Ginnir the Silver-Tongued

Ginnir is the masked patron of lies and cheats as well as of politics, commerce, and wealth. Representing the reality that sometimes social and civil progress comes hand in hand with betrayal, treachery, greed, and deception, Ginnir is in many ways Helionax's ethical antithesis, governing the spheres of gambling, deception, and betrayal while concurrently insisting that some order is mandatory. What is closer to the truth is that Ginnir embodies the mortal responses to the sun god's lofty laws and organization: some mortals create beautiful concepts from such structure—politics, diplomacy, commerce, currency, tactics, strategy—while other mortals choose to exploit the loopholes in the system or disregard the system entirely.
Able to play whatever role the situation calls for, Ginnir is a consummate actor. His incisive wit and cunning enable him to read the desires of his marks, adjusting his approach to suit the moment. Despite its virtues, his creations of politics, diplomacy, and commerce all rely on such duplicity, even if it is considered noble or just. In his rare moments of candor, Ginnir is calm and calculating, always looking toward his next scheme or for a way to make a gain off of his next interaction.
Ginnir is a shadowy and mysterious figure. When appearing before mortals, he prefers the form of a willowy satyr with ashen gray skin. His deep black hair is of medium-length and swept back. He has two sets of grayish purple horns which sprout from his head: a set of large ridged forward-curling ram’s horns and a set of ridged straight horns which gently grow backward. In this form, he often wears a long elegant black cloak with a mantle of dark vulture or buzzard feathers clasped about his shoulders by a gold vulture or buzzard skull. Under this cloak, he wears a luxurious black silken sleeveless tunic, gold armored leggings, and gold gauntlets. He has also been known to appear in a variety of animal forms, including the shapes of asps, mockingbirds, or rats. Regardless of his shape, a beautiful winged golden death mask forever conceals the face of the Silver-Tongued.
Subtlety and manipulation—of mind, word, and deed—are the cornerstones of Ginnir's power and his influence over mortals and immortals alike. Even gods enjoy hearing what they prefer to hear instead of the truth, and Ginnir is happy to give them what they want. He takes pleasure in finding ways to subvert or corrupt champions of law, order, and justice, turning them to his cause. Whether by feeding the hubris of a champion of Helionax or subverting the moral code of a stalwart of Iroanos, he tempts mortals by confronting them with seemingly inconsequential decisions, each of which offers an opportunity for the person to compromise their principles. One by one, these acts move the needle of a person's moral gauge by a small amount. Over time, these choices accumulate until the individual's fall from grace is complete.
Every lie is an homage to Ginnir. Because his most devout followers are criminals, gamblers, self-serving aristocrats, and dirty politicians, his influence is keenly felt in gambling halls, dens of thieves, and among the gilt-paved streets of the wealthy. But everyone has their own reasons to stray from the truth at times, and thus, they also find small ways to seek Ginnir's favor as they go about their daily lives. Many who long for political and social change, are impoverished beyond hope, and/or are socially inept are desperate enough to seek his aid. Such people ask for him to bless political actions, grant a dash of cunning, or provide tutelage in the many interpersonal skills he represents. The mortals who frustrate him the most yet earn his deepest respect are those that know exactly who he is and ask for his help regardless—except they also seek to defend themselves from the treacherous knife the god always strikes with as he tenders that which mortals most desire; therefore, they attempt to trick the god of tricksters, warding him off as they entreat him.
Formal services to Ginnir are conducted at night, with the most sacred rituals performed on nights of the new moon. Offerings are made to attract Ginnir's favor, with valuables from successful robberies, parchment filled with lies, or loaded dice being thrown into deep crags or buried at crossroads. Such sacrifices often vanish soon after, claimed by the god or his servants. Devout criminals often offer Ginnir stolen goods as part of their preparations for premeditated crimes. Ginnir is worshiped openly among Revenants and any who aid their return.

