The High Horseman

The once-mighty master of the Four Horseman, now imprisoned deep within the Baleful Star of Destruction

...The Baleful Star of Destruction...Gehenna...domain of The Horsemen. O, what secrets ye must hide....
What horrors have ye endured, O Baleful Star...? Where hath thine blue hue gone, that it hath run over with crimson?
Wherefore hath your light gone, O Baleful Star...? In ye, I can glimpse salvation - beautiful transcendance.
Such beauty...if only mine eyes could see it. If only mine ears could hear it. If only mine soul could feel it.
And yet, as here I layeth upon the fields of Gehenna, spared from a grisly fate by your grace, I can finally see.
Not destruction. Creation.
Not the end. The Beginning.

— Ezekiah the Paleblood, upon his awakening on the Baleful Star of Destruction after his death

The High Horseman is classified as a Lesser Idol, and is capable of granting powers as a patron to witches, oracles, warlocks, and the like who venerate the mysterious Pale Blue Moon of Gehenna that often saves those consigned to Gehenna and delivers them from oblivion, whose infinite and unending power(Said to be so vast that the merest fragment of its might formed the ground, sky, and core of Gehenna itself) lies chained and sealed by the Four Horsemen of the Hinnom for reasons that even now defy mortal understanding. Consult your GM if you are interested in following or recieving power from The High Horseman as described here.
Of note, The High Horseman possesses another aspect that is worshipped as a Pseudo-Creator Deity by the Hinnom of the Plane of Gehenna(Also known as Daemons) which is known as as "Hyldrin" - a God of Destruction and Oblivion - and is capable of granting true divine power as a God(Not merely a Lesser Idol), but this aspect of the High Horseman is not listed or much described here due to incompatibility with most player groups. If you are interested in worshipping Hyldrin, the God of Oblivion and Destruction, consult your GM to work out whether or not this fits the campaign in question and what their portfolio may look like.

Obedience: Spend an hour in a private place adorning your body with easily hidden iconography, holy symbols, and symbology of one of the Four Horsemen of Gehenna, the Baleful Star of Destruction. For each such symbol, symbology, or iconography cast upon your skin, alter it subtly using invisible ink or other hard to see materials to encapsulate it within a sphere or otherwise alter it with star-like symbology of the High Horseman. Once the hour is up, drop water that has bathed in the light of a full moon into each of your eyes and speak the Chant of Chains.
Effect: You become immune to all effects that would trap, capture, or otherwise alter your soul and may once a day as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity call upon the infinite power of the Pale Blue Moon to turn back the hands of time and fate itself to peer into the past in your surrounding area and observe the goings on there at a time of your choosing(The longer in the past the more vague and unreliable the information gleamed). You can interact with this window into the past and even speak to those in the area - though doing so has no bearing on the course of time or the present day. You may alternatively use this power upon a corpse and replicate a speak with dead effect on the corpse regardless of the state of the body and the time it has been deceased, even if the corpse's soul has passed on or been consumed or consigned. Once it has answered your questions, it collapses and returns to its original state. Unlike a normal speak with dead effect, the spirit can speak to its current experiences and fate since its death.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Unfortunately, much of what is known of the High Horseman is little more than pure supposition and heresay since the High Horseman's entire existence and imprisonment within Gehenna, The Baleful Star of Destruction predates the formation of the cosmology of Ea by potentially thousands of years or more - however, from what little information has been gleamed piecemeal over the Eons since Gehenna's arrival within this cosmology, a fragmented history can be pieced together.
The being known as The High Horseman, whose true name is known to none save perhaps The Horseman of Death himself, is believed to have once been not only master to the Four Horseman of Gehenna, but a Primordial Deity all their own who likely ruled a far-distant cosmology(Now likely laid to ruin at the Horsemen's own hands) as a being of unfathomable power - potentially strong enough to be classified as an Overdeity all in their own right - who was, ultimately, laid low and betrayed in some way by The Four Horsemen of Gehenna.
Spoken of as a divine being who once held undeniable, unchallenged command over not only The Four Horseman but an entire Cosmology, the High Horseman served in this role for time immemorial until they were deposed under murky circumstances by the very four beings whispered to have once served as their chiefmost Lieutenants - the beings now known as The Four Horsemen of Gehenna. This betrayal, carried out by The Horseman of Death and the three other original Horsemen whose names and identities have long since been lost to time(As only Charon himself survived Gehenna's journey through the Gloam prior to the Star's arrival in the Cosmology of Ea alive and intact), proved so utterly cataclysmic that the High Horseman's home cosmology splintered and fragmented apart as a result - the High Horseman themselves proving so utterly invincible that even in defeat, their essence could not be scattered completely.
So it is said that, freed of their bondage to their former master, the Four Horsemen lashed their master's invincible heart and soul into a prison of such complexity and wonder that, it is said, that Gehenna - the Burning Star of Destruction itself - formed wholesale around the High Horseman's prison; the High Horseman's ineffable will, so powerful that even in a dreamless death it attempted to form a body for itself around its imprisoned heart - thus creating the rocky mountains, burning fields, and seething rivers that are now hallmarks of Gehenna's environment.
However, the price of betrayal came at a high cost for The Four Horseman - now freed of their master and made The Four Horsemen of Gehenna - who now found themselves the unchallenged masters of a Cosmology that was slowly tearing itself apart in the absence of its true Divine Master(Or, depending on the telling, its Creator Deity) and lords of a mighty planetoid that, while absurdly powerful and a Plane of Existence in its own right, was itself a ticking time bomb that could not survive the depths of the obliviating Gloam that fills the space between realities.
Thus, the Four Horseman turned to their now imprisoned master one final time - and under the careful work of each Horseman in turn, yoked the tortured essence of their Deific Parent and fed it the souls of each and every being within its home cosmology to fuel Gehenna's "reality" and keep the Burning Star of Destruction intact as it flew through the Obliviating Un-Space between Realities known as The Gloam; a Plane of Existence sustained by the undying will of a dying creator god imprisoned within its core, fed souls which are in turn consumed and give birth to the race known as The Hinnom(Or, 'Daemons', to some) from the dregs that survive the process of consumption that, in turn, became the armies of the Four Horsemen themselves.
Most recently to the denizens of the Cosmology of Ea, Gehenna arrived shortly near the Dawn of Reality and has lingered within the cosmos ever since - largely under the domain of the sole surviving "original" Horseman, the Horseman of Death known as Charon, Gehenna has very nearly destroyed the cosmos multiple times; most recently when The High Horseman was released on the planet of Ea on a far-distant continent in a bid by the Horseman to allow for their parasitic Plane of Existence to consume the planet of Ea wholesale. However, the plan was defeated and the High Horseman re-sealed within the core of Gehenna shortly afterwards.
Yet, even after so many Eons, the thundering heart and soul of the slumbering deity remains defiant within the depths of Gehenna - occasionally exerting parts of its ineffable will across the cosmos and beyond and working towards its inevitable release...

