Post by Pip Mystral on Jun 23, 2015 23:25:45 GMT -5
The Gods of Temra
Temra's inhabitants worship one of two pantheons - the Old Gods, or the Pantheon of Heroes. Most Temrans worship the Heroes (or, in a few rare cases, the Villains), who are, as their name implies, the heroes of a past Age. Temrans credit the Heroes with putting down the dark Gods and closing the Gate at last, and, therefore, ending the Great War and allowing Temra to find peace once again. The Pantheon of Heroes (also called the New Pantheon or the Pantheon of New Gods) is divided into three parts - the gods of Good, the Neutral gods, and the Dark Gods, who are evil. The Dark Gods are also referred to as the Pantheon of Villains or the Dark Ones.
The Old Gods are the gods who came before - the ones whose worship was declining when the new Pantheon were crowned. These old Gods have mostly been forgotten, but Temrans still remember some of their names. The Old Gods are what we in our world refer to as the pagan gods, of the Norse, Greek, and other pantheons.
The new Gods, the Heroes or Hero Gods, are fairly active in Temra, choosing mortals to go about their business for them or even appearing themselves in person on rare occasions, though they dare not meet their opposites directly on the mortal plane. The ones listed here are the most commonly-worshiped - some races have their own Heroes, who they include as part of the Pantheon, who are not listed here.
Followers of the Gods
The gods of Aftergate, as mentioned earlier, are fairly active in Temra, but they prefer to work through their followers, for fear of destabilizing the mortal world. Some gods, like Jasson and Kaz, appear on the mortal plane fairly often, while others, like Keima and Lakartha, appear rarely in person. The followers of the gods organize in temples and dedicate worship and services to their chosen deity; a few clerics are able to channel their deity's blessings into a form of divine magic and miracles, while a very, very few are chosen as direct Avatars or Champions of their deity. These are essentially like Paladins, and they directly embody the concepts espoused by their god or goddess. Unlike traditional paladins, these champions do not always appear as the knight in shining armor, and they exist for every deity, lawful or chaotic, good or evil. Some gods and goddesses take more Champions than others, however.
The Pantheon of Heroes
Good
Jasson (LG)
Jasson is the god of war and considered the leader of the gods. His portfolio also includes strength, protection, and courage, and he is the principal deity of Vincents. Jasson was the first of the Vincents, a young brawler who came to be the leader of the Heroes in their first lifetime. Hated and feared for his terrifying appearance, he rose above the circumstances of his birth and serves as a symbol for overcoming adversity.
Jasson appears on the mortal plane quite frequently compared to the other gods. In artwork and on the mortal plane, he appears as a large Vincent with piercing blue eyes, blonde hair, and golden skin. He often goes lightly armored, if at all, and rarely carries any weapons overtly. In legends Jasson is said to be an incredibly brave, some say even foolhardy person, with a short temper but also a quick mind for strategy and tactics. He only champions causes of the just.
Unlike most gods of a lawful disposition, he holds personal honor over the laws of the land, and his priesthood serves as a silent check on corrupt authority. He believes that laws should be made for the betterment of the people. Priests and champions of Jasson are sworn to root out evil wherever it hides. Champions of Jasson are the closest to traditional paladins that Temra gets. Jasson's foremost foe is Xandrest.
Zer (NG)
Zer is the principal deity of vampires, and second of the trinity of gods who are considered the leaders of the Heroes. He is the god of night, stealth, and the moon. He's Jasson's right-hand man, and the one who tempers Jasson's impulsiveness with thought and caution. In the Age of Heroes, it was much the same. Zer's past isn't the subject of many legends, but it is said that he was the first vampire, created by the Dark Ones; he rebelled against his evil masters and joined forces with Jasson to fight back against their cruelty.
Zer doesn't often appear before mortals; when he does, he rarely speaks to his true identity unless there is some dire need. In artwork and in person, he appears as the archetypical vampire - tall, slender, with silver hair and purple eyes. Legends of Zer say that he's as patient as Jasson is brash, though his temper, once inspired, is legendary. He generally is willing to see the best in people, but there's nothing he hates more than those who would manipulate and use others.
He espouses neither law nor chaos, and serves as a balancer for the other gods. As the protector of vampires, there are shrines to him in almost every vampire community. His priesthood often champions the causes of those who are misunderstood or underdogs. Priests of Zer meet at night and hold the moon to be sacred, and they guard communities from nighttime dangers. Zer doesn't take Champions very often, but when he does, they're almost exclusively vampires. Masters of the night, they are pledged to root out evil wherever it uses darkness to conceal its movements, and to bring shadowy truths to light. Zer's most hated foe is Alenkis.
Dariel (CG)
The final member of the trinity and the principal deity of Skyborn, Dariel is the god of freedom, wind, and travel. In his first life, he was Jasson's foil, with a temper to match and an opposite disposition. While Jasson represents order and restrictions, Dariel represents an escape from oppression and freedom from rules. Dariel's legends involve cunning and a daring escape from captivity; he is considered to have liberated many of the Changed Races from the hold of the Dark Ones.
Dariel appears occasionally on the mortal plane, though neither as frequently as Jasson nor as rarely as Zer. He appears as a Skyborn male with blue hair, red eyes, and white wings, and dresses modestly in plain clothing. He often is depicted as carrying a sword on one hip. Legends of Dariel say his temper is a rival to Jasson's, though he is considered generally easygoing. He is the cunning intellect of the trinity. He is the champion of those oppressed by circumstance or imprisoned.
He represents freedom of all kinds, from tyranny, from oppression, from inhibitions. He represents following the path that is laid out to you, and following your desires. He is mainly worshiped by travelers outside the Skyborn, and is a common deity worshiped by adventurers. There are often shrines to him at crossroads. His temples are always open to those who have lost their way, and will accommodate travelers for free. His priesthood are often wanderers themselves, and his Champions, though few in number, are, like him, champions of the oppressed, dedicated to freeing the wrongly imprisoned and to inspiring the people to greater things.
Hope (LG)
Hope is the god of medicine, magic, healing, and wisdom, and the special patron of the Awakened. In his first life, he was blessed (or cursed) with many strange abilities that were, in those days, unknown to the people of the Age of Heroes. He was a doctor who dedicated his life to helping and healing others, and learning the secrets of the Changed Races. He serves as a mentor and a guiding hand to the other gods.
Hope appears fairly frequently in the mortal plane. Depicted in art and in the mortal realm, he appears as a human male of uncertain age, with snow-white hair and blue eyes, usually wearing the white robe of a healer. Legends say he has nearly unending wisdom and patience, as well as a vast fountain of knowledge that he will divulge to those worthy who seek his aid. Seeing him is considered a good omen.
