Polmaen (the High God of the Dark, King Over All) is the husband of Nakashi, the Aeruillin High Goddess of the Light. He controls the power of the Dark, and it is believed amongst the people of Aeruillin that he alone decrees when night shall descend, in accordance with the wishes of Nakashi. Polmaen, despite having power over the Dark, is not evil. It is however, an eternal struggle for him to remain with the good, for the Dark wishes to bend his will to their ways. Polmaen is responsible for dealing with the evil forces of Caelereth, a great and unimaginable task.

Names. Officially Polmaen is called the High God of the Dark, King Over All. Other names include The Tormented One, God Of the Shadows, the Redeemer and Lord Over the Dark.

Appearance. Polmaen is always depicted in shadow, representing his eternal struggle with the Dark. His skin is the darkest black, only the white of his eyes and the red tinge to his lips break up the depressing colour. His face never bears a smile, only a look of agony. Long, ragged black hair frames his face, he bears no circlet or crown upon his forehead. His wings are unnatural in colour, often depicted as wispy shadows in a shade of grey. He wears robes of black and grey, the only colour provided by a red sash around his middle, which represents the blood that is spilt due to the evil of the Dark.

Paintings often show him surrounded by creatures of evil, such as demons. If not, artists picture Polmaen upon a great throne, which is spiked and blooded, his head in his hands, weeping. It is believed that Polmaen does weep, and this is not a sign of weakness, as he weeps for the evil that has swept Caelereth, distraught that he cannot save all from the Dark. There is one well-known painting of Polmaen that hangs in a temple dedicated to him in Dion, which has been known to move people to tears. It shows the God Of the Shadows, face writhed in agony and despair, tears pouring in torrents down his cheek, looking upon the world as he sees someone turn from the way of the Light to become one of the Dark.

Mythology. Polmaen was the last God to be convinced of rebellion against the Void by Nakashi. He wields power over the second greatest element, which is the Dark. Polmaen is a reminder of balance – that the world cannot be perfect, all good must have evil, and it was through this reasoning that he ensured half of each Caelereth day was spent in darkness. He is the husband of the High Goddess Of Light, Nakashi, with whom he joined to ensure that her Light keeps him from succumbing to the ways of the Dark.

Lore. It is believed that Polmaen rarely makes himself known amongst the people of Caelereth, unlike the other Gods he is not known to take a human form to wander amongst the mortals. He prefers to live alone in Asharvéa, the residence of the Gods, with only Nakashi to support him during his troubled times.

Polmaen  is perhaps the God that the least is spoken of, but the one that the most is thought of. He is what many strive to be, strength in the Dark.

Importance. Polmaen is a constant reminder of the internal battle all must face when confronted with temptations from the Dark. He is undoubtedly the most respected God of the ten, greatly admired, for the difficult job that he faces. All sing his praises and hold him in high regard.

People often seek the help and guidance of the God when they see a loved one go astray in life, or perhaps they themselves have had thoughts of a dark nature that they wish to be rid of. Devout prayer is often the accepted method to seek the help of Polmaen, coupled with fasts lasting up to a week.

Image description. The winged horse of Polmaen, the Maequis Darkhorse, as seen on a morual in the city of Dion. Picture drawn by Losmios (Mia Bengtsson), used with friendly permission.

Symbols. The colours of Polmaen are grey and black. His symbolic animal is the Maerquis, whom he asked Arkon to create to share his pain and torment with him. It is a majestic yet terrifying creature and works tirelessly for Polmaen to turn all evil away from the dark. The name "Maerquis" derives from "Maer", which means "dark" in Tharian and "Quis", being derived from "Equis", which means "horse". The literal translation is therefore "Darkhorse" or "Horse of the Dark".

It is common to see a person who feels a special connection to Polmaen to carry around a small vial filled with rainwater, to remind them of the tears that the Tormented One weeps for Caelereth.

A symbol that is often used to represent the God is a heart, with a beautiful, jewelled dagger through it. This symbolises, quite simply, how even the most beautiful item or person can be used by and for the ways of the Dark.

Celebrations. The festival for Polmaen is the Festival of Sorrow, sometimes also called the "Day of Redemption". It is a quiet, solemn affair, not embracing any sort of gaiety and happiness that is present in the days that are held in honour of the other Aeruillin Gods. People do not usually come together on this day; instead, it is celebrated with close family, although special effort will be made to ensure those without close family nearby having companionship as well.

During the day there is a strict fast, as a remembrance of the suffering and torment of Polmaen. People traditionally wear dark colours, and stay within the home. There is little or no trading or work during this time. Within the home, the family will talk to each other, telling of their deepest fears of life and death. On this day, nothing is supposed to be hidden from anyone, and there are regular prayers throughout the day, generally impromptu, where great praises are sung for Polmaen’s endless work.

When the night descends, a meal is prepared and eaten. Then, conversations will continue into the night, during this time however forgiveness is supposed to be offered, and the family will help to smooth out each other’s troubles. When it is felt by all that there is nothing left to discuss, everyone prays silently to Polmaen, for strength for the time ahead, and that they may never give in to the evil ways of the Dark. Then, before the family ventures to bed, they all say, in a loud clear voice,

"Oh great Polmaen, Lord Of The Dark, destroyer of the evil in this world, please keep me on the path of the Light, and to know what is the Dark."

Temple/Shrine Design. It is rare for a family to choose Polmaen as their personal God. Although all people hold him in high regard, having the Tormented One is not desirable, as most feel it would be a constant reminder of the evil and suffering within the world, something that they would like to forget once in a while.

A shrine to Polmaen would be lined in black cloth, and instead of a representation of the God in the middle, there is generally a picture of a jewelled dagger, a constant reminder to the family that although they may feel they are following the path of Light, they can be easily moulded to the ways of the Dark.

There are temples for Polmaen in most cities. They are not however the grand affairs that are dedicated to the other Gods. They are smaller and far simpler. Shrines vary in considerably in shape and are generally built from dark stone; one certain thing would be that you would not find any white within a temple to Polmaen. They are generally undecorated, save for a few paintings and representations of the Tormented One, and a statue where people may pay tribute to him in prayer and offerings.

Worship. Becoming a Priest or Priestess of Polmaen is not a decision that is undertaken lightly. If someone desires to become one, then the minimum age is eighteen (human) years of age, as there are horrors within the duties of the priesthood that no child should have to undertake. The holy men of Polmaen seek to ease the burden of the God, by carrying out rituals such as exorcisms and casting out of demons. It is not enviable, and the men and women who choose to enter Polmaen’s service are respected greatly by all, and honoured, but also feared.

The priests wear black robes, held together by a cord of grey, and the male members shave their heads, whilst the females keep theirs short. Meals are poor, unless a meal is offered by a family outside the priesthood, shoes are forbidden but for dire circumstances. They aim to echo the life of their God – it must truly be a strong, inner pull to serve by those who have chosen to live a life of hardship for the love of their God.

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