Mircalla

Mircalla’s presence fills the dark corners and recesses of the pantheon like the shadows and machinations she weaves. At first glance a vampiric goddess (some would rumor the progenitor of their line) would seem out of place in a pantheon formed to protect the mortal races, but that would prove to be short sighted. After all, Mircalla counts a number of mortals, semi-mortals, and post-mortals as devouts. And if a sizable portion of that last category regularly feeds figuratively and/or literally on the devouts of the other deities, more’s the pity. Sometimes you need the wolves to guard the flock from the other things that go bump in the night, and her ladyship Mircalla would feel just awful if something happened to the poor, defenseless, plump sheep. Never mind that the wolves aren’t always wolves, and take a cut of the sheep as payment. You wouldn’t want ALL the sheep to die needlessly, would you? It's best to let the Dark Mother collect her tithe, and be thankful that you were spared… this time.   Patronage: Parents tell their children scary stories of the Shadow Weaver spying on naughty brats from the shadows, and whisking them away in the dead of night, to scare them into behaving. When the parents retire to their bed for the night, however, it's they who burn a candle to keep the shadows at bay because they appreciate there’s more truth than fable to the tale. Odin might belong in the shadows, but Mircalla owns them. Her devouts move confidently through them, and the shadows know their own. The small minded are quick to accuse every cutthroat and ne’er-do-well of being her devout, but the truth is often a complex, gothically beautiful thing. Desperate troubled souls, the outcasts of society looking for belonging, and those who have always been darkly fascinated by the strange and unusual all number amongst her flock. Perhaps stranger still are those dark stalkers who have adapted the shadows to strike at the heart of the corrupt and criminal that have up-armored themselves with the law. And yes, there are those folks of questionable reputation who do seek shelter under her protection which she gladly offers, for a price. If they are lucky and she takes a likening to a particular devout, the price will even be the obvious one. Finally Mircalla, like Wrathorn, counts many unnatural beings such as vampires (she is of course their Dark Mother) amongst her devouts, but some notable exceptions such as dhampir may curse her for their affliction, and fewer still will actively devout themselves to opposing her as a form of severe penance and/or self loathing.   Worship: Some would suggest the most common forms of showing devotion to Mircalla were ghoulish, even evil. The ritual letting of blood at an altar dedicated to one of her lieutenants, or the leaving of the freshly departed at a shrine just off the beaten path seem grave (heh), but ask yourself this; does she truly asks anything more of her devouts than the other divines? The poor often can not afford the tithe of Bahamut or the dedication of Shiva-Nys, but they always have blood, sweat, and tears to offer land and landlord alike. Mircalla simply asks for her share of the first, and lets the long suffering devouts keep their fill of the rest. Her high devouts are quick and sure with the kiss of their daggers, and not a drop more of blood is ever taken than offered. And if occasionally a devout offers more than they can afford to live without, well… there are always some more faithful than others in any flock. Mircalla is far from a cruel mistress, and will accept such offerings with the gravity they warrant. She will wipe their mortal concerns from their brow, and accept such an exemplar of devotion into her court as a favored child. What exactly that entails is something left for the imaginations of those who drove the poor soul to such desperate measures in the first place as they nervously attempt to sleep, fearful of the recently deceased calling on them once more.