The Allfather

  (The contents of this page are NOT common knowledge)  

"Damn these paltry rules brother. Being within this place with you causes my head to hurt. A great hunt is to begin soon, and I for one don't wish to be the prey in this situation. To the ready I'd say."

— The Allfather, First Meeting of the Mortal Gods

 

Preamble

All Father is the god of Hunt and War, who focuses on the glory of a good fight and enjoys the thrill of violence and bloodshed. He very rarely interferes with combat directly. He is eager to watch skillful fighters fight in the area or battlefield. Beyond the facets that he represents himself as, he is first and foremost a revealer. He treats all combat as if it was a sport, a test of the participant’s skill, equipment and leadership. It is no surprise then to see that those who praise All Father are also the ones training their entire lives to excel on the battlefield. Conflict is a natural extension of one’s projection of power, and the use of it to do so intrigues the God of War and Hunt immensely.   Trickery and skullduggery are just the background information that act as the context to any fight. More often than not they add an extra layer of challenge or display of skill to one side. Thus, the use of false information or traps isn’t frowned upon by the All Father, it actually tests the constitution of his warriors even more. In the same vein, praising All Father is often more of a risk than a benefit. To his greatest warriors he will give boons in the form of more combat, more violence, and more challenging foes. There is no need for rest, for the eternal hunt will go on no matter the condition of its hunter or hunted. The only thing that matters is that the skills of the participants matched against each other.

Sphere Of Influence

Influence

Those who are favored by The Allfather are those who show skill, ferocity, and/or stalwartness in conflict. He revels in all facets of war and conflict, from the creation of better arms and armor, to one on one fights, then to large scale battles and finally to those who lead them. The same goes to hunts, the enjoyment he gets from the internal and external battles between the hunter and hunted is seen from the amount of hunting he commands his followers to do during times of peace and smaller conflicts.

Dominion

The All Father, while his followers may revere him, rarely gives them advantages in or out of combat. He desires to see them thrive in combat with their own power, and would find giving them assistance in meager battles as an insult to both the warrior’s strength and intelligence. If a follower were to run from a battle they could not win they would not be punished either, since blindlessly killing oneself in a useless battle is boring to All Father.   Often the All Father uses his powers in order to help turn the tides within his own wars and battles, the ones he sends his followers to fight for him on the Material Plane. He may give a boon to his followers in order to help them overcome the trickery of his enemies. If they are upon a difficult hunt and the All Father is feeling generous, he may give them signs for how to track it or defeat it. For those who he favors he watches over them and sends them signs to fight or not to, whether it be giving a small boost of energy or a guiding wind for the individual.

Artifacts

Feather of Cahiltzur - While not rare per say, clans of Javali ask for tasks to complete from Cahiltzur in order to earn one of his treasured feathers. Each feather resembles that of a Hentra, but depending on the task they complete it earns a different sheen within the light. These feathers are then sewn into a large cloak made of the strongest leather the clan can find, starting from the top of the cloak. A clan is able to show off their power and prowess solely from their cloak being worn by their Chieftain during any official diplomatic situation. Cahiltzur has been known to occasionally grant boons to those whom worship him in battle, however these are very rarely permanent. Rather than give his followers the answer to all solutions, he prides himself upon watching the grit which they must preserve through within battle. Nonetheless, the most widespread of his artifacts come within the feathers which adorn his armor. Colorful Hentra feathers, once blessed by him are said to lead whomever is granted such to a battle which they could reasonably overcome. It is said that by completing even the most harsh of challenges given by these feathers is the first step to becoming one of his Champions.   The Golden Bands of Xerxes - Each of the four bands is connected to one of Xerxes I’s long dead champions, with the fourth being connected to the late Xerxes II. Once an individual slips one onto their wrist, it burrows into their skin and becomes unremovable. Having one in your skin seems to be the start of the great trials, a set of challenges that a Rehk-Ur must overcome to be blessed by Xerxes I. Great foes will pursue those who have a band in their skin until the band bearer dies or puts on all four bands.   The Brazier of Anomalous - One of Anomalous' most powerful artifacts on the material plane. Housed in the holy city of Armus, in the grand cathedral of the brother church, the solid palladium brazier burns eternal. Though the flame is intensely bright and hot, it will not burn the truly faithful, and any arch-theogonist must pass through the fire in order to become a Sibling Superior. This brazier was created and "given" to the church when Anomalous and Sequestus returned to shake it up from its corrupt state, some six hundred ages ago. Many an unfaithful person was tested and failed before the Brother Church was reformed.

