En-Ki
En-Ki is the chaotic neutral god and god, of inspiration, intuition, wine, madness, invention,
internal turmoil, creativity, tragedy, prophecy, oracles, half-wits, and geniuses. Put simply, They are the god of those living on the edge, who dare to peer into the darkest parts of their hearts.
En-Kis usually shown as impossibly tall, with a wild mane of red hair. Her eyes are usually inhuman— solid black or red—and she is sometimes shown with the tail of a dog or with more than two arms. In such cases, these representations are symbolic, or come from an artist’s vision. En-Ki’s hand gestures and the items clasped in them usually bear some deep significance.
En-Ki accepts an infinite number of symbols, for those who worship her select a symbol for their faith on the day they dedicate themselves to her work. Common symbols include manacles worn on the wrists with the connecting chain sundered, an eye tattooed on the forehead, or a creeping grape vine, dried and wrapped around the left arm, always. But these are just a few of many— truthfully, there is no one symbol of En-Ki. When those who are not adherents of the En-Kiynian faith (and the members of the Great Church) need to symbolize En-Ki, they use a cluster of grapes. This is usually simplified as an inverse pyramid of circles. She is associated with the wolverine, the badger, the jackal, and the hyena. The strongest of these associations is the hyena, whose laughter is much like her own. Further, many hyenas have red fur like the hair of the Mother of Madness.
En-Ki is quite popular among many chaotic peoples, with barbarians and sorcerers holding her especially dear. Some sorcerers believe her blood courses through their veins, giving them their remarkable gifts. Oracles, prophets, and seers of all varieties have held En-Ki as their patron for many ages, and so too have inventors and vintners. Among the five races, the gnomes hold
En-Ki dearest, for they see her as their patron and lady, but the elves, humans, and halflings also revere her for the inspiration she offers. Dwarves name her in their prayers grudgingly, receiving all the inspiration they need from her nephew Khasis.
Myths
The Coming of the Titans. The Need for Wine. Two Becaming one.Shifting Motivations
En-Kis eeks surprise and entertainment. She is a god of impulse and whimsy, caprice and insanity. To ascribe long-term motives to her is absurd, as she rarely concentrates on anything long enough to call it a plan. Her motives can be seen in trends rather than in histories, and repeated circumstances, not continuing traditions. En-Ki wants the mortal races to be interesting, to do things differently from one generation to the next. She likes to see them give in to their passions, and has little or no respect for those who hold themselves in check. If a man wants to drink, he should drink. If he wants to sing, he should sing. If he wants to destroy the world, he should try to destroy the world. People who refuse to live out their desires for fear of change are among those she loathes most. When she influences the world personally or through her agents, En-Ki does whatever might make the world more interesting. Sometimes this means promoting grave evil, sometimes great good—neither interests her much. Rather, she works to ensure nothing stays the same for long. Her favor falls upon some for a matter of years, other for minutes, but it rarely lasts a lifetime. Some of her most faithful servants have never even been noticed by the Mother of Madness, and are instead seen to by her celestial attendants. One does not revere En-Ki for her warmth. Her mercurial attentions and moods are not always merry. She is considered the patron of tragedy for a reason, as legends tell of a feverish sorrow that consumes her from time to time. Her boredom with life and the world sometimes coalesces into a stultifying misery, thick and terrible, and in those times, she is wont to lash out at friends and foes alike or, worse for those who follow her, withdraw entirely.Servants of En-Ki
En-Ki’s servants are many, but she rarely keeps them in mind, and leaves them to wander her realm in Heaven without aim or purpose. Over the millennia, she has accumulated countless odd followers, most of them formerly mortals, and at any point she can call upon one to do her bidding. The 1,001 Handmaids Almost any servant called to En-Ki’s side becomes a “Handmaid,” whether man, maid, or beast. En-Ki determines their attire by whim—some dress in robes of gold, while others wear nothing but fish guts. Handmaids are usually powerful celestials, capable of performing an important task for their mistress in the world or in Heaven. The Menagerie For her amusement, En-Ki keeps two of every kind of creature that has ever been in a great menagerie of Heaven. These creatures wander freely in her realm, and are sometimes sent earthward with a Handmaid on a task. In all the menagerie, En-Ki is fondest of Heka and Tekit, the two hyenas, and they accompany her wherever she goes. The Titans While not her servants, the various titans are En-Ki’s children, and she takes more interest in them than in any of the mortal races.The Vineyards of En-Ki
