Preciosus

"Ainda consigo ouvi-lo, os gritos de dor do nosso patrono. Cada ferida sangrenta adornada em sofrimento superior à anterior, jamais permitindo a morte. Coberto de sangue e cicatrizes, abençoado por dor e ouro, conheça a paz no seio da morte. Mergulhe no mais escuro abismo, trevas tão silenciosa e pacífica… Descanse comigo, neste berço dourado."


 * Kyrie Eleison. Prayer for Preciosus’ Mercy, Book of the Suffering God, Chapter 17

Preciosus is the god of the underworld and riches, the one who owns all treasure, precious gems, gold and coins in the world. The legend says he sleeps at the bottom of an abyss of peaceful, embracing darkness, submerged in a pool of molten gold, where the souls of his followers are drowned, forever living in a form of pure, liberating death.

As the god of holy debts, there is no bigger unpaid debt than the denial of death. Undeath is as great of a heresy, as is owning riches which are earned fairly: All contracts must be fulfilled, all debts must be paid, all that is alive must die.

Some debts can be paid in gold, others must be paid in suffering. It is a common practice among the clerics of Preciosus to practice self-flagellation as a means of paying their worldly debts. A more extreme act is to burn one’s face with gold, as a method of paying tribute to the god; the more beautiful the face destroyed, the greater the value.

As the god of precious stones and gold, Preciosus is also the one who watches and makes sure the value of spell components are constant and never broken. If one were to cheat their cost, it is said the celestials adorned in gold, all-powerful, called the Inevitaveis (singular Inevitavi, meaning “Inevitable”), will pursue that person to ends of the multiverse, until their debt is paid.

Temples of Preciosus are usually beautiful churches decorated with gold, bones and jewels. They are easy to spot due to the high number of skulls engraved and sculpted all over the structure, coupled with passages written directly on walls, to remind visitors and followers the teachings of the suffering god. It’s not uncommon for churches of Precious to be also used for other trades associated with the god: banks, depots, jewellerys, etc.

The followers of Preciosus are not unified, large sects with their own teaching are spread all around, usually started by a visage of an Inevitavi. They make good bankers, debt collectors, coin makers, jewelers and magic smiths, dealing in value without letting themselves be corrupted by greed: They understand that all belongs to the Wounded Lord in Gold.