Cique

God of Knowledge

Cique has become known as the god of the Greater Golems in recent history and is also associated with written language, formulaic notation, and engineering. He is known to have influenced many cultures around the world, as he strongly approved of the advancements of the Dwarves, the powerful script-based magic of the Elves, and even the mechanical (though somewhat erratic) abilities of the Humans, particularly in their creation of Firearms. Cique is considered aloof, even among the gods, seldom taking direct interest in mortals themselves, but rather fascinating himself with their discoveries and advancements. For this reason, he voiced strong opposition when the Pantheons collectively decided to step back from direct intervention in the affairs of the world, stating that great adversity may spur innovation, but unforeseen catastrophe could be a senseless master.
He is depicted as a humanoid that is made of something that resembles a scroll, or written language, given a form that is constantly shimmering and shaping itself as he moves about. It is said that all history is contained within the words that cover every part of his body. This god is often depicted as a man with a head that looks like a vertically rolled-up scroll with a pair of spectacles where the eyes should be. The ever-present tool in Cique's hand is a brilliant quill from a celestial phoenix, brighter than the sun and leaving a spiral of ink that contains both the darkness of space and the vastness of the stars; it can so impart knowledge or sow destruction. Cique is noted to be the rival of Niteara; her moniker of the Goddess of 'what is not' is often contrasted to his moniker as the God of 'what has been'. Due to her tendency to keep secrets, they have often been at odds, especially when a course of action has been disagreed upon.
His tenets involve responsibility, work ethic, intellect, and the will to move forward from failure and success alike to whatever the 'next' thing is. The attitude of Cique can be learned best by examining those who are closest to him among the mortals, including engineers, craftsmen, Scholars, and historians. He is the most recent of the gods to pass on a mantle to a particular Greater Golem that resides on one of the Zóni islands. It is said that this creature was the very first of its kind to be marked a success because it was the first among all Golems that possessed free thought. This mantle is said to be a metaphysical item that is difficult to wield and to comprehend. Cique imparted a True Name to the Greater Golem.

Divine Domains

Cique is involved in one domain due to his highly focused nature and lack of interest in being associated with any other domains. He is associated with the Knowledge Domain. A diverse people follow his teachings, while Clerics and Paladins exist, there are also varying types of magical Scholars and a host of different professions. The primary species that follow Cique are Greater Golems; he is also popular among the Dwarves and various historians around the world. Wherever Cique is revered, his followers emphasize the ideals of education, discernment, and continual improvement. It is not uncommon for Cique's followers to make intercession for wisdom or clarity or the skill to solve great problems, and these have been answered through dreams on occasion or sudden flashes of 'genius' in rare instances. Proving these instances to be directly related to Cique is often difficult and may be disputed; regardless, those who receive them are beyond grateful, whether it be a coincidence or divine intervention.

Knowledge

Cique is considered the pinnacle of the Pantheon of Knowledge; he exudes the sum of all written records among mortals and immortals. As the pinnacle deity, he wields the most power in this pantheon, leading his followers and peers to appeal to him on matters of history, biology, mechanical workings, and specialized areas that do not fall within other pantheons. All other gods of knowledge are considered either more specialized or outright weaker than Cique regarding the broad subject of history and discernment of complex scenarios. When it comes to knowledge, he is beyond a genius-level intellect; many regard him as knowing the future, though he denies outright knowledge of things that have yet 'to be', but rather recognition of grand patterns that lead toward branching futures.

Holy Books & Codes

The exploits of Cique are recorded in vast volumes called 'The Sum of All'. This religious text is incomplete; the volumes explain that they are excerpts of what Cique has determined is beneficial for mortals to have at this point in time. On occasion, volumes are added to this collection, heralded by Sphinxes once in an age to add to both history and knowledge in the mortal realm. These texts primarily focus on written history, of the gods and of mortals and their exploits, with details of their pasts, their deeds, their failures, their struggles, and their will. The vastness of these texts is enough to fill massive libraries on their own; it is rare to find someone who has worked their way through a tenth of Cique's religious texts on their own. Most use them as a source of information to find ancient artifacts, trace the outcome of forgotten happenings between countries, or conduct research on the exploits of the gods themselves during the age of frequent interaction. The most complete and accessible of these volumes are found among the Metallic Dragons and among the Elves of the Unending Scroll. It has been two thousand years since the last herald of these texts, many believe it is because of the enormity of the Eldritch War and the goings on that are difficult for even those who lived through it to comprehend.

Holidays

The holiday dedicated to Cique is the 11th of Summer's Evening, known as the Day of All. This date is significant to countries across the world because it is the traditional day for graduations and for the start of schools. Whether it be traditional education, trade school, or arcane study, they all acknowledge their endeavors to be one step on a path of continual improvement. A new beginning is the first letter on a page of a new story, and the end of something is merely the last letter on a page in a grand history of all time. This day is used to honor anyone who is beginning a long task to learn and improve themselves, highly popular among large civilizations and anywhere that prominent academies reside.
It is customary on this day to write for someone other than yourself. To recognize them, whether it be as a great person to a great cause or as a great person to you in particular. These letters of recognition are exchanged or given to those who are graduating or starting schools with the intent to be read and then to be burned ceremoniously. The ashes are distilled into ink that is used for the craft of the person in question and for future letters that they will write themselves. Recognition is a proclamation that history has taken place, and this validated history is seen as the embers that stoke the will of those who walk long paths towards greatness.

Divine Classification

Deity

Realm

The Endless Library

Church/Cult

Pagemaster

Tenets of Faith

All those under Cique are united with a common goal, to walk ever forward with a mind contemplative of the past that forges the future step by step. It is the will to continue, to learn, to improve that drives the survival and betterment of life in all realms.
Learn History. The past is the future; it tells the story of where we have gone, which is in turn tells where we are going.
Welcome Counsel. Gain discernment through experience, seek to be the voice that is relied upon, not as a point of vanity, but to edify your family, your friends, your people, your page in history.
Deal wisely with those around you, history is only written once, and regret stains a page forever with the only choice presented to being to learn from yourself and those that came before you.
Keep moving forward.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

The primary symbol of Cique is a white quill stained with shimmering, black ink. This quill is often seen in imagery as being fine strands of white gold pulled into a feather-like pattern, with the tip of the quill set with a dark jewel. Ink spirals from the tip of the quill and is typically depicted with obsidian or crushed bits of black onyx mixed into the medium of the artwork. Other symbols include a bound scroll that is covered in writings of various languages, all spiraled together with overlapping letters and bound with a black sash. These depictions always invoke the metal of white gold or the gemstone of onyx due to its association with intent and accomplishment.