Io - The Transcendent Dragon God
Io
Titles: The Ninefold Dragon, The Concordant Dragon, The Great Eternal Wheel, Swallower of Shades, Lord of the Gods, Creator of Dragonkind
Io is considered the chief deity worshipped by dragons, god of dragonkind, balance, and peace. He is seen by his people as the creator of all things and god of gods. He is neutral in alignment, but he also contains within him all other alignments. His symbol is a multi-colored metallic disk.
Description
Io is unfathomably large; it is said the largest dragon who ever lived is smaller than a single one of his scales, which are blue, gold, brass, or red, and edged with silver and dark purple. He can, and does, appear as any age or breed of dragon, however.
Relationships
Io is paired with Chronepsis, who is seen as a re-enfolding that balances Io's extension of being into the worlds. As Io becomes all things, Chronepsis draws them back into himself. They are seen as brothers and represented in a complex symbol involving a nine-headed dragon swallowing its nine tails.
The draconic pantheon of gods consists of the leader Io, as well as Aasterinian, Chronepsis, Astilabor, Hlal, Lendys, Faluzure, Garyx, and Tamara. Aasterinian is his messenger.
Dogma
Io cares for nothing but his children, dragonkind, as a whole. If an individual dragon jeopardizes the safety of the draconic races, he will oppose it. He prefers to remain aloof from conflicts between dragons, however.
Worshipers
Io is revered by dragons as the creator of the multiverse and of their race, the ultimate tier of god and creator. He is also worshiped by half-dragons, kobolds, lizardfolk, troglodytes, and even clutches of humans, elves, and dwarves.
Clergy
Io has fewer clerics than most draconic deities, though even the most devout cleric of other dragon gods gives him some homage. Clerics of Io have no hierarchy or fixed dogma; each interprets the Ninefold Dragon differently, worshiping him in one of his many aspects. Some worship him as an evil being, while others revere him as a paragon of good. Those who would become Io's clerics seek to rid themselves of all such biases, though some never succeed.
Temples
Dragon gods, in general, have few temples. There are shrines in Io's honor, usually taking the form of open-air constructions surrounded by pillars and topped with domes. These shrines are placed in open terrain - the middle of a desert, for example, the center of a valley, atop the peak of a mountain, or on a vast, treeless plain. There is one construct known as “The Shrine of Io”, it is a massive architectural colosseum in Rodenya, formed in the shape of a dragon and large enough for any dragon to walk into. Within the shrine lies the sacred hoard, a massive treasure accumulated over time by offerings made by countless creatures to Io.
Rituals
Io's rituals involve the blending of many things in a whole, reflecting Io's own nature. One common ritual involves drinking wine with a drop of blood from each participant dissolved in it.
Prayers to Io are deep and resonating, taking the form of supplication or plaintive questions.