Three Face (4e Deity)
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True Neutral
Domains: War, knowledge, storm, freedom
Three Face is erroneously often believed to have been three separate deities. It is in fact one being with three distinct aspects that are very popular throughout Dasoon and even abroad. Three Face was probably one of the deities least affected by the Gorge, as it is a deity with a very gnostic and secluded culture of worship. The aspects of the deity were well known but Three Face itself was not known until late in the False Dawn Era. How this deity was able to remain a single entity yet only be known as separate is a mystery. Three Face in most circles is accepted as one of the oldest gods, born from a special part of the Unity's brain.
The three aspects were individually popular in differing areas of the world and known under different aliases. Senzon is an aspect popular in Jjan, Toryu, and Ba Xin. He is said to be a plain, mortal-looking man in the guise of a monk with pale skin. It is believed that he created the brush and taught the first written character system on Dasoon, which proliferated to form the modern-day language of pictograph characters. This aspect of Three Face represents knowledge. Theologians also argue that Senzon embodies enlightenment and the superego in human nature.
The second aspect is Arus, a vengeful form of Three Face popularized from the southwest Dasoon area. Arus is believed to be heavily influenced by Sithian depictions and is very ogreish and demon-like. In contrast to Senzon, Arus represents strife and war, having been known to be the one who bestowed powerful weapons unto early kings and goad them to violence. Additionally, Arus is said to induce bad habits in his followers, making them slothful and belligerent. Arus is theorized to symbolize the human id and primal desire.
The last face of Three Face is believed to be Three Faces true form, as it combines the aspects of Senzon and Arus to become Zaimon, the Demon Monk. Zaimon is known in Sithian temples as well as Ba Xin and Karashi. This form is said to embody imperfection and the human ego, a mediator between the superego and the id. Zaimon has been said to be both male and female, and also neither. It is said this aspect taught arts and magic, but also bore the wrath of the god down upon villages in storms. Zaimon ultimately shows the spectrum of freedom one has between desire and rational thought.
Each aspect of Three Face has different types of worship and followers. They even have different alignments. Arus tends towards chaotic evil and Senzon tends towards lawful neutral. Zaimon is the true neutral one, which is where Three Faces' purported alignment is based. As such, they also have different tenets.
Senzon advises for prudence and higher betterment of the self:
- Never stop learning. One can always find something that they do not yet know.
- Take criticism with grace. In life, there are no enemies. We are all companions on a journey to enlightenment.
- Hoard not but share for the future. To move towards a better collective future, knowledge cannot be obscured or twisted and should be given to all freely.
Arus advocates for the satisfaction of oneself, even at the expense of others:
- Indulge yourself in pleasure. Life is too short to be caring about others.
- Might makes right. The strong can take and do as they please to the weak.
- Constant battle refines the self. Conflict is encouraged to become stronger and weed out the weak.
Zaimon has ultimate temperance but also some more violent tenets. Essentially it can be a libertarian:
- Keep to thine own blades. If you are not hurt, do not hurt others. If they hurt you, hurt them back.
- The path is for oneself to make. Your own destiny is made by your choices.
- Storm the gates of oppression. Rulers in the world are all primarily false.
Description and Symbolism[edit]
Three Face does not have a form known outside its three aspects. Some like to merge the three to make one, multifaceted figure. Senzon resembles a rather bland-looking bald monk in normal robes. His skin is pale white and his eyes are blank. His right hand has six fingers. A thick purple rope hangs around his neck as a symbol of humility. He is commonly shown holding a brush.
Arus is a reddish humanoid devil creature, with motifs of swirls, and horns on his heightened brow. He is dressed usually only in a loincloth to show a primitive feel. His ogreish face is used in Toryu motifs to scare children into behaving. Arus is commonly shown holding a sword on both ends, depicting a stand of bequeathment rather than an actual battle. This is because Arus is known for goading others into violence rather than actually fighting himself. The weapons he is shown with range in shape but they tend to always be made of valuable material, like a sword of jade or an axe of silver.
Zaimon is a fusion of the two aforementioned appearances, thus the moniker of Demon Monk. It wears Senzon's robes, but they are dishevelled and open. It has pinkish skin, reminiscent of the red from Arus. Zaimon has four pairs of arms. Each hand is unique either in purpose or appearance: One has Senzon's six-fingered hand, one holds a metal fan, one holds a ritual candle, two hold opposing sides of an incense box, one is an empty five-fingered hand, and the last two hold the force of triality. Emphasizing the demonic half, Zaimon has a variety of facial features that can vary based on the artist. It is stipulated Zaimon has five eyes. Some say there are three tongues, fangs, and flames that come out from the mouth. Strangely enough, Zaimon also has hair. The hidden motif in depictions of Zaimon lie in his eyes, the incense box, and the triality, which are always aligned down the middle, showing the numbers 5, 4, and 3 (5 eyes, 4 sided box, 3 sides), the same as Three Face's symbolic banner (star, square, triangle). The triality also hides within it an eye (2 corners) and a single dot for the pupil (1 point). Thus, the numbers 5 to 1 are all aligned within Zaimon.
Special Items[edit]
The legends associated with Three Face come with a plethora of objects of significant value. Often they are lost in legend, but some actually do exist or have been noted of what they can do from people who have found them:
- The incense box of Zaimon's represents faith, as well as the ritual candle. These are said to be able to ward off creatures with the undead keyword, keeping them at least 3 squares away from the holder whilst they are burning. They are infinite in duration, meaning they can burn forever. The box, representing the number 4, is connected to the theme of death.
- The metal
Temples[edit]
Alliances[edit]
Three Face is not aligned with the Four Deeds or Meditations. There is in fact little note of interaction with Three Face outside the occasional story. For the most part, due to their oppositions to a centralized force, Three Face's aspects also do not align with the other gods.
Legends[edit]
A wealth of stories exist about the aspects of Three Face. Some are oral epics passed through tradition while others are fables to scare children.
- The Time The Sky Split
Zaimon seduces the
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