Priests of Hope are forbidden from turning away any who need aid, and his clergy are the most trusted healers in all of Temra. They are also keepers of archives and banks of knowledge, and dedicated to preserving memories of the old legends. Champions of Hope are both mages and clerics, often traveling the land not in search of evil to destroy but in search of ills to ease and diseases to heal and knowledge to preserve.
Erest (NG)
Erest is Hope's wife and the goddess of nature, life, and growing things, as well as fertility. In her first life, she was a protector and healer of animals. She serves as a guardian of nature and the natural balance and order of life. She is the patron of those who have magic with nature.
Her appearances in the mortal plane are often brief, and she is usually seen around animals. Seeing her or her image is a good omen for those wanting children. She appears as a human woman with short, light brown hair and glasses, dressed plainly and usually in a masculine style of work clothes. Legends say that she is generally kind, but those who harm animals will inspire the wrath of nature itself.
Priests of Erest generally work with nature, fitting the image of the reclusive shaman or druid more than that of the typical cleric. Her Champions are protectors and guardians, the foil to the wild hunters who serve Cloudrunner and the natural counterpart to the healers of mankind who serve Hope. Erest despises Aight and everything he represents.
Cloudrunner (LG)
Cloudrunner is the principal deity of shifters and the god of the hunt, wild things, and predators. He is the darker counterpart to Erest, representing nature's harsher, wilder aspects. He is nature's order, hunter and hunted, predator and prey. In life, he was a hunter himself, someone who allied himself with Jasson's cause because of his strong sense of loyalty.
Cloudrunner enjoys the mortal world, but very few mortals ever see him - and fewer still recognize him. As a shifter, Cloudrunner can take the form of either a blonde, blue-eyed human with a wolf's tail or a golden-furred wolf with black paws. In human form, he often carries a large sword, representing his bonds of loyalty and his determination to fight. Cloudrunner doesn't speak often, instead preferring to watch and wait. Legends hold him to be the perfect hunter, patient, cunning, resourceful - a keen survivor - and he holds his followers to the same standards.
Those who defile the beauty of nature may earn Erest's wrath, but those who destroy nature will earn Cloudrunner's hatred. His priests are themselves hunters who seek to preserve and protect the natural order, both life and death, and all are required to respect the wild. Wild places are sacred to Cloudrunner and many hunters ask for his blessing over their prey. Champions of Cloudrunner are the embodiments o the wild, and are generally Shifters themselves. They seek out those who would pervert and destroy nature, and are unforgiving. They often work closely with champions of Erest. Cloudrunner's mortal enemy is The Hunter, though he also holds a special place of hatred within himself for Aight.
Claire (NG)
The wife of Jasson, Claire is the goddess of motherhood, women, and the hearth and home. She tempers Jasson's anger and soothes him at the end of the day. In life, she was the rock that the trinity held to, a bastion of support that held their revolution together. There aren't many tales of her 'great deeds', but her steadiness in the face of adversity were worthy enough qualities for her ascension.
Claire appears most often to mothers and those seeking guidance. She takes the form of a human woman with long, red hair and brown eyes, usually in good-quality yet practical clothing. Legends say that her personality is patient only to a degree - her steady anger is feared by some more than Jasson's. She represents Woman and Mother, a force that all who come back to hearth and home know to both cherish and to fear.
Claire's priesthood consists almost entirely of women. They often serve as midwives, and her temples are shelters for women fleeing abusive situations. Her priestesses are womens' advocates and protectors, and aren't afraid to fight to defend that which they hold dear. Champions of Claire are mothers and older sisters to the world, bright sparks who embody all that make home worthwhile, both its protection and safety, and its defense. They seek to defend Temra from all who would breach the safety of home, and to harm a woman is to know their justice.
Harue (CG)
Harue is Zer's wife, and the goddess of forgiveness, compassion, and mercy. She represents redemption and champions those with lost causes, and legend says that in her first life, she is the one who gave a wounded and disheartened Zer the courage to stand up against the Dark Ones, the first to see through his bloodlust to the good soul within.
As the patron goddess of those with little hope left, she often appears to such people and counsels them in their time of need. She doesn't often wander, but rather appears for specific events. She takes the form of a human woman with long, blue-black hair and blue eyes filled with infinite compassion. Legends of her say that her personality is everything she embodies - infinitely kind, infinitely compassionate, and able to see any remaining good in a person. She is considered a light in the darkness.
Harue's priesthood are protectors of lost souls as well, protecting the poor and those who cannot protect themselves, offering aid and guidance to those in need. Charity is a duty that Harue asks of any of her followers who can afford to give. Harue's champions are truly the champions of the lost and the downtrodden, often taking up what many believe to be lost causes and somehow making those causes a reality. Those seeking atonement often travel to Harue's temple or seek out one of her champions to help make amends.
Neutral
Lakartha (LN)
Lakartha is the goddess of discipline, both physical and mental, and is the patron of martial artists and monks; she is also Cloudrunner's consort. In life, she was a formidable practitioner of many martial arts and was renowned for her strength and willpower.
Lakartha rarely if ever appears in the mortal world unless there is some dire happening or need for her presence. She is depicted in art as a tall, black-haired woman with red or brown eyes, wearing simple, practical clothing. Legends say that, while generally soft-spoken and disposed to kindness towards others, her willpower is as strong as steel. She doesn't have what most would consider a temper - instead, her anger is methodical and thorough. Few are willing to risk Lakartha's anger.
She doesn't have a normal priesthood, per se - instead, most of her followers and clerics are wandering monks, traveling Temra in search of mental and physical enlightenment. Her few champions are similar in appearance to these humble monks - but their link to their goddess and mastery over their own minds and bodies give them incredible powers and skill. They are champions of order and the balance between all extremes.
Keima (CN)
Keima is the goddess of the mind, knowledge, and secrets, as well as the patron of psychics and psions of all forms. In her first life, she herself was a psion of not-inconsiderate power, who struggled with her abilities until she was able to master them with the help of Kaz (who is her lover).
Keima appears frequently enough on the mortal plane, though it is a common joke that when she does, it is usually because she's looking for her errant consort. She takes the form of a short Skyborn woman with black hair, black wings, and brilliant orange eyes. She usually dresses in black, and is often depicted in rich clothing with long gloves that, according to legend, were a present from Kaz. Personality-wise, she is considered something of an ill-tempered goddess, though she is not cruel so much as she is irritable, and dislikes being pestered or flattered. It is said that for those who are able to get on her good side, she knows all the secrets of the world, and might be able to share a few.
