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AGALEUS,
god of Law and Justice
Agaleus is known as the King of Souls and the Final Judge, for
all those who die must come before his throne to be judged. He is
the patron of judges, lawyers, guardsmen and all those who love
the law.
Associations
Agaleus is not generally a popular god. Most live more in
fear of his justice than in hope of it, though this is more a
comment on the mortal condition than on the god himself, who is
completely fair. He is most popular in those societies where
order is revered. Human, halfling and dwarven cities often
have a temple to Agaleus, while this is rare among the other
races. Nonetheless, all are aware that they will stand before
him in the end.
Alignment
Agaleus is Lawful Neutral. However, his laws promote goodness
and punish wickedness, so some philosophers argue that he is in
fact "good".
Representations
Agaleus is represented as a middle-aged unsmiling man with long
black hair and piercing eyes. He most often bears the Scales
of Judgment in his left hand and the naked Sword of Justice in his
right.
As a symbol, Agaleus is most often represented by the Sword and
the Scales of Justice.
Among animals, he is represented by a wolfhound, loyal and
noble.
Purpose
Agaleus is the judge of mortal souls. Those who lived
lives of great goodness may go on to live with the gods in Heaven,
or to reside in bliss in the Fifth Hall of Agaleus, while the
extremely evil are sent to the demons of the Abyss. But most
will reside in the halls of Agaleus, his or her afterlife
determined by their actions in life, until at last they are reborn
into the world.
Agaleus is impartial and just in all his actions. He
knows no prejudice and no lie remains hidden from his probing
questions. On extremely rare occasions, his wife Valendria
may move him to pity or mercy, but these are legendary events.
Servants
Of all the gods, more of the Celestial Host is engaged in the
service of Agaleus than any other. They watch over the lives
of mortals, shepherd the souls of the dead to his court, and aid
in the eventual reincarnation of mortal souls. Chief among
them are:
Hellebore, Malbor's Advocate - This is the only member
of the Infernal Host allowed into Heaven. It is Hellebore's
vocation to inform the Judge of Souls of all the evil, petty,
secret acts in the life of a mortal who comes before him, and
advocate that this or that mortal should be given over to the
Abyss.
Farikh ben Al'soud, Soul's Advocate - The greatest
mortal jurist who ever lived, Farikh was also of pure heart, and
strove to see the good in all who came before him. Thus, at
his death, Agaleus brought the great judge to his court, where he
speaks on behalf of each soul to be judged, speaking all the good,
noble and noteworthy acts of each life.
Midhael, the Angel of Retribution - When a wrong occurs
that is so epic and terrible that the gods demand immediate
punishment for the wrongdoer, Agaleus sends his warlike servant
Midhael to punish the wicked.
Coram, The Soul Forger - This mighty celestial was once
the greatest of Mordhal's apprentices, and now works for Agaleus,
reforging the souls of those that are to be reborn. Prayers
for the dead often include an invocation to Coram, pleading for a
better life in the future.
Adhmaer, Master of the First Hall - Adhmaer is he who
rules the First Hall, from whence souls may from time to time
return to Theeurth. It is to him, as well as Agaleus, that
prayers of raise dead and resurrection are directed.
THE CHURCH - The Courts of Agaleus
Church Description
The church of Agaleus, known as the Courts of Agaleus, is
closely concerned with the administration of law and justice in
mortal societies. In most cases, these societies have
secular legal systems, but frequently consult with the clerics of
Agaleus, who are known to be learned and unbiased. In some cases,
the Courts of Agaleus are the justice system.
In many of the nations of the Successor States, although
systems of justice are secular, administered in the name of the
king, only the Courts of Agaleus are given the power to judge the
kings or the royal families.
The Courts maintain strong ties to the other lawful churches,
particularly the Great Church.
Church Structure
The Courts of Agaleus are a strict hierarchy, each
Justice or
Vigil reporting to a higher, clearly defined, authority.
Each Court has one or more Justices, each of whom fall under the
authority of a Prothonotary, usually based in a large city.
Each Prothonotary reports to the single Prolocutor for his nation
or region. The Prolocutors are responsible only to the High
Justiciar, who is the supreme patriarch or matriarch of the Order
and whose palace is in the Conorrian city of Adamos.
The Vigils are closely tied to the Courts and take their orders
from the Prothonotary. In addition, there are small groups
of Inquisitors and Bloodhounds
who work within the church.
Doctrine
Justice Comes to All, in This Life or the Next.
The Agaleans believe that no one escapes justice in the end.
While they tirelessly pursue evildoers and lawbreakers in the
mortal world, they live in the firm belief that those who escape
justice in this world meet their fate at the hands of
Agaleus. For at least one faction within the Courts, justice
in this world is therefore a kindness of a sort - it does somewhat
to cleanse the soul of the wrongdoer before he is judged at the
Final Throne.
Judgment is the Right of All. Every soul has a
right to be judged. Only the soulless may be slain without a
trial and evidence, unless there is no other means to apprehend
them or end their wickedness.
Vengeance Belongs only to the Gods. If everyone
were to seek redress for the wrongs committed against them, there
would be no justice. Blood feuds, vendettas and vengeance
killings are all strictly against the laws of Agaleus.
Death is a Gift of the Gods. The Courts teach that death
is a gift, an end to toil and sorrow, and a chance either for a
new life or the rewards of the old one. It is therefore
highly evil to create the undead.
Holy Days
Agaleus has two holy days, The Day of the Dead, and the Day of
Atonement.
The first, celebrated on the 2nd day of the year, is a
remembrance of the dead, and is marked by solemn processions to
Agalean shrines, and then private ceremonies in the home in honor
of one's ancestors and fallen loved ones.
The second is the day after Midsummer, and it is a day when the
faithful pray to Agaleus for mercy and forgiveness of their
sins. On this day, it is believed, Valendria has the most
influence over her husband, and so many also sacrifice to her in
hopes of her intercession on their behalf.
Preferred Weapon
The preferred weapon of the Courts is the longsword, the image of the Sword of Justice.
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