Patience
"Good things come to those who wait"
Patience is the concept of perseverance and the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience teaches mortals how to make the right decisions, and to favor a more favorable result in the long term. He pushes the idea of nurturing one's skill and worth, like a tree that would only bear fruit after years of tending. Planting seeds of hope and dreams to those he finds worthy, to sprouting talents or those who persevere no matter what the world throws at them.
He often test mortals, taking the form of a happy, friendly but clumsy knight with an infectious laugh. He wears in his human form multiples bells upon him and a very misplaced scabbard. On top of that, his clumsiness of a destructive nature, along with his apparent lack of skills, often push the patience of even the most imperturbable mortals to the limit.
Blessings
The fundamental of Patience tends to favor persistent folks, those who keep trying for a better future, knowing it would be a difficult and taxing path. He particularly holds fondness for those born without talents, sorcery or anything special, just ordinary folk with big hearts, which is why his followers tend to be laborers, men-at-arms, gardeners, farmers, cheese and winemakers.
His blessing, unlike other fundamentals, is very plain and simple. Whereas Wrath or Temperance give amazing powers, he bestows upon his chosen the gift of longevity, in order to let them grow by themselves as much as possible. Though, this does not mean that its champion is ageless, simply that they age far slower. In the same time, it's far from immortality, as it does not exempt from illness or wounds, reaffirming it only seeks to grant its bearer the necessary time to become the best version they can aspire to be, like a finely cared tree spreading its roots over time.
Patience knows that sooner or later, every mortal's determination or will can wither. As such, he will stay aside patiently, as it is not his fight to have, and will give back his favors once he deemed their worth has returned.
Path of Patience
"A man who is master of patience is a master of everything else."
"Patience is bitter, but wine is better that way."
"Knowing trees one can understand the meaning of patience, knowing grass one can appreciate true persistence."
"Hasty decisions leads to unfavorable results."
"There is no time to change old habits, instead build better ones."
"Patience is bitter, but its fruits are sweet."
"Today you struggle, so your children won't."
"But maybe, just today, we can kickback and watch a play, it will be fun!"
Trivia
- Patience is believed to be the second most benevolent fundamental towards mortals, surpassed only by Temperance. Although he often saves those he considers worthy of his attention, on the other side he turns those he punishes into trees, rooted in place, still aware of everything happening around them, but unable to do anything about it.
- He is the creator of the mudboy race, who usually follow their creator in their human form by inertia. It is said he once planted a few of them, and then they multiplied. They are a great way to spread his teachings, as being kind and nurturing to one of these beings will sooner or later generate abundant harvests.
- He finds Wrath to be an interesting character, and likes to banter and tease him. While Wrath is known to often change his chosen because of their fall, Patience only has one chosen.
- The character concept comes from 3 central topics. First, his design resemblance to Solaire of Astora in his human form, with his tabard, helmet and color palette. Secondly, it also takes inspiration in the Arthurian tales of the Green Knight, his green clothing commonly associated with plants and nature, in charge of testing the hearts and courage of other knights. The third and last are bonsai trees, a Japanese art about the cultivation of miniaturized trees to create small landscapes. It's a mean of meditation and patience in Japanese culture, as it can take decades of care and nurturing to grow one.