Roshanwe

The Beacon is the light that leads the traveler to their destination

Eternal of Day

Sobriquets

Roshanwe is usually called the Navigator or the Walker on the Littoral. While Roshanwe appears in both male and female vessels, it is usually referred to as 'she' by casual scholars of the eternals.

Other names often have maritime connotations; she is called the Mariner, the Beacon, the Elder Pharos, the Fisherman, the Weaver of Nets and the Beachcomber. Her association with the ocean is metaphoric rather than strictly literal; while she may serve as a patron of explorers, she is not especially concerned with either sea trade or naval battle.

Appearance

Roshanwe appears as a humanoid with strong merrow characteristics. It is often dressed very simply, usually in the style of a fisherman, sailor, navigator, corsair or mariner. It seems to have a strong connection to the sea. It appears to be female more often than male, but concepts of gender have little meaning to this highly spiritual being.

The eternal is said to make its home at the point where the sky of the Realm of Day touches the ocean. Unlike many other eternals of Day, Roshanwe appears to possess a deep understanding of humans, and expresses emotions such as joy, amusement and pleasure in a comprehensible way. She appears to consider the ability of thinking beings to understand each other to be of paramount experience, and has even been known to express pity for eternals such as Sinokenon or Phaleron who have difficulty relating to humans.

The Navigator is usually accompanied by a small group of heralds referred to as its disciples. They are philosophical creatures that love to engage in debate with mortals and each other; noted scholar of the Realm of Day Elinora de Ys claimed once that "Left to their own devices, the heralds of Roshanwe will engage in heated philosophical debate with the rocks, the trees and the sun itself."

Concerns

Roshanwe represents the spirit of discovery, of seeking the truth and revealing it.

Roshanwe claims to have embraced the Way; she does not reveal precise details, saying only that a persuasive missionary sought her out and engaged in a spirited debate that lasted for eternity, and for no time, as is the way of ideas. At the end of the debate, Roshanwe embraced the tenets of the virtue of wisdom. The eternal refuses to divulge the name of the missionary who converted her, saying only that it is obvious, but she has confirmed that the priest (if it was a priest) was a human woman and that it took place before the Empire was founded. While Roshanwe sees the value of the other Virtues, she does not embrace them in the same way she embraces Wisdom.

She has served as a patron for magicians of the order of the Sevenfold Path in the past, but her real affection lies with the Torchbearers, and similar societies that dedicate themselves to uncovering the truth and revealing it to others.

She is closely associated with the rune Sular.

Boons

Roshanwe despises secrets, especially those that are kept for malicious or spiteful reasons. However, she considers the quest for wisdom and knowledge to be more important than the possession of that knowledge; as such she is loathe to answer important questions, instead preferring to lead others to uncover the truth themselves. The ritual Combing the Beach allowed magicians to secure insight from the eternal for their own investigations, for example, before it was superceded by Netweaver's Eye, which uses the assistance of the eternal to determine if a magician has recently cast a certain ritual or used a specific realm of magic.

While Roshanwe is not herself especially interested in foreign trade, she is known to offer aid to mariners of all stripes and may be evoked during the performance of rituals such as Sular's Promise.

"I understand the urgency, I truly do, but I will not, cannot, tell you the name you seek. If I do that, I would deny you the chance to discover the truth, which goes far beyond the syllables of a name - and what is a name, truly?

"Didn't the prophets put it best when they said 'Wisdom is not always knowing the answer; wisdom is finding the right question'? Or do you contest the truth behind 'test what you learn; only fools accept hearsay as truth'?

"Ah, would you not call them prophets, those who went before you? That is interesting ... what word would you use,? I wonder, why does the word 'prophet' make you uncomfortable? Please, sit, and let us discuss your reasoning..."