Macken, the jungle lord

Name:

Macken, the jungle lord

Domains:

Jungle, Growth, Imperialism

Alignment:

Low

Story:

Macken is the hardest to understand of the Low Gods in the great design, for what he consumes is not always reclaimed by the High Gods or the collective. Some scholars propose that they might not be a god at all, but instead proof that demons are real. Others propose that he may instead be some kind of defense for interplanetary war, an event only whispered about in the oldest documents of antiquity.

Macken focuses on ecosystem growth much as Abora does, but instead of supporting community and diversity, he focuses on only a single terrain: the Jungle of Macken. Where he and his followers reign supreme, the original terrain is burnt away, and dark rainforest reigns. Vines soak up the new humidity while new animals replace the original survivors.

The other gods keep a strict watch out for Macken's disciples, as it only takes a handful to bring on the Jungle and once it roots, it can take decades to remove. The subcontinent of Ghoula and its sister islands have been completely subsumed by the Jungle, and its native settlements of Elves and Ratmen have long abandoned the worship of the other gods.

You might think this would satisfy Macken, but it only drives him forward. His disciples see this as a holy crusade to turn the entire world into a single climate, a single habitat, and a single people. So they continuously take to the boats, seeking to infiltrate the rest of the Iatrus collective and plant the seeds of Macken's ascendency.

Glyph:

The Glyph of Macken is rarely referenced outside of the rare military action by his followers. It is three wavy lines representing growth, bisected by two lines representing a road onto the horizon.

Appearance:

Macken rarely appears as a sentient, although some champions tell stories of a green man made of jungle vines. Far more likely is his wide-mouthed, crocodile-like form that appears where his followers succeed in a great seeding, coasting a wave of vines like a predator breaking for the surface.

Theology:

Macken doesn't provide much guidance to his followers beyond the demand to expand his domain and to learn the lessons of the Jungle. This means the task of translating the general goal of living in harmony with the jungle falls to his priesthood, who gather in great temple-clans called crusades. In recent history there seems to have been a uniting of crusades into less than a half-dozen greater crusades. The biggest are the ratfolk-focused Jungle Sun crusade and the Dragonkin-focused Scaleshine crusade. The two crusades disagree bitterly about which sentient type is truly favored by Macken. It is hoped this may lead to an inter-crusade war that would buy a moment of peace for those who hunt their 'missionaries' across Dia.

Patronage:

To be a champion of Macken is to be blessed with the admiration of the community and tasked to spread his seed wherever you go. Not all champions serve directly as missionaries; some serve in more general or flexible roles, building up a good reputation to be spent in some likely betrayal in the future. His champions often feature the ability to summon elements of their jungle home

Retirement:

It's not really known if Macken's champions retire, but rumors say that those who serve well may be converted to jungle elementals, to literally live the rest of their lives as part of Macken's domain.

Favors:

Macken doesn't track favors like some gods, but his temple mints the coins of the realm (called Mets, or Metals) and has no problem paying real cash for services rendered.

Anti-thesis:

Macken considers Abora his chief opponent, but he wouldn't hesitate to work against Death, either, who often thwarts his effort at rampant life. Most of the High Gods will also oppose Macken's attempts to expand however, since their own domains often weaken where Macken's feet tread.