Bairan

Background

Bairan, also known as the Guardian of Lost Souls, Father of Bastard Children, and most commonly, Bairan of the Dark Forest, is a forest deity, a minor god in relation to others like Diancecht. Legend has it that he was once an ancient Tiefling scholar, with huge, deerlike horns. He was a solitary soul, abandoned by what family he might've had and outcast from the village in which he lived. He was a hermit who spent his life somewhere at the edge of the Forest of the Forgotten, devoting his life to his work, his only passion. Eventually, he succumbed to the allure of the dark forest, knowing he would be welcomed nowhere else. Tales vary, and there are no concrete records to speak of after this point, but he has since become a deity of dubious origin, looking to be Fae or even Celestial in origin, but most likely being Infernal, or some mysterious combination thereof. No one outside the Dark Forest knows what occurs within its wooded walls.

Bairan is sustained through the absorbtion of the traumas of his patrons, most often shared through word of mouth at the inception of their pact, though sometimes passed to him through dreams or visions. He favors those who are outcasts, like he was, and those have have been unlucky in life. He is nurturing toward the young, and shows preferential treatment toward patrons he believes are more virtuous or loyal.

Appearance

Bairan is humanoid in figure, though much larger and taller than any human. He looks much like a tree, his limbs and fingers being long and thin. He has an ethereal grace and looks ghostly and angelic. He has the head of a white deer, with large white antlers. His eyes are completely colored in a deep black. He has sharp canines and long, white, pointed fingernails. He often appears in a gauzy white robe, made of a substance that looks like opaque spiderweb. He is often wreathed or covered in petals, flowers, and vines. When he appears to patrons, he looks almost like he's floating just above the ground. He has a deep, soft-sounding voice that seems to come less from his mouth and more from a resounding point within the head of the person by whom he wants to be heard.

It is not known what he looked like before he became a deity.

Fun note from Bairan's creator: He was modeled after Hozier aesthetically, and originally, looked much more like him. Consider Hozier a heavy inspiration when you imagine his voice.

Personality/Demeanor

Bairan is not very expressive, which is perhaps to be expected for someone with a deer head. He speaks very steadily and somewhat deadpan, except in the rare moments he might lose composure. He offers a lightly comforting presence and tone to his patrons. He is graceful and elegant in a very naturalistic way. It seems less pretended and more naturally acquired.

Relationships

Nim Waywocket is one of Bairan's loyal patrons, and he appears to genuinely care for them in turn. It is not known who his other patrons are. He is a relatively obscure deity, so they would presumably be difficult to find intentionally.

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