#pensri

With a sigh of relief, Idristan steps into the Grove. His hand goes immediately towards the cravat around his neck, untying it and letting it carelessly drift through his fingers. It had been a long day and an even longer night, and he was very much done with the outside world at present.

RIGHT SO we got six gods, all more-or-less based on Team Drama. Or, rather, the SBRUG group Team Drama, which was Jerath, Seirios, Vide, Pensri, Remus, and Uni. The deities' names are sorta what I imagine Team Drama's names would've sounded like after centuries of mispronunciation. The things that they are gods of and that are sacred to them are based on everything from the troll's personality and lusus to their SBRUG land to their God Tier aspect. Um. Just gonna do these now.

Sarus - Scout of Spark - affiliated with thunderstorms (especially lightning), bravery of the stupid variety, travelers, hunters, and wolves. All the gods are more or less fluid of form, but Sarus is even more so. The stories agree on his having very large, lupine green eyes and sharp teeth, but whether he's humanoid, a really big wolf, or some weird combination of the two seems to vary from tale to tale. (Windy drew an excellent picture that actually really captures what I was trying to describe.) Another thing that the stories all agree on is that he's kind of scary in his sheer wildness and carries a javelin when he's in human-ish form. Some people opin that he's the most powerful of the gods, though he is by far the least showy. He's not much of a one for sacrifices (he prefers you to do something awesome to get his attention), but he'll accept game, carved bones, cunningly-made and useful things -- and never ever silver.

Yarett - Prince of Rage - affiliated with soldiers and war, revenge, justice, boars, narwhals, the sun, fire. (Don't give me that look, this one was hard.) Again, fluid form, but generally depicted as humanoid and blue-eyed, wearing golden armor. Sometimes his skin is golden too. Or maybe his skin is the armor. NOBODY KNOWS. Probably the showiest god of them all, as well as the one with the most contradicting legends about him. Lots and lots of appearances to mortals. According to some sources, lots and lots of dalliances with mortals, although some legends claim that he's purer than Galahad (if this universe had Galahad. It probably doesn't). Another point of contention is what, exactly, the sun is. Is it just his radiant self? A lantern, maybe? A chariot? Even the priests in his enormous golden temple in the capital city don't know. He gets angry VERY QUICKLY and praying to him is a bit of a risk. It's suggested you bring presents. Lots of presents. Anything gold is nice, or weapons, or incense. (I almost typed incest holy fish.)

Vidia - Witch of Dreams - affiliated with sleep, dreams, healers, song, madmen, herbs, poppies, snakes, visions, stars. Usually shown with long hair, pale skin, dark green eyes. Has been known to appear as an old woman or a child, and if she's taking a hand in your life, it'll probably be subtly. She's the peacemaker when the gods start bickering, which is almost always. Generally regarded as your best bet if you're praying for mercy because she'll intercede with the other gods for your case. She's in charge of dreams and sleep and who gets what. She's less capricious than most of the pantheon, but will still send nasty wracking nightmares if she feels slighted and sweet dreams or sometimes true visions if she approves of you. There's a country saying, "Don't kill a snake by starlight" (used as an idiom for "don't provoke someone on their home turf"), because doing so would probably have you sleepless for weeks. If you're going to offer her something, she likes flowers, silk, candles, and pretty things. You can even sing her a song.

Pendra - Bard of Hope - affiliated with hope (duh), love, luck, musicians, the moon, changeability, silver, the colour teal. About her appearance, not much more can be said than that she is REALLY curvy and generally regarded as beautiful. Uhm. Yeah. Patron god of lovers and all, but is extraordinarily fickle, so if you're praying to her, send a plea Vidia's way as well. She's in a never-ending rivalry with Yarett. They have never liked each other and probably never will. Her temple is almost always right next to his and silver and must be the same size or larger or she will throw a fit. If you're on Pendra's good side, you'll be lucky in prosperity, love, inspiration, etc. She can decide she hates you in a week, though, so don't get comfortable. Offerings that she enjoys are things made of silver, instruments, dresses, poetry and so forth.

