Slagur

Pentandra first meets Slagur while gaming — he manifests as an unassuming man in an unassuming tunic. "I've been studying it with great interest. It's essentially a game of Rushes, with some severe handicaps and extreme rules." He advises her: "Minalan is in a hole, we must get him back." And he describes Minalan's role in the war as that of the key player:

Not merely a strong piece, he's the strongest piece on the board.

First manifests directly to Minalan over the gilt-and-silver chess set commemorating Greenflower that Terleman had given him: "I'm up for a quick game. Your move." Explains he is bound by the rules of games:

I can see all the games and contests and hear what is being said during them. But if you don't play, I can't see what is happening.

Sworn to advise Minalan.

Visits Minalan before the Shakathet invasion, standing at his diorama. Counsels him on the gurvani commander's unusual division of forces, warning of dragons and wyverns, and delivers the advice: "Be prepared . . . For the unexpected," before disappearing as Mavone enters.

At the pantheon gathering in Vanador's white-cobbled circle (the Book 16 epilogue), Minalan's ally Slagur — Imperial god of games, lore, and wine — is formally welcomed in alongside the other pantheon members (Trygg, Briga, Ishi, Herus, Duin, Luin, Bova, Couther, Falassa). He initially objects to Minalan's power over divine persistence:

May I ask why we're allowing this mortal to lecture us, thus?

But after Minalan frames the war as a strategic contest under a single player's direction, Slagur pledges himself:

Then I concede to submit to your terms for the duration of the conflict. And pledge myself to the effort.

Herus explains he found him at the biennial gaming tournament in Dikos Artis. Bestows the blessing:

Let it be blessed with fascination, intellect, cleverness, and guile.

Also the god who explains to the pantheon that Minalan "is the Preceptor of the Alaran Stone" — meaning, among other things, that he controls whether the gods become persistent.

Brief reference. Minalan says:

If I want games, I'll invoke Slagur. At least he's a good sport.