Rhonar

''"Love not thy blade. To use it is a grim task that should always be thy last option. Instead, love what it protecteth, love thy people and thy homeland. For the blade is merely a tool for ensuring their freedom, and to the strong it may be the most powerful tool ever made." - ''Skalmarri 15:2-4, the Book of Truth

Rhonar is the firstborn son of Marpholones and Tirena, the god of strength and the father of Skalmarr. He is often depicted as a red-bearded giant wielding a hammer and wearing a fur cape. Alternate depictions in Illindore present him as an angel in a blue vest. This mighty scion of the gods is a patron to warriors and is often prayed to before battle, especially in Skalmarr.

Father of the North
In ancient times, before the Valamari Empire, the Nothir peoples of the north-west revered countless heathen gods, many whose names have been lost to time. Chief of these gods was Rofnr, tyrant of the godly realms. Rhonar is most likely a Valamari interpretation of the same deity. There are notable differences, however, the main one being that Rofnr was a tyrant who used his strength to oppress others, while Rhonar was a benevolent warrior who used his strength to fight for truth and justice.

The earliest records of Rhonari text date back to the sixth crusade, when the Valamari Empire was conquering the northern clansmen of the Frozen Wastes. It is entirely possible that the god of strength was invented as a necessary god for bringing the Nothir freemen into the faith. The legend of Rhonar is detailed in the book of Skalmarr, in which the god of strength was sent to roam the northern lands and hunt giant beasts to extinction in the early Primordial Era to clear the way for man, who was not yet created. When the races of men were eventually born, the Nothir owed their land to the brave north father. The fur cape worn by Rhonar was crafted from the fur of a giant bear of the north. Rhonar's nemesis in his hunt in the north was a titanic dragon named Ianag, king of winter. The Book of Truth recounts that not even Rhonar could defeat that dragon, and so he instead sealed it beneath the earth so that when it returned he could be strong enough to defeat it. When the dragon does return, it is said that Rhonar will manifest himself in a chosen champion called the Rhon-son who will be granted the strength to conquer that most powerful of foes.

It is said that if a wild beast is spotted near in time to a battle, it is Rhonar delivering his blessing to they who see it. To kill the beast is to reject this blessing, so it is best to bow, thank Rhonar and leave the beast be.