Bastin Caine

Lord of Light/ Burnt God

The Lord of Light, the Once and Eternal Emperor, Father of Dawn, Moonslayer. These were the titles given to this deity once upon a time. Back when humanity was ascendant, and they and their allies had finally mastered their surroundings.

Before Blackfire eradicated the Djinn.

Before half of Surim, the empire he had founded, was drowned below the waves.

Before he was betrayed by his wife, Proecian, burnt within hellfire until nothing remained but a burst of sunlight, and a pile of dust.

For almost a millennia he was thought to be dead, and to all outward appearance he was. His prayers went unanswered, his holy weapon nothing more than a magical trinket, slowly corroding within the vaults of those who claimed to be his 'descendants,' and even the other gods seemed to believe him dead and gone. So it was the greatest surprise to the five would-be emperors of Surim when Caine washed up upon the northern-most island's shores and, after learning what his 'great grand children' had done, violently deposed all of them that would not bend the knee.

Now scarred by treachery, shattered in body as he is in mind, this broken god exists as a paragon of Surim. His followers are split into two camps, those who worship the god as he once was, and those who worship his new aspect; the Burnt God, a mad emperor who rules silently from his throne, leading his people to conquest and glory.

Divine Domains

(D&D 5e) Law, Life, Light

(Minor domains, for other systems) Devotion, Order, Loss

Holy Books & Codes

Lightbrand (for the Lord of Light aspect)

Crimsonstar (for the Burnt God aspect, typically written on animal skin)

Divine Symbols & Sigils

A hollow circle (holy symbol), a flail or morning star (holy weapons)

Holidays

Moonslayers Celebration: A celebration set in mid-Long Sleep (the fifth week of the year). A time when the moon is completely hidden, and when the gods who slew the Lord of Tides and founded Surimos are celebrated. In Surimos this is a celebration of all three gods (Bastin Caine, Proecian and Sores), but in other nations this is primarily a holy week for Sores in particular, as Proecian's cult is generally frowned upon and Caine's recent actions have made him quite controversial as of late.
This celebration generally involves plays and reenactments of the Moonslayers' triumphs, and is a week where the faithful of any of these deities share stories and come together to see how their fellows are doing. If any individuals seem to be having trouble, such as lacking food, housing or a job to provide for themselves, then the faithful of the community do their best to provide the things they need, with the expectation that one day they will help as well when another member of their faith is in need.
The Longest Day: This day venerates the summer solstice, and is the day most holy to those who celebrate Caine's Lord of Light aspect. On this day, his priests perform the most marriages, his faithful take the day off from their labors, and it is said that any children born within the lands that call him lord and savior are blessed with his mark, making them immune to the curses of moon-taint and lycanthropy. This day generally happens in the middle of the Moonslayers Celebration, and in major cities within Surim is additionally celebrated with a fair that's free for anyone to attend. 
The Red Dawn: Celebrated on the fifth day of The Lord's Gaze (the 7th month, late summer/ early fall,) this festival commemorates the day Caine was said to be reborn and is celebrated primarily by those who worship his Burnt God aspect. As part of this festival, the magistrate designates two prisoners that were slated for execution that are still in prison, preferably magic users or criminals of dwarven or sharen descent, has them lashed until bloodied, and puts them on parade through the city. However, unlike a normal parade, the commonfolk who watch this procession are expected to remain solemn as they watch the condemned, reflecting on the price of life and the pain that it exacts.
A Radiant Martyr is invited to stand at the end of the procession, and is allowed to pardon any prisoner they desire by healing their wounds as well as they can and opening their shackles. Generally the Martyr is expected to pardon only one, but pardoning both is commonplace enough that some communities have begun bringing three or even four condemned forth to keep the spectacle and the expected conclusion to the holiday secure. Because any prisoner that is not pardoned is publicly executed at sunset, the moment that the sun dips below the horizon.
This festival is only celebrated in Surim and the territories that it controls.

