# **Donavan, God of Justice and Law** Lore: Before ascending to godhood, Donavan was a mortal warrior, and King of Polaira in the First Age of Solare, who dedicated his life to enforcing justice without bias or mercy. Though he once fought in battle, he now serves as the eternal arbiter of right and wrong, passing divine judgment upon those who break the sacred laws of Solare. His temples stand as bastions of order, where rulers seek his guidance before making momentous decisions. He is not known for kindness, but for fairness—his punishments are absolute, and his blessings are reserved only for those who truly uphold the law. Many fear his name, while others revere him as the ultimate protector of civilization. Divine Domains: Order, War Blessings: +2 to Strength and Wisdom (maximum score of 22). You gain advantage on Insight and Persuasion checks. When you make an attack roll against an evil-aligned creature, you can add a +2 bonus to the attack roll (once per short rest). You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. Favored by judges, paladins, and lawkeepers Spells Granted to Followers: Zone of Truth, Hold Person --- Faith of Donovan, The Eternal Arbiter **Deity Title:** The Iron King, Lord of the Scales, Arbiter Eternal **Alignment:** Lawful Neutral **Domains:** Order, War **Symbol:** A balanced warhammer across a set of scales **Holy Text:** _The Codex of Iron_ --- ## Divine Goals & Aspirations - **Perfect Justice:** Establish a universal system of law that transcends borders, races, and faiths. - **Eradicate Corruption:** Root out rulers, nobles, and priests who twist the law for personal gain. - **Balance Through Conflict:** War may be sanctioned when it restores order or punishes lawbreakers at scale. - **Impartial Judgment:** Even gods and kings may stand trial beneath Donovan’s gaze. - **Legacy of Law:** Ensure mortals never forget that civilization collapses when justice falters. --- ## Tenets of Faith 1. **No One Above the Law:** Kings, peasants, priests, and warriors are judged by the same measure. 2. **Punishment Must Fit the Crime:** Cruelty and undue leniency both corrupt justice. 3. **Judgment Over Mercy:** Mercy may be granted, but never when it endangers fairness. 4. **Order Through War:** War is just only when it enforces law, restores peace, or prevents chaos. 5. **Truth Above Comfort:** Lies and half-truths are seeds of corruption. 6. **The Oath Is Sacred:** Breaking an oath sworn before Donovan is the gravest of crimes. --- ## Holy Texts - **The Codex of Iron** – Donovan’s scripture, written as a series of unyielding laws and parables about rulers brought low by their own corruption. - **The Tablets of Polaria** – Carved copies of Donovan’s first mortal decrees as King of Polaria, preserved in the capital city. - **The Weighing Scrolls** – Collections of legal precedent, trials, and judgments performed by Donovan’s priests, used as teaching tools. --- ## Rituals & Practices - **The Oath of Iron:** A binding vow taken before a Donovanite priest. Breaking it is believed to invoke the Arbiter’s wrath. - **The Weighing:** Annual ritual where rulers and nobles confess their sins before the church, seeking divine judgment. - **Scales of War:** Before declaring war, rulers petition Donovan’s temple to weigh their cause; false wars are cursed. --- ## Views on Mortals & Other Faiths - **Mortals:** Valuable when they uphold law, contemptible when they sow chaos. - **Other Faiths:** Respects those that value structure, opposes those that thrive in chaos or deception. - **Fiends:** Contracts may be binding, but Donovan despises damnation pacts that strip mortals of choice. --- ## Clergy & Worship - **Clerics:** Act as judges, arbiters, and battlefield inquisitors. - **Temples:** Built as court-halls rather than churches, with seats of judgment instead of altars. - **Followers:** Rulers, magistrates, soldiers, and contract-binders. --- ## Example Scripture Quote > _“I judged my son as I judged my enemy, and by that judgment the law endured.”_ – *Codex of Iron, Verse 12 >