Rise (War Witch Book 1) (89 page)

Her Divine Mark is the Rabbit.

Kalis

The Owl Goddess of oaths, promises, and camaraderie.

Any oath taken in the name of Kalis is considered sacred and not to be broken least one wish to face both her wrath, and a hefty prison term. Breaking of an oath taken before Kalis is considered the gravest of crimes in most kingdoms. Indeed, she is a most somber goddess, and greatly revered, for she’s seen as equal in importance to Ramor. Without the oaths that bind even the Divine Wolf, what would honor even mean? Kalis is invoked by everyone from kings swearing in knights, to merchants brokering deals, to rogues getting someone into their confidence. The situation matters not to Kalis, only the vow. A given word may never be broken, for it would weaken the whole of creation by a small bit.

Kalis is most often depicted as an owl-headed woman in blue robes, carrying a scroll. Other depictions hold that she’s a woman with feathers for hair, seated before the great book into which she records all promises ever made.

Her symbol is the scroll, standing for things that are written and cannot be unwritten. Her priests, who are highly sought after, wear a sash of green with blue trim or tassels. More often than not, they wear a simple feather headdress, or have her symbol stitched into their robes. Some few younger members of the order have taken to braiding owl feathers into their hair.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Kalis is
Seal the Oath Bond
. This potent Gift binds people together in powerful ways for years. No matter how far apart they may drift, they can always sense one another’s whereabouts, and the general state they may be in, such as safety or danger, happiness or pain. Those under the auspices of this gift may not lie to or harm one another, nor can they abandon each other without feeling the pain of their fellow. Blessed often band together under this Gift as teams.

Her Divine Mark is the Owl Head.

Mahaat

The Jackal Goddess of the desert.

Twin sister of Ixin. Many see the desert as barren and lifeless, never looking deeper to see the awesome powers of life at work just beneath the surface. Mahaat oversees the places other Gods have neglected, the barren-looking wastelands, where life is harsh, but sweeter than any can ever know. Hence, she is the primary Goddess worshiped by the great kingdom of Isnar. Considered both cruel and kind, she’s called Mother by the Isnarians. While she can be harsh as the desert, she can also be very loving, a fact any who haven’t lived long in Isnar cannot understand.

Mahaat is most often depicted as a jackal-headed woman standing beneath the sun in pale yellow robes. Other depictions show her more as a were-jackal woman, wandering dark tombs. One depiction, found on the ceiling of the Royal Hall of Isnar, shows her as a woman of beauty with pitch-black hair seated at an oasis.

Her symbol is the scorpion, the hardiest form of life found in the desert, a creature that can both save and kill the travelers among the dunes. Her priests are a strange order many don’t understand, but easily recognize by their green sashes with yellow trim or tassels. More easily spotted is the symbol of their goddess, often worn as a tattoo, but also seen as adornments, or stitching in garments.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Mahaat is
Resurrect Life
. This powerful Gift grants the Blessed the ability to actually resurrect any living thing that has died or gone into a state of deep sleep, like hibernation or a coma. Plants, animals, and people can all be affected by the Gift, even vast tracks of land that have been laid waste by Demon Seed.

Her Divine Mark is the Jackal Head.

THE SEA GODS
watch over and protect the waters of the Middle World, from the vast expanses of ocean, to the rivers, streams, lakes and even the swamps. In the High World, they rule over the lands of Water and are forces of purity, cleansing, and rejuvenation.

The mark of the Sea Gods can always be found on the right forearm of those whom they Bless. It’s placed there to show what they feel is necessary if one is to survive: a strong arm and the cunning to know when to use it and how.

Magastra

The Shark God. The Lord of Waters, protector of sailors, and guardian of all he swims.

Magastra is a hard God, some say even a cold God. In truth, he is ruthlessly efficient, culling from his domain all that doesn’t belong, or has outlived its purpose. Restless and merciless, he rarely shows compassion for any, including those he does care for. There’s little room in his heart for such things. To many land dwellers, he’s a God to be feared, and for Magastra, that’s perfectly fine. It’s the sea dwellers he cares most for.

Few depictions exist of this frightful God, but of those that do, the most dominate shows him as a strange blending of shark and man, rising from a wave. Depictions such as this foster his image as a fearful deity.

Magastra's symbol is a large wave, naturally, symbolizing the ocean in turmoil. The few surface-bound priests who adhere to him wear a sash of blue to symbolize their attachment to the ocean. Like most other priests, they may also wear his symbol as some form of adornment.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Magastra is
The Great Bite
. With this awe-inspiring Gift, the Blessed can literally bite through anything, even mystically dislocating and expanding their jaw to enormous proportions if need be. No material is powerful enough to withstand this Gift.

His Divine Mark is the Shark Fin.

Syllia

The Dolphin Goddess of life. The mother of the human race.

Formerly the wife of Garrius, she left his side after the human race was born to be Magastra’s lover. Despite their differences and constant fights, the two love each other very much, even if Magastra has a hard time showing it. Though many don't understand why Syllia left Garrius in the first place, she’s like all other Sea Gods and something of a mystery to land dwellers. While she may’ve birthed the human race, she pays more attention now to the undersea dwellers who worship her husband.

Syllia's symbol is a jagged line, representing the ocean at peace. Many more surface-dwelling priests adhere to Syllia than Magastra, and these wear a blue sash with green trim or tassels. Few adorn themselves however, preferring to give back such trinkets to the ocean as gifts to their Goddess.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Syllia is
Eco-Locate
. With use of this Gift, the Blessed becomes aware of everything in her environment, sending out a form of telepathic sonar that returns a vivid map of the environment to their mind, allowing them to navigate places they’ve never been before.

Her Divine Mark is The Dolphin.

Dorrock

The Manta Ray God of wisdom and prophecy.

The eldest of the Sea Gods, Dorrock has swum the oceans since the dawn of time, watching and learning. It’s to him that even the Gods go when seeking wisdom. Dorrock has learned one lesson above all others, however, and that is wisdom cannot be given away for free, or it ceases to be wisdom. He’s fond of sending those who seek his council on quests, during which they most always discover for themselves the answers to their questions. Another lesson Dorrock believes in, wisdom earned is wisdom learned.

His symbol is a wedge, pointing down, representing both the growth of wisdom and the source of wisdom. His priests wear a blue sash with gold trim or tassels, as well as his symbol in the form of a pin on the sash itself.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Dorrock is
Mind Blank
. This strange gift makes the Blessed invisible to many of the Demon Gods’ most potent abilities. Charms, illusions, divinations, Demonic Powers and any other influence that affects the mind does not affect the Blessed of Dorrock. They are as stealthy as the Blessed of the Night Gods, and more dangerous by far in the minds of the Demon Seed.

His Divine Mark is the Manta Ray.

Tempess

The Octopus Goddess of the deep, the cleanser of the sea.

The assassin of the Gods, silent, ruthless, and utterly efficient, she is called upon to deal with those who offend the Gods. Though she’s a Sea Goddess, Tempess most often defers to Ramor as her chief, respecting him as a peer and fellow warrior, seeing herself in similar light. She’s the eradicator of evil, a purger of corruption from the depths of the sea. She takes her work very seriously and as such, is often feared by surface dwellers. To those beneath the waves, she is seen as a fierce protector.