Law
Chugan
First appearance: Feathers and Frost, Page 2
Chugan, the First Crow, is a powerful manitou and a trickster spirit. He is notoriously greedy and he lines his nest with all manner of precious items. As he is the spirit of air, his lack of any earth element causes him to seek out metallic items that sparkle and gleam in the light. Chugan nests at the top of one of the tallest trees in Everique. Where this tree is and even what type of tree it is changes from tale to tale. Since it is filled with many wondrous treasures, many explorers have sought Chugan's nest. Their quest seems to be in vain as no mortal has found the nest, much less made off with any part of the First Crow's collection.
Father Winter
First appearance: Feathers and Frost, Page 2
One of the most powerful manitou in existence, Father Winter (sometimes called Old Man Winter) is the manifestation of the season in Everique. He is a spirit of water and air who is renowned for his almost cruel dispassion toward any mortals he encounters. Father Winter lives beyond the North Wind in a great mansion carved out of the heart of a glacier. He commands the winds that blow down from the north, bringing snow, frost, and ice with him wherever he travels. Fortunately for all living things, Father Winter weakens quickly and must return to his home to rest and recover, limiting the extent of his reach. He is spiritually related to many of the winter manitou in Everique, and they refer to him as their father. As a manitou, he could not beget them in the conventional sense, but they defer to him and often seek his wisdom. In return, Winter cherishes his "children" and protects them from Sun-in-Splendor, a manitou manifestation of summer who lairs far to the south.
Giavere
The Starkindler; Great Spirit of Arts & Sciences
Giavere is the great spirit of the moon and the patron of the arts and sciences. Her light shines through the darkness of night, bringing hope and salvation to those who have lost the light of the sun. She embodies femininity, knowledge, and the arts. It was she who first brought enlightenment to the world through her Twelve Revelations. She is also the patron spirit of Saronne. The seat of her church is in Arcaneaux, though she herself is rarely seen in the city.
Giavere appears to her followers as a tall, graceful woman with silver hair that hangs loose to her waist. Her eyes are as bright as stars, glittering with wisdom, and her mouth is touched with a soft smile. In addition to her human shape, she appears as a unicorn and very rarely as a white lily. Her symbol is the crescent moon, tilted slightly with a four-pointed star equidistant between its points.
The priests of Giavere are called Seers and are mostly female. The head priest of a temple is the High Seer. The bishop of a region is an Oracle, and the leader of her church is the High Oracle. The clergy of Giavere build grand domed temples with many towers that reach toward the heavens and many windows to catch the moon's rays. Holy places of Giavere tend to be repositories of books and learning, and each temple sponsors an educational institution. The priesthood also maintains many abbeys for isolation and privacy.
Malsum
Malsum is a sinister manitou that haunts the vast coniferous wilderness north of the Lakelands. Legends of many of the tribes in Everique say that Malsum was once a human of great power back during the Mythic Age. He quarreled with his brother, the great chief Kooskap, who slew Malsum in self-defense. Malsum's malignancy lives on in the deepest and darkest parts of the forest, where he takes the form of a great spirit-wolf and continues to torment humans and animals. He fears the light of day, and a handful of bird down will keep him at bay. Not all wolves are his creatures, but many fall under his spell of anger, pride, and savagery.
Manitou
Manitou is a term used by the natives in Everique for the spirit beings that inhabit the natural world around them. To the natives, all natural objects in Everique have their own manitou -- every plant, every tree, every rock, and even bodies of water. Manitous range greatly in power from tiny spirits of pebbles that barely have consciousness to giants that command seasons. The age, size, location, and uniqueness of the natural object to which the manitou is linked all affect the power of the spirit.
Manitous are made of pure aether but are also infused with the essence of three of the base elements of alchemy. Every manitou seems to be lacking one the base elements, causing them to be philosophically unbalanced. Living creatures, in comparison, possess all four elements. The elements infusing and lacking in a manitou are based on its linked object. So a manitou of a stone would be infused with earth, fire, and water while lacking air. The spirit of a river would be infused with water, air, and earth while lacking fire.
Strong manitou are able to manifest as wisps - transparent spirits that are very limited in their ability to affect the world around them as they have no solid structure. The most powerful manitou can take their manifestation a step further, crafting solid bodies that allow them to interact with the mundane world. Maintaining these bodies is difficult and requires more energy the further the manitou moves away from its linked natural object.
Weak manitou are relatively common in Everique. Stronger spirits that can manifest wisps are fairly uncommon, while manitou that can manifest corporeal bodies are extremely rare. Manitous are not found in Japethe.
Sun-in-Splendor
Sun-in-Splendor (sometimes called The Sun-in-Splendor as if the name was a title) is the manitou who represents the season of summer and whose power and reach rival that of Father Winter. The two trade influence over the temperate zone of the north. It is likely that Sun-in-Splendor does the same with Father Winter's counterpart in the south (Or perhaps Father Winter rules simultaneously from both poles. Such things are possible with manitou). Sun-in-Splendor is a spirit of fire and air, who brings the warm winds of the south, the brilliant sun, and the lengthening days. In her carelessness, she also brings blistering heat, sunstroke, and drought. While she lives at the Equator on a volcanic island that rises in majesty above a trackless sea, she travels far and wide. She is free with her favors and, unlike Father Winter, she is capable of mating with mortals, though the act of passion consumes her mates. The resulting spirit children can be found throughout Corthis. Sun-in-Splendor is flighty by nature and does not pay much attention to her offspring, allowing them to wander and do as they please, nor does she come to their aid if they are in need.
Thaust
Lord of Striving; Great Spirit of Glory, Ambition & Conflict
Thaust is the great spirit of glory, ambition, and conflict. Originally a spirit of the hunt, Thaust has transformed himself repeatedly over the centuries to reflect the needs of an ever-more complex civilization. Just as the hunter can never rest for long, Thaust challenges his followers to always seek more. He introduced the concept of Gloire to Japethe, infusing ambition and competition into almost every social interaction in the continent. Thaust is the patron of Morante and the seat of his church is in Coeurvain, where he regularly manifests seated on an enormous throne carved of basalt in his temple.
Thaust takes the form of a handsome, muscular man with auburn hair and a chiseled chin, clad in armor or vestments of great state and always with a crown of laurel leaves. When he manifests as an animal, he appears as a lion with gold fur and a mane of licking flames. He has appeared as a laurel tree, growing atop a rocky mount. His symbol is a gauntleted hand gripping a ring.
Priests of Thaust are well organized and form elaborate orders. Each of these orders has a specific role to play, such as care of his temples or a militant role. The Lord of Striving enjoys pomp and circumstance and his worship reflects this with long ceremonies with incense and music. Thaust disdains small shrines, preferring large and imposing temples that dominate the surrounding city. Every sanctuary contains a throne as its focus in case the Great Spirit chooses to manifest in that location. When he is absent, the throne remains empty.
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