Keima's priesthood consists mainly of those who already had some power to see into the minds of others, and, much like Hope's, they are often keepers and collectors of knowledge. Her temples are often quiet places of contemplation and recollection. Champions of Keima are all powerful psions in and of themselves, and seek to destroy evils that prey on and corrupt the minds of others.
Maia (TN)
The goddess of sight and dreams, Maia is also the patron goddess of seers. In her first life, she herself was a seer with the ability to see past, present, and future in her dreams. Her dreams guided the Heroes, though she herself never considered herself truly one of them.
Maia rarely appears on the mortal plane, instead preferring to show herself in dreams. By doing so, she communicates fairly often with her followers and other such dreamers. She appears as a young human woman with short, dark brown hair and eyes that hold knowledge of all corners of the world. Legends say she is fairly proactive int he world and attempts to do what is needed to preserve life, though she has no specific dedication to good or evil, as her purview is all visions, both good and bad. Like most of the neutral gods, though, she generally promotes good over evil.
Her priesthood are visionaries, and many of her temples host oracles to guide those who prove themselves worthy with glimpses of the future. Her champions often serve as guides and mentors, battle oracles who rarely intercede directly but act as support for those who do.
Kaz (CN)
Kaz is the trickster god and the god of luck, thieves, gambling, and all things with an element of chance or risk. Not much is known about who he was in life, but he is said to have been a warrior with a penchant for risks and an incredible luck that defied logic and description. He is Keima's consort, and often appears in legends involving her as well as the other gods. He is the one who first helped Keima master her powers.
Of all the gods, Kaz is the most likely to be seen in the mortal world, as he is said to often grow bored of Paradise and go to wander unsuspected among humans. It is a proverb on Temra to always be kind to strangers, for they might be Kaz in disguise - legends say he enjoys playing jokes and tricks on those who scorn him unawares, but that he will also reward those who are kind to him, not because he's a god but because they are generally kind people. He takes the form of a tallish goblin, often dressed in tight-fitting black garb and occasionally carrying a katana strapped to his back. He is good-natured, jolly, and enjoys a good drink, a good game, a good joke and a good chat. Many people don't even know that it's him to whom they're speaking when he visits, only realizing after his blessings or curses find them after he appears.
Kaz' worship is an informal affair, usually carried out at small shrines in fine eateries, mercenary camps, gambling halls, and other such places. There are very few specific temples to Kaz, and his priesthood is a small office, usually consisting of those who, upon other paths in life, found themselves falling more and more into his service. His Champions, the rarest of all Champions, are agents of change and harbingers of chaos, lifting up the poor and sending the mighty crashing down. They can be either a good or a poor omen, depending on how the balance of luck falls in your favor.
Setsu (LN)
The god of truth, justice, and the indisputable fact, Setsu is neither good nor evil because truth has no morality, it simply exists. The youngest of the gods, some legends say Setsu was the son of Harue and Zer, while others don't give his origin. WHat is known was that he was an investigator, a hunter of truth who exposed lies and criminals.
Setsu appears on a semi-frequent basis, though nowhere near as often as many of the other gods. Usually he appears at the site of momentous discoveries or legal agreements, often through the intervention of one of his champions. In artwork and in the mortal realm, he looks much like Zer, a tallish vampire with silver hair and bright purple eyes, though he dresses and carries himself much differently from his father. He often wears black clothing and seems to enjoy appearing in formal wear to fit whatever occasion he is personally attending. His personality is fair to the extreme; he rarely gets to or is expected to show mercy, and as the god of truth, he is incapable of lying.
Setsu's priests often serve in a legal capacity and his temples and churches are used for the signing of business deals and other legal proceedings in the hope of keeping both parties honest. To tell a lie or swear falsely in front of a statue or holy symbol of Setsu is utmost foolishness; to tell a lie to a cleric or champion of Setsu is downright impossible. Champions of Setsu are the ultimate truth-seekers and have many magics of investigation and seeking at their disposal to hunt down those who would present themselves falsely. They mete out punishment for those who would escape justice, and seek all truth, painful or joyous, with their entire beings.
Death (TN)
Death is simply Death. The people of Temra see him as a deity above and beyond deities, an immortal constant. Unlike the entire rest of the pantheon, Death was never human - instead, he was the one who chose the heroes, who set aside their souls to be the next gods after the First Gods, the Old Gods, passed from the world.
Death appears in the mortal realm more frequently than any other god except possibly Kaz; however, it is hard to know truly how often he appears, for most often, he appears to the dying. Not all who are dying see Death, but many do. He can often be spotted on battlefields and the sites of slaughters or tragedies. Depictions of Death in artwork show him as wearing a black, hooded shroud, his face a mystery. Everyone who has seen Death and lived to tell of it has seen a different face. Usually he appears as a person of the viewer's own race, often as a young male, though sometimes as an old man. All accounts agree that beneath the hood, he is blind, with milky white eyes which have no pupils, and barely a definition between iris and sclera. Those who have had the privilege to speak with him describe him as soft-spoken and surprisingly gentle, though also unwilling to budge on his stance. Those who are to die, will die - though occasionally, he will accept a substitution.
Death's priesthood are the most mysterious priests, and he takes no Champions. They wear black robes and often go hooded, and are in charge of last rites for the dying in most places. They are dedicated to fighting those who practice necromancy and who would defile the dead, and are capable of consecrating the dead in such a way as to send them beyond necromancy's reach.
Evil
Alenkis (CE)
Though not technically the leader of the Dark Ones, Alenkis considers himself one anyway, and it is certain that he is one of the most feared. He is the god of necromancy, blood, and torture, and legends hold that he is the Dark One responsible for the creation of Zer and the vampire race through him. In his first life, he was what passed for a mage among the magicless First People, and used his knowledge of the ancient secrets to maim and torture others.
Like most of the dark gods, Alenkis does not get to appear often on the mortal plane, as the Hero Gods keep them in check. Still, of all the dark gods, Alenkis is probably the one who appears the most frequently, risking the attention and the ire of the Heroes as though he were taunting them. He takes the form of a male of indeterminate, humanoid race, of average height, with dirty blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Though in general he should appear somewhat attractive, there is a sense and an aura of wrongness about him. Legends say that he is a smooth talker, a charismatic and intelligent individual whose outward appearance and demeanor are pleasant, but he is also depicted as a sadist of the worst caliber, who enjoys nothing mroe than the pain and torment, both mental and physical, of others.
The worship of Alenkis is illegal in every part of Temra, and many are afraid to even speak his name. His priests and chapels are constructed in dark hideaways concealed by passwords, and his priests delight in dark and carnal acts of violence in his torture-chamber shrines. Alenkis' dark champions, unlike many of the other Dark Ones' servants, are still human in body and mind, but their souls are black and they seek to spread pain and agony everywhere across the land. While none of the Hero Gods harbor any respect for Alenkis, none hate him more than his creation, Zer, and for a vampire to worship Alenkis is a crime punishable by death in most of their communities.
