The Urchin
"The despair of children is an awful force to tamper with."
The small god of small children, avenger of those without power, and protector of the despairing, the Urchin is a small god in the city of Lifworðig, although their territory is spreading as children whisper the rituals to summon the god to their aid. The Urchin has no proper name (at least none that is known). They manifest as a child of indeterminate gender and an age that is somewhere shy of puberty. The face changes frequently, but the Urchin always has red-rimmed eyes and tear tracks down their dirty face. Adults think this clashes with the impish smile, but the children who worship the Urchin recognize the signs of one of their own.
The Urchin is a trickster god, and summoning them to your aid always comes with trouble. They never leave a house without stealing something, breaking something, and playing a prank. Those who summon the Urchin for petty reasons will find that they become the target of the god's tricks - but those who call on them in true despair will be avenged by the god. For them, the Urchin will steal a hand, break a spirit, and play a prank that leaves blood on the ceiling.
Summoning the Urchin also comes with a price. Whatever the Urchin does for or to you, you must pay forward to the other children in need. This may be a piece of bread passed to a homeless waif, or it may be knifing an abusive adult, but it has to be done, or the Urchin will come back for you. The Urchin tells you the price before they go, and shirking the duty is a quick way to more trouble.
Some adults have sought the aid of Arvandus the Wizard in containing or controlling the Urchin. So far, he has declined to assist them in any way - and some of those who have badgered have gone missing, discouraging others from pursuing this line.
Shrines to the Urchin can be found in hidden places throughout the city. There is also one maintained by the Numina Salvation Society in their Temple of Small Gods.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
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