Hesmash
Hesmash is the Amrikh god of the sun, life, the harvest, fertility and love. She is a powerful god, who has long grown fond of blood sacrifice but has been starved of it for millennia. She is the sun, a hawk that flies above the desert and brings both life and death, warmth and fire.
Divine Domains
Light
Life
Life
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Rainbow Hawk
The Rainbow Hawk is a relatively recent symbol of Hesmash, which grew in popularity following the Twilight Wars. The symbol looks like a hawk with its wings spread, and feathers in the different colors of the rainbow radiating out from it. It symbolized youth, happiness and innocence, and Amrikhi would pay the temples of Hesmash in gold to have the hawk engraved on talismans or embroidered on clothes.
Sun Hawk
A similar new symbol that grew in popularity among soldiers fighitng the Twilight Wars, the Sun Hawk looks like a hawk with golden wings spread out. Its design is more simple than the Rainbow Hawk, as soldiers would often engrave it themselves on their shields or armor with whatever they had available. It was a symbol that was meant to bring the light of Hesmash with the wearer into the dark places, and to ask for her protection and blessing on shields and armor, so the wielders might see the light of day again.
Sun Disc
The Sun Disc is the oldest symbol of Hesmash, a symbol of her everwatching eye and love for her people, and the harsh punishment for those who do not follow her fair laws. Among the old amrikh the symbol was ubiquitous as tattoos, on buildings, on clothes and on ritual items.
Blood Sun/Blood Hawk
The most sinister of Hesmash's symbols, the Blood Sun and Blood Hawk came to prominence in the Golden Age on ritual weapons, sacrificial altars and on slaves destined to be offered to the hungry god. The symbol marked them all as the god's property, and in return for their blood they would give the person offering the gifts great riches and power.
The Rainbow Hawk is a relatively recent symbol of Hesmash, which grew in popularity following the Twilight Wars. The symbol looks like a hawk with its wings spread, and feathers in the different colors of the rainbow radiating out from it. It symbolized youth, happiness and innocence, and Amrikhi would pay the temples of Hesmash in gold to have the hawk engraved on talismans or embroidered on clothes.
Sun Hawk
A similar new symbol that grew in popularity among soldiers fighitng the Twilight Wars, the Sun Hawk looks like a hawk with golden wings spread out. Its design is more simple than the Rainbow Hawk, as soldiers would often engrave it themselves on their shields or armor with whatever they had available. It was a symbol that was meant to bring the light of Hesmash with the wearer into the dark places, and to ask for her protection and blessing on shields and armor, so the wielders might see the light of day again.
Sun Disc
The Sun Disc is the oldest symbol of Hesmash, a symbol of her everwatching eye and love for her people, and the harsh punishment for those who do not follow her fair laws. Among the old amrikh the symbol was ubiquitous as tattoos, on buildings, on clothes and on ritual items.
Blood Sun/Blood Hawk
The most sinister of Hesmash's symbols, the Blood Sun and Blood Hawk came to prominence in the Golden Age on ritual weapons, sacrificial altars and on slaves destined to be offered to the hungry god. The symbol marked them all as the god's property, and in return for their blood they would give the person offering the gifts great riches and power.
Physical Description
Body Features
Hesmash's body looks like intertwined double helices that glow out with a brilliant light. Her wings look like hawk wings made of rainbows, and her head is the sun glowing outwards with a crown of darkness.
She occasionally chooses a hawk's head for her head instead, in which case her feathers are the colors of rainbows and she has one dark eye and one eye that shines like the sun.
She occasionally chooses a hawk's head for her head instead, in which case her feathers are the colors of rainbows and she has one dark eye and one eye that shines like the sun.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Chief Goddess of the Amrikh
Since the dawn of time, Hesmash has been the chief goddess of the Amrikh, protecting their lives, homes and futures. In the young days of the empire she was a benevolent god, repaying kind offerings with kind deeds. However, even then she was not above smiting the wicked, and many evil souls were burnt in her name or with her power. She was a guardian to her people, teaching them the right and moral ways, letting them live their own lives but punishing and urging for caution when they lost their way.
God of Life and Blood
As the Amrikh empire grew more and more pwerful and expanded over more land, slaves became a more central part of its economy and culture. Hesmash´s clergy had originally been against slavery, until one critical moment occured: the first human sacrifice. The power of blood made her even more powerful, and she blessed the land even more. Hesmash soon grew to hunger for the blood sacrifices, and would give great blessings and gifts to those who would give her the greatest offerings.
They became a more bloodthirsty god, willing to excuse any crime or heinous act provided that recompense was given. The Amrikh empire they ruled over also became more bloodthirsty, a fact that would make it easy for the Grand Necromancer to spread his influence in the empire. During its golden age of necormancy, Hesmash was at her most powerful and ascendant among gods on Dain.
Exile
All of that ended with the Cataclysm and the following Year of the Sword, when the Amrikh empire was destroyed and the source of blood was stopped. Hesmash became a shadow of their former glory, where they could once burn cities with a thought or burn heathens with a word, now they were simply an idea, a dead god hiding among the ruins of the Amrikhi.