Helle (CE)
The goddess of deception and madness, in life, Helle was herself in many ways a madwoman. Her legacy is one of lies and legend has it that she is the one who kept Dariel imprisoned, before he escaped the clutches of the Dark Ones. Though she was not, like Alenkis, one of the First Era's strange magicians, she held a legacy of twisted corruption.
When appearing in the mortal realm and depicted in murals, Helle is either a human woman or a Skyborn with maimed wings. She can appear as a young woman or as a matron, with blonde hair, green eyes, and glasses. She appears, on the surface, to be innocent and kind, but her words are lies and poison. Jealously and envy are her favorite tools. According to her followers, she has a fondness for birds.
Worship of Helle is banned in most places in Temra, but her strange, chaotic nature and the subtleties of her evil have allowed her footholds elsewhere. Her rites and rituals are chaotic and never the same twice, reveling in youth and beauty in all the wrong ways. Her priests spread misinformation, lies, and deception, and her Champions are slow and steady poisons upon the land, spreading dissent, anger, and fear until the minds of people are eaten away. She has no love for Alenkis, who she finds inelegant; of the hero gods, she despises Dariel the most, because he escaped her clutches once before.
Xandrest (NE)
Xandrest is the chief deity of the Dark Ones, the leader of the evil gods and the most steadfast of them all. He's the god of ambition, of greed and lust for power, and the god of evil mages and corrupted magic. In his first life, he was the one who led the Dark Ones in their crusade against the Hero Gods, to enslave them and oppress the Changed Races. He, like Alenkis, was one of the First People's equivalent to sorcerers, and used his mastery of their powerful not-magics to rule his underlings with an iron fist.
He appears not as a general in the mortal world, but as a mage, dressed in finery and robes. He is often depicted holding a star, signifying his reach before Jasson and the others brought him down. He is a tall man with golden-blonde hair, blue eyes, and is often shown with an arrogant expression. He is said to be bluntly cruel, with an ambition that knows no bounds.
His priesthood are often what many people think of as the stereotypical villains, evil viziers, those who corrupt and enthrall those in positions of power. They are a secretive priesthood, but all who wish for power they feel they cannot obtain through natural or honest means are welcomed by Xandrest into the fold. Xandrest's champions are generals and warriors of great ambition. Where his priests have often given their lives in service to him for promise of power, his Champions embody that ambition. WHile Xandrest is the one you sell your soul to, his champions are the ones who broker the deals. Of all the Dark Ones, Jasson hates Xandrest the most.
Lemure (LE)
Lemure is the youngest of the Dark Ones, and the goddess of lust, revenge, and hatred. In life, she was a seducer, one who sought to emulate the first dark gods even as she proclaimed her hatred for them. She represented the anger of the CHanged Races for the humans who oppressed them, and in time, that anger corrupted and changed her.
In the mortal plane, Lemure is depicted as a beautiful female Nightborn with tattered, bat-like wings, though her other features vary based on the preference of those she appears to. She mostly appears to her followers in secret, and legends say she is a bitter, angry creature filled with thoughts of revenge, and hatred of the Hero Gods for consigning her to live eternity as a Dark One, despite the fact that they have nothing to do with what she sees as an eternal punishment. She has embraced her role as seducer, seeing her 'cause', that of revenge on the new world, as some new, sweet form of 'justice'.
Her priests and rituals incorporate lust and pleasures of the flesh, merging them with sacrifice to their dark goddess. Her Champions are often men and women of great beauty, whose souls have been eaten with revenge until they can no longer quite be considered human. They embody everything she aspires to - power over others and rampant destruction. She particularly reviles Setsu's objective truths.
Aight (NE)
Aight is the Dark God who represents corruption, and the perversion of nature and all things beautiful and good. He represents the twisting of beauty and unchecked, rampant growth, and of all the dark gods, he is most associated with the dark aspects of the Gate. In life, he used the ancient secrets to warp and change creatures, people, and lives to suit his whims, all in the name of growth and progress, of 'bettering' the world.
Aight appears in artwork as a young-looking human male with brown hair, wearing a white coat over black clothing. He almost never appears on the mortal plane, though a few of his followers admit to seeing him. The most horrible thing about Aight is his conviction that he himself is not, in fact, evil - he sees the changes he wishes to make in the world as a natural thing, the ultimate goal of nature's order. As illustration of this, he points to the animistic races, those who seamlessly blend human and animal, who thrive in Temra alongside humans. Surely this is what nature intended of all her children. He is an affable, interesting man to speak with, should he be summoned for conversation, by all accounts... and completely, utterly insane.
The priesthood of Aight is perhaps one of the most terrifying of the dark gods' priesthoods by sheer nature of who they are and what they do. Many use magic to alter their bodies in ways nature did not intend, becoming far less than people in the process. They actively seek to defy nature in order to achieve bodily perfection, and seek to impose this twisted view of order on the world. Aight's Champions are given the power to change their shapes, not as Shifters do, but into terrible monsters, by Aight's priesthood, losing all that made them human or whatever race they were in the process. Erest despises Aight more than any other, while Aight finds her views of nature's order naive and simplistic. Cloudrunner also holds a hatred for Aight, while Aight admires the other's sheer potential for destruction.
The Hunter (LE)
The Hunter is the most mysterious of the dark gods. A shadowy presence at the edge of fear and reason, he is the god of assassins, shadows, and murder. In life, he was an assassin himself, the Dark Ones' tool, pinnacle among his kind; he serves much the same function now.
The Hunter mostly appears as the leader of his Hunt, a hunt simialr to the legends of the Old Gods' Wild Hunt, which tore across the sky in search of evil souls. The master of a pack of damned Hounds, he is depicted in art almost always among them, twisted creatures with the bodies of men who crawl on all fours like ravening beasts and obey his every command. With a sword as his back and a black hood pulled down over eyes that glow yellow, very few have ever seen the Hunter's face, and it is never shown in art lest he take notice of the painter and the house the painting resides in. Even his dark followers dare not draw his attention too often. Still, legend has it that unlike most of the dark gods, he has a sense of honor about him. Lawful as to botht he letter and spirit of his word, he hunts for sport and respects those who manage to escape his clutches.
The Hunter's worshipers are mostly assassins and those who plan to hunt the most dangerous prey, including sentient creatures. He is the only Dark God whose worship is not banned in most of the world, as there are a few who worship his honorable aspects. He is a favored god for goblins, as they are drawn to his savage but loyal service. Animal (and, sometimes, human) sacrifice factors in many of his rituals. He and Cloudrunner are mortal enemies, but afford each other begrudging respect.