Mortal Facets

Anomalous

His first facet, he was viewed as a God of War and Hunt to humans and often prayed to in efforts to secure success in times of chaos. He represents change, often chaotic, bloody change brought on by violence which permeates human nature. Anomalous is one half of the pair of deities which claim humanity as their own, Sequestus, the human deity of order and his brother being the other.
Artwork by Dopey
Domain(s): Chaos
Symbols: Fire, Hunting tools/animals, waves.
Followers: Humanity, primarily hunters, sailors, gamblers, and travelers.
Other Names: The Old Hunter, Jean de Feu, Jeremus Quickhands, Kiriltugh

Influence

Anomalous has influence over most chaotic things, notably hunts, games of chance, the weather and the sea.

Powers

Anomalous, being one of the chief deities of humanity, has a great deal of power, and is, typically speaking, fairly willing to share such a thing with his followers. He knows the Truths of many things, most related to his domain and those things he has influence over.

Xerxes I

His second facet. Before the time of widespread written history, he came down in Rehk-Ur form. He united the continent, and gave the Rehk all they have today- all so they could fight and kill each other for the next few centuries. The Rehk-Ur worship Xerxes I as the savior of Rehkara, and the epitome of the glorious warrior. Conquest and righteous campaigning in the name of Xerxes I make him stronger, and increase the chances of one being blessed to unite the Rehk-Urs.

Cahiltzur

One of the newest facets of All Father, this facet appears as its followers- a bright green Javali with yellow frills and a pale belly and neck. He represents ruthless efficiency and grand slaughter; The results of these events are sacrificed to Cahiltzur, making him stronger the more those beastmen slaughter in his name.
Artwork by DaveAllsop
Domain(s): Spirits, War
Symbols: Colorful Feathers, Racks of Spears, Shining Scales
Followers: Javali, War Generals, Soldiers
Other Names: The Unbreaking Conflict, The Tribal Fight

Influence

Cahiltzur has influence over the wars which spread across the entirity of Gaia, often his cries and drums can be heard over the honorable battles of the Olden and New World alike.

Powers

Cahiltzur has an intensive and divine amount of strength, able to do what most other diefic beings are capable of in terms of tests involving sheer hand to hand combat. However, what he makes up for in strength and durability, he lacks in magical prowess. Cahiltzur harbors a distate for avid Truthseekers whom allow their bodies to go to waste- often considering people such as Glubokiy and Ciallmhar cowardly. However, it is often a rumor amongst the Deep Dwarves that the real reasoning for Cahiltzur's distate is due to Glubokiy tricking Cahiltzur in battle via arcane magics, causing the Wartorn scaled fellow to lose. This rumor is denied by Cahiltzur, and Gnomes who spread this rumor are considered blasphemous to Javali.

The Spirits of War

The building blocks for these Spirits to prove their worth to their facet of All Father is to catch his attention with the strongest possible beasts they could find. They will then sacrifice the best parts of the beast to him in efforts to connect with him and receive a sign. This may be the part disintegrating immediately and leaving behind a more meaningful memento or a whisper in one's ear, depending on the amount and worth of the part being sacrificed. The group will continue to give more and more sacrifices to solidify their connection. Once the initial connection of the group to All Father is made, he will continue to watch the warriors and see who has proven worthy of his blessings.   In many of his Facets’ cultures, there are few warriors that are chosen to help maintain this link between All Father and themselves. They spend most of their lives ensuring the proper rituals, and in return they are thought of highly within their cultures. Without the favor of All Father, some of their most decisive battles and wars may have been lost. These individuals are blessed with a weapon, one that is used to directly commune and notify All Father himself.

