The Six Faces are the divine forces which watch over us and protect us. Though they have no definite names or forms, we call them by the forces they represent: Creation, Destruction, Peace, War, Fate, and Chance. There are beings which walk Anterris who seemingly walk with the will of the Faces. The Faces have chosen these people as their Avatars, supposedly the living embodiment of the Faces. Though false Avatars have turned up in the past, they do not have the gifts that true Avatars often bear. It is rumored that the Avatars of Fate can see the future, and an Avatar of Peace can stop a bull’s charge with so little as a glance. By observing different priests and followers of the Faces, it is clear that there is no “correct” way to interpret the Face’s will. There is hot debate and conflict within individual religions as to what the nature of the Face is and how the followers should act as a result. The presence of Avatars is of no help, as they are often enigmatic and difficult to pin down for an actual discussion on the subject. They seem to enjoy leaving the followers arguing about the nature of something they obviously know very intimately. Creation – Creation is a popular face within the Benitian Kingdom and Formatian Empire. Those who have glimpsed the Face of Creation while in the Astral Temple usually see her as a brown haired woman clothed in green. Other visions include a tselk mason dressed in filthy rags, and a Saloi dressed in white robes. The symbol of creation is a golden stalk of wheat. There are two known Avatars of Creation. The first is Morricor, an elderly human architect who lives in the Formatian capital city of Aedificia. Morricor lives in the Cathedral of Glass, a beautiful building made of clouded glass bricks. It is nearly impossible to look at on a sunny day. The second Avatar, and the most famous of them, is Recilla. Recilla is a ten year old human girl, who lives in the Cathedral of Terin’sal in the south of the Benitian Kingdom. Not old enough to travel on her own, Recilla’s is watched over by Demitri, a human priestess who is also the matron of the cathedral. Creationites are always striving to build, be it physical or spiritual growth. Priests of Creation encourage others to continue to grow, despite all barriers. There is a famous story that begins the Path of the Creator, the Creationite Holy Book. In this story, an ugly city burns down. Rather than mourning for the losses, the Creationites band together and re-build a beautiful city of glass on top of the rubble. Creationites usually appreciate art and architecture, believing that the breath of the Face can felt through truly inspired works. There are a few factions of Creationites which seek to raise the dead. These factions believe that a dead body is really just a canvas for magic to work its art. They believe that by infusing a dead body with magic, making it walk and live, they are pleasing the Face of Creation. Recently, the Face of Creation has begun to breathe life into the permanently dead, who are born again as a race called the Broken. (note that not all Broken follow the Face of Creation) It is not known why the Face selects these people for resurrection, as the people come back seemingly at random. Because of this anomaly, Creationites often ask not to be buried or burned at their permanent death, but left in the woods to rot. Destruction – Destruction is most commonly worshipped in the Malean Wasteland by the dark members of the Shadow Swarm, but there are numerous monks of Destruction outside the desert. The Face of Destruction, when seen in the Astral Temple, appears in a  number of forms. Some see a bony skeleton wielding a sickle or scythe. Some see a young boy, not older than twelve years old, dressed all in black. Some see a Shadow Elf armed with an obsidian scythe. Various other forms have appeared throughout time. The symbol of destruction is a black scythe. There are two known Avatars of Destruction. One is Martel, the enigmatic leader of the Maleans and father of the Malean Kingdom. Stories tell of Martel’s rebellion from the early city of Aedificia, not 40 years from the creation of the city. Martel led his men south, into the wasteland, where he built the Tower of Martel. Rumors say Martel still sleeps in the highest room of the tower, but there are no reports of seeing him since he locked himself away. The other Avatar is an old Sylvan Elf named Kim, who lives in the Materian Forest. Kim is an old man who sits on the council of the Druidi. The Followers of the Face of Destruction are often misunderstood. Though many Destructionites violently believe that the truth will be found only when the physical veils of Anterris are slashed aside, there is a growing peaceful movement of Destructionite monks. These monks believe that enlightenment will come once all mental refuse is emptied out. They practice long hours of