Lothian

Lothian
An ankh crucifix
Aliases	Daykeeper, Lawgiver
Alignment	Lawful Good
Divine Rank	Greater God
Pantheon	Praemal
Portfolio	Justice, Purity
Domains	3E: Good, Law, Protection, Sun 5E: Life, Light
Worshippers	Most people in the Empire of Tarsis
Favoured Weapon	Longsword

Lothian is Jesus. Seriously, take a look at his holy symbol and read the text below. He's the god of justice and purity in Praemal, and most people worship him.

History

Lothian was originally a wanderer in the ancient Kingdom of Prust, where the worship of Castain, a god of life, was prevalent and his clergy held great spiritual authority and political power. Lothian however preached to them that Castain wasn't a god at all, but a demon in disguise and his priests were devil worshippers more concerned with temporal power than the truth. He went about preaching, performing miracles, and telling everyone that he was on his way to godhood, and totally knew what he was talking about because of it.

Of course, going around telling that the most worshipped god in the region is a disguised demon and his clergy powerhungry diabolists had some consequnces. The angry clergy, with the blessings of the King of Prust, captured Lothian and crucified him on an ankh in 477 BE. And as he hung on the cross and died, darkness fell on the land, rocks split as an earthquake happened, the temples veil was ripped from bottom to top, and dead saints walked through the holy city an earthquake shook the land and mighty waves hit the shores, killing many, including the King of Prust and many high-ranking clergy of Castain. When they passed, Lothian descended from the ankh, alive but not alive, having resurrected himself through his own power.

Lothian then continued traveling, with people now beginning to worship him after he talked to them. Even his old enemies, the church of Castain, eventually converted to his worship, adding his form to the ankh. He eventually headed to the city of Trasis, and there began what would become the Empire of Tarsis. After spending a long time walking the earth, Lothian ascended to heaven.

So, imagine Christianity if Marcion was right and his books (and approved Scriptures) got into the canon, and nobody remembered the Epistles of James, Hebrews, or Jude; or the Gospels of Mark and Matthew.

The Church of Lothian

The Church of Lothian, or just The Church, is the Roman Catholic Church and the former Church of Castain, having the same hierarchy, priesthood, temples, and dogma that it had back when they worshipped Castain. The early church is also the reason for Lothian's prevalence over other gods, as they applied what he preached about Castain to other gods and made their worship illegal, forcing them to go underground. They also preached that arcane magic is the tool of devil worshippers, eventually making its practice illegal and enforcing it with an inquisition, though this ended as the edict lost popularity. Nowadays the church is more tolerant, though people who preach the early dogma do still exist, and less powerful than it used to be.

The church tells that Lothian has two aspects, the Lawgiver and the Daykeeper, respresenting law and good, and justice and purity respectively. He's a foe of cruelty and destruction, and harbors a deep hatred for the undead. The church seeks to promote peace, harmony, and safety, as does Lothian. And what a great job they've done.

Saints of Lothianism

Being the not!Roman Catholic Church, of course the church has its own saints. These saints were extremely influential and devout people who lived during the first days of Lothian's church and were given sainthood posthumously by the Emperor of the Church. Through complex rituals, the spirits of the saints are able to directly draw power from Lothian and sometimes aid or give visions to the ones praying to them. They are:

• St. Chausle, Guardian of the Temple, patron saint of churches and gatherings
• St. Colosom, Keeper of the Dominion, patron saint of animals and farms
• St. Daris, The Swift Avenger, patron saint of justice
• St. Dayra, Giver of Mercy, patron saint of children, mothers, and the poor
• St. Feldin, The Faultless Rock of Faith, patron saint of defenders, knights, and warriors
• St. Gustav, Protector of the Just, patron saint of the protection of the innocent and the helpless
• St. Thessina, The Provider, patron saint of food and necessities
• St. Valien, The Hands of the Host, patron saint of clerics, church hierarchy, and the Holy Emperor
• St. Yessid, The Judge, patron saint of authority figures and the punishment of sins

Worshippers

As said in the infobox, most people in the empire worship Lothian, what with his church being so intimately tied to the state. In most parts of the empire his worshippers make up around 99% of the populace, and even in the city of Ptolus, where he has the least worshippers, and where the current pope Holy Emperor is "visiting", they still make up 60% of the populace.

Castain

Castain
An ankh
Alignment	Lawful Good
Divine Rank	Dead God
Pantheon	Praemal
Portfolio	Life
Domains	3E: Healing, Law, Protection 5E: Life, Light
Worshippers	None left

So Castain was the god Lothian usurped, but if take a look at his alignment, he doesn't really come of as a demon in disguise. Making some question whether Lothian was as good as told, and whether or not the clergy of Castain had become corrupt.