Pazamë

the Dread King, of the Scales, the Singer, of Sleep, Soul-Keeper

Pazamë is a fearsome god who rules over the mountainous places of the world, where he judges the fallen based on their deeds in life. Beneath his ironclad feet lay his domain – the earth and all that lies within it. This makes him both ruler of the highest places in the world and, simultaneously, lord of the Underworld, a duality not lost on his priests. All that exists deep within the earth is his, so miners and others seeking wealth in deep, dark places intrude on the fringes of his demesne. Still, he is not worshipped directly; sacrifices are offered to keep him away. Pazamë is also the god of destructive warfare. His is a rolling ruin that brings death and destruction to all before him. Nothing can withstand the avalanche of his blows, and even Veträ is wise enough to give the dark god a wide berth. Thus it is only fitting that Pazamë is husband to the icy Kore who blankets his slopes with snow and every winter harvests more souls for his dungeons. Pazamë rarely appears to mortals, but when he does, his skin is pale and covered in a layer of dirt. His hair and beard are black and streaked with ashy gray, and his black, soulless eyes pierce to the soul. On his shoulder perches a snow-white owl and from his belt hangs a pair of axes perpetually dripping with blood and gore.

Morality

Pazamë does not often grant powers to his clergy. In fact, his priests are, themselves, few and dedicated to keeping the Dread-King’s appetites sated so he doesn’t visit himself upon the community. When he does grant powers, it is often to those who uphold the order of law via Honesty, embody Truthfulness, or ensure the Soul-Keeper his due in battle by suffering not an enemy to live – Bloodlust. Others find the dark god’s blessing through a devotion to the souls of the dead, usually by shriving tormented spirits so they can pass on or otherwise putting down undead; treat this as Sense of Duty (The Dead) [-15]. And as with all of the bloody gods, those who religiously observe the many rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices surrounding Pazamë are sometimes rewarded with power; treat this as one of Disciplines of Faith (Mysticism, Ritual Sacrifice, or Ritualism).

Divine Servitors

Spirits of earth, war, death, and destruction follow Pazamë, but his divine servitors take such aspects to new heights. His angels of death are winged nightmares clad in the heaviest of plate couching lances the length of four men and sitting granite-grey warhorses wrapped in black iron barding. These embodiments of war’s destruction have the War element and the Winged lens, and they often also take Fear or Order. Those servitors who embody Pazamë’s earth aspects take the Earth element, sometimes with the Nature element and almost always have the Natural lens.

Shrines

Pazamë is not directly worshipped and thus does not have freestanding shrines. Instead, his shrines are in pantheons where blood sacrifices are made to pacify the Soul-Keeper and in mines to trade blood for the wealth taken from his domain. His alters are often decorated with carvings of owls and hounds and littered with bones, skulls, blood, and entrails. In temples, his white marble statue looms over an alter held on outstretched owl wings, and at his feet sit his three massive hounds. His eyes are inset circles of jet, and his hounds granite.

Divine Favor

Pazamë particularly favors prayers concerning war, personal combat, and aggression. He also performs miracles concerning the earth, but not that which grows from the earth. His holy warriors are said to be as immovable as the mountains and as unstoppable as an avalanche. Abilities Alternate Form (Body of Earth or Body of Stone Binding, with Engulfing and Environmental (-20% Clinging, with Specific, Stone (-40% Combat Reflexes; Control (Earth or Stone), often with Natural Phenomena; Create (Earth Damage Resistance, with Flexible (-20% Damage Resistance; Detect, for earth, specific minerals, etc.; Enhanced Defenses; Extra Attack, with Multi-Strike; High Pain Threshold; Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction Innate Attacks, with Environmental (-20%) that emulate boulders, earthquakes, etc.; Lifting ST; Perfect Balance; Rapid or Very Rapid Healing; Recovery; Regeneration; Striker, often with Limb; Striking ST; Super Climbing; Super Throwing; Terrain Adaptation (Mud, Sand, or Mountains and Terror.