History

Anomalous

For most humans of Gaia, Anomalous is said to have had a major hand in creating the world known today. The Armusian Church even states that Anomalous had a hand in bringing all life onto Gaia itself. What can be historically verified, however, is that Anomalous and his brother, Sequestus, emerged into the Old World at the same time as human written history began. Anomalous has been recorded as helping the humans generate civilizations and spreading miracles and wisdom of the hunt to all the humans who they came across.   Out of all the human civilizations, only few celebrate and worship Anomalous exclusively. The Giantblooded are one such subrace that worship only Anomalous, believing that he sent them down to their islands in order to, through combat, find the best humans possible. Giantblood in particular believes that Anomalous put them on Earth so that eventually all the other Giantblooded tribes will be conquered by a singular tribe, and this tribe will then go on to conquer the rest of humanity, and then the rest of the world. Some Carribards on the other hand may call to Anomalous for safe travel upon the seas, in hopes that the weather does not turn sour as they take their voyages.   Other humans that are less likely to delve into conflict and bloodshed tend to willingly tone down the true violent nature of Anomalous, softening him to just an agent of change and progress. Those followers, mainly Armusians, are called Anoms. Many towns even have their own stories of the time when one of the brothers visited. At this point in time, the brothers live in an idyllic, magical village at the top of Deus Mons, the tallest mountain in the world.   To Their Followers:
Anomalous is said to have had a major hand in creating the world known today, having created all life on the planet, or at least so the Armusian church believes. What can be historically verified, however, is that Anomalous and his brother, Sequestus, emerged into the Old World at the same time as human written history began, helping the humans generate civilizations and spreading miracles and wisdom to all the humans who they came across. Basically every civilization has an origin story related to one or both of the brother deities, and many towns even have their own stories of the time when one of the brothers visited. At this point in time, the brothers live in an idyllic, magical village at the top of Deus Mons, the tallest mountain in the world.

Xerxes I

Rehkara, over the course of a mere decade, was completely united by a native born Rhek-Ur. This Rehk-Ur displayed an innate mastery of one on one combat, leadership and advanced tactics that wouldn’t be widely adopted elsewhere for a long while. What the Rehks initially thought was simply a genius ahead of their time was actually a scheming god in Rehk flesh. Xerxes the Cunning, as he would initially be known as, would establish himself as a God-King. He was to be Rehk-Ur will incarnate, he was to elevate the Rehk-Ur people to a higher state of living. In the end, he left as quickly as he came, yet changed so much about the Rehkaran physique that the facet is known and worshiped by most Rehk-Ur.   The tenets of Xerxes the Divine/Xerxes I were never clear. Venerate the glorious past, fight for a glorious future. The cult of Xerxes I would be made to fulfill this duty. Its members number in the millions, and their rituals, both public and private knowledge ones, would be practiced constantly. Beyond ritual, the Rehk-Ur continue to fight for a glorious future, which, in recent years, has meant fighting massive, bloody civil wars. Millions died, but through their glorification of the past and the interference of the Allfather, the Rehkaran people have continued to believe that a way forward exists that is accomplished by more fighting.   His gifts to the Rehkaran people are few, but the people understand. In their minds, eventually one warrior who fights hard and masterfully enough for a glorious future will be chosen to give that glorious future to the rest of Rehk kind. The gifts he does give out are often enhancements to one’s being, never a weapon or set of armor. Nothing direct, because the fight for a Rehkaran future is done with grit and prowess, not deific items sent down from the heavens. The trials in which Rehks have to endure are often vague or suicidal in nature, which have the chance to end in the Rehk being blessed to go forth and unite their people.   Since Xerxes II ascension to the Rehkaran throne hundreds of ages ago, no Rehk has been truly blessed enough to unite the realm. Perhaps one day this will change- but for now, the hunt and art of combat has remained strong in the cults of Xerxes I and II, and among the entirety of the Rehk population.