Temra's inhabitants worship one of two pantheons - the Old Gods, or the Pantheon of Heroes. Most Temrans worship the Heroes (or, in a few rare cases, the Villains), who are, as their name implies, the heroes of a past Age. Temrans credit the Heroes with putting down the dark Gods and closing the Gate at last, and, therefore, ending the Great War and allowing Temra to find peace once again. The Pantheon of Heroes (also called the New Pantheon or the Pantheon of New Gods) is divided into three parts - the gods of Good, the Neutral gods, and the Dark Gods, who are evil. The Dark Gods are also referred to as the Pantheon of Villains or the Dark Ones.
The Old Gods are the gods who came before - the ones whose worship was declining when the new Pantheon were crowned. These old Gods have mostly been forgotten, but Temrans still remember some of their names. The Old Gods are what we in our world refer to as the pagan gods, of the Norse, Greek, and other pantheons.
The new Gods, the Heroes or Hero Gods, are fairly active in Temra, choosing mortals to go about their business for them or even appearing themselves in person on rare occasions, though they dare not meet their opposites directly on the mortal plane. The ones listed here are the most commonly-worshiped - some races have their own Heroes, who they include as part of the Pantheon, who are not listed here.
Followers of the Gods
The gods of Aftergate, as mentioned earlier, are fairly active in Temra, but they prefer to work through their followers, for fear of destabilizing the mortal world. Some gods, like Jasson and Kaz, appear on the mortal plane fairly often, while others, like Keima and Lakartha, appear rarely in person. The followers of the gods organize in temples and dedicate worship and services to their chosen deity; a few clerics are able to channel their deity's blessings into a form of divine magic and miracles, while a very, very few are chosen as direct Avatars or Champions of their deity. These are essentially like Paladins, and they directly embody the concepts espoused by their god or goddess. Unlike traditional paladins, these champions do not always appear as the knight in shining armor, and they exist for every deity, lawful or chaotic, good or evil. Some gods and goddesses take more Champions than others, however.
The Pantheon of Heroes
Good
Jasson (LG)
Jasson is the god of war and considered the leader of the gods. His portfolio also includes strength, protection, and courage, and he is the principal deity of Vincents. Jasson was the first of the Vincents, a young brawler who came to be the leader of the Heroes in their first lifetime. Hated and feared for his terrifying appearance, he rose above the circumstances of his birth and serves as a symbol for overcoming adversity.
Jasson appears on the mortal plane quite frequently compared to the other gods. In artwork and on the mortal plane, he appears as a large Vincent with piercing blue eyes, blonde hair, and golden skin. He often goes lightly armored, if at all, and rarely carries any weapons overtly. In legends Jasson is said to be an incredibly brave, some say even foolhardy person, with a short temper but also a quick mind for strategy and tactics. He only champions causes of the just.
Unlike most gods of a lawful disposition, he holds personal honor over the laws of the land, and his priesthood serves as a silent check on corrupt authority. He believes that laws should be made for the betterment of the people. Priests and champions of Jasson are sworn to root out evil wherever it hides. Champions of Jasson are the closest to traditional paladins that Temra gets. Jasson's foremost foe is Xandrest.
Zer (NG)
Zer is the principal deity of vampires, and second of the trinity of gods who are considered the leaders of the Heroes. He is the god of night, stealth, and the moon. He's Jasson's right-hand man, and the one who tempers Jasson's impulsiveness with thought and caution. In the Age of Heroes, it was much the same. Zer's past isn't the subject of many legends, but it is said that he was the first vampire, created by the Dark Ones; he rebelled against his evil masters and joined forces with Jasson to fight back against their cruelty.
Zer doesn't often appear before mortals; when he does, he rarely speaks to his true identity unless there is some dire need. In artwork and in person, he appears as the archetypical vampire - tall, slender, with silver hair and purple eyes. Legends of Zer say that he's as patient as Jasson is brash, though his temper, once inspired, is legendary. He generally is willing to see the best in people, but there's nothing he hates more than those who would manipulate and use others.
He espouses neither law nor chaos, and serves as a balancer for the other gods. As the protector of vampires, there are shrines to him in almost every vampire community. His priesthood often champions the causes of those who are misunderstood or underdogs. Priests of Zer meet at night and hold the moon to be sacred, and they guard communities from nighttime dangers. Zer doesn't take Champions very often, but when he does, they're almost exclusively vampires. Masters of the night, they are pledged to root out evil wherever it uses darkness to conceal its movements, and to bring shadowy truths to light. Zer's most hated foe is Alenkis.
Dariel (CG)
The final member of the trinity and the principal deity of Skyborn, Dariel is the god of freedom, wind, and travel. In his first life, he was Jasson's foil, with a temper to match and an opposite disposition. While Jasson represents order and restrictions, Dariel represents an escape from oppression and freedom from rules. Dariel's legends involve cunning and a daring escape from captivity; he is considered to have liberated many of the Changed Races from the hold of the Dark Ones.
Dariel appears occasionally on the mortal plane, though neither as frequently as Jasson nor as rarely as Zer. He appears as a Skyborn male with blue hair, red eyes, and white wings, and dresses modestly in plain clothing. He often is depicted as carrying a sword on one hip. Legends of Dariel say his temper is a rival to Jasson's, though he is considered generally easygoing. He is the cunning intellect of the trinity. He is the champion of those oppressed by circumstance or imprisoned.
He represents freedom of all kinds, from tyranny, from oppression, from inhibitions. He represents following the path that is laid out to you, and following your desires. He is mainly worshiped by travelers outside the Skyborn, and is a common deity worshiped by adventurers. There are often shrines to him at crossroads. His temples are always open to those who have lost their way, and will accommodate travelers for free. His priesthood are often wanderers themselves, and his Champions, though few in number, are, like him, champions of the oppressed, dedicated to freeing the wrongly imprisoned and to inspiring the people to greater things.
Hope (LG)
Hope is the god of medicine, magic, healing, and wisdom, and the special patron of the Awakened. In his first life, he was blessed (or cursed) with many strange abilities that were, in those days, unknown to the people of the Age of Heroes. He was a doctor who dedicated his life to helping and healing others, and learning the secrets of the Changed Races. He serves as a mentor and a guiding hand to the other gods.
Hope appears fairly frequently in the mortal plane. Depicted in art and in the mortal realm, he appears as a human male of uncertain age, with snow-white hair and blue eyes, usually wearing the white robe of a healer. Legends say he has nearly unending wisdom and patience, as well as a vast fountain of knowledge that he will divulge to those worthy who seek his aid. Seeing him is considered a good omen.