meditation, trying to fully empty-out their minds and focus on Nothing. These monks do not believe in good or evil, they are very passive and focused on their lack of focus. They try their best to destroy everything that exists within them: pride, guilt, anger, love, even their own identity. Some of the enlightened monks have cast aside their names, and are referred to only as ‘Brother’. There are two books in the Destructionite tradition. The first is the Black Book, which was supposedly penned by Martel himself before he locked himself away. It prophesizes about the New Coming that will arrive after all is destroyed. The book also alludes to Entasia already being in the Third Coming. Many Destructionites believe that it was followers of Destruction that eventually won the Great War. The second book is a simple and short manual for living. It is called the Haru Tse, and it outlines the tenets of the peaceful Destructionite way. War – Followers of War are spread out all over Entasia though many are in the Libeyan Commonwealth. When seen in the Astral Temple, the Face of War appears as a red-bearded Dwarf wielding a hammer, or a tall human in red plate mail. The symbol of War is a red hammer. The only known Avatar of War is General Kor, a human warrior who walks all over Entasia, looking for honorable combat. Warrites believe that true personal growth can only come from enduring personal struggles. Conflicts are seen as an opportunity for development. Often, the heroes of Warrite stories are the soldiers who barely crawl from battle, scarred and bleeding. The emphasis in many stories is not the physical danger, but the psychological challenges. In one famous Warrite epic, the soldier-hero of the story must slay his brother to save his commander, then later slay commander in order to save his family. Dealing with the trauma of all this betrayal is the main theme of the story. There are many epic Warrite texts, which are usually long allegories rife with symbolism and colorful descriptions of violence. Warrites will often choose a hero from a story they associate with, and carve the hero’s name onto their weapon. Many Warrites aspire to be immortalized by storytellers for their deeds, and perhaps one day have their names worn on the blade of a young warrior. There are several factions of Warrites which make physical War with everything. These fanatical outcasts from society believe they are staging a war against everything that exists, and seek to conquer it. They give a bad name to real Warrites everywhere. Peace – Followers of Peace are spread out all over Entasia, though many of them are in the Benitian Kingdom. When one is gifted with a glimpse at the Face of Peace, one often sees a blonde haired high elven woman with white-feathered wings. The symbol of Peace is a white dove. There are no known Avatars of Peace. Peacites believe that violence and conflict leads to pain, and that the point of life is to live in harmony with one’s surroundings. Many Peacites are content to live alone in the woods, living off the land. Other Peacites see themselves as guardians of peace, encouraging negotiation, tolerance, and fellowship before swords are crossed. Taking violent action against another is a cardinal sin in the Peace text, the Libra Paxi. The Libra Paxi tells the story of the last Avatar of Peace who walked Entasia over two hundred years ago, a Sylvan Elf named Shira. According to the text, her words and writings, she prevented a great war from beginning between the creatures of the forest and those who built buildings of stone. Some people believe that the reason we now live in relative harmony with animals is due to the work of Shira. The legends tell that Shira took her own life when her followers began taking violent actions for peace. After her followers began raiding weapon forges and poisoning soldiers, Shira walked into the woods and never returned. Many believe she starved in the woods, but a few of her followers whisper that she just escaped from public view and still walks among us. Some Sylvan Elves believe that she became one with the forest and joined the Great Tree. There are a few groups of Peacites who believe that Peace should be preserved at all costs, regardless of the taxes on the individual. If it means no one can own weapons and criminals are put to death for small offenses, this is acceptable to them. There are a few nobles in the Formatian Empire which follow this sect of Peace, and they are often seen as tyrants. Still, peace is maintained in their regions of the Empire, so they must be doing something right. Another sect of Peace believes that violence is acceptable so long as it is in striving for peace. For example, they accept the assassination of generals, violent leaders, and people who aren’t dedicated to peace. Fate – The Face of Fate is worshipped all over Entasia. When one sees the Face of Fate