Vandin
Vandin is an Immortal best known as the Great Chronicler or Chronicler of All Things. Often depicted as a great eye staring out from the face of the sun, Vandin is said to seek the truth of all things as he constantly scans the world below. It is sometimes said that so vast is Vandin's knowledge that he can predict the future. While his gaze is wide and vast, it is not perfect, and he will often enlist others to assist him in the gathering of knowledge and information.
- Name pronunciation: "vahn-DEEN"
- Deoradhain Classification: Aradian Vael
- Common patron of: Scholars, record-keepers, couriers, guards
- Common symbol: An eye set into the face of a blazing sun
- Common colors: Orange and yellow/gold
To the Fasa peoples Vandin serves as a type of enigmatic oracle and enjoys an exceptional amount of respect and acknowledgment for a being not considered to be one with the Gaea. Often described as a great wheel of fire with countless eyes along its circumference, Vandin was discovered during the race's infancy within a hidden mountain location somewhere near the border of the sacred forest Iardisl. Vandin could only be found after the sun set on certain days of the year, and so bright and powerful was the Oracle's presence that - through no desire of its own - those who went to see it were struck blind, and any who lingered in the overwhelming presence more than a few brief moments would perish. Thus only in times of great need did the Fasa seek Vandin, who was said to serve as an oracle and dispenser of key knowledge that saw the Fasa through great catastrophes that would have otherwise been their doom. Vandin's origins are not often overly-speculated by the Fasa, who tend to accept that the otherworldly being was simply there. There is some debate over whether Vandin is in fact the sun itself, or merely "of the sun" or "like the sun."
To the Faewyr Vandin is a wise record-keeper, constantly chiseling records into the endless cliff face of a great mountain in the realm of the Immortals. His left eye was lost during the Age of Night as he and other Vael - whom the Faewyr consider spirit predecessors of mankind - fought for survival against the Animal Spirits that were preying upon them. Though not a particularly accomplished fighter, he was among the survivors, and as a reward for fighting to ensure their kind's survival rather than flee, Iarel granted him a new occult eye through which he could see all that the sun shone upon in a vigilant watch for any threats to the Vael and later, humankind. He rarely involves himself directly in the matters of the world but prefers to record everything that happens in it as he watches. His accumulated knowledge and wisdom are often sought by the other Immortals, particularly when they wish to set themselves to exceptionally great works. In appearance he is old and weathered but stands tall and retains wiry muscle in his limbs, with fair skin, long white hair, the blazing light of the sun emanating from his left eye, and a beard so long that it is often wrapped around the gnarled wooden staff he carries so that the beard does not get caught under his own feet.
To the Huecatn Vandin is a splinter of their god Toteo in the form of a creature consisting of a blazing sphere of light surrounded by six great feathered wings. The creature flies high in the sky as it keeps watch for any threats that might approach the new sanctuary world of the Huecatn from beyond the veil of stars.
The Khaldeans have what might be called a practical reverence for Vandin the Great Chronicler, being themselves a people greatly interested in knowledge and science. The Temple of Vandin was formed by the Khaldeans to both honor the Immortal fellow lover of knowledge and to house great libraries and public schools dedicated to sharing knowledge with all. Fervent reverence or worship for Immortals may not be as common among the Khaldeans with their taboos about all things occult, but one would be hard-pressed to find a Khaldean who didn't honor the Chronicler at the very least in concept due to his alignment with their cultural lust for knowledge. While he is rarely depicted as an individual, his iconography is extremely common in the Seven Cities of Khaldea.
To the Nuum Vandin is the all-seeing eye within the sun, watching everything that happens on the world below. One of the few Immortals still acknowledged and respected by the Nuum, Vandin is seen more as a powerful servant to their great Empire rather than an Immortal to be worshipped. He grants vast knowledge to those who know the right rituals, some of these individuals empowered so much as to be diviners who can predict many things. As the sun travels across the sky Vandin's gaze falls upon other lands, allowing the the rulers of Nuum to stay aware of happenings virtually anywhere in the world.
To the Viali Vandin is the Great Chronicler who employs countless beings, mortal and otherwise, to record all that is happening in the world. While Iarel may be the de facto leader of the Aengels, it is Vandin who most facilitates communication and cooperation between them all in order to accomplish great works, including the shaping of the world and the preparation for the coming of humanity. He and his own lesser aengels often serve as messengers for the Immortals and occasionaly even send messages to mortals. He employs the Sun - sometimes referred to as the Eye of Vandin by his adherents - as a tool to disperse darkness and reveal the truth of things on the world below, but he is separate from it. He is usually depicted as an exceptionally tall and lithe individual with bronze skin, luminous golden eyes, long flowing golden-white hair, feathered golden-white wings, and his most iconic feature: the blazing third eye on his forehead through which he can see what the Sun sees.
