Carnelian
by Marco Dalmonte English translation by Gary DaviesPatroness of Machetos, Patroness of Tradition and Nobility
Level, Alignment, Sphere: 7th (Temporal), LN, Time
Symbol: a silver ring that encloses a golden crown on a white background
Portfolio: Machetos, tradition, nobility, order, patriotism
Worshipped in: Known World (Thyatis)
Appearance: an extremely beautiful woman with light elven traits, with wispy fiery red hair that comes down to her shoulders, an aquiline and aristocratic nose, dressed in a long, white cotton tunic, a mail cuirass and a white tabard on which her symbol is prominent
History: Glinmir was born into an aristocratic Thyatian family in the II century AC. The father, Palykratus Machetos, was a small noble that, in order to attain merit in his assignment of judge of the utmost integrity, gained from Empress Valentia the dominion on a small fiefdom of little account on the western border of the Empire (in the area between the Dymrak Forest and the southern coast). It was here that Palykratus knew Faelasyl, young daughter of an elven clan head, and enraptured by her beauty wanted her as a wife. From that marriage the small Carnelian was born, renamed by her mother Glinmir (name that in elven means “ruddy light”, from the fiery hair of the baby). On the strength of her social position and her beauty, Carnelian was always extremely arrogant and regal in the conviction that by way of her noble birth, it should gain her the adoration and obedience from all those that surround and admire her. Following the death of her parents during an assault on the villa carried out by the ferocious goblins of Dymrak, Glinmir inherited the family propriety shortly after her adolescence, and administered it in an impeccable manner thanks to her education and wisdom. However she quickly understood that the situation shouldn’t last for long if she didn’t for her part gain the economic and military strength of a more important noble, and so she was able to arrange the marriage with Alexandros Karameikos, an influential senator and rich landowner. Carnelian profited from the fusion of the two fiefdoms that resulted in the creation of the County of Machetos, enhancing the status of both the domains and ensuring that her husband and herself gained the title of Count and Countess. After having sacrificed a good part of her youth to administer the fiefdom and having given birth to an offspring, she attended to her son until his age of maturity, after she became a widow Carnelian decided to take vows in the Church of Thyatis and entry in a military order, leaving to her adult son the handling of the county. In short time her gifts of administration and the knowledge derived from her noble education allowed her to reach the zenith of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and once she arrived here she began to sense that she could make a further step, after starting to dream of Immortality. Her patron revealed the path to her, and after entering a long and arduous pilgrimage, she finally succeeded to ascend into the Sphere of Time during the IV century AC after having assured the prosperity of the fiefdom of Machetos and having helped her descendant to keep strengthening the reins in the times ahead. Carnelian presently is worshipped only within the Duchy of Machetos as holy protector of its inhabitants and rulers. She wasn’t impressed by the decision of Stefan Karameikos III to abandon his native fiefdom by moving to nearby Traladara, and has asked her followers not to follow, continuing to watch over on her birth land and refusing to extend her cult in Karameikos.
Personality: Carnelian has only realised since becoming Immortal she was never happy in her mortal life, always oppressed by her duties and by her moral obligations. She has always thought that she deserves admiration and obedience in virtue of her noble birth, but she has come to realise too late that this birth required also a conduct so rigid it precluded her attaining true happiness. Also now that she had become Immortal she feels constrained to act according to the ruler of her hierarchy, and for that reason her faith in the cause of law and order has become deprived of fervour, even if she continues to persecute it. Now Carnelian has found it her duty to react to her state and has only two ways: either find the fullness of the life left through passion, entertainment and excessiveness, or completely devoting herself to the cause of universal order without questioning the existence of others.
Patron: unknown [presumed: Khoronus]
Allies: none
Enemies: none
Alignment of followers: Neutral or Lawful; clerics must be Lawful
Favoured weapon: none (allowed all bludgeoning weapons)
Clerics’ skills and powers: free command general skill, +2 bonus to one chosen general skill based on Wisdom or Intelligence (not free)
Domains: Time, Law, Nobility
Preferred weapon: light mace
Source: IM3