Kanyor the Triumphant Infusion
Kanyor the Triumphant Infusion is the god of soups, a Celestial deity of some influence. While many argue that such a concept as ‘soup’ is so broad it belongs in the Bureau of Heaven, Kanyor remains firmly ensconced as head of the Culinary Conclave within the Bureau of Humanity.
Kanyor’s ascent to a position of great influence has been carefully engineered since the Primordial era. In Creation’s early days, the gods and Primordials were not overly concerned with humanity and its activities, and Kanyor the Triumphant Infusion was god of minor portfolio: the mighty Dragon Kings did not prepare soups, the Lintha and their undersea peers in the West did not prepare soups, the black-feathered Alaun did not prepare soups, the tribes of monstrous creatures and humans wandering the edges of Creation, having few watertight cooking vessels, did not prepare soups. Kanyor’s portfolio was limited to humans living in the settlements of their betters, eking out existence working and praying… it was not a powerful assignment, and certainly not prestigious.
But Kanyor was not deterred. His first major coup came before the Primordial War, with the promulgation of the food prayer. Humans, prayer engines they were, prayed regular thanks for meals and dishes, but these were sometimes unreliable… a human would pray to the Unconquered Sun without fail, to the local gods of harvest and city, to the Primordial whose vast bulk passed above at that instant, but prayers over food were less immediate. Kanyor argued with his fellow culinary gods that they ought work to convince mortals that a prayer before eating would somehow perfect a dish, ensure the maximum of flavour and satisfaction. It did not need to be strictly true, of course, for humans were easily able to convince themselves of miracles.
The other gods eagerly assisted in the task, and thought Kanyor foolish for proposing it: poor peasants could only whisper small prayers, while the fine diners indulging in luxury dishes could offer extravagant prayers and large sacrifices. But Kanyor spoke that he was glad to improve his lot even in small ways, and few paid attention.
The next great coup of Kanyor came during the time of the Solar Deliberative. The Solar Exalted were mighty beings, intense in virtue and emotion, desiring to remake the world in a better form. And as they grew in power, Kanyor kept a close eye upon one or two ruled by their world-shaking Compassion… these were the key to his success. Soup, Kanyor spoke in their ears, was the key to ending hunger across Creation: it could be made from nothing into great quantities of nourishment, a vehicle to warm hands and fill bellies, to carry alchemical concoctions for health and genesis. Even today, the naming of charities devoted to feeding the poor as ‘soup kitchens’ persists from this time. The poor could still offer little in way of prayer, but each whisper became great indeed when multiplied by countless millions across Creation. The god with the purview so easily dismissed by his peers grew fat on the vastness of his Ambrosia and used this plenty to further his own position.
When the Usurpation, then the Great Contagion and Balorian Crusade came, many gods were lessened, particularly within the Culinary Conclave… whole cuisines were lost, entire ingredients and cooking methods forgotten as Creation trembled and faltered. The god of soup was lessened like all the others, but the darker the times, the leaner the pantries… Kanyor was lessened, but his role only grew by comparison, for soup was the refuge of the downtrodden. His dominance of the Conclave was secured (displacing his rival god Lumen of the Fattened Duck), his vaults still brimming with the ambrosial treasures of the First Age.
Kanyor the Triumphant Infusion is not a supporter of the Bronze path or the Gold as a matter of principle, for ideals have not achieved him his present position. The Iron Shogun of the Culinary Conclave keeps close watch on events, ever-pragmatic, in hopes of maintaining his hard-won post and perhaps advancing to even greater heights.
