Among the Divine Pairings, none has shaped the cities, markets, and fortunes of Mythea more than Varric and the Hollow Purse.
Their influence can be found in every transaction, every contract, every loan, every inheritance, and every treasure vault.
Together they embody the eternal struggle between prosperity and greed, exchange and accumulation, cooperation and exploitation.
Every coin in Mythea is said to pass between their hands.
Varric is the patron of trade, cooperation, prosperity, exchange, and opportunity.
His symbol is three interlocking golden rings.
According to legend, Varric did not create wealth.
He created value.
Before Varric, mortals possessed things.
After Varric, they learned to trade them.
The First Coin teaches that prosperity emerges when people need one another.
A farmer grows grain.
A smith forges tools.
A merchant transports goods.
A ruler maintains roads.
Each prospers because the others exist.
Varric teaches that wealth is not measured by what one possesses, but by what one creates together.
For this reason, he is especially revered by:
Merchants
Traders
Bankers
Craftsmen
Caravan Masters
Diplomats
His temples often double as guild halls, marketplaces, and places where contracts are witnessed.
His most famous teaching states:
"A fair bargain leaves both hands fuller."
The Hollow Purse governs greed, exploitation, corruption, hoarding, and accumulation without purpose.
His symbol is a gold coin with a hole at its center.
At first glance it appears valuable.
Look closer and something essential is missing.
Unlike Varric, who values movement, the Hollow Purse values possession.
He teaches that wealth exists to be owned.
Not spent.
Not shared.
Not invested.
Simply accumulated.
His followers are driven by a belief that there is never enough.
No fortune satisfies them.
No treasure fills the emptiness.
The more they acquire, the greater their hunger becomes.
The Hollow Purse whispers:
"Just a little more."
One more coin.
One more property.
One more title.
One more advantage.
One more victory.
His influence is often blamed whenever prosperity becomes exploitation.
The most famous tale shared by both faiths is known as The Myth of the First Coin.
According to legend, Varric forged a single golden coin and gave it to mortals.
He instructed them to exchange it.
Each time it changed hands, prosperity followed.
Villages grew.
Roads were built.
Friendships formed.
Kingdoms prospered.
The coin moved endlessly.
One day the Hollow Purse found it.
He admired its beauty.
Its value.
Its rarity.
Instead of spending it, he locked it away.
Years passed.
The roads deteriorated.
Trade slowed.
The villages suffered.
The coin remained untouched.
Finally Varric confronted him.
The Hollow Purse proudly revealed his treasure.
Varric merely laughed.
"You possess the coin," he said.
"But the coin possesses you."
The lesson remains one of the most quoted teachings in Mythea:
"Wealth that does not move becomes a prison."
Another popular parable compares the gods to water.
Varric is a river.
The Hollow Purse is a pond.
The river flows.
It nourishes fields.
Supports villages.
Connects distant lands.
The pond keeps everything for itself.
At first it appears calm and prosperous.
Eventually it stagnates.
The parable is frequently taught by merchants and philosophers throughout Mythea.
Followers of Varric reject the idea that wealth itself is virtuous.
Nor do they believe wealth is sinful.
Wealth is simply a tool.
Its value depends upon how it is used.
The Hollow Purse teaches the opposite.
To him, possession is its own reward.
This philosophical divide influences nearly every society in Mythea.
The River Consortium openly venerates Varric.
The Midnight Exchange often walks the line between the teachings of both gods.
Many noble houses unknowingly serve the Hollow Purse despite claiming otherwise.
Temples dedicated to Varric can be found in every major city.
His priests often serve as:
Accountants
Trade mediators
Bankers
Contract witnesses
Economic advisors
Many merchants begin negotiations with a prayer to the First Coin.
The Hollow Purse possesses no formal church.
His worship thrives in secret vaults, hidden ledgers, corrupt institutions, and among those who value wealth above all else.
Many who serve him never realize they have become his followers.
Every economy reflects the struggle between these two gods.
Trade creates prosperity.
Greed creates inequality.
Cooperation creates opportunity.
Exploitation creates resentment.
Neither god can fully defeat the other.
Without Varric, civilization would stagnate.
Without the Hollow Purse, mortals might never learn the dangers of unchecked desire.
Together they represent one of the fundamental truths of society:
Money is never merely money.
It is a reflection of what people value.
The pairing of Varric and the Hollow Purse represents the fourth great question of mortal existence:
Do you own your wealth?
Or does your wealth own you?
Every merchant answers it.
Every ruler answers it.
Every citizen answers it.
Whether they realize it or not.
"A coin's purpose is not to be kept. A coin's purpose is to change hands."
Followers of Varric hear this as wisdom.
Followers of the Hollow Purse hear it as waste.