Priests of Hope are forbidden from turning away any who need aid, and his clergy are the most trusted healers in all of Temra. They are also keepers of archives and banks of knowledge, and dedicated to preserving memories of the old legends. Champions of Hope are both mages and clerics, often traveling the land not in search of evil to destroy but in search of ills to ease and diseases to heal and knowledge to preserve.
Erest (NG)
Erest is Hope's wife and the goddess of nature, life, and growing things, as well as fertility. In her first life, she was a protector and healer of animals. She serves as a guardian of nature and the natural balance and order of life. She is the patron of those who have magic with nature.
Her appearances in the mortal plane are often brief, and she is usually seen around animals. Seeing her or her image is a good omen for those wanting children. She appears as a human woman with short, light brown hair and glasses, dressed plainly and usually in a masculine style of work clothes. Legends say that she is generally kind, but those who harm animals will inspire the wrath of nature itself.
Priests of Erest generally work with nature, fitting the image of the reclusive shaman or druid more than that of the typical cleric. Her Champions are protectors and guardians, the foil to the wild hunters who serve Cloudrunner and the natural counterpart to the healers of mankind who serve Hope. Erest despises Aight and everything he represents.
Cloudrunner (LG)
Cloudrunner is the principal deity of shifters and the god of the hunt, wild things, and predators. He is the darker counterpart to Erest, representing nature's harsher, wilder aspects. He is nature's order, hunter and hunted, predator and prey. In life, he was a hunter himself, someone who allied himself with Jasson's cause because of his strong sense of loyalty.
Cloudrunner enjoys the mortal world, but very few mortals ever see him - and fewer still recognize him. As a shifter, Cloudrunner can take the form of either a blonde, blue-eyed human with a wolf's tail or a golden-furred wolf with black paws. In human form, he often carries a large sword, representing his bonds of loyalty and his determination to fight. Cloudrunner doesn't speak often, instead preferring to watch and wait. Legends hold him to be the perfect hunter, patient, cunning, resourceful - a keen survivor - and he holds his followers to the same standards.
Those who defile the beauty of nature may earn Erest's wrath, but those who destroy nature will earn Cloudrunner's hatred. His priests are themselves hunters who seek to preserve and protect the natural order, both life and death, and all are required to respect the wild. Wild places are sacred to Cloudrunner and many hunters ask for his blessing over their prey. Champions of Cloudrunner are the embodiments o the wild, and are generally Shifters themselves. They seek out those who would pervert and destroy nature, and are unforgiving. They often work closely with champions of Erest. Cloudrunner's mortal enemy is The Hunter, though he also holds a special place of hatred within himself for Aight.
Claire (NG)
The wife of Jasson, Claire is the goddess of motherhood, women, and the hearth and home. She tempers Jasson's anger and soothes him at the end of the day. In life, she was the rock that the trinity held to, a bastion of support that held their revolution together. There aren't many tales of her 'great deeds', but her steadiness in the face of adversity were worthy enough qualities for her ascension.
Claire appears most often to mothers and those seeking guidance. She takes the form of a human woman with long, red hair and brown eyes, usually in good-quality yet practical clothing. Legends say that her personality is patient only to a degree - her steady anger is feared by some more than Jasson's. She represents Woman and Mother, a force that all who come back to hearth and home know to both cherish and to fear.
Claire's priesthood consists almost entirely of women. They often serve as midwives, and her temples are shelters for women fleeing abusive situations. Her priestesses are womens' advocates and protectors, and aren't afraid to fight to defend that which they hold dear. Champions of Claire are mothers and older sisters to the world, bright sparks who embody all that make home worthwhile, both its protection and safety, and its defense. They seek to defend Temra from all who would breach the safety of home, and to harm a woman is to know their justice.
Harue (CG)
Harue is Zer's wife, and the goddess of forgiveness, compassion, and mercy. She represents redemption and champions those with lost causes, and legend says that in her first life, she is the one who gave a wounded and disheartened Zer the courage to stand up against the Dark Ones, the first to see through his bloodlust to the good soul within.
As the patron goddess of those with little hope left, she often appears to such people and counsels them in their time of need. She doesn't often wander, but rather appears for specific events. She takes the form of a human woman with long, blue-black hair and blue eyes filled with infinite compassion. Legends of her say that her personality is everything she embodies - infinitely kind, infinitely compassionate, and able to see any remaining good in a person. She is considered a light in the darkness.
Harue's priesthood are protectors of lost souls as well, protecting the poor and those who cannot protect themselves, offering aid and guidance to those in need. Charity is a duty that Harue asks of any of her followers who can afford to give. Harue's champions are truly the champions of the lost and the downtrodden, often taking up what many believe to be lost causes and somehow making those causes a reality. Those seeking atonement often travel to Harue's temple or seek out one of her champions to help make amends.
Neutral
Lakartha (LN)
Lakartha is the goddess of discipline, both physical and mental, and is the patron of martial artists and monks; she is also Cloudrunner's consort. In life, she was a formidable practitioner of many martial arts and was renowned for her strength and willpower.
Lakartha rarely if ever appears in the mortal world unless there is some dire happening or need for her presence. She is depicted in art as a tall, black-haired woman with red or brown eyes, wearing simple, practical clothing. Legends say that, while generally soft-spoken and disposed to kindness towards others, her willpower is as strong as steel. She doesn't have what most would consider a temper - instead, her anger is methodical and thorough. Few are willing to risk Lakartha's anger.
She doesn't have a normal priesthood, per se - instead, most of her followers and clerics are wandering monks, traveling Temra in search of mental and physical enlightenment. Her few champions are similar in appearance to these humble monks - but their link to their goddess and mastery over their own minds and bodies give them incredible powers and skill. They are champions of order and the balance between all extremes.
Keima (CN)
Keima is the goddess of the mind, knowledge, and secrets, as well as the patron of psychics and psions of all forms. In her first life, she herself was a psion of not-inconsiderate power, who struggled with her abilities until she was able to master them with the help of Kaz (who is her lover).
Keima appears frequently enough on the mortal plane, though it is a common joke that when she does, it is usually because she's looking for her errant consort. She takes the form of a short Skyborn woman with black hair, black wings, and brilliant orange eyes. She usually dresses in black, and is often depicted in rich clothing with long gloves that, according to legend, were a present from Kaz. Personality-wise, she is considered something of an ill-tempered goddess, though she is not cruel so much as she is irritable, and dislikes being pestered or flattered. It is said that for those who are able to get on her good side, she knows all the secrets of the world, and might be able to share a few.
Keima's priesthood consists mainly of those who already had some power to see into the minds of others, and, much like Hope's, they are often keepers and collectors of knowledge. Her temples are often quiet places of contemplation and recollection. Champions of Keima are all powerful psions in and of themselves, and seek to destroy evils that prey on and corrupt the minds of others.
