Demigods

Demigods are mortal or semi-mortal children of the Gods, when only one parent is a God and another either is a mortal or was no one, and the child was made directly by the God. Technically, by this definition, the very first of every species is a demigod, but the term has narrowed down only to focus on those who maintained some form of divine power in the act of creation.

Etymology

The word demigod is said to have originated from what the Golden Dragon Lord Kath the Eternal would call himself in Draconian: "semideus."

Asa by Jarhed

Since Draconian was not a global language, when translating it into a word for the rest of the world to understand, Kath began saying that he was a "Demigod" meaning part God.
There was great debate in early Giant circles of why they would bother to make a distinction between God and Demigod when the only Demigods that they were aware of for most of their history were the Dragon Lords, the most powerful creatures alive. To the Giants, and to most of the world throughout history, these Dragon Lords may as well be Gods.
But Kath made certain to draw a dividing line between the divine and himself. He wanted them to know that while he was powerful, and while there were those that worshiped him, he was not worthy of having a Heavenly Realm or ruling over the planet. He was made by a God, but he was not a God himself, and did not have the full powers of one.

"I may be powerful, but a God... a God is far greater than even me. I am merely semideus... demigod."

— Kath the Eternal

Hurdren by Jarhed

It was with Asa, a supposed ancient Giant hero, that the first example of a Demigod became clearly seen by the Giants and that they began understanding it more, though still Asa was worshiped and had her own hero cult where many considered her like a Goddess.

Hero Cults and Worship

Demigods have a history of being worshiped after death, with shrines built in their honor and small sects of their parents faiths becoming dedicated to honoring them after they die.
This often only happens with the particularly heroic demigods, but it has happened to some less deserving demigods as well.
Some of these Hero Cults evolve from a small worship into something used for political gain. The World Court uses the myth and wordship of Myrine, and her death at their tower, to gain some legitimacy among worshipers of Ishtar, using the likeness of the Goddess's daughter for their own political gains.

Myrine by Jarhed

The image of Salasar Feaphed, too, was used as a sign of a growing pro-Grand Wizard and pro-Phrixus movement among Draconians, as both had been unpopular positions at the time of his death.

Role in Prophecies

Demigods often end up the center of prophecies, particularly from the Oracle of Alzirgos because of Ishtar's regular mating with mortals, and proximity to the Oracle. The children of Ishtar are often given prophecies that tell them their paths and (usually) doomed fates.
But other demigods are also regularly the subject of prophecies, as they are more favored by some Gods (their parents, usually) and hated by others (who are not their parents, most often).
The most famous of these prophecies was that of Phrixus's savior, which it was believed would be Salasar Feaphed, but ended up instead being his younger sister Hameila Neconkus. A Draconian born of the Dragon God of Justice who would bring Draconian society back to peace and propserity.

Grand Wizard Salasar Feaphed by Jarhed

Another famous one was that of Myrine's trials to become a God, where the full prophecy was withheld. She wanted to be surprised, and only heard the ending as she was about to die. The end which told her that her hubris would be punished by the Gods and she would never reach Heaven in her lifetime.

Attributes of Demigods

Demigods are said to stand taller than other mortals, though this is more to say that the way they carry themselves is different from that of other mortals, just naturally (or so it is said). They have divine blood flowing through them, which grants them a greater position among all life according to most priests.
But that is only said to appeal to the Gods, and there is no evidence that it is true. There are, however, other attributes that are more proven among the Demigods.

Famous Demigods

Below is a list of some of the most well-known Demigods throughout Totanian history.

• Kath the Eternal- The first life created on Totania, Kath is the Golden Dragon Lord and, like all metallic Dragon Lords, the demigod child of Phrixus. It is said that Kath not only has overwhelming physical power, but has greater magical potential than any other living being.


• Zome, Lord of Red- The Red Dragon Lord who is, like all other Chromatic Dragon Lords, the demigod child of Helle. He is known as the most destructive force in all of Totania, and is feared by every living being.


• Asa- Legendary Giant protagonist of the Epic of Asa, or She Who Lingered in the Void, demigod daughter of Mayowa.


• Meiriris Nerifir- The second Elf created, Meiriris was made in the image of her divine parent, Selene, and gained some divine power from that. Thus, Meiriris is considered a demigod unlike her mortal sibling, Dresmorlin Cobath, and all other Elves of the period.


• Hurdren- The immortal Dwarven "Waterfall Warrior" and son of the Minor Goddess Ostara, he was said to be invulnerable everywhere but his left index finger, and is best known for his role in the Kwarvian War.


• Flutrin- A Nereid witch that lived in the Abral Islands, daughter of Papatūānuku, known for seducing those that land on her island and lulling them into a delusional state.


• Myrine- A legendary hero, Myrine was the child of Ishtar, who was sent through trials to supposedly become a God. She died during the final trial, as the Gods prevented her from succeeding.


• Bonkules- Another demigod child of Ishtar, Bonkules was known for his absurd strength and sheer lack of intellect. He was a minor hero who is said to have drowned in battle.


• Salasar Feaphed- Prophesied to be a savior, Salasar was a powerful Draconian mage made by Phrixus to save a world that the God deemed to be close to beyond saving. He was the 64th Grand Wizard, and is responsible for many events around the start of the Age of Justice and, via his influence, well beyond his own lifetime.


• Hameila Neconkus- The younger sister of Salasar Feaphed, Hameila was sent to finish the job Salasar could not finish himself, becoming the 65th Grand Wizard.


• Ponos- A Half-Elven demigod child of Ishtar who was part of a growing movement, he was killed before he could fulfill the role he was born for, and became a cautionary tale.