Cahiltzur

Cahiltzur is one of the few deific creatures that the Javali people worship, with it being the god of war and hunt. It often takes the form of those who most worship it, thus by almost all accounts being to be a cyan Lizardfolk with bright Hentra feathers adorning him, like a feathered dinosaur. He cares for nothing other than his tribute, no title other than godhood, and certainly has no master. An encounter with him can quickly devolve into that of a brutal deathmatch if one offends his might and absolute divinity.   When Anoma was seemingly no longer touched by the hands of man, and when the Javali were still in their cultural infancy, they knew not of such power before. They were nothing but hunters in a vast jungle, not offering sacrifice nor anything to Cahiltzur. Though quickly they realized the error of their ways, for Cahiltzur was a bloodthirsty god. He came down upon those who trespassed on his land, he slaughtered all those who challenged them and gave them an ultimatum. Worship, or extermination. The choice, if there was any at all, was clear. Quickly the Javali race began to offer the best cuts of the hunt to Cahiltzur, and when conflicts were fought and prisoners were taken, they too were offered to him, their hearts and blood spilt across sprawling temples dedicated to his name.   Though as time went on, these tenets of Cahiltzur were slowly transformed, with honour being intertwined with war, with courage and bravery incorporated into Cahiltzur’s perceived mandated slaughter. The great feathered god did not want the blood of those who could not fight, rejecting all offerings made of feeble beings, of chickens and children, of cattle and lambs. The god wanted the blood of warriors, the strongest creatures the Javali could find. And so it was. Instead of hatchlings, they took the surviving warriors of battle and offered them to the power-hungry god, the blood fed to him making him stronger, giving him more appetite than before.   Though ruthless, he did give the Javali gifts. He taught them the ways of toolmaking, of using stronger stones, harder shafts of wood to create more efficient killing tools. He gave the Javali thicker scales to fight longer and to gain more strength before their inevitable fall, before their consumption by him.   Today, the Javali continue their worship as they had for hundreds of years before, erecting temples and statues. They douse his statues in the blood of the strong to give more to the god that has bestowed upon them the boons of conflict. Wars are waged, blood is spilt, and Cahiltzur grows ever stronger.   To Their Followers:
Cahiltzur is one of the most common gods the Javali people worship, with it being the god of war, and power. It often takes the form of those who most worship it, thus by almost all accounts being to be a Lizardfolk with bright feathers adorning it, like a feathered dinosaur. He cares for nothing other than his tribute, no title other than godhood, and certainly no master. An encounter with him can quickly devolve into that of a brutal deathmatch if one offends his might and absolute divinity. When the new world was still untouched by the hands of man, and when the Javali were still in their cultural infancy, they knew not of such power before. They were nothing but hunters in a vast jungle, not offering sacrifice, not offering anything to Cahiltzur. Though quickly they realized the error of their ways, for Cahiltzur was a vengeful god. He came down upon those who trespassed on his land, he slaughtered all those who challenged them and gave them ultimatum. Worship, or extermination. The choice, if there was any at all, was clear. Quickly the Javali race began to offer the best cuts of the hunt to Cahiltzur, and when conflicts were fought and prisoners were taken, they too were offered to him, their hearts and blood spilt across sprawling temples dedicated to his name.   Though as time went on, the tenets of Cahiltzur were slowly transformed, with honour being intertwined with war, with courage and bravery incorporated into Cahiltzur’s mandated slaughter. For the great feathered god did not want the blood of those who could not fight, he rejected all offerings made of feeble beings, of chickens and children, of cattle and lambs. The god wanted the blood of warriors, the strongest creatures the Javali could find. And so it was. Instead of the women and children, they took the surviving warriors of battle and offered them to the power-hungry god, the blood fed to him making him stronger, giving him more appetite than before. Though he did give the Javali gifts. He taught them the ways of toolmaking, of using stronger stones, harder shafts of wood to create more efficient killing tools. He gave the Javali thicker scales to fight longer and to gain more strength before their inevitable fall, before their consumption by him.   Today, the Javali continue their worship as they had for thousands of years before, erecting temples, statues, dousing them in the blood of the strong to give more to the god that has bestowed upon them the boons of conflict. Wars are waged, blood is spilt, and Cahiltzur grows ever stronger, ever more hungry, hungry for more war.