Sung
Eternal of Night
Sobriquets
Sung is the Rainbow Serpent. This Eternal appears equally at home in male or female guises - as a shapeshifter Sung can take on whatever form it considers appropriate.
Sung collects neither titles nor sobriquets, but acquires them nonetheless. In some places it is called the Whispering Wind, while Kallavesi mystics refer to Sung as the Feather on the reeze. It is both Lady of Mysteries and Lord of Illusions, as well as the Dancer in the Brass Coast. In Principalities of Jarm Jarm it is called Neznámy Otázka which means 'unknown question' while in the Commonwealth it's name roughly translates as "the one who hides the truth under it's wings".
It is well known that Sung claims that it' s name both is and is not actually Sung. Before his unexpected disappearance while investigating the Whisper Gallery the Dawnish enchanter Warwick de Alyons put forward a theory suggesting that Sung's real name may actually be expressed as music rather than words - in that this would mean it was not "Sung" but was still 'sung' (rather than spoken). The Eternal did not confirm or deny, but did allegedly favour the clever Dawnishman with a special boon of which he never spoke.
Appearance
Sung admits freely that is a serpent - that it's true form is that of a limbless serpent with feathered wings (as distinct from a wyrm , the Night Eternals whose true form is that of a wingless lizard). As with other serpents, this tends to mean that the Rainbow Serpent is more cerebral and philosophical than the earthy, practical Eternals such as Sadogua. Unlike it's fellow serpents such as Soghter, however, Sung appears to be somewhat grounded and less prone to the kind of extremes that lead scholars to dub an Eternal 'mad'.
It's most common appearance is as a naga dressed in layers of loose multicoloured robes. Regardless of their precise cut, they always include glowing sleeves that suggest wings. It usually wears a head-dress of brightly coloured feathers, similar to those favoured by many Sumaah. This head-dress often holds in place a veil, similar to those popular in parts of Highguard.
Sung is often defined by it's love of mystery. It is soft spoken, with a gentle and pleasant temperament.
This Eternal is usually encountered alone - it seems quite solitary in nature. It's heralds are usually identified by their multicoloured garb, and they express a deep personal affection
Concerns
Sadogua likes secrets, but does not obsessively collect them like some Eternals of the Realm of Night; he appears to view them as useful tools in games of intrigue and manipulation rather than things that have value in themselves. He is often openly contemptuous of the Whisper Gallery and other beings who value secrets as discrete items. Many magicians have reported that he eats secrets - the more scandalous they are, the more flavoursome he finds them. It is not clear if this is a metaphor or if the Eternal gains sustenance from doing so.
He is usually eating - and is said to offer additional favour to anyone who shares food or drink with him or his Children. He is likewise known to enjoy pleasant company, verbal interplay, gossip and romance. He enjoys games of skill and chance, but more for the pleasure of playing (and, allegedly, the chance to learn about his opponents) than from any drive to win. Few things make him angry - denigration of magicians appears to be one of the few things likely to raise his ire; blatant disrespect annoys him; and anything that forces him to waste energy or tire himself out can make him exceptionally irritable.
He loves to serve as a patron of the arts, especially musicians and poets. He is also known to be an especial fan of the culinary arts, and the arts of the brewer. While he is gluttonous and avaricious, he is not selfish - artists and chefs are likely to receive the benefit of his largesse in the form of small boons in recognition of their skill.
He is known to dislike priests of Way, with the exception of the priests of Prosperity. During the reign of Empress Teleri he was the subject of a Declaration of Emnity that was not repealed until 132YE. The foundation of this Emnity is unclear, and he will not speak of it, but it is assumed to have involved magicians from the Sevenfold Path. Since that time, he has presented a more appealing face to those magicians who follow the Way, although his sincerity is very much in question. On rare occasions when he has expressed an opinion,he has dismissed the Way - and indeed most forms of religion - as 'unneccessary restraints'. He is known to be more tolerant toward the heterodox faith of the Asavean Archipelago.
At the end of the day, Sadogua appears to firmly believe that magic and magicians should be promoted at all times. Magic allows the individual to change the world. and magicians wield that power. Mundane humans are parochial, limited, restricted and ultimately boring. Anything that restricts magic or the freedom of magicians is anathema to Sadogua, and should be swept aside. Magicians are the only people fit to lead their fellow humans, and magic is the only tool that anyone need ever master. It has unlimited versatility, and in time it can solve almost any problem - and the problems it cannot solve are inconsequential. While he favours the Lore of Night over the other Lores, he is a rare Eternal who sees value in mastery of any form of magic, and actively encouages magicians to seek out their own path to power.
Sadogua is prone to complicated emnities, and another uncommon quality is his awareness of and keen interest in Eternals of other realms. He is known to dislike the Eternals Meraud, Kimus, Basileus Kade and Wise Rangara and appears to view them as 'rivals' for the affection of the Empire's magicians. For unknown reasons he appears to be deathly afraid of the Leviathan, and will do nothing that might incur that Eternals wrath. Other Eternals tend to be viewed with a measure of amused contempt.
The Highborn Magister Zenobia daughter of Jocasta warned that Sadogua not only lies constantly, but that he actively encouraged idolatry and anarchy. These claims have been repeated by numerous critics down through the ages. Sadogua and his allies rarely bother to respond to such claims. The Freeborn naga sutannir Daniego i Casiddia i Riqueza pointed out in response to Zenobia's claims that what Sadogua definitely does is encourage Pride and Ambition in the Empire's magicians, as well as being a staunch supporter of the virtue of Prosperity (for all that he encourages magicians to find easy ways to solve their problems).
Boons
Sadogua may be greedy, but he is not selfish. He appears to enjoy giving small tokens of his approval to those who entertain or assist him. These tokens are usually physical in nature, and commonly take the form of exotic flavours of mana, potions and other consumables, and trinkets that aid with or duplicate the effectiveness of magical spells of all sorts. Those who advance his agenda or assist him in some significant way receive more lasting gifts, but again he would rather give someone an object than invest them with any portion of his power.
He appears to be a master of the Lore of Night, with wide-randing abilities to enhance or empower the performance of almost any ritual. He has a special fondness for both the night pouch incantation and the Secrets for the Shadow Courier ritual - things that conceal treasured items, rather than magic that conceals or reveals secrets, seem to be especially dear to him.
He often engages in trades with magicians, and is known to have an insatiable desire for iridescent gloaming, ambergelt, dragonbone and tempest jade - often quite literally eating measures and ingots of these materials with every sign of gusto.
He loves to promote magic. Rituals such as Missive for Sadogua draw on his power directly - he is slightly more likely than other Eternals to bind himself to a ritual promise if he can be convinced that doing so will offer assistance to many magicians without requiring too much actual activity from the lazy Eternal.
Several magicians have mentioned that Sadogua is comparatively easy to manipulate, not least because he enjoys giving gifts and receiving praise. He rarely becomes angry if he is tricked, seeming to take it in good part and praise the cleverness of an opponent who has bested him in some way. Magicians are not advised to take his good nature for granted, however, and occasional he treasures gained from Sadogua have proved to possess unpleasant curses or side-effects.