Knowledge – Araeus the Unbound, Solemn Lord of Knowledge

With the passing of Celandreia, a being shackled in the depths of the realm began to stir. Freed from its prison of Time, the forgotten one tore his way back to the surface world in blind fury, for his memories were lost. The gods bound the ruinous entity and granted him the domain of Knowledge to ease his endless hunger. Reborn from the images of mortal dreams, the god took up the name Araeus, though even he cannot say why.

Through Araeus, Knowledge represents the relentless drive to learn and to gain wisdom from an often brief and bloody existence. The domain embraces cold logic in all of its forms – in its pursuit, nothing is too sacred to defile and nothing is too precious to destroy.

The brighter side of Knowledge encourages teaching the masses, uplifting society from the depths of ignorance and bringing them to the light of understanding. This aspect includes learned masters and humble scholars alike. In this way, they are architects of civilization. The darker side of the domain often includes torturers, for pain is yet another method to extract Knowledge. At his cruelest, Araeus simply sees the suffering of others as a tool to recover lost information. They who gather secrets from the dead and seek what is considered forbidden lore are also welcomed.

Araeus accepts all races and alignments, but favors the keen minds of avians, visardi and siriyu. Human resourcefulness is also valued. Taurloks, grothtalians, felis and canidae often struggle to find favor unless they seek more than material wealth, savagery or brute strength. The god’s wrath falls upon the apathetic and the willfully ignorant, as wasted opportunity is a terrible sin to Araeus.

The faithful carry a mirror with them, both as a symbol of contemplation and a constant reminder of the fleeting time they have to walk the path. The owl is sacred to him, as are both dreams and nightmares.  Simple offerings consist of books, owl objects, and mirrors.  Araeus is an often arrogant and unyielding power, and his alliances with the other gods often end in rivalries.