| Cazimo | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Pronunciation: | Cah-zee-moh |
| Domain: | Metal/Earth/Glory/Knowledge |
| Gender: | Male |
A god that features some in Beynid mythology, Cazimo is one of few mythological figures to still endure to the modern day. Normally seen on heraldry and referred to mostly in idioms, he is nonetheless worshipped by few in number yet unfailingly devoted religious acolytes.
Appearance[]
In lore, Cazimo -- along with his sister Patrea -- is seen as a reot or listron, depending on the belief of the individual (or, more commonly, whatever race is dominant in the area). In Cazimo's case, his fur is blades of thin but very sharp metal, and his claws are equally razor-sharp and made of the most durable metal. His eyes are said to be able to see through even the thickest of walls, for the earth and anything made from it cannot hide anything from him. Most portrayals of him show him as unwilling to share the secrets of crafting metal with mortals and needing to be fooled into doing so. He could not be bribed with material goods; everything Cazimo thought as good, he could obtain from the earth.
Religion[]
Cazimo, as a god of metal, typically has his images engraven into metallic objects, or, less frequently, hard earth such as boulders or cavern walls. To bear his image on something wooden, cloth, or, even worse, a living body would be seen as a sign of great disrespect. It would essentially be defiling Cazimo's name. Those who worship Cazimo and have cybernetic implants will often have his symbol or name on the metal parts of their body, but never on any organic body part.
Most who worship Cazimo follow the myth that metal is essentially the coalesced blood of the god, who died to preserve mortals from a catastrophe. The nature of this catastrophe varies greatly in regions; some say that other gods, jealous of the inventive nature of the people of Beyne, sought to kill them, and Cazimo intervened at the cost of his own life. Other variations of this myth say that Cazimo had grown old and burdened by the secrets he carried, and he chose to leave the world to mortals, feeling they were now ready for the knowledge he held. By worshipping Cazimo, his followers hope to remember this martyred god and be granted insight into the uses of his final gift to mortals: metal and earth.
Those who worship Cazimo tend to not organize themselves into large groups, mostly due to the atheistic nature of Beyne. For the same reason, worshipers of Cazimo frequently do not try to convert people to their religion. They will keep their god-fearing ways to themselves, though children who have one or more parents who worship Cazimo are likely to do so themselves.
Worship of Cazimo tends to manifest by trying to develop mastery over metal and earth. Should they have a small altar or shrine to Caizmo in their homes, it will likely be made of a precious metal inlaid with rare gemstones. Cazimo, as sometimes a cruel or at best distant god in mythology, does not make any moral judgments regarding how people interact with one another. Cazimo is solely concerned with metal and earth being used productively, without waste, and for "proper uses".
The definition of "proper use" is vague at best, and it can be the cause of some debate when Cazimo worshipers come together, but most agree that Cazimo would not approve of warfare. After all, in myths, Cazimo was honorable and ultimately quite kind to mortals; he never went back on his word, never caused others to suffer for his own delight, and sought to end conflicts rather than begin them. However, there are some worshipers who believe that using metal for weapons at all goes against Cazimo's ways, for Cazimo held back on some of the earth's greatest secrets due to believing that such mastery of metal would result in bloodshed. As such, it is often said -- among those who believe in this myth -- that Cazimo desired for no metal to take lives or cause harm. Some may choose to interpret this literally and find other means of defending themselves (wooden weapons or magical spells), while others view it as an admonition to be pacifistic entirely.