Ranimsul is the god of caution, diplomacy and resolve. Ranimsul, the sneak, is so cautious, that most priest think Ranimsul is not his true name. Some priests just call him "The sneak" because of this. He is married to Uastra . Ranimsul is careful to react, and will always attempt to negotiate his way out of difficult situations. When provoked he jumps from his hiding place and performs a few hasty interventions before suddenly disappearing, not re-emerging for days.
Ranimsul is the first of the halfings . He also created the Feyfolk and the first amongst the feyfolk he names Tahordyn elevating him to the realm of the gods as a tertiary Deity.
Caution
Caution is often asked for other people, not oneself. Ranimsul is often asked to instil caution in loved ones during prayer. Wives that see their husbands leave to perform dangerous undertakings often pray to Ranimsul in this manner; but equally appropriate would be a parent prayer to temper their children carefree spirits.
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the virtue and skill instilled by Ranimsul to ensure a cautionary approach concerning social battlefields. Scared infantry soldiers oft pray to Ranimsul to avert any confrontation when the highborn are meeting in between two armies. A parent trying to separate squabbling siblings might be equally prompted to pray to Ranimsul.
Resolve
Tenacity is often prayed for when people are determined to try something that they know will test the extent of their willpower and composure. In such situations worshippers often show fortitude to Ranismsul in the form of night long ceremonial vigils to symbolize their planned resolve in the face of whatever challenge awaits them.
Good versus Evil
Some people are cautious because they want to protect the ones they love. Other people are cautious because they have evil to hide. This moral duality is what splits Ranimsul in two halves. Diplomacy can be used to dodge violence but it can also be used to build trust so as to take advantage of the naive. Resolve is equally a tool that can be used for both good and evil.
Cells of good and evil Ranimsul worshippers wage a strange and dancelike bloody war of infiltration and betrayal, almost universally and infinity slow to completely trust one another; but using ever present diplomacy to try and achieve it. Sleeper agents can lay dormant for decades; even saving members of the other side only to later betray and kill several cells at ones when everybody trusts them.
Symbols
The colours black and grey symbolize the sneaky and cautious nature of Ranimsul and contrast with the colours of Ganinisum . Tortoise are an obvious symbol of caution. Golemers are often though to symbolize caution in the same way, but golemers are not cautious nor diplomatic at all; fighting and hunting quite aggressively. The true follower of Ranimsul realizes that the golemer symbolizes the fact that "you need to even be wary of rocks". Cloaks and daggers contrasted by contracts and peace treaties symbolize the need for diplomacy and the need for caution during diplomacy. Bowls or rags filled with fresh sweat are symbols of resolve; worshippers sometimes work themselves into a frenzy to produce the sweat needed for rituals. The only true "musical instrument" of Ranimsul is the alarm bell. The last oft used symbol for Ranimsul is a dark moon hidden in mist.
Ranimsul himself is often depicted as the silhouette of a male halfling, sneaking around various monsters. Humorously he is sometimes depicted as a smiling halfing sneaking out the back door while his wife Uastra , is looking for him. When not depicted as a silhouette he often wears a grey cloak and black thigh fitting clothing, his face generally hidden in shadows or behind an animal mask; usually a tortoise.
Ranimsul has few nicknames but some examples are "The sneak", "tree lady" and "tower toppler". These nicknames sound strange to outsiders but stem from the old, discredited, belief that all angels and demons of Ranimsul are actually Ranimsul himself in disguise, due to the rarity that these sneaky divine beings are witnessed.
Angels Of Ranimsul
His Angels, the Dryad, are said to be the least seen of the Angels, some mortals even believe that every sighting of a Dryad was actually Ranimsul in disguise. They live in the middle of the forest and are the heart of it. They keep a close eye on the evolution of the plants and animals of Heimr, knowing that the slightest disturbance in balance could destroy an ecosystem, these treewalking females with bark like skin actively destroy flora and fauna that evolves too fast, and protect the rare species by stopping hunters and gatherers, first by warning, than by force, and if that fails they will try to seduce them, luring them away from the particular plant or beast.
Deamons Of Ranimsul
His demons, the kobolds, are the weakest demon, their cruel brothers, the goblin, often pick fights with them, that the kobolds try to avoid. Kobolds are experts at hiding in caves. People living near mountains are often in danger of kobold attacks. Kobolds will often try to destroy cities by causing landslides or snowy avalanches. They hack and gnaw away at mountain sides until it collapses on unsuspecting villagers. Mortals in fear of such assaults might send diplomats towards nearby caves to talk to the cave walls in the of chance that kobolds are listening. Kobolds look like greasy hairy small slippery humanoids with milky white skin. In communities where evil worship of Ranimsul is more generally accepted they are sometimes kept as slaves by the decadent noble families, kept in line by ritual magic and faustian diplomatic contracts; helping with domestic chores.
Mandate of Ranimsul
Apart from the General mandate of the gods Ranimsul has expressed the following wishes from her followers.
General Ranimsul
- Be careful
Good Ranimsul
- Evade conflict with diplomacy
Evil Ranimsul
- Use diplomacy to gain the trust of the naive