Abrastis
In the first days of the gods, Abrastis and Dieterra stepped upon the land of Torthe, and were glad. They came in their golden ship upon the ground, and unlike other Titans they did not quarrel over the earth, but instead began to gather the loyalty of the many tribes of creaturefolk and elves throughout the many lands. For the duration of the Outworld War, they existed upon their thrones, and mortal kind worshipped them. Gradually, they accumulated the adoration of thousands upon thousands, until the ascended to the Heavens, their golden ship traversing the aether until they were home.
Other Titans followed in their wake over the years, until all Titans had ascended as Gods, or had fallen, starved and alone, in battle.
Abrastis was a stern Titan, and an even sterner God. He was steeped in the knowledge and righteousness of laws, of firm adherence to them, and of strict order. Dieterra, who sat upon a Silver Throne beside Abrastis’ Golden Throne, was gentler, more prone to laughter and gentle mercy, but she saw in those early centuries a need for a strong hand to protect the refuge world of Torthe. For devils and demons of terrifying power were desperate to see the new Titan Gods fall, and the world now woken to powers of magic and prayer become a mere plaything for darkness. Against these legion followers, Abrastis, Dieterra and the other early gods fought tooth and nail, dispensing justice and bringing peace to the world in the process.
It was a loving union, that between Dieterra and Abrastis, and from their love came Asaldine and Farasta, two daughters that echoed the glories of both parents. Asaldine was gentler and more merciful, like her mother – and Farasta more oath-bound like Abrastis. The four worked well together, grounding the Pantheon and helping navigate the many missteps and crises along the way.
That was all to change.
Abrastis was the God of Law, but also of Time. And gradually, a tiny portion at a time, he began to lose his mind. The cost of dispensing justice and seeing the future laid out before him terrified him. At first he threw himself into his battles against the dark demons and invaders, but small questions sought to dissuade him. Hevren, a cousin of his, cautioned him: “None truly know the future, Abrastis, not across the passage of Time. You can see but one or two of many fragmented futures.” Yet the words meant little to the God of Justice, and he could see, weighted down with every choice he made, the inexorable doom and death of the world. The pressure of his judgements, the weight of his decisions, they finally broke him.
Some whisper, even now, that there was a twisted force working on him even then, unseen, to defeat the greatest of the gods.
And perhaps it worked, because in a fit of rage and despair, after he saw the Calculix turn, he summoned terrible magic to end the world. His inarticulate bellowing filled the skies, and the gods of the Golden Throne and their servants were thrown into disarray. After a terrible cataclysm and an almighty battle, Abrastis was placed in chains, with the hated jailer Zesillian to watch over him.
On that day, Dieterra left the Golden Throne, furious at what had been done to her love, and what had been done in her name. She had argued for a softer solution, one that would keep him free, but her daughters, Iliaern, and many others, had overruled her. She was one of the first Moon Rulers, and with her came Hevren and Cutalazz, who also hated what had been done to Abrastis. Asaldine remained, loyal to the virtue that her father had espoused, and won over by her love for Iliaern and her sister Farasta.
Tenets of Faith
Doctrine:
- Obey the law, save when it is of extreme evil;
- Keep to traditions, for they protect us all;
- Law and justice are not passive, nor should crime be tolerated;
- Justice must be available for all, whether imprisoned or not;
- Follow your betters unless they would lead you to evil;
- Always oppose the Machine, for it has destroyed more than we can know;
- Always oppose the Blight, for it has tainted every part of our world;
- Mercy is available for all, but through the pathways of justice;
- Treat those with madness gently, for we all tread the verges of it.
- Fiercely opposed to Calculix and the Blight;
- Hatred of Vaskull (fear) and Sybynill (war).
- Fear of Zessillian
- Hatred of Iliaern
- Love for Dieterra, Hevren and Cutalazz,
- Respect for Asaldine and Farasta, gratitude and love for Farasta
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