Harameus

From Mizahar Lore

"No, you don't understand. He won't 'talk' to you. See, he's way older than mouths and tongues like ours. He doesn't believe in such things. His words fly upon the world in the language of symbols, discreet but unmasked, asking only to be heard." - Serenis Showalter, priestess of Harameus

Harameus is the god of transformation and Alchemy. Widely considered one of the most ancient gods in existence, he is also one of the most alien and reclusive. There are no recorded manifestations of Harameus as a physical being, yet the reality of his existence is beyond debate. His gnosis marks and the messages he leaves to his faithful are unquestionably real, and a part of him exists whenever and wherever something or someone is changing.

Conversations with Harameus are not carried out with conventional means; instead, his devoted learn to recognize his messages as phenomena in the world around them, and respond in kind by applying whatever change they think the god requires of them. A seemingly mundane event such as a strange cloud pattern or a beam of light falling on a specific point will resonate with a few perceptive souls who are attuned to Harameus' sensibility. Harameus values introspection, idealism and independent thinking. His gnosis is called Harameia after him, and empowers the marked with the ability to perceive change and even affect its outcome. He is worshipped as main deity by the Pycon race as well as Alchemists and other world magic users.

Personality

Just like Tanroa and Lhex, Harameus is a relic of times and perhaps pantheons past. Being so ancient, these gods are often difficult for people to fully understand. Other deities chose to adapt to human thinking and intellect, or were born during the human reign, but these unfathomably old remnants must have stuck to the old ways for the most part. Harameus is even more mysterious than Lhex and Tanroa because no-one knows what he looks like: in fact, there is debate on whether he looks at all. He may date back from a time when appearance did not exist yet. Unlike Ionu, which masks itself in countless guises none of which is truer than the last, Harameus may well be a disembodied entity by either design or accident.

For what it may matter, Harameus is traditionally thought of as being male due to early translations of the Treval Codex from the ancient tongue which spoke of him in masculine terms. Later editions provided more accurate translations which showed no actual gender was implied in the Codex, but the male denomination seemed to stick. The name Harameus comes from a bastardization of ancient tongue qarams, meaning 'to deliberately and purposely change one thing into another, especially through a series of steps'. Even when he chooses to communicate in his own way, Harameus usually reveals nothing about himself. His messages speak of the world, or of the person reading them, but he seems uninterested in himself.

Myth sometimes has Harameus as Tanroa's first follower who ascended to godhood and enforced the flow of time through change. Others say he is Tanroa's son, whereas a few maintain that the gods of old all spilled a drop of their blood in order for him to be formed. His divine rank is assumed because of the scope of his interactions and the number of his followers. Nothing certain is known about him except that he will push for change when and where change is due.

Domain

Harameus has often been blamed for revolutions of all kinds, both violent and peaceful. He is the drive for change and acts as a balance to inertia and stagnation. Like the rest of the eldest gods, he appears to be largely amoral. He is worshipped by people of vastly different ethical beliefs, who bring in turn vastly different types of change. He doesn't seem to mind either way, as long as things keep moving. It has been theorized that Harameus is a mechanism devised at the start of time to make sure the world did not grind to a halt under any circumstances. In spite of this, it is also thought Harameus may have subtly facilitated the Valterrian to usher in a new stage for Mizahar. His worship does not come easily: one has to accept how painful change really is, and embrace it nonetheless. The devoted may also have to accept that Harameus may want them to change, something drastically. There are tales of priests who interpreted a message from the god as a request for suicide. More often than not, the priests complied.

Communication

"I had been searching the woods for days, but a certain plant for my recipe remained elusive. I had all but given up hope, when I saw a tree branch that reminded me of an outstretched arm with a hand pointing east. It didn't exactly look like a hand, but that's what I saw in my mind. It was pointing at a certain bush. I tipped my hat to Harameus and harvested a certain leaf with which I made a certain fluid and dealt with a certain someone." - Anonymous poisoner

Harameus is unique among the gods in that communicating with him actually takes faith. Some souls possess the sensibility to see things instead of just looking at them. In doing so, they may stumble upon some of the countless messages Harameus has broadcast all over the world. Most people, when confronted with the god's cryptic notes, see absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, but there are those who know. It is then, upon correctly deciphering a message from Harameus, that they usually receive their first mark.

The messages tend to become increasingly complex and rich as one's ability to perceive them grows. They range from simple indications on where to look for things, to elaborate philosophical statements grounded in symbols and allegories. Harameus is insanely fond of symbols, but it's up to his listener to figure them out. Seeing a deer with an arrow sticking out of its ribs can become an allegory for something unnatural nearby that must be corrected. Of course, it can also mean just that, a deer with an arrow sticking out of its ribs. This is why followers of Harameus are frequently ridiculed as lunatics. However, a true believer will know when they are seeing a message from the god. Often they won't be able to explain why: some will give non-answers such as 'feeling funny' or 'tingly' or 'just knowing'. There is no manual for interpreting Harameus except one's heart. As such, people tend to view Harameus the way they view the world, with kind people seeing his kind side, cruel people thinking him cruel.

Affiliates

On the matter of Harameus, even the other gods are unusually silent. They often refer to him as the 'silent speaker', but no-one likes to deal with him much, perhaps because he is so ethereal and unconcerned with specific values other gods represent. It is often the case that his marked also carry marks from other gods, and he rarely claims a mortal with a third mark or above unless they are utterly devoted to him. The squabbles of gods do not interest him, as expected of someone with a more abstract purpose.

The Pycon clay men worship him fervently. Beings made of raw change, they often hope to catch glimpses of their 'ultimate forms' from his cryptic messages. The Pycon founded the first cult entirely devoted to Harameus, the Formless, which has expanded to include non-Pycons (indeed, Pycon members are now a minority in the cult.)

Gnosis

Harameus' gnosis is called Harameia, and allows the marked to perceive messages from the god with far sharper clarity, deciphering every nuance and thus discovering many hidden truths about the world. They can also perceive ongoing change, intuitively know where it's headed, and alter it in subtle ways.