The Goddess of Night
From the work of Imperial Scholar Tezu Loa in 5648 on "Demon stories of the East"The primitive and savage cat-people of the east, who call themselves Bahku have a legend of a fearsome demon. This creature was like and unlike them- a bipedal feline humanoid, pitch black with a thousand spots covering the body from ears to tail, and each of them an eye. The eyes were blue. This demon kept the cat-people and other cat-like creatures- Rakshasa, Sphinx - in it's realm which was a sealed place away from the world. This place was a forest of giant hollow trees made of bone, but without leaves. ( Sages debate if this is a Yokai Hell or some other Fissure or pocket dimension, or perhaps realm in the Dream plane or astral. The descriptions do not fit with the Yokai Hells that have been documented. Sphinx are a rare creature with a few scattered mountain valley homes. There is rumor of a city of them in the wilds of the east. None knows where this city supposedly lies, nor how something without hands could build and shape a city. It is obviously just mythic folklore.). The Cat-people say that the Goddess of Night will return one day
Summary
The cat people say that they were prisoners, servants and play things of this Goddess of Night and her minions. They call it a demon and also goddess, but it is not part of their religion. The demon has no other name in their stories. They say that they spent generations in it's realm before it vanished and they could escape. The leader was named Urr, a name which has become an honorific title to any leader or champion/ heroic individual of the cat-people. The cat-people myths say they fought the Sphinx and Rakshasa to escape but none fought the Goddess of Night. It went away and will return, though none know when. It is an enemy that will rise again and claim the world or perhaps just the Bahku. ( The scholars debate if the Goddess of Night was a real thing or some local demon. If it was slain in fights with other demons or banished. If it could be summoned by Sorcerers or mages or if only it's likeness or something mimicking it could be summoned. It is also debated if this would be wise to explore.).
The Goddess of Night saw all- with it's thousands of eyes. ( No natural creature could live with a thousand eyes, there would be no place for a body but eyes.). It vanished and appeared as it wished. It controlled the entry and exit to the realm and grew the dwellings of hollowed bone trees. ( Sages think this is the StoneBark tree, though none are so large as the stories describe. No bone trees are known to scholars currently. Certainly many magics allow the control of doors and locks or for the growth of trees. ). It was large, 3-4 meters tall, strong, and used claws and teeth in hunting and fighting, scorning made weapons and armor. It did not favor the creatures under it - rather using them as it wished and casting them aside. Nor did it demand worship. They were simply kept there for her use and enjoyment. Food and game were plentiful, but the residents were the principle game hunted by the Goddess and the Rakshasa, while the Sphinx kept order. The magics it wielded seemed mostly martial and it was not known to change shape or gender. Nor were there any offspring. Unlike the Sidereal it had no Host, and no known Heart.
The Goddess of Night saw all- with it's thousands of eyes. ( No natural creature could live with a thousand eyes, there would be no place for a body but eyes.). It vanished and appeared as it wished. It controlled the entry and exit to the realm and grew the dwellings of hollowed bone trees. ( Sages think this is the StoneBark tree, though none are so large as the stories describe. No bone trees are known to scholars currently. Certainly many magics allow the control of doors and locks or for the growth of trees. ). It was large, 3-4 meters tall, strong, and used claws and teeth in hunting and fighting, scorning made weapons and armor. It did not favor the creatures under it - rather using them as it wished and casting them aside. Nor did it demand worship. They were simply kept there for her use and enjoyment. Food and game were plentiful, but the residents were the principle game hunted by the Goddess and the Rakshasa, while the Sphinx kept order. The magics it wielded seemed mostly martial and it was not known to change shape or gender. Nor were there any offspring. Unlike the Sidereal it had no Host, and no known Heart.
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