Salam

Lore Entry posted: March 17, 2019 by Eric Lortie
Posted in: Gods & Aspects, Lore

Titles: The Magician, Warlock

Domain: Magic, Knowledge

Symbol: A spellbook or tome

Sphere Granted: Light

To know the god of magic, one must first learn of the origins of magic, as together the two are intricately tied. While most believe Ll’yandra, Malagant, and Roland were the first gods to make their presence known on Arthos, in truth the first god was the Warlock. It was a time before time, all the realms and planes existed as one, overlapping harmoniously along the branches, roots and bark of a colossal living tree known as the Dreamleaf. Rune magic, the true source of almost all magic, flowed along the Dreamleaf rivers of water. From it’s branches and roots the magic flowed, encircling the realm in a protective net, high above the sky.

When Salam arrived at the base of the Dreamleaf he saw true evil. The Firstborn Doranth, Dragon of Magic, hoarded the Dreamleaf’s power, severing it from those that could benefit. Salam witnessed such suffering and pain and he knew he must act. Salam seized the power of Dreamleaf by entering it directly and in doing so, became near omnipotent. While touching the true source of magic, Salam understood all things in both the past and the future, but this gift was short lived for Doranth’s greed was great. The firstborn, ever so selfish, could not suffer another having this access to his horde of magic. e breathed his mighty breath and filled the tree with anti-magic. This act destroyed the Dreamleaf. It scattered the planes to the very edges of the roots and branches. The protective net of magic fell to the ground, covering the realms in fractured lines while those that lived on the tree itself, were cast away into the various planes of existence. The great god Salam suffered a fate worse than death. His body and spirit were shattered and he was dispersed along the magic of the lay lines as they fell to the multitude of planes. This single selfish act by the Firstborn of Magic, destroyed the Dreamleaf. Today, the remnants of that great force of nature exists but only in a shadow of it’s former glory. Called the World Tree by some, the Tree of Life or Yggdrasil, by others. It still holds the realms together, but the magic that once flowed through it is all but gone. Salam however, was not.

It took aeons for the Magician to reform himself on the mortal plane. Much had changed. The gods had populated the Arthos, while the Dragon’s made their homes where they landed after Dreamleaf’s sundering. Salam found himself lost, with no memory of his former celestial glory. In his absence, a new god of magic had usurped his throne and it was only with the help of the mortal Ajaunti clans did Salam defeat his foe and take his rightful seat. There he worked towards the collection of magic and lost knowledge so that he may rebuild the realm as he first found it, to bring back to life the Dreamleaf, and the unlimited magic it can provide. He knows the knowledge is out there and his faithful work diligently to collect it.

Salam is the newest, but most controversial member of the Church of Light. Salam’s power of magic is far greater than any other Celestial and indeed he has been known to outfit, create, and distribute his vast allotment of magical items and ritual enhancements to the other light gods. Many whisper, although never publicly, this is why the Church of Light often overlook his more questionable tenets.

Salam claims to have once had access to the truest source of power, Runic magic, and the ability to heal the Arthos and it’s shattered planes back into a single harmony realm ruled by him. He has however, as a result of the interference of Doranth, forgotten this crucial information. Salam claims the secret of gaining access to the truest source of magic lies in the shattered remnants of magic that ebb and flow through the leylines. He seeks this knowledge and commands his faithful to aid him, slowly gathering lost and forgotten lore as he pieces together what was lost to him.

While magical knowledge is paramount, the Warlock also commands his followers seek knowledge of the mundane so that he may know what they know. This collective collection of lore is the primary focus of those that worship him. Salam believes that this can best cultivated through the establishment of civilization and organized structure. As such, his followers are most prominent in large cities, building mages guilds and schools that act effectively act as churches, in his name. Those less civilized and more savage societies are still useful to Salam as many of the young children there possess great magical aptitude and, under his guidance, can be brought to civility and saved. To facilitate this, the Church of Salam has founded the office of the Acquisitor to travel Arthos to liberate the young from a life of savagery, taking them back to his civilized world to learn the proper ways of magic and study.

Contrary to popular belief it is not simply only mages or scholars that worship Salam. Knowledge and lore in all forms is useful to the Warlock. Wizards are often fragile and institutions of learning must be protected from harm. Many warriors and men at arms join the the ranks of the church, championing into ruins and forgotten temples for lost lore to return to the Salam for rewards of magic and power.