Azul
- Giver of Rain; Taker of Breath
| Aliases: | Calor (his name in Nexal) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Demonym: | Azulan |
| Power Level: | Unknown |
| Symbol: | Rain, Ice, Octal (alcohol), Fish, Frogs |
| Alignment: | Lawful Evil |
| Portfolio: | Rain, water. |
| Worshipers: | Mazticans who believe in the power of child sacrifice, those obsessed with cleanliness, the thirsty, drunkards. |
| Arelith worshippers' alignments[1]: | LE, NE, LN |
| Aspects: | Hearth and Home, Nature |
Contents
Description
The god of water and rain, and the twin brother of Tezca. He is sometimes called Calor by the Nexalans.
Physical Appearance
Azul is often portrayed as a smiling cherub - a somewhat ghastly reminder of his favorite sacrifice. His skin is meticulously clean, and he leans toward plumpness. He always wears a gown of the cleanest, softest cotton.
Role
As god of rain, and all forms of moisture, Azul is a tremendously important god to the people of Maztica. In that inherently dry continent, those places favored by Azul are the lands that are worth living in, so one of the first things people did when they populated a new valley was to build a new temple and consecrate it to Azul. He, and his many aspects, represent lakes, oceans, streams, snow, and virtually every other aspect of water's nature. Also, Azul is the god of octal, and consequently, drunkenness.
Tenets and Priestly Practices
The priests of Azul keep themselves scrupulously clean in deference to their deity's nature. Indeed, a priest wears as badges of honor the abrasions in his skin caused by the rough pumice soap that is the ritual ingredient in their baths. The primary sacrifice demanded by Azul, in order to insure a good growing season of rainfall, is the life of a young child, most often the child of a slave or prisoner - drowned in a ritual pool.
Most communities of any size have a priest perform this ritual each spring, though it is a senseless and horrifying claiming of a young life. Priests of Azul tend to focus on water, weather, and protection in their magic rites.
