Rise (War Witch Book 1) (90 page)

Tempess' symbol is the arrow, representing her swift and direct manner in dealing with enemies. She barely has a priesthood among the surface-dwelling races, but the very few who do adhere to her wear a blue sash with red trim or tassels. Her symbol is almost never worn by any, though.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Tempess is
The Manifold Attack
. This deadly Gift grants the Blessed the ability to attack as if they had more than two arms. Those who have witnessed use of the Gift claim the Blessed moved with blinding speed, striking their foe in a blur of motion, overwhelming them in seconds. Blessed of Ramor and Tempess can often be found working together.

Her Divine Mark is The Octopus.

Aranix

The Whale God of purification and clean water.

Born after the arrival of the Demon Gods, Aranix purifies where they’ve been, making what was unclean, clean once more. Mighty, steadfast, stoic and persistent, he moves with a steady determination, letting nothing stop him from attaining his goals. He has sworn to never rest until the very last taint of Demon Corruption has been purged from the world. Though he’s a young God, he has quickly become the backbone of the High World, protecting it relentlessly and supporting the others with his unflagging might.

His symbol is the gourd, from which his purified water may be sipped. He has many priests among the surface dwellers, and they wear a blue sash with white trim or tassels. Very few wear his symbol as an adornment, though, seeing such as a waste of time in light of the rapid spread of corruption.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Aranix is
Purge Corruption
. Perhaps the single most powerful Divine Gift there is, this allows Blessed to do what they were created to do. By using this Gift, the Blessed literally removes Demon Corruption from the Middle World, eradicating it from people, places and things and destroying it.

His Divine Mark is The Whale.

THE NIGHT GODS
watch over and protect the Middle World by night, in the shadows and dark places, keeping them free of Corruption. In the High World, they rule over the lands of Night and Death and are forces of renewal, rebirth, death, and protective darkness.

The mark of the Night Gods can always be found on the palm of the left hand of those whom they Bless. This is done so that their agents may act in secrecy, as is the way of the Night Gods.

Terakus

The Crocodile Goddess of Death.

She is unchanging and unrelenting in her duties, clearing away the old and unfit to make way for the new. While many live in fear of her and the other Night Gods, there’s no need. Terakus isn’t unfeeling, merely efficient. She cares greatly for the comfort of those she tends to, and while an easy death isn’t always possible, she seeks to make their passage to the lands of the dead as far from frightful as she can. Needless to say, the corrupted she claims do not receive such kind treatment.

She is most commonly depicted as a woman with the head and scales of a crocodile, wearing a black robe. Some depictions show her as a green-haired woman with the scales of a crocodile, garbed in black, and standing in a long boat.

Her symbol is a crescent, standing for both the scythe and the crescent moon, both symbols of old age and passage into the twilight. Her priests wear a sash of black to symbolize these things as well, and almost always wear her symbol as an earring.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Terakus is
Soul Walk
. This Gift grants its wielder the uncanny ability to leave their body and become an incorporeal being. Though it’s a strange Gift from the Death Goddess, it makes for excellent spies among the Blessed.

Her Divine Mark is the Crocodile Tail.

Zastra

The Black Jaguar Goddess who rules over the afterlife.

After being judged by Garrius, souls of the dead are sent to Zastra, who makes the final determination as to where they go for eternity: Paradise, Forsaken, Ravage, or reincarnation. She stands guard over the doors of the three afterlife realms and it is she alone who keeps the balance between life and death, and holds separate the lands of the living and the realms of the dead.

Zastra is most often depicted as a woman with a black jaguar’s head, seated on an ebony throne, with three doors arrayed behind her. Other depictions show her as a beautiful were-jaguar woman clad in white, hands resting on two pillars, one white, the other black.

Her symbol is the triple pillar, two on the bottom and one atop them. It represents the three worlds she holds domain over. Her priests usually wear a black sash with red trim or tassels, and even more commonly, her symbol as some form of adornment, usually a pendant.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Zastra is
See the True Soul
. This potent Gift grants the Blessed the ability to see into a person’s soul. It reveals to them the true nature of the person they face, their past deeds, and any Corruption they may find there. It is especially potent for seeing past the illusions of such Demons as Succubi, Incubi and Doppelgangers, revealing these monsters for what they truly are.

Her Divine Mark is Leaping Jaguar.

Morobon

The Lion-headed berserker God. Father of Ogres.

The destroyer of evil, chief Lieutenant of Ramor, and slayer of Demon Seed. Morobon is the master of ruthless combat, the arts of fighting Ramor is too honorable to employ. His entire existence has been turned to nothing less than the absolute destruction of the Demon Gods and their minions. He is ruthless, unforgiving, and unstoppable. With his own, he is hard, but affectionate, knowing that true strength is tempered by love.

After the betrayal of Ker Zet, Morobon was adamant in his belief she and her brood would be a problem, a fact that came to pass quickly. In his foresight, he brought to life the Ogres, giving them the essence of badgers and wolverines, crafting them to be the ultimate weapon against the Demon Seed. A race born and bred for war against evil. They are, in every way, his children.

Morobon is most often depicted as a lion-headed man in gold armor, wielding a double headed battle-axe. Other depictions show him being more like a were-lion, but still in the golden armor and carrying the battle-axe. At least one depiction shows him seated on a throne carved from the bones of the Demon Seed he has slain.

His symbol is the double headed battle-axe, his favored weapon. Like Ramor, he rarely has priests, but those who do adhere to his strict codes often wear a black sash with orange trim or tassels. It is more common for them to wear his symbol carved into their armor or the handle of their weapons.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Morobon is
Rage
. When this gift is used, the Blessed becomes a nigh unstoppable killing machine. Filled with Divine Rage, they know no pain, become stronger, and seem impervious to any form of mystical attack. The powers of the Demon Seed fail to affect a Blessed in Rage, making Morobon's more feared on the battlefield than even Ramor's own.

His Divine Mark is The Lion Head.

Neglis

The Bat Goddess of night, shadows, and protection over those in these places.

While she may seem fearsome to many, she is a silent Goddess, moving through her realm with only a whisper, looking over those who may be trapped or alone in the night and dark, keeping them safe from the Demon Seed until Grannax once again lays his eyes upon them. A very misunderstood and mysterious Goddess, Neglis receives little trust from most people, who do not understand her place in things. The coming of the Demon Seed have caused them to forget the cool comfort of the night, and the safety and sanctuary it once held.

Neglis is most often depicted as a hag with leathery bat wings hanging from under her arms. Rare depictions show her as a woman of stunning beauty with graceful wings stretching from her arms to her body as she reaches for the full moon above her.

Her symbol resembles a triangle with no bottom, and represents both the veil of night and Neglis reaching upward, her wings swept down. Her priests, those few who actually adhere to her, wear a black sash with silver trim or tassels, representing that without the night, Isel could not be seen in the sky. Most wear her symbol as some form of adornment.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Neglis is
Cast the Shadows
. With this terrifying Gift, the Blessed takes back the night from the Demon Seed. Invoking this Gift grants the Blessed the ability to manipulate, control, and even create shadows, giving them solid forms and making them unstoppable fighting forces.

Her Divine Mark is The Bat.