Penja'at
No one is born villainous, nor do pickpockets, heartbreakers, arsonists, or con-men spring fully-formed into being. Passion, however well-intentioned, is the quickest path into my domain.
Divine Domains
Penja'at is a god of crime and chaos and reveling in the misfortune of others. He delights in all of these things, but above all, he considers himself to be the foremost deity of what he calls 'Petty Evil'. Not true amorality or an utter lack of empathy, but rather those who fall victim to the little excuses that let them get through the day. The people whose white lies grow blacker by the day until they've stacked up so high there's no getting back down. Penja'at's greatest pleasure is aiding mortals in reaching this state, only to point would-be heroes in their direction and watch a narrative fit for a cheap novella play out in real life.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Penja’at’s sign is the right half of a shattered, humanoid mask, with a jagged grin that extends into the empty space of the missing left side. It and his favorite mortal-given title - the Lord of Petty Evils - represent his ideals fairly succinctly, if slightly abstract. He is also sometimes called the High Villain, and he has attempted to spread the title of ‘Master of Misdemeanors’ several times over the last few centuries, though it has always died out after a generation or so.
What few servants of Penja’at there are who operate in plain sight utilize a secondary sign, the Master’s Hand, which features a disembodied hand daintily holding a game piece and claiming victory in the game depicted - tipping over the opposing king in a game of chess, for example. They pass as a guild of game enthusiasts, often traveling the world to ‘learn new regional rules and strategies’. These limited cults have remained undetected for centuries as many are, in fact, quite fond of the games their signs depict, and can do an excellent job of proving their guild’s authenticity if questioned.
Tenets of Faith
Penja’at has no official religion to call his own - few people are willing to openly worship an admittedly evil god. Even still, he’s managed to get his name known in the mortal world simply by quietly revealing his role in major events and allowing his renown to spread by word of mouth. His name carries very little weight to most, and is in fact used as a curse word in some regions, but much of the world is aware of his antics and the part he plays in the lives of the scum of the world.
For those few who do revere their Lord for the services he provides towards their dark deeds, they recognize that not even they are shielded from his petty wiles. All are viable targets, no matter their allegiances, and revenge - if sought at all - is outside of Penja’at’s purview. Prayers in his name rarely ask for direct protection from theft of the like, but instead simply ask that those who might target the faithful be incompetent buffoons.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Penja'at seeks the same things most of the more unscrupulous gods do: Entertainment. In his mind, good and evil are not diametrically opposed ideals. They're merely stages of a cycle, endlessly churning away as one puts down the other in great, dramatic shows of violence and justice, love and loathing. For as much as he enjoys goading on some of the most heinous scoundrels on the planet, he knows full well that their time is limited, and so he takes just as much pleasure in setting up their inevitable fall. More than a few tales of heroes past involve a chance meeting with a strange, red-eyed individual who mucks up the hero in just the right way to 'accidentally' inspire them to succeed in their quest.
Physical Description
Body Features
Penja'at is perhaps one of the most active gods within the mortal plane. He finds immense pleasure in watching the plights of the common folk, and even more in dabbling in the affairs of anyone and everyone. He often does so in the guise of a plain, 'everyman' example of the local mortal species, but he leaves rather obvious clues to his identity in the form of entirely black attire and piercing red eyes.
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