Valon
, the First King, is revered as a god by the Cult of Valon and its numerous followers within the empire. Foremost among them is the Otrese. When Valon departed the world, he named one of his most trusted followers, Ulrich Otrese, King of Adana. In the current day, the empress, as well as ruling , is Guardian of the , the cult's most holy site.
The cult preaches that Valon was a man once. He was a mighty warrior and great leader who anticipated the - an invasion by a swarm of fell beings from the Grey Below which swept across the continent - and led many people to shelter in the fortress he had prepared at Sanctuary. Within the citadel of that fortress are the Empyreal Gates. Two years into the Greytide, Valon traversed the Empyreal Gates, departing the world, and, weeks after, a great, blinding light shone down from the heavens and the demons vanished into nothing, after which the defenders of Sanctuary destroyed what was left of the host.
The foundation of Sanctuary marks the first year of the Elthosian calendar, used even by those polities beyond the bounds of the empire.
At the core of the cult's teachings is that strong leadership is paramount, that it is the duty of the nobility to rule with the firm hand that it states is necessary to prevent chaos, and that evil must be faced at every turn. This is according to edicts made by Valon before he left the world and in keeping with his own example.
The cult is not particularly centralised. It is ultimately deferential to the nobility and can have varying regional flavours depending on the local nobility.
Worship or reverence of Valon is widespread in the empire. It is not confined to any one region or pantheon. Valon's existence as a mortal is not in doubt and most believe that he attained some manner of divinity.
Clergy in the cult routinely wear an item of jewelry depicting Valon's axe, most often a pendant.