The vineyards of En-Ki, where the En-Kenyans worship, are raucous and lively places. Overseen by the oracles (or not, depending on the community), the vineyards are not places of strict authority, as each vineyard’s members determine its hierarchy. One thing is, however, constant: The vineyards are places of celebration, invention, folly, and, sometimes, even danger. They are enormously popular among the common folk. They make some of the finest—if not the finest— wine in the world, and the oracles living there are the best source of prophecies one can find. Many cultures disallow vineyards in their more important cities or, at least, in their “higher class” neighbourhoods and temple districts, for the temples are home to wild revelries and sometimes, a fair bit of debauchery. The refined and lawful members of society therefore consider them a “necessary evil.” Someone from the upper crust of lawful society might visit an oracle, but would do so hooded, to keep from being seen. Essentially, the vineyards are popular, but of ill repute. Few are concerned that shunning the vineyards will draw En-Ki’s wrath, as everyone knows En-Ki cares little about the opinions of mortals. Regardless ofhigh society’s attitudes, the En-Kiynian faith is popular, and her apostles and oracles might be seen wherever one travels. En-Ki cares about her church only as much as it keeps her entertained. She has never had much interest in structures or organizations, but individual members of the faith often draw her eye. Particularly faithful members of the vineyards who seek change, alteration, insight and inspiration sometimes find themselves protected and guided by their god. More often, though, they’re not even noticed. The En-Kenyans have a saying: “Her vision is not ours to fathom.” They utter it when it seems like she cares nothing for them. It is a frequent problem for the faithful, as En-Kiseems just as likely to take an interest in a mad peasant as in the workings of her worshipers. For this reason, she watches vineyards, but does little to interfere with their affairs, and relies on her servants in the heavens to tend to such trivial matters as heeding prayers and supplying powers.Doctorine
“We have no need for great men and their towering spires. We cast our lot with the outsider, the poet, and the fool. In the end times, we will all be remembered by the mad acts of the shunned and the outcast, not the rigid perfection of the pillars of society.”—The Visions of the Prophet Glorik Hillock The En-Kiynian faith revolves around six sayings, called “The Vintner’s Creed,” or just “The Creed.” The earliest oracles of En-Ki handed down these maxims at the founding of the vineyards. This was quite some time ago; vineyards have maintained their form of worship longer than nearly any other church. Perhaps this is because the traditions are captured in six simple sayings, and do not require a great deal of doctrine or dogma to be passed from generation to generation. Whatever the case, all En-Kinyanes contemplate and observe the Creed. It is supposed to be repeated daily, if the En-Kiynian remembers, but weekly observance suffices. The reason for the Creed is that the true worship of En-Ki is difficult to grasp for those who do not possess profound wisdom. As her greatest apostles, oracles, and joyous brothers understand, En-Ki’s nature is highly mystical—for what does it mean to be the source of inspiration, to be the feelings below the surface that people rarely heed? The wise understand that the strength, the inner glow one feels when one has drunk too much wine, is En-Ki. There are those who can harness that deep assurance, that happy strength, without the aid of wine, but for most, accessing it requires drink in copious amounts. Just as those truly touched by the Mother of Madness can experience inspiration without the aid of wine, those who are wisest can contemplate her without the Creed. But for most, wine and these sayings are necessary. The fruit of the vine is sweet. Drink deep! Always the first invocation of the En-Kiynian, this is a remembrance of En-Ki’s gift of wine to the mortal races. It is also a rumination on the power of En-Ki— through her gift of wine, she makes life sweeter for the mortal races. A En-Kiynian seeks to savor the sweetness of life, finding the joy and vibrancy in all things, that most find only in wine. There is only one terrible sin among them: to refuse to drink from the cup of life. Life is filled with wonder and despair, and many try to avoid the despair by living quiet lives of caution, and miss the wonder as well. Wine should not be sipped moderately, and neither should life. One must live to the fullest, and savor life’s wonder and sadness. There is no joy without suffering This is the saying in which the En-Kiynian ponders savouring despair. En-Ki is a being with bright red hair, but is also embodied in the grapevine. In the summer, the grapevine yields the grapes that make wine, but in the winter, the vines must be pruned constantly, or they will not produce their bounty in the following year. In legend, En-Ki is often joyous and wild, like the vines in bloom, but at other times she is dark and sorrowful, like the vines of winter, undergoing the pain of a thousand cuts. She is the patron of tragedy, sometimes filled with delight, but at other times overtaken by dark madness. Many of the ingenious artists and inventors for whom she is Inspiration suffer from similar tragedy. All