Sundonak
Sundonak is a god of action and proved as much during the wars with the Old Ones. Both his strategies and strength of arm were crucial in the final usurpation of the control of the world.
His followers and Priests mirror his belief in action over words. Not for these the chanting and incense, theirs is a life of adventure, living every moment to the full. For this Sundonak rewards them. What little preaching they do is generally limited to a rallying cry or an enthusiastic competition of trading insults before combat.
No time is spared for the weak or the crippled, Sundonak is a Warrior god and will reward begging and pleas with death.
The concepts of Good vs. Evil that Garthrana and Fleyshur constantly use are unimportant to Sundonak. Any battle is a worthy battle!
He covers the following spheres of reality: -
- Courage / Valour
- Prowess (Strength, Athletics, Skill, Vitality, Fitness, Endurance)
- Honour in combat
- War
- Action (Confronting Problems, Competition, Adventure)
- Sacrifice
- Strategy / Tactics
- Berserk
- Discipline (Dedication)
- Comradeship (Loyalty)
PRIESTS OF SUNDONAK
Action is all that matters to the Priests of the Sundonak. The fact so many military personal actively follow Sundonak is more than enough evidence to prove that Sundonak is the epitome of a war god.
The vast majority of Sundonak Priests follow a strict code of conduct, which is: -
* Vitality is the most important part of ones life; a person who is not operating in the prime of health is more likely to make mistakes. Vitality includes the mind; a strong thinker or an excellent plan can cause more damage then a thousand sword strokes. Strength is the most important part of Vitality; everything comes down to one form of strength or another.
* Confront problems. Things will come back to haunt you regardless of whether you do something or not, so why sit back and let trouble come to you? A defeated enemy will often think twice about acting against you in any way, and if needs be a dead enemy is mostly someone you can forget about. Do not just seek the death of your enemies, a converted enemy can make a powerful ally and persuade more enemies to follow suite. Additionally it tends to require more effort to kill your enemies than to defeat them. Maximum effect for the smallest most efficient expenditure of energy is what is important, for the next battle could require more than a close victory could leave you with. In addition is the attitude of going out to meet challenges, to adventure.
* Courage is vital. Fear of things is common, but giving in to that fear is a mistake. Another mistake is to interpret this part of the code as stupidity, rash decisions and a sense of 'what the hell' is a weak form of courage, for it is often just a fear of a failure ruling the persons mind.
* Comradeship is what keeps an army strong, it is also what keeps a community strong - strong groups can conquer all. Once true comradeship has been experienced there is very little to compare to it, in many ways it is a form of love and love can be a strong ally!
There are a few different sects of Sundonak Priests in addition to the common ones mentioned above.
Bodyguards: These Priests often protect Officials of settlements, usually members of the Settlement Officials, but it is not too uncommon for them to protect members of the other Organisations like the Bankers & Merchants Guild.
Their dedication to their duty is amazing, even compared to the fanatics of Fleyshur or Garthrana. What is also of importance to most people is how these Priests are so quick to die protecting their ward.
The Priests of this sect are the dangerous minions of Sundonak, emphasizing the qualities of Vitality, Sacrifice, Discipline, Comradeship, Courage and Honour above the others.
Anti-Magic: The few rare individuals that make up this sect believe that Magic is something left over from the Old Ones, that its constant use could cause their return. Most members of this sect believe that magic is dishonourable, that it is 'cheating' and generally a weapon of cowards who should learn how to use real weapons. They say that too much power in one person's hands is dangerous, as power can so easily corrupt.
Purists: Even more rare than the average Anti-Magic member are Priests of Sundonak called the Purists. They believe any magic and even ranged weapons should not be used. Needless to say most do not command long if they do attain any leadership position. Many other Sundonak Priests believe that these people are too rash, that they are tactical unsound, and thus are to be carefully watched and if possible educated.
Both groups tend to be very confrontational; feeling the need to prove themselves, which is usually delivered with a berserk attitude.
Another problem is that these Priests are generally quite, obviously, anti-Magic Cyrcle in their beliefs, often accusing members of the Magic Cyrcle of one scheme or another.
The Priests of both of these sects can be quite dangerous people; they emphasize the qualities of Action, Berserk, Vitality, Strategy, Courage and War.
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