Volhov (3.5e Deity)

Summary::Spellweaver Volhov is the god of magic, knowledge, willpower, and wonders. Born of awe, he opposes Pesta the Whisperer.  His scion is Watcher Galizur.

Origin
As Hiranyagarbha, father of the gods, returned to the world he found it dominated by the beings known as dragons. They dominated others with powerful magics and words of power. To oppose them he created Volhov, lord of magic, and Pesta the Whisperer, he who knew the secrets of the dead and knowledge lost and hidden. These two creatures born of awe to the powers of gods took their great powers and taught mortalkind the art of spell and science, of protective arts and weapons of war, the way of healing, and deadly disease.

It is said Volhov was born from the weave of magic, through the sacrifice of mortalkind's greatest of minds of the era. Their souls combined in the arcana and became something beyond human, and with access of all the knowledge of magic and the living mind. With this collective knowledge they would have the ability to fight back against the dragons and craft plans so awe inspiring it could have only be done by a tactical genius.

Regardless of the method of creation, he would later lose his allies to the darkness. He foresaw the rebellion and as a result kept his fellow deities safe from harm, but still puzzles away at the greatest of mysteries: how to bring back their brothers and sisters. Unwilling to accept defeat, he toils away in his tower searching for an acceptable means of reuniting the two sides without bringing in the corruption of evil unto the pantheon.

Description
Volhov's true form is obscured, but through visions he has always appeared to be a slightly hunchbacked man with a large brimmed big hat, long white beard, and a particular mask with seven eyes upon it. They are the eyes which see all abjuration, conjuration, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation in the world. He wears heavy robes, often purple, dark blue, black, or gray in color and usually walks with a quarterstaff. His face is never seen, but his voice indicates an elderly and intelligent man.

He is not the most sociable god, often involved or obsessed with his work. He leaves the speaking to his scion, and only rarely appears for matters of great importance. It is said he schemes 777 million steps ahead of himself, and all the strange activities and behaviors he does is towards one ultimate purpose or goal.

Volhov is typically associated with his favored creature, the ram or sheep. In ancient times the most primitive magic was loom-magic used to literally weave spells into woolen fabric. Even to this day it is an appropriate metaphor for the weave of magic.

Dogma
Volhov values intelligence, through mastery of science and more often mastery of magic arcane and divine. Through power, one has the strength to change for the world. Through intelligence, one has the ability to understand the effect of one's power. And through wisdom, one has the ability to make the right choices with one's power. Power is a dangerous thing, but if one is prepared and of right mind and soul, it is one's duty to obtain power and use it for the right cause.

Because of the "power obsession" of Volhov's dogma, Vohov's students are some of those most easily swayed to darkness. Volhov himself was not immune to the dark temptations of power; it is said beholders was his failed attempt to create a life of his own, in mimicry of his father, with the power of magic. What resulted was an insane and dangerous beast which he regrets creating. As a result beholders are both beholden as creations of the god and horrid abominations to be smote, and as a warning to use one's magic with care lest the unexpected becomes reality.

His scion is the Watcher Galizur, an ancient eldritch being composed of wheels within wheels, and covered with eyes inside and out. Its body is burning flame and its voices are many. Though terrifying to many mortal creatures, Galizur is gentle and often watches over them with its many eyes and divination abilities. It is knowledgeable about many things and is sometimes summoned by powerful wizards in holy commune. It is also the "public face" of Volhov, who is usually kept up in his infinitely tall tower working on methods obscure.

Clergy and Temples
Volhov's temples are one in the same with wizard towers. In fact, the "wizard tower" is said to have originated from Volhov's preferred residence in his divine realm, the kardia arcana. There lies a great city of towers, and the tallest going up infinitely high. On the top of the infinite spire is Volhov's home, where the secret to all magic is kept. So potent is the secret, rivers of magic flow from it down and rain constantly on the city below, enriching it with magic beyond mortal kin.

His clergy dress the part as wizards, with various colored robes as appropriate for the school of magic, rank, and title they possess. Staves and large wide brimmed hats are commonplace. His favored weapon, the quarterstaff, is a favorite to hold extra spells as spare.

Pantheon
Volhov is a god of the Logos Benius pantheon, on planet Maya.