that there is will be undone Everything changes, and everything will change, regardless of the hopes and endeavors of the mortal races. For this reason, it is folly to become attached to societies, structures, or any other mortal work. They will all be washed away in the end. The En-Kiynians, therefore, do not become attached to their inventions or ideas. They happily turn them over to others who wish to waste their time building upon those works, just as En-Ki gave music to her daughter to look after. For this reason, En-Kiynians are more interested in the works of those on the fringes of society, unfettered by convention, than they are in the lives and times of the powerful and noteworthy. Only that which you have not done is worthy Since nothing lasts, repetition of labor or ideas is an utter waste of one’s life. Each person should broaden their experiences—visit new places and cultures, learn new things, and partake in new activities. It is particularly good when a En-Kiynian manages something mortals have never done before. Thus, invention and creativity are truly holy pursuits. Insp iration’s voice is felt, not heard En-Ki is the god of intuition, the gut feeling, the well of emotions deep below the surface, and harder to interpret than the love, loyalty, and courage other gods represent. En-Kiynians heed their intuition and act on it, for it is the voice of En-Ki. It is in intuition that inspiration and invention can be found. Giving oneself over to one’s intuition is likened, by most, to madness. Those who crave control are slaves People who would impose law and structure on others are deluded. They are slaves to their beliefs, as much in need of liberation as those they seek to control. The En-Kiynians actively undermine lawful beliefs, usually through mockery or humor, sometimes through debate and argument, and in some rare cases, through violent overthrow. They know those who impose laws are wrong, and that the only sensible laws are those all people agree to abide by. Some En-Kiynians are so individualistic that they believe all laws are wrong, but most are more democratic. So long as people agree to laws, they are valid. These beliefs make vocal En-Kiynians unpopular with authoritarian governments. It is rare for vineyards take an active hand in politics, however (what could be more boring and repetitive?), so most authorities ignore them. En-Kiynian Prayers The En-Kiynians do not adhere to standard structures, symbolism, or even liturgy, and so there are no set prayers to the faith other than the Creed. Indeed, every En-Kiynian is expected to extemporaneously compose prayers for any given situation. There are some common themes in these prayers, however. They often begin with an invocation to En-Ki—usually, “Mother of Madness, heed my prayer!” Prayers are said while drinking wine, and are nearly always take the form of poems or songs. The more complex the rhyme scheme, the better.
Holy Days
As with their prayers, the En-Kiynians do not standardize their holy days. In fact, vineyards often decide to have a ‘holy day’ with no notice. They announce to the community that the next day, or even that very day, just happens to be a sacred celebration. Other times, they spend months planning elaborate festivals. One time is always kept sacred for the En-Kiynians, though: the first pressing of the new harvest of grapes. A great festival is held for the pressing, and celebrants mix some of the juice from the new harvest with the dregs of last year’s wine to drink in celebration. Large congregations keep the party lasting long enough to bring new wine to full fermentation, and drink it to conclude their revels. Saints While the En-Kiynians do not name saints (they do not like such titles) they have a strong appreciation for martyrdom. Because the En-Kiynians have a fondness for those at the fringe of society, they revere and remember those who give up their lives for change, innovation, and wild ideas. Sometimes big, new ideas are unpopular, deemed dangerous, and result in the innovator’s horrible death. En-Kiynian vineyards remember such people with occasional toasts, honoring them as martyrs of the faith.Holy Orders
There is no “supreme order” of the vineyards; each determines its own power structure. Usually, the highest- ranking local oracle oversees the vineyard, but there are vineyards run by councils of children or the local halfwit— even a vineyard that takes its instruction from an enchanted gibbon. No matter how the En-Kiynians structure their faith, no one gainsays them. Regardless of vineyard structure, though, there are three orders universal to the En-Kiynian faith. A person who dedicates her life to En-Ki’s works can join one of these orders, whether it is powerful in her local vineyard or not. The clergy are called the apostles. The holy warriors are called the joyous brotherhood, and have two levels of status: laughing brother or sister, and drunken brother or sister. The oracles, who most consider religious authorities, have two levels of status: seer and prophet. There is no “average” vineyard, though most have an oracle in residence and three or four apostles. Yet there are many vineyards made up of local En-Kiynians, with no one from the holy orders.Divine Domains
Madness
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