Ramus - Thief of Life - affiliated with death, souls, criminals (especially thieves and assassins), birds (especially eagles), watchfulness, poisons. Ramus is blind, apparently by some choice long ago. He wears a bandage over the empty eye sockets, but sees through the eyes of his pet eagles. He is not an evil god so much as an amoral one - to his mind, all lives end and it doesn't matter when or how. As such, he is a patron to thieves and assassins, impressed by their skill. It's common for criminals to light a candle to Ramus before starting on a job. He is also insatiably curious and fond of finding out secrets - a legend tells of how he once allowed a dying man to live because the man told him such a wide assortment of facts and secrets. He is quietly amused by mortals, but does not have much directly to do with them except at the moment of their death. He does watch them  carefully, though, and when he chooses to involve himself, you can bet something big is going down. He prefers offerings of an enemy's blood, but poison works too. You won't find his temples on high hilltops like Yarett's and Pendra's, but tucked away in dirty alleys with shifty-eyed priests attending them.

Ooney - Maid of Space - affiliated with artists, secrets, the earth, plants, summertime, birth, foxes. Gives Sarus a run for his money as far as fluidity of form goes. Described as a laughing, vivacious sort, usually wearing orange or dressed in plants. Sometimes she is plants. Ooney is credited with creating the world and making plants grow. She's all about life and that sort of thing. Without a doubt the most cheerful in nature of the gods, which would make her easy to underestimate. But her anger, rare as it is, manifests in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, so crossing Ooney is about as safe as crossing any of the other deities, which is to say not safe at all. She's scary enough in anger to shut up any of the other five when they're fighting, but she doesn't care and finds their squabbles hilarious. You can leave her offerings of a work of art, fresh fruit, a potted plant. 

Of course, if you're on a budget you can just light a candle for the god of your choice, they'll get the message. Bigger offerings are generally because you REALLY need them on your side. The exception is Sarus, who hates candles and would hate you for lighting one. 

Hark! Hark to the litany

Of the Mighty Ones, the World-shapers.

Fear and praise them, for they brought

Creation from nothingness.

Laud to them for ages untold.

**

Laud to the Lord of Brightest Spark

The Lightning-Scout, braver

Than any roaring lion.

His voice howls in the thunder,

And he honors those whose valor

Brings to mind his own.

He protects the travelers

Upon the sea or through the air

And the hunters of the forests

Save those that slay the mighty wolf

For wolves are his brothers

And often does he walk

In the shape of one of these his kin.

**

Laud to the Lord of Wildest Rage

Princely and noble in his kinder times

But fierce and proud, swift to wrath.

His are the soldiers, the war-torn generals

The heroes of the past and present

To him cry those who, in righteous anger

Swear revenge upon their foes

And he aids them in their endeavors

Dealing swift justice from on high

To those who thought their crimes forgotten.

Though he does not dwell beneath the waves

He holds sacred the horned whale

As well as the tusked boar.

**

Laud to the Lady of Deepest Dream

Witch-Singer, Healer of Hurts

Who whispers in the silence of the night

To soothe the terrors in your sleep

She extends her help to healers,

To those driven mad,

And to the lost and bereft.

Quiet is the Snake-Lady

And rarely does she speak

Though oft times she sends true-dreams

Unto those who she deems best worthy

To speak of them and warn others.

**

Laud to the Lady of Sweetest Hope

The Bard with womanly shape

Who holds in her heart the hearts of all lovers

And bears all aspirations

Within her kind embrace

Though often fickle

She will hear prayers sometimes

But no answers are promised

For Hope is faint and may slip

Through the grasp of the one who longs for it.

And the heart of the Moon -Lady is as stone

To those whom she has set her face against

The ones she favors alone are heard.

**

Laud to the Lord of Speeding Life

Light-fingered, nimble

He Who Decides the End of Days

He it is who brings forth people into the world

And takes them back to himself when their time is done

Patron to thieves and criminals

And all those who have done wrong

Death is no judge of justice

And he views lives without bias

Of the laws mortals make

Eagles soar through skies and tell him

The entire world’s doings

With their sharp eyes descrying all he wishes to know.

**

Laud to the Lady of Swirling Space

The Fox-Maid, cunning, yet kindly

She Who Keeps Secrets, locking them

Deep in her silence, far from the watchful eyes

Of her brother Life

She guides artists; painters, sculptors

Those who make things pleasing to the eye

She laughs often and makes merry

Even in the Court of the Gods

But in necessity she is stern and grave

She rules the land, for ‘twas she

That wove mountains and valleys

And blanketed them in green.

**

Hail to the Six Holy Ones

Enshrined in glory

Watching over the cares of the world

From the dawn of time