Myths of Ginnir

Dubious Origins

Some myths allege that Ginnir was once a mortal who was trapped in the afterlife, but he learned how to forsake his identity to prevent Thanatimetra from detecting what he was doing, sacrificing the features of his face and donning a beautiful golden mask to frame his identity. He crossed back into the land of the living from the divine realm of the gods and the afterlife, hiding himself in Eleuthemene's billowing cloak as she left to cross the night sky. Hidden by illusion as he was, neither Eleuthemene nor Thanatimetra could find Ginnir and bring him back, making him the first Revenant. Other myths claim that the god of riches, tricks, and politics was a god all along and that long ago, he and Eleuthemene shared the responsibility of ferrying mortal souls to the afterlife. Inherently devious and never one to turn down a chance to upset inviolate laws, though, Ginnir concocted a grand scheme of tricking the goddess of the harvest and her wife: he would guide the souls of mortals to the afterlife, yes, but he would also teach them the secrets passages that gods only trod to leave it and return to the mortal realm. What he didn't tell them was the infinitesimally minute chance of them returning as truly alive and their former selves; after all, the paths of the gods are meant for divine footsteps only for a reason. When Thanatimetra discovered Ginnir's treachery upon noticing the natural imbalance that was the first Revenant, she exploded in an uncharacteristic burst of divine wrath, disfiguring Ginnir's face beyond recognition and repair. Vain and embittered at his trick having cost such a high price, Ginnir donned his famous gilt mask, descended to the land of the living, and taught mortals how to aid more revenants in crossing to get revenge on the goddess that stole his face and beauty.

Feud with Theromedeon

A pair of accomplished hunters, both fervent followers of Theromedeon, had a bet with one another to prove who was better with a bow. After countless tests found them equally matched, the hunters' rivalry drew Ginnir's attention. Assuming the form of a dryad, Ginnir goaded and taunted the hunters. Though amusing at first, Ginnir's words cut deep, making the hunters careless. Thus, when the dryad suggested a blindfolded test of marksmanship, the hunters agreed. Once blinded, Ginnir positioned the hunters to shoot one another. In the moment they fired, though, Theromedeon noticed Ginnir's trick. He curved his hunters' arrows mid-flight and multiplied their number. Ginnir's disguise shattered as he was riddled with arrows that pinned him to a great tree. Theromedeon appeared to the trapped god, mocked his pointless duplicity, and warned him never to threaten his followers again. He then left him to struggle free from the deeply embedded arrows, an escape that took him over a week. During that time, the god concocted plot after plot to have his revenge on Theromedeon. Some tales claim that this embarrassment directly led to tragedy for Theromedeon's favorite nymph companion and her siblings, who were poisoned by a nest of Ossion Asps while on a hunt and died in the arms of an oak sacred to their god. Rather than allow them to pass into the afterlife, though, Ginir resurrected them all as twisted undead, fusing their bodies and souls to the oak tree, poisoning all with necromantic energies and making a terrifying amalgam of undeath to guard a polluted corner of the Ossion Wood and to haunt the living for eternity.

The Tragedy of Shiloh

Many centuries ago, Shiloh, the son of a Heamoorish woodsman went to town to sell lumber. While there, the young boy witnessed a performance by a traveling troupe of actors and bards, and from that day on, he knew that he was meant to be something more than just the son of a woodsman. He was meant to be an actor. Following this calling, he left home for the city at the age of 16, joined a company of actors, and was found to be quite the natural. Every word spoken on the stage was attention-grabbing, every gesture breathtaking. He was art in motion, an unknown prodigy from the hinterlands, and he quickly rose to prominence in the theatre community. He was dutiful in his reverence to Ginnir as the patron of actors and Amapharon as the deity of drama well into his adulthood, becoming a favorite of both gods and a champion of their domains. But as as his fame grew with the aid of his own talent and divine favor, so too did his pride and vanity. He ceased his devotions to both gods and claimed that his fame, wealth, and skills were his and his alone, that his artistry was greater than anything the gods could have given him. Angered by his hubris, both gods conspired to punish their favorite, to remind him of just how much influence the gods had in his life and career. Together, Ginnir and Amapharon formed an unusual alliance, crafting a magic axe to remind him of his humble origins and delivering it to him in a dream. Unbeknownst to the Herald of Civilization, though, Ginnir had asked Inyu the Bloody One to curse the axe, deeply embittered by his favorite's rejection. It wasn't until Shiloh began to show characteristic signs of madness and mania did she realize that her collaboration with the Silver-Tongued was not all that it had seemed. And when Shiloh entered an inconsolable bloodlust on the night of the debut of what was meant to be the greatest performance of his life and slaughtered all in attendance, both gods witnessed the tragedy, Ginnir avenged, Amapharon horrified. Shiloh vanished soon thereafter, hunted by authorities back to the hinterlands from where he was born. According to legend, they found him in the old home of his father, the walls deteriorating around him as he clutched the axe to his body and wept, his hands blood-stained, his mouth caked in gore, the cannibalized body of the old woodsman lying before him. Shiloh was executed, and his axe was lost to the sands of time, said to have been hidden away by a regretful Amapharon.