Maia (TN)
The goddess of sight and dreams, Maia is also the patron goddess of seers. In her first life, she herself was a seer with the ability to see past, present, and future in her dreams. Her dreams guided the Heroes, though she herself never considered herself truly one of them.
Maia rarely appears on the mortal plane, instead preferring to show herself in dreams. By doing so, she communicates fairly often with her followers and other such dreamers. She appears as a young human woman with short, dark brown hair and eyes that hold knowledge of all corners of the world. Legends say she is fairly proactive int he world and attempts to do what is needed to preserve life, though she has no specific dedication to good or evil, as her purview is all visions, both good and bad. Like most of the neutral gods, though, she generally promotes good over evil.
Her priesthood are visionaries, and many of her temples host oracles to guide those who prove themselves worthy with glimpses of the future. Her champions often serve as guides and mentors, battle oracles who rarely intercede directly but act as support for those who do.
Kaz (CN)
Kaz is the trickster god and the god of luck, thieves, gambling, and all things with an element of chance or risk. Not much is known about who he was in life, but he is said to have been a warrior with a penchant for risks and an incredible luck that defied logic and description. He is Keima's consort, and often appears in legends involving her as well as the other gods. He is the one who first helped Keima master her powers.
Of all the gods, Kaz is the most likely to be seen in the mortal world, as he is said to often grow bored of Paradise and go to wander unsuspected among humans. It is a proverb on Temra to always be kind to strangers, for they might be Kaz in disguise - legends say he enjoys playing jokes and tricks on those who scorn him unawares, but that he will also reward those who are kind to him, not because he's a god but because they are generally kind people. He takes the form of a tallish goblin, often dressed in tight-fitting black garb and occasionally carrying a katana strapped to his back. He is good-natured, jolly, and enjoys a good drink, a good game, a good joke and a good chat. Many people don't even know that it's him to whom they're speaking when he visits, only realizing after his blessings or curses find them after he appears.
Kaz' worship is an informal affair, usually carried out at small shrines in fine eateries, mercenary camps, gambling halls, and other such places. There are very few specific temples to Kaz, and his priesthood is a small office, usually consisting of those who, upon other paths in life, found themselves falling more and more into his service. His Champions, the rarest of all Champions, are agents of change and harbingers of chaos, lifting up the poor and sending the mighty crashing down. They can be either a good or a poor omen, depending on how the balance of luck falls in your favor.
Setsu (LN)
The god of truth, justice, and the indisputable fact, Setsu is neither good nor evil because truth has no morality, it simply exists. The youngest of the gods, some legends say Setsu was the son of Harue and Zer, while others don't give his origin. WHat is known was that he was an investigator, a hunter of truth who exposed lies and criminals.
Setsu appears on a semi-frequent basis, though nowhere near as often as many of the other gods. Usually he appears at the site of momentous discoveries or legal agreements, often through the intervention of one of his champions. In artwork and in the mortal realm, he looks much like Zer, a tallish vampire with silver hair and bright purple eyes, though he dresses and carries himself much differently from his father. He often wears black clothing and seems to enjoy appearing in formal wear to fit whatever occasion he is personally attending. His personality is fair to the extreme; he rarely gets to or is expected to show mercy, and as the god of truth, he is incapable of lying.
Setsu's priests often serve in a legal capacity and his temples and churches are used for the signing of business deals and other legal proceedings in the hope of keeping both parties honest. To tell a lie or swear falsely in front of a statue or holy symbol of Setsu is utmost foolishness; to tell a lie to a cleric or champion of Setsu is downright impossible. Champions of Setsu are the ultimate truth-seekers and have many magics of investigation and seeking at their disposal to hunt down those who would present themselves falsely. They mete out punishment for those who would escape justice, and seek all truth, painful or joyous, with their entire beings.
Death (TN)
Death is simply Death. The people of Temra see him as a deity above and beyond deities, an immortal constant. Unlike the entire rest of the pantheon, Death was never human - instead, he was the one who chose the heroes, who set aside their souls to be the next gods after the First Gods, the Old Gods, passed from the world.
Death appears in the mortal realm more frequently than any other god except possibly Kaz; however, it is hard to know truly how often he appears, for most often, he appears to the dying. Not all who are dying see Death, but many do. He can often be spotted on battlefields and the sites of slaughters or tragedies. Depictions of Death in artwork show him as wearing a black, hooded shroud, his face a mystery. Everyone who has seen Death and lived to tell of it has seen a different face. Usually he appears as a person of the viewer's own race, often as a young male, though sometimes as an old man. All accounts agree that beneath the hood, he is blind, with milky white eyes which have no pupils, and barely a definition between iris and sclera. Those who have had the privilege to speak with him describe him as soft-spoken and surprisingly gentle, though also unwilling to budge on his stance. Those who are to die, will die - though occasionally, he will accept a substitution.
Death's priesthood are the most mysterious priests, and he takes no Champions. They wear black robes and often go hooded, and are in charge of last rites for the dying in most places. They are dedicated to fighting those who practice necromancy and who would defile the dead, and are capable of consecrating the dead in such a way as to send them beyond necromancy's reach.
Evil
Alenkis (CE)
Though not technically the leader of the Dark Ones, Alenkis considers himself one anyway, and it is certain that he is one of the most feared. He is the god of necromancy, blood, and torture, and legends hold that he is the Dark One responsible for the creation of Zer and the vampire race through him. In his first life, he was what passed for a mage among the magicless First People, and used his knowledge of the ancient secrets to maim and torture others.
Like most of the dark gods, Alenkis does not get to appear often on the mortal plane, as the Hero Gods keep them in check. Still, of all the dark gods, Alenkis is probably the one who appears the most frequently, risking the attention and the ire of the Heroes as though he were taunting them. He takes the form of a male of indeterminate, humanoid race, of average height, with dirty blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Though in general he should appear somewhat attractive, there is a sense and an aura of wrongness about him. Legends say that he is a smooth talker, a charismatic and intelligent individual whose outward appearance and demeanor are pleasant, but he is also depicted as a sadist of the worst caliber, who enjoys nothing mroe than the pain and torment, both mental and physical, of others.
The worship of Alenkis is illegal in every part of Temra, and many are afraid to even speak his name. His priests and chapels are constructed in dark hideaways concealed by passwords, and his priests delight in dark and carnal acts of violence in his torture-chamber shrines. Alenkis' dark champions, unlike many of the other Dark Ones' servants, are still human in body and mind, but their souls are black and they seek to spread pain and agony everywhere across the land. While none of the Hero Gods harbor any respect for Alenkis, none hate him more than his creation, Zer, and for a vampire to worship Alenkis is a crime punishable by death in most of their communities.