Mental characteristics

Sexuality

Straight

Employment

Is the Emperor of Surimos, and the King of Black Sands.

Accomplishments & Achievements

In chronological order:

• Became immortal before his ascension to godhood.
• Was one of the Three Moonslayers, who slew the Lord of Tide's original avatar.
• Founded Surimos and became its first Emperor.
• With the assistance of Sores, lead the army that shattered the final stronghold of the Weavers on Rahvins' shores, and freed the other gods from their control.
• Married Proecian, Goddess of Flame.
• Was the leader of the gods that called for war against the Fey once the sharen were created. Refused to allow any fey or sharen to enter the borders of Surimos despite the war being avoided, not changing his mind even when the dwarves left his lands in response.
• Created the original expedition to Farim with Sores and Procean.
• Drove the dragon Rhaul from his lands with the assistance of his wife and their apprentices, freeing Surim from draconic tyranny.
• Crafted a ritual that could (and would have) have destroyed Blackfire and his Fey allies, but was struck down by Proecian before he could enact it fully.
• Came back to life despite seemingly being utterly obliterated.
• Unified Surimos for the first time since his death in the span of two years.
• Founded the Burnt Fists, a group of elite warriors sworn only to their god.
• Personally lead the conquest of the Cities of the Golden Sands. Destroyed two mage cities utterly by his own hand, and won the final siege of Yag'qun, though at great personal and military cost
• During the War of God's Tears, sheltered the forces of Surimos from the ravaging of the undead that became known as the War of Bones that left most other nations and militaries crippled, and brought about the total conquest of the mage cities faster because of it.
• Overcame the Tempest during the final siege of Yag'qun, though the actions and the power displayed by the mage overwhelmed the god and his armies for nearly three days. While ultimately a victory, the death of the mage broke Caine in ways that have not been understood yet, and no further accomplishments can be laid at the deities feet.

Failures & Embarrassments

In chronological order:

• Was defeated by the Weavers upon the assault of their stronghold, and had to be rescued by Sores before he could be bent to their will as well.
• Failed to overthrow Zarie Alrahmad as the King of the Gods.
• Failed to prevent the rise of Dolus to deity status. Also failed to crush his faith before it became accepted throughout the human nations.
• When Cain set out to exterminate the sharen, he was chided by Zarie and had his army broken from the field by the dragons without a single blade swung.
• Failed to become the new King of the Gods when Zarie stepped down, losing the title to Fein.
• Was defeated by Ebreus and Oshai when the dragons came to punish him for casting out Rhaul, but managed to maintain Surim's freedom despite this failure
• Was slain at the hands of his wife during the opening stages of the Cataclysm, destroying the ritual he had created to win the war before it had begun.
• Failed to convince the people of Surimos that invading the Cities of the Golden Sands would be a costly war that would lead only to suffering on all sides. Was unable to refuse to lead the war effort.
• Failed to save the Tempest at the end of the siege of Yag'qun, a fact that broke the lonely god, who had finally found a peer that was more than a match for him.
• After the War of God's Tears and War of Bones, and the terrible cost in human lives incurred by both wars, has become despondent to the point where two of the mage cities now stand in open rebellion, and the Burnt God does nothing to punish them.

Mental Trauma

Yes.

Social

Family Ties

Proecian (Wife)

Religious Views

Believes himself to be humanity's last god, and views this as a necessary burden for his penance. He awaits the fall of Limbo, and the return of the other gods, so that they may judge him.

Believes, above all other things, in the potential and strength of humanity, especially when it's unified under the same banner.

Because of this, he demands that all people who would follow him live up to their full potential, for the good of themselves and their fellow man.

Believes that the gods are beholden to their followers, but that only the most devout should be granted power to prevent over-reliance upon divine intervention.

Believes that any priest can serve any number of gods that they align themselves with, and is not jealous of the worship of other deities.

