Othniel

Othniel, the Divine Scholar, is the god of knowledge preserved, not discovered; of truths safeguarded, not revealed. He is the steward of memory, the guardian of ancient teachings, and the quiet voice that reminds mortals—and gods—that history, once lost, cannot be remade.

Once mortal himself, Othniel ascended through wisdom rather than might. It is said he cataloged every language of the world before ever lifting a weapon, and in doing so, uncovered patterns that led him beyond mortality. Unlike other knowledge deities who revel in cosmic mysteries or arcane riddles, Othniel’s focus is entirely grounded: protect what is known.

He appears in simple robes, ink-stained fingers clutching a tome that never closes. His realm, the Great Archive, is an infinite library suspended in a starlit void, where scrolls write themselves and even forgotten memories can be recovered—if one knows where to look. Silence is sacred there. Pages turn, but voices do not rise.

Othniel is a humble god, but he does not work alone. In his mission to protect knowledge from corruption and annihilation, he partners with Tiberius Axelblade, the god of strength and endurance. Tiberius, though of very different temperament, has fathered countless demigod descendants, many of whom serve as guardians of sacred sites where fragile truths are stored.

Among the most heavily protected of these locations are, but not limited to:

• The Spiral Lament – a sealed sanctuary between realms, watched over by Othniel, Tiberius, and ?.

• The Vault of Words – a buried city-sized lexicon said to contain the first spoken agreements between mortals and gods.

• The Cradle of Ink – a sentient scriptorium that creates prophecies before the future arrives.

• The Silent Reliquary – a monastery-fortress that houses memories removed from mortal minds for their own protection.

Othniel does not seek worship. He seeks preservation. His clerics are record-keepers, translators, and stewards of endangered knowledge. Many take vows of neutrality, swearing never to weaponize what they protect. Temples to Othniel are built into cliff-sides, sunken libraries, and abandoned observatories—places where time moves slowly and paper resists decay.

Though peaceful, Othniel does not fear confrontation. When truth is threatened, he will speak. When knowledge is abused, he will close the book—sometimes forever. He teaches that the past is not just a record, but a responsibility.

Miracles tied to Othniel include perfect recollection of forgotten languages, pages restoring themselves after fire, lost artifacts revealing their history to the touch, or entire libraries relocating themselves overnight to safer ground.