Helle (CE)
The goddess of deception and madness, in life, Helle was herself in many ways a madwoman. Her legacy is one of lies and legend has it that she is the one who kept Dariel imprisoned, before he escaped the clutches of the Dark Ones. Though she was not, like Alenkis, one of the First Era's strange magicians, she held a legacy of twisted corruption.
When appearing in the mortal realm and depicted in murals, Helle is either a human woman or a Skyborn with maimed wings. She can appear as a young woman or as a matron, with blonde hair, green eyes, and glasses. She appears, on the surface, to be innocent and kind, but her words are lies and poison. Jealously and envy are her favorite tools. According to her followers, she has a fondness for birds.
Worship of Helle is banned in most places in Temra, but her strange, chaotic nature and the subtleties of her evil have allowed her footholds elsewhere. Her rites and rituals are chaotic and never the same twice, reveling in youth and beauty in all the wrong ways. Her priests spread misinformation, lies, and deception, and her Champions are slow and steady poisons upon the land, spreading dissent, anger, and fear until the minds of people are eaten away. She has no love for Alenkis, who she finds inelegant; of the hero gods, she despises Dariel the most, because he escaped her clutches once before.
Xandrest (NE)
Xandrest is the chief deity of the Dark Ones, the leader of the evil gods and the most steadfast of them all. He's the god of ambition, of greed and lust for power, and the god of evil mages and corrupted magic. In his first life, he was the one who led the Dark Ones in their crusade against the Hero Gods, to enslave them and oppress the Changed Races. He, like Alenkis, was one of the First People's equivalent to sorcerers, and used his mastery of their powerful not-magics to rule his underlings with an iron fist.
He appears not as a general in the mortal world, but as a mage, dressed in finery and robes. He is often depicted holding a star, signifying his reach before Jasson and the others brought him down. He is a tall man with golden-blonde hair, blue eyes, and is often shown with an arrogant expression. He is said to be bluntly cruel, with an ambition that knows no bounds.
His priesthood are often what many people think of as the stereotypical villains, evil viziers, those who corrupt and enthrall those in positions of power. They are a secretive priesthood, but all who wish for power they feel they cannot obtain through natural or honest means are welcomed by Xandrest into the fold. Xandrest's champions are generals and warriors of great ambition. Where his priests have often given their lives in service to him for promise of power, his Champions embody that ambition. WHile Xandrest is the one you sell your soul to, his champions are the ones who broker the deals. Of all the Dark Ones, Jasson hates Xandrest the most.
Lemure (LE)
Lemure is the youngest of the Dark Ones, and the goddess of lust, revenge, and hatred. In life, she was a seducer, one who sought to emulate the first dark gods even as she proclaimed her hatred for them. She represented the anger of the CHanged Races for the humans who oppressed them, and in time, that anger corrupted and changed her.
In the mortal plane, Lemure is depicted as a beautiful female Nightborn with tattered, bat-like wings, though her other features vary based on the preference of those she appears to. She mostly appears to her followers in secret, and legends say she is a bitter, angry creature filled with thoughts of revenge, and hatred of the Hero Gods for consigning her to live eternity as a Dark One, despite the fact that they have nothing to do with what she sees as an eternal punishment. She has embraced her role as seducer, seeing her 'cause', that of revenge on the new world, as some new, sweet form of 'justice'.
Her priests and rituals incorporate lust and pleasures of the flesh, merging them with sacrifice to their dark goddess. Her Champions are often men and women of great beauty, whose souls have been eaten with revenge until they can no longer quite be considered human. They embody everything she aspires to - power over others and rampant destruction. She particularly reviles Setsu's objective truths.
Aight (NE)
Aight is the Dark God who represents corruption, and the perversion of nature and all things beautiful and good. He represents the twisting of beauty and unchecked, rampant growth, and of all the dark gods, he is most associated with the dark aspects of the Gate. In life, he used the ancient secrets to warp and change creatures, people, and lives to suit his whims, all in the name of growth and progress, of 'bettering' the world.
Aight appears in artwork as a young-looking human male with brown hair, wearing a white coat over black clothing. He almost never appears on the mortal plane, though a few of his followers admit to seeing him. The most horrible thing about Aight is his conviction that he himself is not, in fact, evil - he sees the changes he wishes to make in the world as a natural thing, the ultimate goal of nature's order. As illustration of this, he points to the animistic races, those who seamlessly blend human and animal, who thrive in Temra alongside humans. Surely this is what nature intended of all her children. He is an affable, interesting man to speak with, should he be summoned for conversation, by all accounts... and completely, utterly insane.
The priesthood of Aight is perhaps one of the most terrifying of the dark gods' priesthoods by sheer nature of who they are and what they do. Many use magic to alter their bodies in ways nature did not intend, becoming far less than people in the process. They actively seek to defy nature in order to achieve bodily perfection, and seek to impose this twisted view of order on the world. Aight's Champions are given the power to change their shapes, not as Shifters do, but into terrible monsters, by Aight's priesthood, losing all that made them human or whatever race they were in the process. Erest despises Aight more than any other, while Aight finds her views of nature's order naive and simplistic. Cloudrunner also holds a hatred for Aight, while Aight admires the other's sheer potential for destruction.
The Hunter (LE)
The Hunter is the most mysterious of the dark gods. A shadowy presence at the edge of fear and reason, he is the god of assassins, shadows, and murder. In life, he was an assassin himself, the Dark Ones' tool, pinnacle among his kind; he serves much the same function now.
The Hunter mostly appears as the leader of his Hunt, a hunt simialr to the legends of the Old Gods' Wild Hunt, which tore across the sky in search of evil souls. The master of a pack of damned Hounds, he is depicted in art almost always among them, twisted creatures with the bodies of men who crawl on all fours like ravening beasts and obey his every command. With a sword as his back and a black hood pulled down over eyes that glow yellow, very few have ever seen the Hunter's face, and it is never shown in art lest he take notice of the painter and the house the painting resides in. Even his dark followers dare not draw his attention too often. Still, legend has it that unlike most of the dark gods, he has a sense of honor about him. Lawful as to botht he letter and spirit of his word, he hunts for sport and respects those who manage to escape his clutches.
The Hunter's worshipers are mostly assassins and those who plan to hunt the most dangerous prey, including sentient creatures. He is the only Dark God whose worship is not banned in most of the world, as there are a few who worship his honorable aspects. He is a favored god for goblins, as they are drawn to his savage but loyal service. Animal (and, sometimes, human) sacrifice factors in many of his rituals. He and Cloudrunner are mortal enemies, but afford each other begrudging respect.