Abydon is the god of crafting and the forge and patron of the Knights of the Crucible. Followers of Abydon should work hard, value the work of others and teach students their craft.[1]
History[ | ]
Abydon was one of the gods created by the Engwithans, devoted to duty, preservation, progress, and industry. Although the gods decided to not interfere with the progress of kith civilization, his peers recognized the need to eliminate the Engwithans as a matter of self-preservation. Devoted to a fault, Abydon opposed Ondra's plan to destroy them by pulling Ionni Brathr, Eora's smallest moon, down from its orbit. Abydon forged a special hammer in the White Forge, located in what would eventually become the White March. Channeling all his strength, he threw the hammer against the moon, shattering it and causing most of the fragments to land harmlessly in the ocean. However, the biggest shard remained on course. Abydon, for want of a better option, threw himself in its way, protecting the Engwithans. The moon fragment hit him square in the face, pulverizing it. His corpse fell in the remote mountains of the White March.
The ever-sorrowful Ondra decided to honor his memory by erecting the Abbey of the Fallen Moon around his body, hiding it in plain sight.[2] She also erased the memories related to his death, for if he remembered, it could shatter the fragile peace between the gods. She adopted his tools, the Eyeless, as her own, and swore off all contact with the god of smithing to maintain the secret. Abydon's soul returned in time, and he continued his labor using a new body of metal he forged for himself. However, the losses sustained due to the moon's impact were severe. He lost his will to preserve as well as the memories of his demise. The Eyeless remained, each with a shard of their maker's soul; able to restore the things he had lost, but prevented from doing so by Ondra's machinations.
After his "rebirth", he claimed a new portfolio, becoming patron of industry, machines, and skilled labor. Centuries later, Abydon remains loyal to Magran, forging weapons for her campaigns and often appearing at her side in depictions of the war goddess.
In the intrigues of the gods, Abydon little part, though he serves Magran loyally and always takes her side against her enemies. Skaen hates Abydon, who represents exactly the sort of passive surrender to authority that the Quiet Slave despises.
Cult[ | ]
Though he is associated with industry and progress, Abydon is never viewed as a source of inspiration or invention, which are the domain of Hylea. Instead, he is seen as the unfailing hand that enacts the designs of Others, like his patron, Magran, and he is identified with the great masses of craftsmen and skilled tradesmen whose labor raises cities and shapes metals and gemstones from the depths of the earth.
To many in the working classes, Abydon a comforting god, demanding nothing of his followers beyond a hard day's work and forthright service to their employers, customers, and lords. He is also an aspirational deity, representing hope for a better future by honest labor instead of plots or machinations. He encourages his followers to remake themselves by learning new skills and trades, just as he "remade" himself in his new artificial form, and the daily affirmations of his faithful reflect that fact.
All of his clergy are expected to master a practical skill such as smithing or carpentry, and to teach that skill to those who are eager to learn. As such, Abydon has become quite popular, despite his unusual form.
Gallery[ | ]
Default, unrestored Abydon
See also[ | ]
References
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