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Thandor, god of the air and sky
Thandor is one of the five original gods of Theeurth, and is
often given the title "King of the gods". He is
lord of the air and all that flies in it. He wields thunder
and lightning and holds the four winds in the palm of his
hand. Widowed husband of Shorral, father to Ilion and
Valkrys and foster-father to Erdhon and Thandor, Thandor is
synonymous with freedom, wildness and compassion.
From his high hall, he can see much that goes on in the world,
and sends his agents to and fro in the guise of birds to bring him
word of the acts of mortals and to keep a vigilant eye against the
works of Malbor.
Associations
Thandor's church is well-represented among the elves and
humans, and cared for least among the underground races.
Among the wild and barbaric peoples of the world, he is best-loved
of all the gods, and is known by many names and titles.
Alignment
Thandor is Neutral Good.
Representations
In Conorrian art, Thandor is represented as having three
avatars - the rash young Stormlord, the great King and the wise
old Grandfather. In the Successor States, he is the Great
Oak, which holds up the Sky. South of the Valesian sea, he
is a hawk-headed deity. In most of these guises, he holds
four beasts on chains or leashes - the four winds.
His symbol is most often a pair of spread wings, but is also a
lightning bolt.
Purpose
Thandor sees most clearly the purposes of the One, and of all
the Celestial Host knows most of the course of the future.
His purpose is to shepherd the mortal world toward a destiny even
he sees only dimly.
He cares for the mortal races as his foster children, for they are
a great part of what remains of his beloved wife Shorral.
Yet he can be terrible in his punishment of his errant children,
for it was he who threw down great pieces of the sky and destroyed
Iridian and Numanthaur, mightiest of the mortal empires.
Servants
The Four Winds - The winds that blow about the earth are
but shadows of their true power. When unchained, the four
winds are great powers of destruction, and thus are unleashed by
the Sky Father only rarely.
Mendalon and Urios - These two crows sit upon the Sky
Father's shoulders and bring him news of events all across the
mortal world. They are clever and loyal, but vain.
They fear Ilion, who once chained them to one of her cats.
Aradion - Father of eagles, this great bird or his
progeny have often served the hosts of Thandor as steeds or
messengers.
THE CHURCH - The Eyries of
Thandor
Church Description
Once, long ago, the Eyries of Thandor (as his churches are
called) were among the most popular places of worship. But
with the rise of civilization, the concerns of mortals turned to
the matters of war, medicine, commerce and crafts. The
worship of the Sky Father has been receding for
centuries.
Then, too, the Eyries never involved themselves in the factions
and politics of the mortal world, and withdrew to mountaintop
temples as the great cities grew. Now, most of the
Thandorite clergy remain in these remote fastnesses and only
rarely come into contact with the outside world.
Church Structure
There are three holy orders dedicated to the
Sky Father: The Wings (clergy), Talons (holy warriors) and
Thunders (monks). Members of any or all of the the three
orders may be found within a single eyrie. No central
authority rules over the various eyries. The highest
authority in any eyrie is the most senior Wing.
Doctrine
The Eyries teach that it is always possible to look up, to
reach for the heavens. Just as Thandor himself embodies both
the dark and the light, savior and avenger, so is each mortal
given the choice of darkness and light. Redemption is
possible for even the most debased of creatures.
The Eyries also teach that freedom is
the right and heritage of all those who dwell in Theeurth.
Slavery, serfdom and subjugation are all anathema to the ways of
Thandor. This makes them quite unpopular with the rulers of
the most authoritarian nations.
Holy Days
No specific days are dedicated to the Sky
Father, though one of the days of the week is named for him in the
Conorrian calendar. However, many communities celebrate
local festivals dedicated to Thandor.
Preferred Weapon
Thandor wields no weapon but the
lightning. Most of his priests imitate this with spears and
heavy javelins.
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