Monday, January 06, 2014

Gods of Aihrde



Heth: The Crow God
Order:  Val-Eahrakun
Province: Air, Afterlife
Plane: Aihrde
Temple: None
Alignment: Neutral
Sacrifices: Casting seed to the four cardinal directions, meditation
Holy Days: Prayers at Sunset
Superstitions: Noose
Preferred Weapons: Bows
Missionary: None

Before the forests of the Ethvold grew in the Valley of Kayomar, Amenut settled in those lands. He lived in a southern river, a servant of Tefnut. It was here that Heth found him. A creature of careful thought Heth came to Amenut without form. He settled upon a rock and watched Amenut. And the Frog God rose and spoke to him and they struck up a friendship and were ever after, companions. So it was that Heth, a servant of Toth, came to dwell in Aihrde. In later ages he took up the duty of guiding the dead upon the Arc of Time, of judging them, or passing them on to his master. But he always loved the Ethvold and in time took the guise of a great crow, and so he dwelt ever after.

He was worshiped as a powerful god of the underworld by the Ethrum. Men worshiped him, far and wide and almost everyone made sacrifice to the cardinal directions before any task. They called on his aid in judgment. His great temple they built in what is now the Oak Stand in the Downs. He ruled from there. Heth herded the souls of men and brought them to the nether planes or the stone fields as he deemed they deserved. Men called upon him whenever they went into battle, traveled dangerous roads, or did anything that might cost them their lives. His followers were many and they followed an intricate system of rites in his worship that involved long periods of mediation.

In time, as the Ethvold failed, so did Heth. So that now he dwells in the upper reaches of the Darkenfol, powerful upon the Arc of Time, but a shadow of his former self upon Airhde.

When he appeared to his followers, it was always as a dark-skinned man with huge, black crow wings. His face was dark as well and had no shape, only the hint of eyes in the shadows. From the profile he sported a long, narrow beak. In battle, he carried a large magical +5 composite bow and a quiver filled with arrows of slaying.

Reduced in power Heth’s spirit occupies the body of a huge crow that lives in the oaks of The Oak Stand. He longs for a return to greatness.

Men of the wilds and deep woods still pay homage and worship him as a patron. But far and wide he is still called upon and sacrafices made to him by casting seed in the four cardinal directions, in hopes that the road of the dead shall be straight and true.

~ The Codex of Aihrde

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