God of Stars, War, Peace, Spirit, and Heroes. Icon.
MARS, Rhymes with “Bars.”
Although the patron God of war, Mars is also associated with peace. Among his followers, war is a last resort when all other options have been exhausted, and is only ever used to secure peace. His followers are often soldiers and mercenaries who pray for him to grant strength and courage in battle. Although relatively peaceful, Mars is quick to anger. Clad in traditional bronze armor, Mars was a faithful knight to Amenotokotachi and was topped with a wreath of cinderleaves for his role as a loyal paladin of the Lady of Lightning. Upon sacrificing himself to save his lady and his kingdom, he became venerated as an icon of war and peace, enough to rise to the status of God, one of only a few mortals to rise to the highest position.
Born a Genasi, Mars sought out a life of devotion early on, and found himself in service to the Church of Amber and devoted his life to the Lady of Lightning. He fought as a general, leading the frontlines of Amenotokotachi’s holy wars. For much of his life, the Domain of Lightning had been fighting for control of the rest of the elemental planes. Things were worsened when a general came to rival the Amber Dynasty. Myoken, a scholar of the Void and former empyrean to the Amber Lady herself, manipulated dark forces within each of the elemental Domains, pushing them to rebel against the order that had been laid out. Mars fought Myoken, both as a general as well as one-on-one, and matched him blow for blow. Though he was able to bring the other planes in line under the reign of the Amber Dynasty, he was unable to wholly defeat Myoken. Myoken, realizing the same, turned his eyes towards Amenotokotachi, but Mars laid his life on the line in order to save his lady, locking Myoken back in his void, but giving his life in order to do so. However, his followers would not have that be his end, and venerated his sacrifice and bravery, turning him into an icon.
However, Mars nor his followers realized that this revival might be a curse, as Myoken had desecrated the body of Mars and captured his followers as trophies, each one a star in the night sky. As such, Mars represents the dichotomy between the Void and the rest of the elements. Myoken teaches about the void in each element, but Mars is that void. Though the void strengthens him and he can utilize its aspects in his arsenal, he rarely chooses to do so, as the mark of the void is enough to shun him in the eyes of Amenotokotachi already and he wishes not to draw any more ire from those he loves to dearly. Additionally, using the aspects of the void only serves to strengthen Myoken and make his void whispers louder. While content to exist in exile of his beloved order as long as it means being able to serve them, Mars actively seeks a way to remove the curse laid upon him and his followers.
Mars is best known for this attempt to bring order and peace to the elemental chaos. He was unsuccessful in wholly doing so, for the elemental planes could not be tamed, but in his holy mission, he was able to claim a gem of each of the elemental planes. He then scattered the gems amongst the Gods he trusted for safekeeping. He gave the gem of elemental fire to the Goddess Brigantia, who is said to have hid the gem in the center of the sun. He gave the gem of water to Lokke, who encased the gem deep in the frozen core of the moon, which in turn created the tides. He gave the gem of Air to Cigwe, who hid the scale amongst his infinite feathers, blending in like a needle in a haystack, and uses it to give the gift of breath to all life on earth. He gave the gem of Earth to Eona, wears the gem on her person, perhaps the most vulnerable of those entrusted, she uses it to bestow life to crops and foliage, which in turn pass life onto those that consume her gifts.