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

In truth, the motivations of the High Horseman are unknown - they undoubtedly desire escape, but this fact is often called into question as the Four Horsemen themselves seem willing to occasionally "loosen" the High Horseman's chains to allow the raging deity's essence to consume Planes of Existence, Planets, and similar locations to fuel Gehenna's ever-dwindling supplies of energy which it uses to sustain itself. This occasional pseudo-freedom, while far from true freedom, nonetheless raises the question of why the High Horseman has never tried to take advantage of such a scenario to be free - or whether it has, and the attempt merely went unnoticed.
As such, it is difficult to say what the High Horseman truly wants, as it has remained a tormented prisoner for so long and exerts its will so rarely that it is unclear what it truly yearns for - though it undoubtedly remains a staunch enemy of the Four Horseman who imprisoned it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Likes & Dislikes

Likes: Thwarting the plans of The Four Horsemen, Being prayed to by the pure of heart, Stargazers, Those who have been betrayed, Those who seek revenge, Small offerings made by hand, Handmade Snacks, ???
Dislikes: The Horseman of Death, The Four Horseman of Gehenna, Those who beg for power because they 'have no other options', Drawing the attention of The Yema, Offerings of Spicy Food, ???

Virtues & Personality perks

Though known to many as little more than a bound God of Destruction that fuels the plane of Gehenna, the very select few who are lucky enough to be touched by the High Horseman's favor find them a strangely patient patron - hard to understand at the best of times and willing to bestow vast amounts of power in exchange for random and sometimes seemingly trivial tasks, the High Horseman oftentimes goes months or years without making demands of those it has made pacts with and even seems to go to unusual lengths to ensure good, stable relationships are maintained with its pactgivers to a degree that can be considered anomalous by the standards of most Lesser Idols.
All this and more are virtues that make the High Horseman a fairly interesting and unique patron - though of course juxtaposed with the extreme rarity with which it makes contact with others.

Vices & Personality flaws

Putting aside the High Horseman's very nature to many as a chained god of destruction(Whose flaws should be obvious enough to not list here), The High Horseman's flaws from the perspective of its rare few followers go hand in hand with its virtues - each and every creature given power in a pact with the High Horsemen is treated as a sacred investment; one that is begun with a deal of mutual interest, but that is expected to be maintained for life. Betrayal of the High Horseman's interests are not taken lightly - even should the pactgiver do so decades after the High Horseman's last command or request.
And when the High Horseman's wrath is earned, its Ire is truly ferocious - oftentimes exposing its own pactgivers and followers to the Four Horsemen or other enemy Divines or Idols in furious "Scorched Earth" tactics that not only ensure the death and obliteration of the traitor follower, but the follower's family, friends, and any who closely associated with them. As such, service to the High Horseman is service for life - and woe to he who dares test their patron's fury, for it falls most devastatingly upon them above all others.

