The world is a contest, a war for existence, but if you have the will you can grow strong enough to win it.
Vallaros is the god of war, of conflict and strife, of struggle and violence, of bloodshed and pain, of debate and mental fortitude, of victory and defeat. But they are also the god of growth, of preparing for conflict so that you might win it, of learning from your failures and the paths that others have tread and rising up higher than you were, of never being satisfied with yourself as you are. They are the god of contests, whether of physical might, cunning words, or simple endurance, viewing anything that tests someone’s abilities as a way of helping them grow stronger. They are patron to the warrior and the soldier, the hunter and the diplomat, the general and the logistician, the guardsman and the athlete, the slave and any who persevere through suffering.
Vallaros teaches that conflict is the best means of growth, that testing yourself against something or someone able to challenge you lets you sharpen yourself and become something greater than you were before. Despite their love of battle and warfare, they do not elevate such contests above others — while deadly conflict holds higher stakes, and thus drives mortals to greater heights, an athletic contest or intellectual debate is just as valid in their eyes as a duel or a battle. Bloodshed is not their goal; Vallaros desires to see mortals become the best version of themselves they can be.
Xing, the Unyielding, patron Saint of Protection and the Hearth, who keeps vigil over her followers, giving them her strength when they stand in defense of their homes and families.
Misano, the Adjutant, patron Saint of Conquest, Strategy, and Diplomacy, who guides those who seek strife upon the grand stage of politics and war.
Aragh, the Wolf, patron Saint of Survival and the Hunt in all its forms, who understands the dangers of the natural world and guides those who seek strife in the pursuit of their prey.
Xyston, the Unbroken, patron Saint of Strength and Freedom, who lifts up those who seek to improve themselves and shatters the bonds that would hold his followers back.
Detaya, the Silent, patron Saint of the Forsaken and the Forgotten, who watches over and gives comfort to those who suffer in silence and fight lonely battles that no others will ever see.
The virtues of the Vallarian faith are thus: always seek to grow stronger, so that you may overcome any strife that you encounter; remain determined no matter the circumstances, and never let the world break you; and sharpen your mind so that you might combine cleverness with strength to overcome even the most convoluted of trials. A true follower of Vallaros is constantly training and helping those around them to grow, seeking to make themselves and their companions capable of overcoming any challenge they might face.
Do not seek to win a particular conflict. Seek to become strong enough that you might win any conflict that comes before you, no matter when or what it is. Vallaros teaches that capability is the ultimate goal that their followers must pursue, and that once one has attained a sufficient level of strength they can achieve whatever it is that they desire. Even if your personal goals do not require physical might, Vallaros teaches that conflict will find you, at some point, and so all of their followers should train to be ready to meet it when it arrives.
Never give up. Never stop moving forward. Even through pain, or despair, or futility, never stop fighting. A follower of Vallaros must remain determined, no matter how difficult, painful, or futile the challenge they are facing might seem. Even if retreat or finding another path proves necessary, Vallaros expects their followers to always be working towards their goals and the strength and abilities they will need to accomplish them.
Strength is worthless if you do not know how to use it effectively; you must cultivate your mind and your skills, as well as your strength, so that when the conflict is joined you can leverage your abilities to their utmost. Vallaros teaches that training one’s mental and social capabilities is just as important as training one’s physical abilities — or even more so, if one’s role is primarily based on overcoming non-physical challenges.
The sins of the Vallarian faith are thus: to rest upon our laurels and cease your efforts to grow stronger; to allow fear and cowardice to control your actions; and to use your power to crush those around you instead of helping them to grow.
Never stop growing. Never believe that you are done getting stronger. Never believe that you should stop. Vallaros teaches that there is no level of strength at which there is no point to becoming stronger; there will always be a bigger danger, a more difficult challenge, that might have been overcome if one had trained harder or pushed forward longer. There is always a reason to try to become better than you currently are, and there is always a path towards greatness, no matter how challenging or unconventional it might be.
Do not run from the conflict. Prepare for it, and try to avoid those fights that you know you will lose, but when conflict is joined you must never let fear dictate your actions. Retreat from a losing position is acceptable, even laudable, but fear must never be what drives you, for once it has taken root it will render hollow all of the strength that you have built up until that point. Control your fear like the beast it is, and never allow it to control you.
