Rise (War Witch Book 1) (91 page)

Garrius

The eagle-headed father of humanity and judge of the dead.

Once a Sky God, Garrius took on the judging of the souls of the dead, making him a Night God. It is he who examines the lives of the dead and decides if they are fit to stand before Zastra. The Judgment Hall is where he reigns supreme, and receives the souls of the dead. Many who come before him receive instant judgment, passing on to Zastra, for their lives left little in the way of debate. It is said that he holds a mystical scroll that will tell him the deeds of whoever stands before him, and it is from this that he reads when pronouncing judgment.

Garrius is most often depicted as an eagle-headed man seated upon a basalt throne, holding a great scroll. Other depictions show him as an eagle, sweeping down upon the unjust while showing the worthy the way to Paradise.

His symbol is the three-taloned eagle claw, representing truth, justice, and fairness. His priests wear a gray sash to represent his conflict between both the Sky and the Night pantheons to which he once belonged. They will often wear his symbol as a necklace.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Garrius is
Soul Rend
. Garrius grants his Blessed the powerful ability to deal Soul Damage to the Demon Seed, attacking them on a spiritual level, and damaging them from a distance. It can also be used to send dying friends painlessly on to Zastra, making it an extra Blessing.

His Divine Mark is The Eagle Head.

Mercinon

The Coyote God of sleep and dreams.

It was not until the coming of the Demon Gods that nightmares came to exist, and with them, a piece of Mercinon's once peaceful domain was forever corrupted. He has not forgotten, or forgiven this fact and is one of the most ardent voices in the call for the destruction of the Dark Ones. Mercurial and mysterious, he often speaks in riddles and nothing is ever what it seems where he is concerned. Often, even the other Gods find it difficult to understand Mercinon. The Demon Gods on the other hand, understand him quiet well, for with them he speaks only the language of revenge.

Mercinon is most often depicted as a coyote wearing multicolored robes, though other depictions show him as a man with a coyote’s head contemplating the stars. One other depiction shows him as a coyote with a paw resting in a pool that reflects all things there are.

His symbol is a hook-ended staff, meant to represent the power of dreams, though no one knows how or why. The few priests who find their calling with him wear a black sash with green trim or tassels. Some wear his symbol as adornment, but many more actually carry a hook-ended staff.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Mercinon is
Dream Form
. This awesome Gift transforms the Blessed into a fearful fighting force. Upon being Blessed, the Dream Form is constructed in the subconscious mind. When the Gift is called upon, the Blessed physically transforms into their Dream Form. Trolls, Giants, Dragons, and stranger things have been seen come from use of this Gift, all of which lay waste to the Demon Seed.

His Divine Mark is The Coyote Paw.

THE LESSER GODS
care after many things, things that the other Gods do not cover. While they may not have as many adherents, they are important never the less, and fill roles other Gods cannot.

The mark of the Lesser Gods can always be found on the back of the left hand of those whom they bless. Their reason for placing it there is unknown, and in keeping with the mystery of the Lesser Gods.

Agrid

The Cow Goddess of trade and commerce.

It was Agrid who first created money and taught the races how to use the market for selling and trading. At the time, it was meant as a way to get back for what you had put out, but since then, she has wondered if she may have helped create greed, lowering her status from Earth God to Lesser God. Regardless, the damage has been done, and Agrid attempts to control it to the best of her ability, laying out laws for fair trade and honest business dealings. Her father, Hepheron, would have it no other way.

She is most often depicted as a woman with the head of a cow, though other depictions show her as a woman riding a cow. There are rumors she was a mortal woman who was adopted by Hepheron, but these are only rumors.

Her symbol is the coin. Like many of the Lesser Gods, she has no priesthood, only merchants.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Agrid is
Know the Value
. This bizarre Divine Gift grants the Blessed the ability to know the actual value of anything they look upon, including people. While this may make little use in a battle, Blessed of Agrid have truly found their place among the markets, stopping the slow spread of Demon Corruption in the economy, and working as equipment managers for teams of Blessed.

Her Divine Mark is The Cow Head.

Velli

The Rat God. Messenger of the Gods.

It is Velli to whom the most important of messages are trusted, for he is swift and knows the ways of the Shadow Realms better than any. However, because he is also the patron God to thieves, he has lost his place as a Sky God. A sly and devious God, he is quick with his feet and even quicker with his wits. He became associated with rogues long ago, during the Second Age, when Borona, a rogue in the employ of Emperor Cynthanis, started keeping a pet rat. Since then, all rogues have attempted to live up to this great legend, and Velli has suffered the consequences.

He is most often depicted as a slender man in black with the head of a rat. Other depictions show him as a rat that walks as a man, sneaking in the darkness. One depiction that has survived since the Second Age shows him as a hooded figure, astride a great rat, carrying a satchel with the seal of the Golden Empire on it.

His symbol is the dagger, favored weapon of rogues and scoundrels everywhere. Velli has no priesthood, for he has the rogues.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Velli is
Incorporeal
. It actually provides the Blessed with the ability to become incorporeal, passing through whatever they wish. It only lasts for a moment however, unless they are still inside something, making it weak in battle, but immensely useful for getting into and out of places unseen.

His Divine Mark is The Rat Head.

Daphus

The deer-headed God of the hunt, men, and fertility.

Once an Earth God, Daphus fell in status after the coming of the Demon Gods and the invention of rape. As the forested places are cut down in favor of cities and traps are used to capture animals rather than hunting, he continues to sink more and more into the status of Lesser God. The hardest part about all of this is that Daphus is truly an honorable deity, seeking only goodness in all things. Regardless, he is still called upon by many farmers for good crops.

Daphus is most often depicted as a powerfully built man with the antlers of a deer. Other depictions include a deer-headed man holding a bow and arrow.

His symbol is the antlers. Like many of the Lesser Gods, he has no priesthood, though he once did. In their time, they wore green sashes with black trim or tassels, symbolic of their respect for the animals who died to feed the people.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Daphus is
Endless Trail
. This Divine Gift ensures no Demon Seed will ever escape. By using it, the Blessed may track their prey over any form of terrain, even water, regardless of weather or passage of time, making them truly formidable members of any Blessed team.

His Divine Mark is The Deer Head.

Rialda

Crow Goddess, grandmother of creation, the First God, patron of wealth, luck, and fortune.

While many think Rialda should be a Sky Goddess, it is her long absence from the World and its occupants that make her a Lesser God. The races are still getting used to her having returned and while they consider it fortunate, they remain uncertain as to where she has been. Rialda seems unlikely to speak much on the matter, focusing her considerable intellect and power on cleaning up the mess her unruly children have made.

Few depictions remain of Rialda, her long absence from the Gods having cost her many faithful adherents. Those that do exist however, show her as a crow-headed woman in black, or a raven-haired beauty wearing a cloak of crow feathers.

Her symbol is the wheel. She is the beginning and many feel, the end as well. She has few priests at this time, the order only now beginning to grow, but they are easily distinguished by the gold sash they wear, representing the good fortune their Goddess brings.

The Divine Gift bestowed upon Blessed of Rialda is
Blessing of Luck
. This Divine Gift makes her Blessed everyone's best friend. The Blessed becomes extraordinarily lucky. Their opponents trip and fall in battle, blocked passages are opened by accident, and any number of other events transpire that give them a strange, and fortunate, edge in the war with the Demon Gods.

Her Divine Mark is The Crow Head.