The Assassin

The God of Greed & Ambition

There are many who would dislike referring to this deity as "The Assassin", for many of their followers are actually not in that profession. In fact, many would contend that murder is not even a requirement of worshiping this god- just a common by-product, especially among murderers and barbarians who kill and take what they want. This god's main portfolio is Want and Greed and this can take many forms. It could be money, it could be love or respect, it could be power and influence, it could be knowledge. What matters is that the worshiper goes after these wants no matter what the cost - no matter who ends up harmed or even killed in the process. Worshipers believe they are put on this world with the goal of happiness and to achieve that goal means getting what you want. Therefore you are entitled to it, whatever it is. Those who do not want it More than You do not deserve it. Some worshipers do also believe that what The Assassin wants is death, that he feeds on corrupted souls and gifts of the lives his worshipers have ended in their personal crusades. Their victories are his victories and he lives vicariously through them. He has the name The Assassin because it is the perfect summation of this deities tenants: Blood for money or power, No Guilt, Do Whatever it Takes, Do Not Accept Defeat, Make The World Revolve Around You. One could almost have called this archetype The Businessman. He is almost universally known as a male across cultures.

Aleth of the Common Pantheon

Domains: Death, Trickery, Knowledge
Portfolio: Greed, Murder, Lies, Ambition, Cruelty, Envy
Alignment: NE
Alias/s:
Symbols: Black Rose or Hemlock, Dagger & Hood
Aleth is the human god of greed and murder and generally a patron of ambitious sociopaths without a moral compass. Those who amass wealth at the expense of others with no sign of remorse are often followers of Aleth. They are not simply muggers or bandits- they can be a politicians and businessmen. This god promotes the accumulation of wealth (though it does not have to be coin and treasure), and stokes the fires of envy and want into the hearts of others. He is also the deity of assassination and other jobs that result in collateral damage and loss of life. Loss of life is his currency- the thing he feeds on as material wealth does little for one such as he. As the deity of envy, he influences the everyday man to get their hands on what they want, even if it means killing, framing, or extorting whoever has the object of desire. This can even be a person- someone they are in love with. The crueler or more selfish the act to gain what they want, the more pleased Aleth becomes.

Hisilan of the Gnomish Pantheon

Domains: Death, Trickery
Portfolio: Greed, Apathy, Cunning, Revenge, Betrayal, Murder
Alignment: NE
Alias/s: The Betrayer
Symbols: Skull with one eye in it's socket
Hisilan was once a part of the gnomish pantheon as a deity of ambition, strength, and determination. Rock gnomes who wished to climb the academic ladder or become the most renowned in their field often worshiped Hisilan. Among forest gnomes worshipers were often a part of a town's protective forces or within their small governments. They often sought prestige among their peers and material comforts of success either way. This deity was much like their worshipers- ambitious and determined. They craved higher station and the reverence of their fellow deities.
Hisilan's portfolio changed over time as their own ambitions grew. The more worshipers they gained- and they began to gain them through lies and manipulation- the bolder they became. They began to covet the worshipers of their peers- especially Shemara whose portfolio of luck and success was most similar to his. They made a plot to end her life and then impersonate her, gaining all her worshipers and the strength their worship gave her and her power over luck. Unfortunately, they were up against the goddess of luck- and she was lucky. They nearly did succeed in killing her, but she had been keeping tabs on them and suspected they may try something. As such she had Demelza watching over her and Demelza was able to preserve her divine life in a small phylactery before it could be snubbed out. Hisilan was unable to attain her portfolio and was forced to flee in the face of Demelza's rage- Demelza being the deity of life and death and fully capable of destroying them handily. They did fight and Demelza was said to have blinded Hisilan in one eye. Demelza informed the other gnomish divinities of Hisilan's plot and over the course of several centuries slowly breathed life and energy back into Shemara. This time period is said to be the dark era of Eresh's enslavement of the world and the fall of the gnomish den of Gulthar. After this, Hisilan the Betrayer was banished from the gnomish pantheon and the following generations of gnomes were taught to embrace generosity and charity and to eschew material wealth and power within reason.
Hisilan did not lose all of their worshipers- particularly in the gnomish den of Tungeldow. They worked from the shadows, tempting ambitious gnomes to give up their morals if that's what it took to reach their goals. They took up a portfolio of greed, lies, murder, and later on revenge, as they waged a constant war on the divine peers that had abandoned them. Their saying is 'An eye for an eye'.

TEMPLES OF THE ASSASSIN

The largest temples to The Assassin are located in the following places.

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Worshipers

The Assassin is an unusual god- many of his followers don't realize they are his followers in fact. He has a corruptive influence and he targets people who are ripe for it- people with ambition, people who are self-important and self centered, people who feel natural entitlement. Most tend to be humans who are so easily seduced by their greed. He assists these folks whether they acknowledge him or not and he feeds on their ill-gotten success. These people are usually politicians, nobles, courtiers, or businessmen but can be folks looking for fame, like bards. Active worshipers who follow his tenants include (usually human) barbarians and tribesmen who take part in raiding and pillaging for their needs. Others are people in unsavory professions that often directly pay blood for money, including mercenaries, assassins, bounty hunters, and pirates. They often have monastery-like organizations to spread his gospel of want and take and some are actually assassins' and thieves' guilds.  Some are non-worshipers who lead violent lives to get by financially because they are good at it, though killing may not exactly be their goal. This often includes people working as fighters for hire like body guards or gladiators as well as criminals and rogues looking to pull themselves from the pit of poverty to the top of the food chain. They may often come to enjoy these bloody careers and lean into them until the want they have is the bloodshed itself, and not the money. These are often his most devout and certainly most treasured. These folks become his clerics.  
On-Brand Worshipers

• Bard: College of Whispers
• Cleric: Death & Trickery Domains
• Fighter: All
• Monk: Way of Shadow & the Long Death
• Paladin: Oath of Conquest or Oathbreaker
• Rogue: All except Inquisitive and Scout
• Criminal Background
• Charlatan Background
• Noble Background
• Courtier Background
• Mercenary Veteran Background
• Urban Bounty Hunter Background
• Pirate Background
• Smuggler Background