Conflict only serves a purpose in Vallaros’ eyes when it provides a challenge. Crushing those so much weaker than you that it is effortless is anathema to Vallaros; if the difference in strength is so great that there is no chance of the lesser party learning or benefitting from it, then the conflict is not a true contest but rather has turned into mere bullying. Such contests can be acceptable when the stronger party uses the opportunity to actually try to teach the weaker one, and crushing a declared enemy is certainly acceptable, but Vallaros despises those who would use its teachings as a justification to bully or oppress others.
Vallaros appears in artwork as an idealized warrior, matching the image of whatever the culture that is making the artwork believes to be the “best” warrior or martial figure. They are always depicted with a helm that covers much of their face, though the rest of their equipment is based upon the style of armor and weapons most frequently used by the martial archetype they’re being depicted as. In all of their depictions, a halo of razor-sharp shards of metal circles their helmet and brilliant red and orange flames burn where their eyes would be. In many depictions where they are not actively performing tasks their left hand is shown as covered in blood and their right hand’s fingers are stained with ink. Vallaros can be depicted as any gender; while some artists have a specific gender they prefer to depict the Iron God as, Vallaros’ clergy is very clear that war and conflict are the domain of all genders and that no single gender depicting Vallaros is “correct.”
When they appear before mortals, they often do so in the form of a grizzled veteran, offering advice, encouragement, and sometimes a stern rebuke for those who have gone against their teachings. They always appear as someone who has clearly seen and been a part of many conflicts, with a piercing gaze and at least one prominent scar. It’s not unusual for them to appear with a missing or crippled limb, especially when they appear before followers who are themselves wounded or disabled in some way.
Vallaros is a drill sergeant, sensei, teacher, and veteran of a thousand thousand battles. They have seen war in all its horror and its glory, and witnessed all of the greatness, cowardice, heroism, and barbarity that mortals are capable of when pushed to their limit. But they also see the potential in every mortal, and they take great joy in seeing that potential realized. Their personality is overall rather stoic and unexpressive, and they often come across as cold and uncaring of the suffering of their followers. However, they visibly display warmth and approval when one of their followers continues to grow and learn, offering a gruff kind of encouragement that fills the heart and warms the soul.
Like the other Gods, Vallaros finds it difficult to speak directly with their followers; they seem to find it easiest to communicate when a follower is either meditating or in a flow state such as in the midst of intense training or physical exertion. Less frequent are dream visions, though these are usually much more intense and memorable, frequently involving a coaching session where a wise veteran walks the dreamer through a difficult problem or challenge and helps them find a possible solution.
Vallaros’ goals are to see every mortal achieve their full potential, reaching the highest peak of physical and intellectual capability that they can. They know that conflict is inevitable, and believe that the best way for their followers to survive it is to train themselves to become strong enough to deal with whatever challenge Fate throws at them. The best way to do so, in Vallaros’ eyes, is to hone one’s skills against others or against the world itself — to seek out conflict so that one might learn from it and grow, win or lose. They do not care what great deeds their followers might seek to accomplish, or what grand ambitions their followers might have, but rather that their followers be strong enough to overcome whatever conflicts they face in their lives.
Prayers to Vallaros are best made while training, before you engage in a conflict, or after a conflict has ended. Prayers should focus on helping you and your comrades learn, grow, and improve. One of the core tenets of Vallaros is that they will never interfere in their followers’ battles. Once the conflict is joined, it is up to the warriors involved to settle the matter; Vallaros will gladly bear witness to the strife, but they will only offer aid once the battle has been concluded. Their intent is for their followers to rely upon the strength within themselves, rather than rely upon Vallaros for aid.
The most common form of prayer to Vallaros is one made during training, whether on your own or against an opponent. Meditate upon what you seek, how you wish to improve yourself or be able to accomplish, and formulate the prayer. Then begin to train, whatever that means for you: executing a kata, working out, engaging in a sparring match, playing a chess match, engaging in a debate, etc. As you get deep into the midst of the exercise, recite your prayer, and Vallaros will hear you.
Greater prayers, often referred to as “battlefield prayers,” are spoken when blood is about to be shed, or when a group of seekers are about to enter into a serious test of their abilities, something that will have real impact on their lives or the lives of those they care about. Those who are about to do battle (literally or metaphorically) speak their prayer in unison, asking that their strength and skill might be witnessed by the Iron God and rewarded with growth and Vallaros’ blessings after the dust has settled.