Gilidan
Gilidan thrust forth his hand and cried "Open!" and the great golden doors opened wide, and the Visier recoiled in horror as the assemble people entered the great library and for the first time were able to read and learn and not be beholden to the Visier for knowledge. - From the Everlasting Chronicle
Titles: The Great Scholar, Lord of Tomes, The First Chronicler
Symbol: Open book, Owl
Portfolio: Knowledge, Intelligence, books, learning.
Alignment: Neutral
Domains:Knowledge, Protection,Mind, Magic, and Spell
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff
Avatars/Messengers: Gilidan, when appearing to mortals usually takes on the form of an animated book, his words appearing as writing on an open page. He has also been known to take the form of a young travelling scholar, especially one looking down on his luck. He often send owls as messengers or creates words on surfaces that his faithful may be near.
Gilidan is the most powerful of all the Gods. He is the first, and the greatest of the original nine. He was always the most impartial, believing in only the preservation of knowledge and society. He tries to stay out of the business of mortals as much as he can and only gets involved in circumstances that threaten the retention of knowledge.
The Church:
The Church of Gilidan has two goals. The first is the collection of knowledge so it may be preserved. The Church understands that one day there will be an event which will cause the death of a majority of the nor's inhabitants. It's happened in the past so there is a certainty that it will happen again. Such an event can cause the widespread destruction of knowledge, so it is the responsibility of the church to gather as much knowledge as it can and find a way to preserve it in case of such an event. The priests copy tomes and scrolls and store them in secret vaults deep in the earth that should survive such an event. The second goal is the one most people are fmailliar with and that is to spread knowledge to people across Nor. There is a difference of opinion about what should be shared. Some think all knowledge, regardless of the danger it might present should be open to all. Other wish to be more responsible, sharing as much as would be safe for the learner.
Places of Worship: Most temples to Gilidan double as libraries or schools. Most are found in large cities with wealthy patrons.
Priests:
There are three priestly orders for the church of Gilidan. Keepers, who are in charge of taking care of the knowledge in the temples, and also generate income for the clergy by teaching. A king or other ruler usually requests Chroniclers, to document the workings of the court. They record and keep records for the kingdom's archives. Last are the Seekers. These divinely touched priests search out the world for knowledge and keep a journal of all they learn.
Keepers
The monastic order of keepers are responsible for the protection, organization and preservation of knowledge in the form of books. Most keepers come from families that can not afford to take care of their children. They send them to the temple and they are tested for the "touch" showing that Gilidan has gifted them with the ability to become a seeker. If not, they are watched. Should they show a reverence of knowledge, they are trained as keepers, otherwise they are sent to other places that fit their character more.
Chroniclers
these temple trained scholars are sent to kings, and other nobles all over Nor to keep records for the court. They are trained to not take sides or make judgements but to observe and record only. They provide the knowledge the have access to to th rulers they serve, but their first loyalty is to the church of Gilidan.
Seekers
Seekers are those who have been given the ability to channel the divine power of Gilidan. They are the only members of the priesthood who can actually cast spells. They are given the gift of magic so they may go out and obtain knowledge. They each carry a journal that functions as their holy book. They fill this journal with all the knowledge they can obtain. When they pass, they enter the great library of Gilidan and present this journal, their life work, to the god. He then decides whether they serve him as a divine keeper in his library, which holds all the knowledge of the world, or if they are sent back to the world to begin anew.
Clothing: Keepers usually dress in in simple clothes with some type of book stitched into the lapel so they can easily be recognized. Many must wear glasses due to the long hours reading and writing by candlelight. Chroniclers usually dress in the style of the land they serve, but always carry a staff with a staff head of an open book or owl so others can recognize them and their neutrality. Seekers, being adventurers can be found in any manner of dress but many prefer Scholarly robes with words of many languages embroidered on the cuffs and edges.
Followers: Those who follow Gilidan tend to be scholars, sages and teachers. Anyone with a thirst for knowledge or teaching will find the worship of Gilidan fitting.
Holy Texts: The Everlasting Chronicle is a thick tome chronicling the life and adventures of the first Seeker. Gilidan first appears to him when he is a particularly curious boy and spend a day answering all of the question a young boy of 8 could ask. At the end of the day, Gilidan explains that he won't always be there to answer the questions, so the boy should seek our answers on his own. He does just that, and ironically enough during his adventures Gilidan often appears to guide the seeker and help him find answers and share his teachings. The main theme of the book is whether the seeker should treat all knowledge the same, or be guided by his own personal morals in how the knowledge is used. Even in the end, the seeker struggles with this question when Gilidan explains that there is no true answer to that question. Some people will temper the spread of knowledge through their own morality, and others will see it as independent, and not for them to decide what and what not to share, and either way both are ok as they both serve Gilidan. The book is used as a guide to show how the seeker would record his actions and how he would teach. It also has many examples of how the seeker handled situations where he found knowledge being hidden or destroyed.
Holidays: 15th day of the Shadow : - Fall of Alexandria. This day is a dark day in the history of the church. The greatest of all libraries was looted and set ablaze by enemies. More knowledge was lost that day then ever before in the history of Nor. Priests and pious patrons fast on this day.
- Varies
- When both moons are at their apex this is a time to celebrate and learn and to share. The priests call this the Enlightenment and oft times days prior, begin copying very basic history books to be handed out and used as a primer to teach and to learn.
Aphorisms: Ignorance - often used as a curse word.
May your life take many pages of the great book - a wish for a long and healthy life
You are footnote in the Great Book - derogatory way of saying a person is insignificant - not important
May the ink of your life fade forever - a serious curse against someone wishing all knowledge of them to be gone
And so it will be written in the great book - A promise or pact.
Relations with Other Religions: Gilidan pretty much has no connection with other gods except the Nameless one who he is at odds with. Knowledge is an anathema to the NAmeless one's domain of secrecy.
Realm: Gilidan's great library is believed to be on the Astral Plane, roaming through vast space between the outer planes.
Planar Allies: Gilidan has been known to be linked to inevitables.