Rise (War Witch Book 1) (87 page)

Ramor

The Wolf God of war, honor and protection of home and family.

The firstborn of Grannax and Isel. Defender of the High World and General of the Armies of the Gods. When the time for war comes, even Grannax defers to Ramor, for his battle prowess and honor are unquestioned even by the Demon Gods. More than just a soldier, Ramor is also the loving husband of Altimar and devoted father to many Gods himself, including Asdrid.

Most often depicted as a werewolf in silver armor holding a great sword. There are very few other images of Ramor, but one does exist, depicting him in a red robe with small children gathered about his feet.

Ramor's symbol is, naturally, the sword. While he very rarely has priests who adhere to his ways, those few who do wear either a white sash with red trim or tassel, or a plain red sash. Most prefer to wear his symbol as either a necklace or some other adornment. All carry the ceremonial dagger, though.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Ramor is
Sense Attack
. With this Divine Gift in play, the Blessed 'sees' his opponent’s next attack before it happens, allowing him to counter it and take advantage of any openings left. Many have claimed it has also warned them of ambushes in the past, making Blessed of Ramor greatly feared by Demon Seed.

His Divine Mark is the Wolf Paw.

Asdrid

The Fox Goddess, virgin guardian of the Gates of the High World and defender of women.

To gain admittance to the High World, one must first go through Asdrid, whose martial ability is surpassed only by Ramor. Women often pray to her and are highly favored by her as well, enough so that no one can honestly say they’ve ever met a man blessed by her. The daughter of Ramor and Altimar, Asdrid came into being shortly before the rise of the Demon Gods and the separation of the Worlds. Sensing that the Dark Ones would find a way to free themselves of their prison, she quickly moved to take her place as the Guardian of the Gates, forfeiting a life beyond that simple duty. The High Gods never forget the sacrifice Asdrid made, or that she alone protects the very entrance to the High World with her body, and her very life if the need should arise.

Most often depicted as a woman with a white fox head dressed in golden armor and holding the deadly War Maul, standing before a great gate. Other depictions show her as a half-woman, half-white fox, wearing golden robes.

Asdrid's symbol is the arched gate. Her priestesses often wear a white sash with gold trim or tassels to symbolize their dedication to a higher purpose than their own lives. More often, however, they wear her symbol as some form of adornment.

The Divine Gift bestowed on Blessed of Asdrid is
Open the Way
. With the Divine Gift of the Guardian of the Gates at their disposal, no Blessed has ever encountered a lock they cannot open. The Demon Seed may run from the Blessed of Asdrid, but they cannot escape them. More powerful Blessed have even been known to use this Gift to clear away cave-ins, walk through powerful Wall spells, and overcome the most powerful of mystic locks.

Her Divine Mark is the Fox Head.

Talsis

The Spider Goddess of law, order and justice.

It was this Goddess who first laid out the laws by which both the Middle World and the High World live. It was she who created the court system and it is she who is consulted by judges of all races.

Most often depicted as a spider with the face of a matronly woman sitting upon a web. Other depictions show her as a beautiful woman with six arms working the loom. There’s little in the way of explanation as to why two such differing depictions exist.

Her symbol is that of the spider, most often with the scales on the abdomen. Her priests and most judges wear a white sash with black trim or tassels to show their willingness to see the world in absolute terms. Judges wear the sash draped over their shoulders, while priests wear them around the waist. Some few wear her symbol as a necklace, but it’s considered vain by hard liners and frowned upon.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Talsis is
Sense Truth
. With this Gift, no lie may be told in the presence of a Blessed. They can hear it for what it is. More powerful Blessed even claim to be able to 'see' the truth amidst the lie.

Her Divine Mark is the Spider.

Raif Malon

The Squirrel God of humor, laughter, and trickery.

While his sense of humor may be annoying at times, Raif Malon serves a powerful purpose, in that laughter is something the Demon Gods cannot bestow upon people. He’s also well-known for his devious nature and underhanded tactics in dealing with the minions of evil. For this reason, he has gained a lot of respect, as many people feel he’s willing to do more than other Sky Gods to protect them.

Most often depicted as half-man, half-squirrel. Other depictions show him as a man with a squirrel’s head holding a flail.

His symbol is the flail, though no one is certain just how this came to be. While it’s common knowledge that Raif Malon doesn’t have much in the way of a priesthood, those few who do follow that path wear no adornment to distinguish themselves from the common man. To do so would be to fall in line with everyone else, and Raif Malon endorses individuality first.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Raif Malon is
Hideaway
. With the use of this bizarre Gift, a Blessed may put anything they wish into their pocket, leaving no bulges, as if the thing were pocket-sized to begin with. This Gift has been used many times to smuggle Blessed into Demon fortresses, the Blessed of Raif Malon turning an entire army out of his pockets once inside the walls.

His Divine Mark is the Squirrel Head.

Linnar

The Falcon God of knowledge and magic.

While Isel may have
created
magic, it was Linnar who refined it and first created the various Traditions of the Mage and laid out the laws they must live by. After the Mage Wars, Linnar stopped teaching new spells and has only recently begun once more since the Blessed have been created. In general, Linnar is well known to be greatly displeased with the Six Races and as such, he’s feared more than the other Sky Gods.

Most often depicted as a falcon-headed man in robes of deep blue holding a book of lore. Very few depictions otherwise exist, but in rare cases Linnar is shown surrounded by a mystic circle.

Linnar's symbol is the circle, due to its implications of completeness and perfection. His priests wear a white sash with deep blue trim or tassels. Many also wear a simple silver ring on their right index finger.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Linnar is
Know the Unknown
. With use of this Gift, the Blessed becomes a temporary expert in all things. By simply focusing on the problem at hand, the Blessed receives Divine insight into the matter, and for the next few hours, is considered a Master at whatever he has chosen.

His Divine Mark is the Falcon Head.

Rajan

The Dragon God of thunder, lightning, rain and storms.

While Rajan is a very fearful God and not one to be approached without caution, he can also be very generous and loving. His Blessed reflect his temperament, and his kindness. It is unknown just when Rajan came to be, or for that matter, if he is truly a child of Grannax and Isel at all. The Great Storm Dragon is very much a mystery to most people, capable of watering crops and sustaining life with as much impunity as he sends tornadoes and floods to destroy. One thing is known, and respected. Rajan hates the Demon Gods with a burning rage nearly as powerful as that of the Lady Isel herself. Alone among the Sky Gods, Rajan has called for their absolute and utter destruction since the beginning, and at last, others are beginning to listen.

Rajan is often depicted as a massive dragon of many colors, his great coils weaving in and out among each other, making his tail unseen and unknowable. This image has come from the very few who have ever laid eyes on the Storm Dragon, and claim it to be true, that the sound of thunder itself comes from the rasping of his coils upon one another as he constantly twists in rage at the presence of evil.

Rajan's symbol is the lightning bolt. His priests often wear a white sash with gray trim or tassels. It’s more common however to find these warrior priests wearing his symbol as a necklace or other form of adornment.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Rajan is
Chain Lightning
. With this gift, the Blessed of Rajan can reduce their Demon opponents to ash, calling forth the mighty power of lightning to course from their very fingers. Rain-swept battlefields are especially fun playgrounds for these Blessed as entire armies face the wrath of the chosen of the Storm Dragon.

His Divine Mark is the Dragon Claw.