Arat Watches, oil on canvas, Finwick Thinbristle, 540. It depicts the 40 meters tall granite statue of Arat that stands on the highest peak of the Elklond Spine in Imland. Its lantern contains a crystal that glows perpetually. Who erected the statue is unknown.
Arat, Lord of the Earth and Mountains, is the patron of those who dwell in or under the mountains of Iralas. He is commonly called the Earth-shaker, the Stonefather, the Truth-bringer.
Arat is worshipped by craftspeople working with stone and metal.
Arat also is said to have a clear connection to the concept of truth. Whether this is due to the symbolism of the hammer (of justice), and whether the idea of a "hammer of justice" was derived from Arat (or this connection was made later), is a matter of discussion.
Arat is often represented in human form as a muscular, stern-looking man, with a beard of stone and a forge-hammer in his hand. He is associated with the bear, a symbol of strength and endurance, and is linked to the earth and its solidity and strength.
Worship
Arat is commonly worshipped through acts of labor and craftsmanship, with devotees working with stone, metal, or other materials in his honor.
Arat protects those who make the mountains their home. People who live or work in the mountains, or seek safe passage through Iralas' many caves, mines and tunnels, usually make a habit out of seeking His favor.
Worship usually takes the form of lighting candles or oil at a statue of Arat, and leaving valuable stones and minerals at its feet.
Shrines & Temples
Shrines are found at many tunnel- and mine entrances in Iralas. It usually consists of a simple statue carved out of the same rock as the tunnel itself, depicting the common visualization of Arat: a muscled man with beard and warhammer.
Rituals
Rituals for Arat usually involve rare minerals and chrystals, left at the feet of Arat statues. When left unobserved for a time, these valuables always tend to disappear; since its sacrilege to remove these offers, it's generally assumed that the god has taken these chrystals back into the mountains itself.
There are stories of old that involve human sacrifice; of isolated communities and obsessed miners offering creatures to Arat by throwing them into the endless crevices of the deep. These are generally thought of as gruesome acts of the past.
Followers
Arat draws clerics of the Forge and Order domains. His paladins tend to be of Devotion.