Mouthpiece

Deity's Mouthpiece

A Divinity's Orator/Oratrix & Direct Link

Alternative Names

Metatron, Divine Oratrix/Orator, Völuva, Oracle, Celestial Emissary

Purpose

To act on the behalf of a deity, either with edicts, negotiations or direct acts of will.

Demand

One per deity, unless the deity is particularly well worshipped. Most Humans never experience a Mouthpiece in their lifetime. Those linked to The Mystic Truce have a more privileged connection to the divine.

mouthpieces

Nuha, Athene Olympia's Owl

Fickle as many deities throughout Midgard history seem, the act of granting a semi-divine or Stellar Ascended once-human a sliver of divine authority to act as a mediary came about fairly early on. As always it seems, we can blame the Theosians.

Before they figured out how to appear in three dimensional forms, it was all burning bushes, pillars of fire, or higher dimensional forms which melted the brains of Non-Theosian demi-gods and humans alike.

Wholesale mess, I assure you. Heavens, we needed a great flood to clean the place, wash away the goo.

Not all deities or extra-realm beings are as straining to the baseline human experience, yet all but the slim few deities have taken a Mouthpiece of a fashion.

For one, they're rather easier to replace, and a lot less catastrophic to the Realms when they do inevitably expire. This we found out in macabre detail during The Mystic War.

Most Mouthpieces are ceremonial nowadays, outside of Truce Meets or the sorts of parties thrown by Realms who don't understand the sapient need to consume various tasty fluids and fuels of culinarily intriguing varieties. No one will ever forgive the 'bread and water' debaucle of 1782, nor allow the deity in question to plan any more parties. A salon maybe, or a small panel discussion on the philosophy of a cheese board, but not a whole party. Their Mouthpiece is, in fact, much better for all concerned.

Even if she is an Owl.

History

After the Theosian Incidents, Mouthpieces began popping up across Midgard at every divine opportunity. There was a time period where a bipedal sapient could trot out for a jaunty stroll and trip across a half dozen mouthpieces of whatever extra-Realm divinity or demi-god happened to stake their claim on 'words to live by' or 'commandments lest ye be punished'. Damned nuisance the lot.

Yet, the Humans tended to fair far better with Mouthpieces than the deities themselves. On one hand, it was easier for a divinity to donate a sliver of power to an appropriate vessel from across the Axis Mundi without having to make the trip. On another, gods are a rather busy lot and they always seemed to need some help with the locals. And lastly, humanity proved quite efficiently throughout the ages that gods can die, and perhaps it's best to keep them 'behind the veil' as it were, and not in front of the executioner's axe unless absolutely necessary.

Provided Services

Guidance, oracular interspecies communication, divine warnings, the odd smiting... Mouthpieces in the grander sense enact their divinity's will, whether through vociferous indignation or entitled action. Within The Mystic Truce, most Mouthpieces work as ambassadors between the Realms, or negotiate on their deity's behalf.

Tools

Every Mouthpiece carries a symbol of office. Usually a totem, relic, weapon, necklace or item of clothing, this symbol is their direct gift from their deity, and contains a modicum of the deity's mystical power. For Gna, it appears to be her cape of rattle-bones. For the Lochagos of Ares Mars Olympia, their Spartan Kopis. And for Salomon Calder, the Keeper Emeritus of me, it was... well... ahem... me.

"Wait. The guy from the dusty house in Vancouver with all the macramé?! What deity was ole Sal Metatr-Meganon... Mouthpiece of? Especially if the symbol of office was..."

Lilith Mischeva

From the outrageous gasp which evacuated your mouth, it appears you finally learned enough basic arithmetic to add two plus two...

"Aaaand that's enough, moving on! We're moving right along to... huh... Makoshki Quartz Grass apparently..."

Caleb Mauthisen

"Father dear? Did you have... was the... gooses and mooses. You really did have... oooo! When do I get to exercise my divine will!? I wanna command mooks, too!"

Lilith Mischeva

I swear I didn't say a single thing. Tum de tum. La la la, look at me, an innocent Book of Knowledge.

"Not till you're at least 105. Give me Book, Missy! I leave you two alone long enough to make a decent cup of coffee and... no you are not telling Milly she can be your Metatron! You're barely old enough to sass!"

Caleb Mauthisen