The Consequences of Attraction

In the Elaeusian polis of Meleta, there was born a brilliant baby girl prophesied to have been the perfect combination of intellect and beauty. Upon her birth, Ginnir marked her as his when she was a baby in her mother's arms, laying divine claim to the newborn and vowing to watch over her as she aged. And watch over her he did. Political clout found her family and ensured that she received the best education in all the polis. Whatever she desired was available to her, whether it be material or intellectual. In her teenage years, she possessed a wit and aptitude for rhetoric and politics that were so astounding that word began to spread that she might take her place as one of Meleta's 20 leading philosopher-governors and the youngest at that. As she neared adulthood and Ginnir prepared to collect her as his divine consort and companion, she became enamored by a charming young woman who attended the same academy as her. Neither woman knew of the Silver-Tongued's divine claim, and when they consummated their relationship, Ginnir's favored never awoke the next morning, the smell of poppies perfuming her deep, slumbering breath. Her lover, though, awoke to a furious and spurned Ginnir, and she was transformed by his wrath into the first Siren, blessed with beauty and charm but damned with an insatiable and covetous lust for mortal flesh and the belongings of others.

Divine Domains

Diplomacy, politics, persuasion, travel, trade, and commerce; deceit, betrayal, cheating, trickery, mischief, secrets, greed, and lies; tactics, strategy, skill, planning, and cunning.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Sacred Animals: Carrion birds (like vultures, buzzards, etc.), asps, mockingbirds, and rats. Sacred Plants: Crocuses, poppies.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Ginnir doesn't want to rule the Etherian pantheon. He is the perennial outsider, existing only to disrupt the plans of his fellow gods. Every lie, every betrayal, delights him as it sows discord in the world. He respects a well-planned and executed grift or heist, sometimes rewarding able followers with opportunities to serve as his champions. As the metaphorical progenitor of the Revenants and patron of those who aid in their creation, Ginnir also takes time to provide shelter and opportunities for his children to disrupt the mortal world. For those mortals who use any of his creations for seeming good, he is indifferent. He does, however, patiently wait to see if they become corrupted or begin to slide down the treacherous slope that his power creates. Only then does he take an active interest in them.

Social

Family Ties

It stands to reason that the god of secrets, deception, and betrayal isn't close with the rest of the pantheon despite the constant use of his earliest creation: politics. This is not to say that Ginnir doesn't have active relationships with others in the pantheon, but his position as the patron of lies doesn't lead to close, lasting friendships.
Thanatimetra the Merciful Mother, Eleuthemene the Star-Dappled, and Theromedeon the Wild Guard despise Ginnir, which delights him to no end. Ginnir revels in the fact that he was able to outwit both the goddess of the afterlife and her psychopomp wife and torment the nature god. Still bitter over Ginnir's deception, Thanatimetra seeks to right the natural and divine balance by exterminating Revenants as they appear and punishing those who bring them into being, and in so doing, punishing Ginnir. Bereaved at the cost of his grand trick, though, Ginnir nurses a deep-rooted disdain for Thanatimetra and actively works against her when he can.
Ginnir finds Helionax the Light-Crowned and Iroanos the Battle-Wise overbearing and insufferable. Both represent ideologies diametrically opposed to Ginnir's, and both have followers who regularly try to foil his schemes. In turn, Ginnir does his best to upend their plans through lies and deception. After all, a fair fight isn't worth fighting. That being said, Ginnir is not necessarily a complete anarchist; even he recognizes the necessity of some law and order and though he would be loath to admit it, he depends upon the stuffy strictures of the likes of Helionax and Iroanos in order to produce and inspire his divine creations.

Divine Classification

Deity

Species

Satyr

Gender

Male

Eyes

Unknown—concealed behind a winged golden mask

Hair

Menium-length, swept-back black hair

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Ashen gray