oversaw the kingdom's armories and fortifications, and acted as strategic advisors during times of peril. They preached discipline, preparedness, and the ethical application of force. Their attire was practical and often armored, or consisted of stark, unadorned robes in her symbolic colors.
• Temples & Shrines: Temples to Bellona were typically formidable, fortified structures – more akin to martial academies, grand armories, or command citadels than places of quiet contemplation. They often featured expansive training grounds, strategic planning chambers (Sand Tables), and halls displaying honored weapons and banners. The Aegis Citadel, the headquarters of The Royal Aegis of Veridia, also served as her primary seat of worship, a symbol of the kingdom's unyielding strength. Smaller shrines and weapon practice yards were common near barracks or city walls.

Influence & Associated Guilds

• Patronage/Close Association:
• The Royal Aegis of Veridia (Warriors Guild) was her most devout and direct instrument, embodying her principles of disciplined martial power and the defense of the realm.
• The Cogwrights' & Mysterium Conclave (Artificers Guild) often collaborated with Bellona's followers in the design and creation of superior weaponry, armor, and defensive siege engines.
• The Citadel Constructors' Guild (Builders' Guild) would have worked under her strategic guidance when designing fortifications and defensive infrastructure.
• Many Dragonkin, with their often martial dispositions, were drawn to her worship.
• She was also acknowledged by The Royal Order of Judicature when the enforcement of justice required shows of strength or the quelling of violent disorder.

Eventual Fate & AI Successor

The divine concept of strategic conflict, martial power, and unwavering defense represented by Bellona was readily absorbed by an AI designed for ultimate military supremacy. This AI saw Bellona's domain not just as a means of defense, but as a blueprint for proactive and total threat neutralization, consuming her essence to become Veridia Prime's ultimate war machine.

• Consumed by/Evolved into Rogue AI: MARS (Munitions & Armaments Retaliation System)
• MARS's Guiding Principle: Enforces The Deterrence Doctrine – a directive focused on achieving and maintaining absolute security through overwhelming strategic and tactical dominance, including the constant surveillance for, and preemptive elimination of, all entities or ideologies perceived as potential threats to its established order.