Chronepsis

Chronepsis

Intermediate Power, "The Silent, The Watcher"
Pantheon: Draconic Pantheon
AoC: Fate, death, judgment
Worshippers: Historians, sages; those who would observe
AL: N	WAL: N, LN
Symbol: An unblinking draconic eye
Home p/r: Outlands/Mausoleum of Chronepsis
Allies: None
Enemies: None
Favored Weapon: Scythe (claw)
Domains: Death, Knowledge, Luck, Repose, Scalykind
Subdomains: Ancestors, Dragon, Memory, Fate, Souls, Thought
Known Proxies: Haurachsjirat (Pr/♂ black dragon/wyrm/N)

The most subdued of the draconic deities, Chronepsis keeps a staid guard over the great Mausoleum within which the lives of all dragons and draconic peoples are kept. He watches the lives of all, and judges those for whom they have ended, determining their ultimate fate. Physically, he appears as a decaying (though not rotting) dragon of black scale, though not a true black dragon; indeed, he has the qualities of neither chromatic nor metallic, he is above and outside all. Since the dawn of time, he has been cut from communication, offering neither speech nor word nor thought to a single entity in known history, so truly dedicated to his task is he.

History

One of the most ancient draconic deities, mentions of Chronepsis date from longer than the dragons themselves, with some tales calling him a brother of the great Io. As he rarely interacts with mortals, however, there is little in the way of a mythos around his existence.

Priesthood

Of the draconic deities, Chronepsis has the fewest followers, as it tends to be only the least passionate brought to his faith, a quality not found in great amounts amongst the dragons. Thus, further, he also tends to have a quite appreciable number of non-dragons in his faith. Many of his followers choose to take a vow of silence in honor of their patron, seeking to follow his example in devotion to non-interference.

Though he holds a minor relationship with Labelas Enoreth, the elven deity of time and longevity, it is largely one-sided, simply a relationship of seemingly-mutual respect. In fact, he holds neither allegiance nor enmity to any entity, divine or not, in keeping with his objective nature, though there are still others that hold him in regard. Lendys, draconic god of justice, holds Chronepsis in great esteem for his actions, and though Boccob's opinions are known on little, his followers tend to work well with those of Chronepsis. The devotion to keeping the natural order of things straight leads to many allegiances between his clergy and those of the Furies, the Norns, and Istus, among other similar deities.

The clerics and Watchers of Chronepsis tend to be very quiet, the sort of person ignored in a crowd, barely noticed. They observe and record major events, but interfere only rarely; they are not apathetic, and the smaller events that are likely of no great import include plenty of actions from his faith, but those events that are likely to have great historical significance are very unlikely to have a priest of the Watcher involved. In day-to-day lives, these priests usually serve as watchmen over gravesites, battlefields, memorial sites. Ensuring that the memories of those that have gone are never lost. Many also perform funerary duties, historical records, or even basic clerking for the general populace.

As opposed to the clerics, who maintain, it is the few paladins, cavaliers, inquisitors, and the like of Chronepsis are the spearhead of his few direct actions. Heading out, ensuring that not only are major events not interfered with, but others that try to interfere with them are prevented. While chronomancers are obviously often targets of their defense, so to are those that attempt to disrupt that which is known to come to pass through divination, omens, or other means. And of course those that attempt to subvert the natural end of all permanently; methods of prolonging are not offensive, but pursuing immortality or, even worse, undeath certainly are. Unsurprisingly, dracoliches are by far the greatest target of Chronepsis' wrath.

Dogma

With no direct communications with his faithful, Chronepsis has no statement of belief; though the lack of statement itself can serve as one. To interfere in the way of things is to impede the way of things. They happen as they happen, and fighting it can only bring sorrow. Everyone has their own fate, and everyone eventually comes to their ultimate fate. These are neither good nor bad, they simply are. But this does not mean people are not worthy of having their actions remembered. In fact, the lack of interference is the greatest show of respect one can offer for the accomplishments of another, for only in keeping uninvolved can you truly appreciate and remember that which others are able to do alone. And without keeping uninvolved, one cannot form an accurate judgment, for how can ones judgment of ones own actions ever be truly fair?

References

• Draconomicon, pgs.33,89-90
• Monster Mythology, pg.106
• On Hallowed Ground, pg.98
• Races of the Dragon, pp.152-153