User:Moviesign/Arvoreen

Arvoreen, also known as The Defender or The Wary Sword is the closest the halflings have to a war god, but he was actually the halfling deity of defense, guardians and watchers. . He was strict and preaches aggressive watchfulness but only to react to aggression. He does not support starting engagements unless it is done to stop Evil practices. Arvoreen never attacks first, and doesn't hold thieving to be dishonourable as long as it is against a foe.However, it is extremely forbidden to steal from a hin or allies.

Worshipers
The faith of Arvoreen is strong in like-minded Strongheart halflings and halfling isolationists. The devoted follows procedures of military drills, training regimens, traps, signal beacons and also fortifications. Their temples are special keeps. This mix, along with some ideals that the enemies to the hin community comes from enemies inherited by mixing with other cultures, makes them less popular to the Lightfoot halfling, who are exempt in times of war.

The Devoted also taught blade work to the young, especially the deity's favored weapon the short sword. The clergy pray before dawn and before patrol. If able, they will also pray before battle with The battle hymn Of The Keepers, an oral depiction of halfling military victory dating back centuries.

The vestments of the priesthood of the defender was silver colored chain mail and helmet, along with dark blue tabards with his holy symbol. They also wore an amulet of a small silver buckler.

Avatar
Appearing as a handsome young muscular halfling dressed in light clothing and chain mail, his weapons of choice range from two short swords to a short sword and shield. He is always accompanied by a keeper, and he sometimes appear to go on patrol with his worshipers.

Specialist priest and worshipers
Novices of the church were called "Shieldbearers" and the ranks ascended as such: Shieldbearers, Warder, Guardian, Defender, Rrotector, Magistrate, Sheriff, Marshals (Full priest) and High Marshal.
 * Trueswords - Speciialised priests skilled in fighting with short swords, engineering and reading and writing.
 * Arvoreen's Keepers - Commanders and militia leaders, sentinels and "road-sheriffs". They use a code of ethics as guidelines and so are wiling to bend to rules to defend the small folk.
 * Arvoreen's Warder - A militaristic branch of the religion with less spell casting ability, who make up for this handicap with tenacity and skills.

Holy Days

 * Ceremony of Remembrance - took place during Feast of the Moon where they remember those who fell in the defence of the halfling community.

Affiliated Orders

 * Arvoreen's Marchers - Known for keeping anarchy from spreading during the Tethyrian Interregnum, they then became a recognised knightly order. During this time they where active in the Purple Hills under the leadership of Estermal Talltankard. They gained a chapter house near Barrowsmorn (Keeperstone), and they patrolled the Purple Marches.

Relationships
The defender's enemies are naturally the evil deities such as the goblinoid pantheon, Bane, Cyric and the Deities of Fury. His closest allies are the deities other of the hin pantheon, especially Yondalla, Cyrrollalee and Urogalan, but he disapproved of the behavior of Brandobaris.

Trivia
There is a "Sling of Arvoreen" found in the game in a beholder den that states falsely that Arvoreen is a female.

In the game Neverwinter Nights 2, Daeghun Farlong has in a chest in his room, in which can be found "Arvoreen's Amulet of Aid". Daeghun never mentions the amulet or how he's gotten it. It is known that Arvoreen grants gifts to defenders of hin communities and that might be how he gained this item.