<!>Post your goddess/god! (2019-04-05 01:19:24)
Post your goddess/god!
Anthologica Universe Atlas / Forums / Department of Creativity / Post your goddess/god! / <!>Post your goddess/god! (2019-04-05 01:19:24)

? twabs fair maiden
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, Conversational Speaker, [ˈaɪwə]
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Elmincár has a fair number of gods (about 21 at my last count), all of which are real. However, in keeping with the previous entries in this thread, I shall post about the two most unusual ones. This is also because most of the others do not have much in the way of interesting material, which is itself partially because several of them are occupied fighting Magán (spoilers: they lose), and many of the rest simply don't care about mortals.

Magán (from metathesis of namág, "to break"), also known as Émaorneth (literally "day of ruin", from émaor "day" + neth "ruin") or the Destruction is a god, but in most ways is more like a god's antithesis. Whereas all other gods create, and delight in creating, Magán destroys, and delights only in destruction. Magán does not simply burn fields, sack cities, and demolish the works of man: he destroys utterly what he touches. The legends say that he is terrible to behold, and describe the works of valor that other gods do against him, and then tend to stop there, sometimes going to great lengths to avoid describing him at all. But those descriptions that do exist are terrible, even sickening: his touch causes the world to crack, burn, wither, dissolve, dessicate, bleed into nothingness. Those who are destroyed by his hand are destroyed utterly; they do not dream the Long Dream.1 Magán corrupts the hearts of men, and thereby leads armies, but only for the purpose of fighting off those who have the power to destroy him, so that he can consume the world.

The Fairy Queen is a very strange god. Uniquely among the gods, she has no magic whatsoever, and did not take part in the creation of Elmincár. She possesses, also uniquely, insight. This is in some sense prophetic vision into the future, but it relies on knowing what events will take place. It is not a matter of fixed prophecy, but not a matter of pure deduction: knowing what she knows, she has the power to see what will happen. This means that no prophecy given is binding, but some prophecies are too difficult to see. She freely shares this gift with mortals, giving them advice and counsel as best she can, but only if they seek her out. Unlike other gods, which receive sacrifice, veneration, and prayer wherever one happens to be, and who may appear to travelers at their whim, the Fairy Queen does not receive any sacrifices or prayers—nor is there any ritual or incantation associated with her—and only may be spoken to by visiting one of her many shrines. But if visited, she will never turn away a mortal or god, and she will give the best advice as she can.

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1. Elmincár does not have an afterlife, per se. The true being of those who die (this is kind of a soul by another name; it's the magic that makes a body into a living being) passes into the sky, and dreams forever, for the last time. To be woken from this dream is possible.