Moratem
Krosban Description
I’ve heard druids speak of Moratem, the mighty tree god who towers above the forests, dwarfing the mountains. When He sways the wind is made, blowing across Saratta. When He moves great lakes open and fill, rivers bubble forth from the depths of His roots. His voice is the song of birds, and his embrace is that of a caring father holding a child. The shear reverence they pay to the god of Nature is astounding, but so too are his gifts given to us all.
Portfolio
Nature has as much order within it as it does chaos. Moratem governs the side of order and commands the winds. Wind must blow to spread the seeds just as the river must cut through the ground to reach into the soil. The god of Nature is a keeper of life. It is his duty to ensure that the natural order is followed, that life matures and then dies, and that the cycle is always repeated.
The wind was granted as his to govern, but as turmoil within the ranks of the gods grew to conflict the god of wind was given governance over water as well. After Kantoram was cast from the ranks of the pantheon, Moratem assumed the mantle of the god of nature. Due to his natured order, Moratem rarely interacts with the general world beyond the scope of nature. He stretches his power when the needs of the natural world are concerned. The god of Nature cares very much for the preservation of life within Saratta. He has guided its progress since the beginning.
Followers
The followers of Moratem try to keep as close to the god’s teachings as possible. Druids are the most common follower of the god, cultivating nature slowly but surely. To guide life along the natural course to its final destination is their sworn duty. When that life is threatened, they must react to the threat and prevent it from destroying the natural progression of life. Influences of human kind and industrialization are only some of the enemies of that order.
Druids of Moratem view death only as a last resort, and will do everything in their power to ensure that nature remains unaffected by the changes that any race would place on the environment. When their views cannot be met, they often resort to finding a medium that both parties can live with, but if that fails, the druid is willing to defend the natural order to the death.
Appearance
Moratem appears in the form of a giant tree, taller that the largest of mountains. His presence is not direct, and usually occurs in visions though some reports of seeing the mighty tree swaying as a mirage. Other times the god reveals his being as a human male, unclothed and made entirely of brilliant green vines. His eyes are white as clouds, his voice the streams and breeze, mixed with the whispering of bird songs in Spring.
Burial Rites
Followers of Moratem subject themselves to the will of nature. After they die, they become a vessel for new life. This can be achieved both through burial of ones body, or letting it lie. To burn the body is an affront to the natural order (unless a natural fire should consume it). Quite often a follower of Moratem will plant a tree, shrub or some other kind of plant where the dead body lies. This plant becomes a gravestone for the fallen but represents that life will continue even after death.
Lineage
Moratem is the first of Estridae’s children with Kantoram. Kantoram, the former god of Nature, entrusted a natural aspect to each of his three children. Moratem was given governance over the wind, but when Zamikye left the pantheon during her fallout with Demuen, he was given power over the water as well. Zamikye had other plans though, and focused her fury on the seas, preventing Moratem from taking full control.