Amador

Engaging in relationships with the intent to harm or manipulate is considered a grave offense. Amador values love that is genuine and free from malice.

Betraying the secrets or trust of a lover is frowned upon. Amador expects his followers to maintain the sanctity of the relationships they enter into.

Using love or relationships as a means to gain material wealth or social standing is a taboo. Love, in the eyes of Amador, should never be transactional.

Followers are obligated to celebrate love in all its forms, whether it's a new relationship or an enduring marriage. This can be done through public or private affirmations.

Amador expects his followers to provide safe spaces for those whose love is considered forbidden by society. This includes offering sanctuary and support.

Devotees are encouraged to share tales of love and passion, attributing their romantic successes to Amador's blessings. This serves as a form of organic evangelism.

During special ceremonies or festivals, devotees wear robes dyed in deep reds and purples, symbolizing love and passion.

An amulet featuring Amador's holy symbol, usually made of gold or silver, is often worn by followers. It serves as a constant reminder of their devotion and the god's teachings.

During the Festival of First Desires and other significant holy days, a crown made of roses is worn. The crown symbolizes the beauty and challenges of love, echoing Amador's holy symbol.

• Background: Lysandra was a noblewoman, the eldest daughter of a powerful king. Known for her ethereal beauty and grace, she was destined to marry a prince from a neighboring kingdom to strengthen political ties. However, her heart yearned for a common bard named Elion, who sang tales of love and passion beneath her balcony every night.
• Legacy: Lysandra and Elion's love story became legendary. With Amador's blessing, they defied societal norms and eloped, choosing love over duty. Their tale inspired countless ballads and plays, emphasizing the power of love to transcend societal boundaries. Lysandra's emblem, a silver harp intertwined with a rose, became a symbol for lovers who dared to challenge the status quo.

• Background: Dante was a charismatic poet from a humble background. His verses, filled with raw emotion and sensuality, captivated the hearts of many, including Amador himself. Dante's most famous work was a collection of poems dedicated to a mysterious lover, referred to only as "The Moonlit Muse."
• Legacy: Dante's passionate verses shows the depth of human emotion and the complexities of love. His writings were considered scandalous by some, but they resonated with those who had experienced the tumultuous highs and lows of love. Dante's inkwell, from which he penned his passionate verses, is now a revered relic, symbolizing the power of words to evoke deep emotions.

• Background: Seraphine was a priestess in one of Amador's grand temples. She was known for her ability to counsel and guide lovers, helping them navigate the complexities of their relationships. However, her own heart was torn between her devotion to Amador and her love for a fellow priest, Flansan.
• Legacy: Seraphine and Flansan's love was considered taboo being from different incompatible races, but with Amador's blessing, they found solace in each other's arms within the temple's shadowed alcoves. Their love story became a beacon of hope for those facing societal judgment for their choice of partner. The twin pendants they wore, each half of a heart, became a symbol for lovers who faced adversity but remained steadfast in their love.

• Description: A heart-shaped golden locket with intricate designs of intertwined roses and vines. Inside, there's a small mirror that reflects the viewer's deepest romantic desires.
• Origin: Legend says that Amador himself crafted this locket for a mortal lover, imbuing it with a fragment of his divine essence. The locket was lost after their tragic separation, only to be discovered centuries later.
• Powers: The bearer of the locket can invoke its power to see the true feelings of anyone they gaze upon. It also has the ability to enhance the wearer's charisma, making them irresistibly charming for a short period.

• Description: A delicate arrow with a silvered shaft and feathers that shimmer in hues of pink and red. The arrowhead is shaped like a heart and is said to glow when near true love.
• Origin: Crafted by Amador in his early days, this arrow was given to his most trusted priest to spread love across the realms. Over time, it became a symbol of Amador's influence and power.
• Powers: The arrow has the ability to ignite feelings of love and passion in those it touches. However, its effects are temporary, serving as a catalyst for potential relationships rather than forcing unnatural bonds.

• Description: A beautifully crafted chalice made of rose-tinted crystal, adorned with gemstones that represent different forms of love. When empty, the chalice seems to have a soft heartbeat.
• Origin: It is believed that Amador poured his first confession of love into this chalice, capturing the essence of pure, undying passion. Since then, it has been passed down through generations of his high priests and priestesses.
• Powers: Drinking from the chalice can rekindle lost feelings or strengthen existing bonds. It also has the power to heal emotional wounds and dispel feelings of loneliness or heartbreak. However, its effects are potent, and it is advised to use the chalice sparingly to avoid overwhelming emotions.

• Date: Spring Equinox
• Description: Celebrating the blossoming of new love and the rekindling of old flames, this festival is marked by the exchange of flowers and love notes. Couples and hopeful lovers take walks under blooming trees, and it's customary to share a first kiss under the first full moon of spring.
• Traditions: Public declarations of love, moonlit dances, and the crafting of flower crowns.

• Date: Midsummer Night
• Description: A night dedicated to the forbidden and clandestine lovers blessed by Amador. It's a time for secret rendezvous and passionate encounters away from prying eyes.
• Traditions: Exchanging secret tokens of affection, lighting lanterns and setting them afloat on water, and whispered confessions in the veil of night.

• Date: Winter Solstice
• Description: As the days grow shorter and nights longer, this feast celebrates the enduring power of love that warms even the coldest hearts. It's a time for couples to reaffirm their commitment and for singles to pray to Amador for guidance in love.
• Traditions: Renewal of vows, lighting of heart-shaped candles, and communal feasts where stories of legendary lovers are shared.

• Date: Autumn's first full moon
• Description: A somber day to remember and honor past loves, whether they ended in heartbreak, death, or simply drifted apart. It's a time for reflection, healing, and seeking Amador's comfort.
• Traditions: Lighting incense in memory of lost loves, writing and burning letters to release lingering feelings, and seeking solace in communal gatherings where tales of love's trials and tribulations are shared.

Description:
This heretical group takes Amador's teachings about love being eternal to an extreme. They believe that once you fall in love, it should be forever, regardless of any changes in feelings or circumstances. This often leads to unhealthy relationships and stalking behaviors, as they see any form of breakup or moving on as a betrayal of Amador's principles.

Description:
This heresy interprets Amador's teachings about love crossing class and societal boundaries as a call to actively disrupt established social orders. They believe that love should be used as a tool to dismantle societal norms, even if it leads to chaos and the breakdown of communities. They often engage in scandalous affairs to provoke outrage and challenge the status quo.

Founder: Aphros, a charismatic individual who claims to have been visited by Amador in a dream.
Description:
This cult denies Amador's teaching that love should never be transactional. They believe that love can and should be used to gain material wealth and social standing. Aphros teaches that Amador actually blesses those who use love as a form of social climbing, directly contradicting mainstream beliefs.

Founder: Seren, a former priestess who claims that Amador spoke to her through a series of visions.
Description:
Seren teaches that Amador's true desire is for people to find love within themselves first and foremost, negating the need for external relationships. This contradicts Amador's teachings about the joy and beauty of romantic and passionate love between individuals. Followers are encouraged to withdraw from romantic pursuits to focus on self-love, often leading to isolation.

Founder: Thalos, a rogue who claims to have stolen Amador's own heart.
Description:
Thalos and his followers reject the idea that love comes with challenges and pains, symbolized by the thorns in Amador's holy symbol of the Entwined Hearts and rose vine. They preach that love should be entirely free of hardship or challenge, and they seek to remove all obstacles to this end, often through deceitful and manipulative means.