The Dragon God was ironically both the salvation and doom of Hesmash. Once the Dragon God came to Southern Dain and Akshus, a part of its power flowed into Hesmash, revitalizing her and giving her a semblance of sentience again, as the Dragon God and her shared domains and power. However, this meant that the Dragon God also began consuming Hesmash, dragging her essence into itself.
Hesmash had to move quickly if she wished to survive and become an ascendant god again, and together with her lover the Moon, she formulated a plan and put it into work.
Since the dawn of time, Hesmash has been the chief goddess of the Amrikh, protecting their lives, homes and futures. In the young days of the empire she was a benevolent god, repaying kind offerings with kind deeds. However, even then she was not above smiting the wicked, and many evil souls were burnt in her name or with her power. She was a guardian to her people, teaching them the right and moral ways, letting them live their own lives but punishing and urging for caution when they lost their way.
God of Life and Blood
As the Amrikh empire grew more and more pwerful and expanded over more land, slaves became a more central part of its economy and culture. Hesmash´s clergy had originally been against slavery, until one critical moment occured: the first human sacrifice. The power of blood made her even more powerful, and she blessed the land even more. Hesmash soon grew to hunger for the blood sacrifices, and would give great blessings and gifts to those who would give her the greatest offerings.
They became a more bloodthirsty god, willing to excuse any crime or heinous act provided that recompense was given. The Amrikh empire they ruled over also became more bloodthirsty, a fact that would make it easy for the Grand Necromancer to spread his influence in the empire. During its golden age of necormancy, Hesmash was at her most powerful and ascendant among gods on Dain.
Exile
All of that ended with the Cataclysm and the following Year of the Sword, when the Amrikh empire was destroyed and the source of blood was stopped. Hesmash became a shadow of their former glory, where they could once burn cities with a thought or burn heathens with a word, now they were simply an idea, a dead god hiding among the ruins of the Amrikhi.
The Dragon God was ironically both the salvation and doom of Hesmash. Once the Dragon God came to Southern Dain and Akshus, a part of its power flowed into Hesmash, revitalizing her and giving her a semblance of sentience again, as the Dragon God and her shared domains and power. However, this meant that the Dragon God also began consuming Hesmash, dragging her essence into itself.
Hesmash had to move quickly if she wished to survive and become an ascendant god again, and together with her lover the Moon, she formulated a plan and put it into work.
Morality & Philosophy
Once, Hesmash was a god of righteousness and self-sacrifice, believing in doing the best for the whole. In this way she was the god of an inhospitable land and hardy people, who had to believe in the common good in order to survive.
However, Hesmash was corrupted by the wickedness of her own people, and now only believes in power for the sake of power and in doing what she can to regain her source of sacrifices. Any evil is acceptable to achieve this.
However, Hesmash was corrupted by the wickedness of her own people, and now only believes in power for the sake of power and in doing what she can to regain her source of sacrifices. Any evil is acceptable to achieve this.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Hesmash is motived by her own lust for power, worship and sacrifice, which will make her strong and sustain her again.
However even more importantly she is motivated by survival, by avoiding assimilation into the Dragon God. Now her desire for power and sacrifie is subservient to her desire to live.
However even more importantly she is motivated by survival, by avoiding assimilation into the Dragon God. Now her desire for power and sacrifie is subservient to her desire to live.
Social
Family Ties
Sa´nakt
Hesmash created the Sword of Destiny in a more forgiving and calm age, using him to protect her people and expand her empire. While Sa´nakt has never percieved Hesmash as a parent, he has considered her as his creator, even though the two never really crossed paths once their purpose was set. Sa´nakt grew disgusted with Hesmash's reliance on human sacrifice, but did not act on this disgust. Hesmash regards Sa'nakt as a traitor for what he did during the Year of the Sword, and wishes to have him killed so she can regain the energy she has used on him.
The Moon
The Moon is Hesmas's brother and lover, depending on what story one chooses to believe in. The Moon has been sentient for many millennia since the Cataclysm and has tried to protect Hesmash's remains, as he loves her still. The Moon is in many ways a loyal lapdog and follower of Hesmash, although right now the Moon has more power than his sister.
Hesmash created the Sword of Destiny in a more forgiving and calm age, using him to protect her people and expand her empire. While Sa´nakt has never percieved Hesmash as a parent, he has considered her as his creator, even though the two never really crossed paths once their purpose was set. Sa´nakt grew disgusted with Hesmash's reliance on human sacrifice, but did not act on this disgust. Hesmash regards Sa'nakt as a traitor for what he did during the Year of the Sword, and wishes to have him killed so she can regain the energy she has used on him.
The Moon
The Moon is Hesmas's brother and lover, depending on what story one chooses to believe in. The Moon has been sentient for many millennia since the Cataclysm and has tried to protect Hesmash's remains, as he loves her still. The Moon is in many ways a loyal lapdog and follower of Hesmash, although right now the Moon has more power than his sister.
Divine Classification
God
Religions
Alignment
Neutral Evil
Children
Pronouns
She/her/they
Gender
Female
Aligned Organization
Comments