Maldei

Maldei is the god of deceit, lies, subterfuge and manipulation. He is the forbidden progeny of Kaar, God of Chaos, and Ellene, the Goddess of Knowledge, and was the first of all Shifters. Worshipped, often in secret, by diplomats, businessmen, royalty and common thieves, his power grows in times of discontent, and quietly simmers away in the many underground societies of the Known World.

Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Official symbols: Three-headed magpie
Other symbolism: Magpies, blackbell flowers, black sand, masks, the colour silver
Usual gender presentation, pronouns: Gender shifts frequently; he, occasionally she/they
Plane: Ellene's Labyrinth
Power level: Lesser deity
Portfolio: Trickery, deceit, lies, subterfuge, coercion, blackmail, opening and closing of paths, desperate deals, poison
Domains: Trickery, poison
Relations to other deities: Ellene (mother), Kaar (father)
Generally considered important or revered in teachings: Seizing opportunity wherever it strikes, dominance, mastering one's own power, control of the ego, control of the highest self, self-love, embracing the opportunities and wealth chaos offers, intelligence and logic in difficult situations
Generally considered wrong in teachings: Empathy to excess, allowing others to control one's power, letting opportunities pass one by

History

Maldei was born after Ellene was seduced by the curiosity she had in Kaar. It is said that Ellene left the safety of her library to find Kaar at the beginning of all creation. There, she obtained a gift from him; a Temmorat- a rare creature that creates "wormholes" in time and space. She became enamored with Kaar one way or another; some schollars despite that Kaar seduced Ellene using his powers of universe-altering chaos, others argue that Ellene was in love with Kaar as soon as she heard his name.

Legend has it that Ellene lost track of time while she was with Kaar at the beginning of creation, and while it seemed like only a day to her, she returned hundreds of years after she had left. Ellene's notoriously jealous creation and lover, Hirus, the god of magic, quickly discovered Ellene's betrayal when she returned home, as Kaar's shimmering spines were left tangled in her hair. Hirus took the spines to the material plane, where he threw them into a volcano in a fit of rage. This is said to be the reason that Kaarspar is found in volcanic rock.

When Maldei was born, Hirus initially demanded that Ellene destroy the child. Not one to be ordered around by her own creation, she imprisoned Hirus for one hundred years for questioning her. When Maldei was an adolescent, she took him to her labyrinth, knowing his presence would anger her husband on his return. Maldei didn't want to leave, but obeyed, and made the great maze of discovery his own. He persuaded the labyrinth's inhabitants to follow his commands, and slowly, the plane became Maldei's more than it was Ellene's. Ellene's love for her son, and Maldei's cautious respect of his mother prevented total disaster. Maldei is also adept and deceiving, waylaying and and tricking those who enter the labyrinth, and for all these factors, Ellene has allowed the uneasy seizure of her secondary realm to continue.

Forms and Depictions

Maldei's true physical form is said to be that of a shifter- a magpie-coloured humanoid, able to transform into others at will. He is known to sometimes traverse the world as a magpie, and less commonly, a cat.

Worship

Although not as generally powerful and revered as his father or the greater deities, interest in Maldei's gifts pick up significantly during times of discontent. Kaar often commands powerful cults, and is known to form deals and alliances and warlock pacts with powerful material beings, if they can draw his interest.

The Mask of Maldei

The Mask of Maldei is a small doomsday cult that has long-standing roots in Sedia. The cult believes that Maldei's birth was an important, cosmic event, and that he is not a god of trickery, but a god of cosmic change, planned and orchestrated by Kaar. They believe that by sewing chaos, deceit and lies, they can bring forth this change, and bring about the second Ruination; an event they deem necessary to further the world. The cult believes that that the hold certain gods have had since the first Ruination, especially Irasil and Aenar, is causing the world's stagnation, and that the second Ruination would bring the balance required.

Shifters

Since the First Age, Maldei has been closely tied to shifters. It is said that Maldei was the first shifter, and that all shifters are direct decedents from his lineage. This fact is debated, and has very little solid evidence. However, it is true that Maldei's physical form does seem to be that of a shifter, and that he does have a soft spot for and favour shifters who follow his teachings.

Magpies and Call-Larks

Magpies and call-larks have long been associated with Maldei due to their intelligent behaviour and devious nature. Magpies are often thought to be spies for Maldei, feeding him with opportunities and treasures from the mortal realm. Call-larks on the other hand, are said to be deal-makers and tricksters, mimicking folks to lead them to their demise, or their destinies.