• Fraus- A mysterious Half-Elven woman who claims divine parentage, biding her time for "the pooling of the blood."


• Horkos- A Half-Elven demigod child of Selene, known for upholding oaths.


• Valfarin Shinebright- Technically considered a demigod, Valfarin is the son of the heroes Lorakaen and Finethir Shinebright, the latter of which became a cult leader and claimed to be a God. Due to this, Valfarin and his sister Raelia Shinebright were called demigods, and many wondered if enough people happened to believe it if they might gain demigod powers.

Demigods have tougher skin, which is more difficult to pierce. Their muscles grow easier and faster, their strength increases at greater rates than normal mortals, and they are said to naturally be faster.
Demigods are naturally, more often than not, attuned to magic more than normal mortals.

Meiriris Nerifir by Jarhed

This gives them larger mana stores and greater access to more powerful magic at a much faster rate. They are powerful and proficient mages, and some are even capable of summoning the Holy Might of their divine parent. At the highest level, Demigods may even manifest their very own Holy Might. For more information on that, read on for the Demigod Form.

Instability

Demigods are known to be unstable, for divine power was not meant to be held in a mortal shell. Thus, Demigods are said to be easily corrupted, their brains more susceptible to madness and coercion and their bodies, so powerful, so quick to break down under great stress.
To see the mental degredation of Demigods, one need look to Meiriris Nerifir. While some say she merely betrayed her old ideals later in life because she found reasons to change her mind, others attribute her change of mind to be related to her brain deteriorating from the divine blood flowing through her body, causing her to, as many Demigods do, lose the person she once was over time, slowly but surely. It is believed to be caused when Demigods use magic often without proper training to handle their overwhelming power.
The physical instability, on the other hand, happens more often, as Demigod bodies, full of so much heavenly energy, are in use every moment they are alive, and thus are utilizing their divine power at all times. The muscles can deteriorate and rot, or even at times just snap. Arms or legs that were once so strong can, at a moments notice, turn to a state like paper and tear with ease. This is the price of divine power in a shell that cannot handle it, and some Demigods simply cannot handle this power.
This instability is not a certainty, and it cannot be said that Meiriris definitely experienced it. If one trains their muscles or keeps their brain active and working as often as they can, it will likely not deteriorate like it would. A mortal body is not meant to hold divine power, but if it is trained, the mortal body can do anything it wills itself to do.

Divine Blood

The instability of Demigods comes from their divine blood, which appears the same as mortal blood, but carries with it a terrifying power to it. It is said to be as potent to ingest as a barrel full of wine, and can intoxicate any who touch it with a great power that can corrupt the mind.
Demigods live with it in their bodies for their entire lives. For this, they are granted power, but also their minds often are lost more easily.

Flutrin by Jarhed

They can use this to grant themselves a Balor, though it is not as powerful as one granted by a God themselves. But often, Demigods simply ask their divine parent for a Balor and are given one.

Blots of Heaven

Some Demigods have strange coloring on their bodies, splotches and patches of skin where their bodies change color, often into bright unnatural hues, but at times to simply another common skin color that they did not previously have. These are called Blots of Heaven, and are said to be a skin condition where their bodies, flowing with the power of Heaven, attempt to appear divine by changing color or marking themselves to denote themselves as not mortal.

Demigod Form

By nature, Demigods have a stronger form that they can turn into, though it takes some work to achieve, and even more work to make worthwhile. This form is known as the Demigod Form, where they transcend their mortal shells and inhabit the divine power inside of them, allowing it to flow outwards and take over their bodies.
This manifests in different ways for different Demigods. Many begin to shine, their hair or skin changing color or glowing, and a powerful aura extending from them. This aura is where their Holy Might manifests, for only when a Demigod has a domain of their own, one that they identify with and embody, can they enter their Demigod Form. Inside of the aura, everything they encompass enters into a new created realm that moves with the Demigod, but appears much like the world would have otherwise. The Heavenly Realm of the Demigod, which exists only in the heart until it manifests through this form.

Amukk by Jarhed

As the Demigod grows stronger and comes more into their own, understanding the kind of God they would aspire to be and stepping out of the shadow of their divine parent, their Demigod form levels up, growing from a Semigod form to a Demigod form to a Full Demigod form and, finally, to a level where their domains fully manifest in the form, and they grow to a level right below actual Gods, known as the God Form.
It is said there is no mortal power that can match a fully powered God form, and that even the Gods themselves would struggle to stop the full might of that form.
There have been very few people to ever reach God form. The only known person to ever achieve God form is Amukk, who was not even born a Demigod, though many assume that all Dragon Lords can achieve God form, but that it is simply too powerful for them to ever need to use it.
After all, Demigod form can be achieved by other means than being born a Demigod. It needs only divine blood and the blessing of a God, and if one is infused with this blood and given a blessing, they can gain access to the Demigod form, though if they do so for too long without training and maintaining themselves, their bodies (weaker than those of normal Demigods) will break apart much faster under the pressure of the new divine blood in them. Amukk, the mortal who rose to become a God, was able to do this and achieve God form, then ascending to Heaven to become an actual God thanks to that form.

Semigod Children

Demigod children often do not inherit their divine powers, or at least not all of them. The term coined for the children of Demigods is "Semigod" after the original "Semideus" that Demigod came from. Semigods have very minimal divine blood and, thus, rarely have any connection to the divine.
They can connect to it in some ways. They may be more magically inclined, or may find it easier to gain muscle, but they do not have access to Demigod forms or any related powers that Demigods have. Their divinity is so thin that most consider it strange to classify them by the small amount of divine blood they have, and instead consider Semigods as purely normal mortals.