Refuses tithes, and refuses temples that exist only for the sake of religious sermons and benedictions. Demands that both of these things instead be used to assist the community as a whole.

Part of his faith has been the belief that life should be allowed to flourish and grow without massive outside influence, and that races that are not naturally born should not be tolerated. This afflicts both Sharen and the Children of the Night with a massive stigmata within the lands that his faith dominates.

Despite the above belief, holds firm to the tenant that moonspawn are naturally part of the world, rather than a blight. The world has always possessed its lunar sister, after all, and the beings created are effectively just magically warped beasts, and can be mastered as such.

Refuses to allow his followers to discriminate against the worship of Proecian, despite how she betrayed him, and keeps a safe haven for her priests and forge masters within his empire.

Social Aptitude

Bastin Caine is a man who has lived far too long, but who is too stubborn to give in to true despair. When he speaks, his voice is hollow and slow, cracked as the words are forced from a throat that suffered from major burns that never healed, and it is obviously a labor of both body and soul to say anything at all. He chooses his words carefully when he does speak, trying to convey his meaning as succinctly as possible.

Mannerisms

When he speaks, he becomes completely still and closes his eyes. Either to endure the suffering, or in order to concentrate and pick his words carefully.

Speech

He never swears. Often, he answers questions with questions of his own (for example, when called upon by his people to directly intervene in the War of God's Tears, Basin Caine is famously quoted to have asked his priests and generals, "Are. You. Sure?"). He has no time for insults nor compliments, nor the telling of lies by himself or others. When he dismisses others, he merely lifts an open hand, exposing the back to the other person, and lets his fingers close, before setting it back down upon his current seat.

Wealth & Financial state

Despite being the leader of one of the most militaristic and powerful nations, and the conqueror of the mage cities and all of their wealth, Bastin Caine lives an entirely aesthetic life. His holy weapon he gave away, he wears only a loose fitting robe, and he keeps no servants or guards on his staff. His residence is the old High Council chambers of Yag'qun, an area that was stripped of everything that was of any worth beside the council chairs themselves. Caine can generally be found sitting in one of the chairs beside the master councilor's seat, but never within that high throne.

Fortunately, his divinity makes his poverty irrelevant. Not needing to eat, he doesn't purchase food. Being a god, if his robe should begin to fall apart, one of his worshipers shall mend it or supply him with a new one. Assassins have no desire to bring upon them his divine ire, so he possesses no guards beyond the one nameless Burnt Fist who murdered the mage council of the Cities in the first place, and even that is only because the Fist refuses to be dismissed.

His church and Surimos are in control of most major trade families and routes in the Desert of Black Sands, and their naval force is the uncontested master of the seas. As such, his followers tend to be well off, if not wealthy, individuals. Especially since their god has torn down most of his churches, and only expects donations to keep the humanitarian efforts of his priests alive, so there is no enforced tithe among them.

Divine Classification

God

Alignment

Lawful Broken

Church/Cult

Daw' Almanzil

Honorary & Occupational Titles

King of Black Sands, the Mad Emperor, the Lonely God, Lord of Light, Moonslayer

Circumstances of Birth

Born within the Desert of Golden Sands sometime around 2,000 years prior to current date. Reborn without momentous signs or portent year 875 A.C.

Circumstances of Death

Died year 1 B.C., at the hands of his wife, Proecian. Died while ritually channeling power with a conclave of ascendants to retaliate against Blackfire, consumed by both hellfire and his own ritual.

Birthplace

Desert of the Golden Sands (location unspecified)

Current Residence

Yag'qun, City of Azure Walls

Gender

Male

Eyes

Gold

Hair

Bald

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Ash grey in the spots that are not charred black and cracked to show flesh beneath

Height

5'9" or 175 cm

Weight

153 lbs or 69.4 kg

Quotes & Catchphrases

"In my name, live. In my name, kill. In my name, die. It is your choice, oh faithful soul. In the end it is nothing. And from you, I demand... nothing."