Jorunnos

The Seeker, The Quester, Lord of New Beginnings

It is said that Jorunnos was once a mortal scholar. He wanted to learn everything there is to know, but was frustrated by the limitations of the libraries he frequented. Then he learned of an ancient artifact, a magical cup that would grant the person who drinks from it any wish. Jorunnos diligently followed any lead to this cup, searched in every library, fought vicious monsters who got in his way, and in short had incredible adventures until he finally found the object of his desire. He filled it with water, drank from it, wished for all the knowledge in the world to be his - and ascended to godhood.

The followers of Jorunnos are all united in that they wish to achieve something. Whether becoming the ruler of a city, finding and winning one's True Love, or destroying one's greatest enemy, they all believe that if their will is strong enough and Jorunnos is willing to come to their aid, they will realize their goals. Other people often describe them as "obsessed", but the Jorunnites reply that these people just don't have the necessary determination to make anything out of their lives. But even those who primarily worship other gods will invoke Jorunnos from time to time - for instance, when searching for lost things, or when embarking on a new venture. Traditionally, prayers to Jorunnos are made in the morning - at the beginning of a new day.

More abstractly, Jorunnos is also the god of Enlightenment, Illumination, and questing after Truth. Many secret societies consider themselves to be following in Jorunnos' footsteps, granting initiates access to deeper and deeper truths as they progress within the group. The Architects certainly invoke Jorunnos in their rites, and so do others who require that their members are filled with a burning desire for deeper mysteries. In contrast, Truths that are widely shared with the masses are not considered worthwhile at all - to the followers of Jorunnos, any knowledge that was attained without effort will not lead to wisdom.

A common quest among them is the search for the Cup of Jorunnos. Almost all fail to find it, and many of those who set out to find it don't come back, but their tales provide plenty of material for the songs of bards.

Jorunnos charges his priests to abide by the following:

• Find your personal quest in life, and never give up on it.
• Value the lessons your journey teaches you.
• Assist others in finding their own purpose in life, and help them pursue it.

His symbol is a cup shooting rays of light out of the top.

Among the elves, Jorunnos is worshiped as Aranor by those who wish to transcend the stasis of their cultures and find new meanings in their lives. Dwarves and gnomes pray to him as Jarmal who they hope will guide them in their quest to perfect a particular innovation or craft.

Designer's Notes

When creating Jorunnos, I was inspired by all the tails of the grail quests of the knights of King Arthur and those following in their footsteps.