in the Astral Temple, the Face will usually appear as a blue jester of any race. The symbol of Fate is a blue book (the Tome of Fate, discussed at length below). The only known Avatar of Fate is a four hundred year old Human named Yooda that lives on the mountains between the Malean Wasteland and the Protean Alliance. He sits within a great library, writing tomes of history and (often incomprehensible) prophecy. Followers of Fate believe that life is a series of events, which are destined to happen. Followers of Fate enjoy seeing history unfold in front of them. They sometimes see themselves as tools of fate, helping whichever side they feel is worthy. Many Tselk follow Fate, as their often prophetic dreams sometimes reveal the immediate future, even if not in an immediately comprehensible form. Because Followers of Fate often carefully plan out their actions, they often pursue careers in politics. There is a legendary artifact: the Tome Of Fate which describes all events in history, and even the events to come. Anyone who read this book would possess the knowledge of the future, and would be able to walk though life unhindered. There are many legends and myths that tell of the location of this book, but no one has been able to find it for sure. One famous story tells of a Dwarf named Berath who slew all his allies to gain the book. Upon obtaining the tome, he opened it up to learn the date and cause of his death. At the moment he read the date, his heart stopped and he died his final death. His servant entered his chambers later, to find nothing but a dead body – the book was nowhere to be found. The Tome itself, if it exists, is clearly cursed. Many of the stories surrounding it concern people who come to great harm from handling it. There are, however, a handful of stories where the Tome provides great fortune… take for example the poor boy who’s great inheritance is stolen from him on the day which his only living relative dies. He sits alone in his house, crying, and finds an odd book on his shelf. When he holds up the book, gold coins begin to fall out of its pages. A pile of gold is sprinkled before him, and he realizes the Tome had granted him his rightful inheritance. Most of the stories involve someone eventually realizing and fulfilling their destiny through the Tome, and then having the Tome stolen, lost, or mysteriously disappear. The Tome, of course, is not the most important part of the Face’s religion. Many great historians and storytellers have been followers of Fate, as they believe the recording and transcription of history reflects the Breath of the Face. Perhaps if one can find pattern in the events of history, one might unlock the secrets of the future. There is a great scholarly debate about whether or not Fate and Chance are one and the same Face, just guised in different clothes. It raises some interesting questions about whether destiny really exists in the universe… and if the Chancites are really just following Destiny anyway. Many passages and verses from one of Fate’s holy books, The Mountains of Fate, are nearly identical to passages in Chance’s holy book, The Waters of Chance. It is a debate that will probably never be truly solved. Chance – Followers of Chance are scattered all over Entasia, though there is a concentration of them in the Protean Alliance. When one sees the Face of Chance in the Astral Temple, he usually appears as a jester of any race, clad in red. The symbol of Chance is a red die. There is one known Avatar of Chance; his name is Chase and he wanders the Protean Alliance. He is the governor of a city called High Hopes near the Malean Border. Followers of Chance believe very strongly in free will. They refuse to believe that laws of destiny bind the universe, and live their lives accordingly. Followers of Chance are very intuitive, often choosing their path of action based on their emotions rather than rational thought. They do not, of course, ignore rational thought, but emotion still holds great sway. Many of the great thieves and heroes of history have followed Chance. Chancites like taking risks, because they feel truly alive at that point which they are anticipating result. Chancites are renowned for their mystical luck. The phrase, “Chance dances with that one,” is commonly used to comment on someone’s fantastic good fortune. There is a great scholarly debate about whether or not Fate and Chance are one and the same Face, just guised in different clothes. It raises some interesting questions about whether destiny really exists in the universe… and if the Chancites are really just following Destiny anyway. Many passages and verses from one of Fate’s holy books, The Mountains of Fate, are nearly identical to passages in Chance’s holy book, The Waters of Chance. It is a debate that will probably never be truly solved.

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