Stendarr, also known as "Stendarr the Steadfast", is the God of Mercy, Charity, Well-Earned Luck, and Justice. He is also acclaimed as the God of Compassion, and Righteous Rule by Might and Merciful Forbearance. Stendarr is the Apologist of Men, patron of the Imperial Legion, magistrates, rulers, and knights errant.

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Precepts of Stendarr

Stendarr commands all mortals to make themselves vulnerable to his will and follow his precepts:

• Never refuse aid you are capable of providing.

• Go among the infirm and the wounded wherever you find them.

• Offer prayer to Stendarr every day.

• Do not hoard wealth or indulge physically.

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Teachings

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Stendarr, through his priests, resolutes, and templars, makes his will known to the mortals of Tamriel, and commands them to "be kind and generous to the people of Tamriel. Protect the weak, heal the sick, and give to the needy". Stendarr offers mercy to all mortals and he welcomes heretics, the afflicted, the hopeless and the forgotten. The Divine cherishes and protects all mortals regardless of whether they acknowledge him or not and he does not distinguish between worshippers and heretics.

 

The priests of Stendarr act as a conduit and he provides guidance and assistance to mortals through them. Mortals who open their heart and soul to Stendarr's mercy and seek his benevolence are healed and gain understanding of the love Stendarr holds for all mortals, particularly those less fortunate. He also offers help in the form of healing as Stendarr can mend any wound, stay any disease, and soothe any broken soul.

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Stendarr bestowed upon mortals the gift of magic and the ability to employ it, with which mortals can seek Stendarr's wisdom through the use of restoration magic in his name. Invocation of Stendarr grants the wielder the ability to cloak themselves in a righteous aura of blessed light, which has been adapted by the priests and resolutes of Stendarr to form either, a piercing beam resembling a spear, a form of armor or shield, or for use as a tool for healing. However, the mercy of Stendarr does not extend to the enemies of mortals, who are referred to as Abominations, and the Divine considers them abhorrent and unnatural, and deserving of extermination without mercy. Vinicius Imbrex, Archbishop of Chorrol, defined four kinds of Abominations, daedra, lycanthropes, the undead and vampires in The Four Abominations. Stendarr is known as the Divine who "suffers Men to read". The veneration of Stendarr is criticized by some who argue the Divine offers kindness only to his followers and mercy to those who offer something in return.

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Mythology

According to the creation myth presented in the Anuad, Stendarr and the aedra (gods) were born from the mingled blood of Anu and Padomay, the good and evil primal forces, respectively, and therefore have a capacity for both good and evil, in contrast to the daedra, who were born from the blood of Padomay, and thus are only evil.

 

 The formation of Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time, from the mingled blood of the brothers Anu and Padomay facilitated the formation of Stendarr and the gods as they learnt to structure themselves. Shezarr's Song, a Cyrodiilic creation myth, acclaims the creation of Mundus to the sacrifice of Stendarr and the gods whose sacrifices were embodied as eponymous planets. Stendarr and the gods were subsequently bound to the Earth Bones as a result. 

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Origins and worship

Stendarr was originally worshipped as Stuhn, God of Ransom, shield-thane of Shor, but later developed into the current form of worship as a deity of compassion or, sometimes, righteous rule. He is worshipped throughout Tamriel and is considered part of the Imperial, Breton, Altmer, Bosmer and Khajiit pantheons.

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Worship in Cyrodiil

The Imperials of the province of Cyrodiil venerate Stendarr and the Divine is considered part of the Cyrodiilic pantheon. A Chapel of Stendarr is known to have been located in the city of Chorrol in the Second Era. 

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Worship in Elsweyr

Stendarr is worshipped as S'rendarr, the Runt, among the Khajiit of Elsweyr and is regarded as the son of Ahnurr and Fadomai. According to the Khajiit, Ahnurr and Fadomai acclaimed S'rendarr as God of Mercy as he was the weakest child. As God of Mercy, the Khajiit associate S'rendarr with compassion, charity and justice. A Shrine of the Consummate S'rendarr was located in Jodewood in the Second Era until its priests were exiled for refusing to acknowledge the edicts proclaimed after the adoption of the Riddle'Thar Epiphany, causing the temple to fall into ruin and become occupied by bandits.

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Worship in the Iliac Bay

Stendarr is the patron deity of several regions in the Iliac Bay, including Alik'r, Bhoriane, Mournoth, Phrygias, Santaki and Urvaius, and is venerated by Redguards and Bretons alike. 

 

 Only healers of the temples of Stendarr offered their services to both worshippers and heretics. The Temple of Stendarr was led by a patriarch and was allied to the Benevolence of Mara, a religious organization dedicated to Mara and her teachings. The Crusaders, also known as the Knights of Stendarr, was a knightly order dedicated to Stendarr which protected his temples against its adversaries, such as the Citadel of Ebonarm. Stendarr is considered the most popular Divine among Redguard knights.

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Worship in the Summerset Isles

The Sect of Harmonious Masters of Lillandril was a sect dedicated to the teachings of Stendarr that emerged during the Second Era in the city of Lillandril. The sect abhorred violence, offered healing and promulgated knowledge of healing spells to the general population. The veneration of Stendarr is frowned upon by a minority of Elves who consider the god unworthy of the worship of the Children of Aldmeris because of his role as the Apologist of Men. Aritanwe of Lillandril, a notable member of the sect, refuted criticism of the veneration of Stendarr among Elves in Rituals of the Harmonious Masters