Personality Quirks

The only observed quirk of The High Horseman is the unusually picky way with which it usually selects followers to empower or bestow with its grace - most common of all, accounting for nearly 90% of all known cases, is when the High Horseman spares a soul fed to Gehenna by the Horsemen or their Hinnom armies and spares them from consumption within the Parasitic Planetoid's core(Which is, of course, The High Horseman themselves). These beings, spared oblivion by the High Horsemen, often awake drained of power and memories(Though some awake with little to no memory loss, varyingly) beneath a strange, pale-blue moon that hangs unnaturally low in the sky; a parallel other-world that lasts long enough to bestow upon them a pact(Threatening oblivion in Gehenna should they refuse) before the creature in question is ejected back to its home plane and realm to serve the High Horseman's interests.
The only other known method by which the High Horseman makes itself known is during intense betrayals - most often those that take place at night, under the light of the moon. During such betrayals, the betrayed creature(or one of them, if multiple beings were betrayed) will find themselves saved from certain death by a mysterious power, awakening in the same odd other-world beneath a Pale Blue Moon and offered a pact with the High Horseman to spare their lives.
These and these alone are so far the only ways in which The High Horseman makes itself known to others - though this data is by no means complete.

Social

Reign

In truth, little is known about a time when the High Horseman was not imprisoned within the core of the realm of Gehenna - what few, few scraps have been discovered of such a time(Which predates the formation of the entire Cosmology of Ea by untold Eons) speak of the High Horseman as a Deity of unfathomable power; often spoken of as a Creator Deity or Overdeity of a far-distant cosmology that has now long since been laid to ruin.
Their reign, absolute and unchallenged, is a far cry from the actions and behaviors of a 'Creator Deity' as they are known within the Cosmology of Ea - whose very own Creator Deity gave his ineffable life to create the cosmos itself from his corpse, as opposed to ruling it as The High Horseman is oft-spoken of as doing.
Regardless, it is difficult to interpret if this reign was a peaceful or violent one - merely that it was so absolute that, for reasons that are known only to The Horseman of Death, the High Horseman's four lieutenants betrayed them and sealed them away forever.

Contacts & Relations

Few creatures in the current day are even aware of the High Horseman's existence at all - a fact which Charon and the rest of the Four Horsemen of Gehenna are all too eager to ensure stays that way to ensure their creator and former master remains sealed, imprisoned, and fueling the Plane of Gehenna's existence.
Though known closely to all the Four Horsemen of Gehenna who rule the Parasitic Planetoid, the High Horseman is undoubtedly best known to Charon - the sole surviving member of the original Four Horsemen who is believed to have been present for the High Horseman's sealing so many untold Eons ago. The other Horsemen, though undoubtedly familiar with them, are not believed to be as aware of them as he.
Besides the Four Horsemen and the Hinnom who populate Gehenna(Who revere the High Horseman as Hyldrin, a God of Destruction they believe to be Gehenna itself), few creatures across the cosmos are aware of its existence beyond merely "Hyldrin, the God of Destruction and Gehenna - only a handful of beings who have been touched by it in some way and yet serve its interests, or especially mad scholars of Gehenna who have uncovered the true nature of its existence through sheer force of will and determination alone.

Family Ties

If the High Horseman ever possessed any familial ties, they have long since perished in far-distant cosmologies since it was imprisoned within the heart of Gehenna. Now, they are utterly alone and trapped in a Dreamless Death in service to the Parasitic Planetoid known as Gehenna as well as its four damned masters, the Horsemen.

Religious Views

As a deity of such unfathomable power that it is spoken of as having once been a Creator Deity in its own right, the very concept of worshipping a deity is likely anathema to it and is a concept it does not understand.

Social Aptitude

While precious little information exists of the High Horseman in general, even fewer firsthand accounts of how it communicates can be found - as those who have been touched by the High Horseman all but refuse to divulge such information to any who ask or inquire(And indeed would rather disguise their very faith from being discovered in the first place).
A handful of dubious records speak of The High Horseman as speaking not in words or languages, but in concepts - a being so tortured and/or immensely powerful that the lowest it can manage to reach to brush against mortal minds results in concepts being forced upon others all at once in a painful jumble of ideas and concepts roughly equating to a conversation.

Wealth & Financial state

As a deity who is spoken of as once ruling over an entire Cosmology, the High Horseman's wealth was undoubtedly once incalculable yet now has been reduced to naught but pain and ruin as their heart and soul lies imprisoned within the heart of the Parasitic Planetoid known as Gehenna, the Burning Star of Destruction.

Death to the Usurpers of the first and true;
Death to the Traitors and their scions too;
Woe be upon them, who broke the great taboo;
Woe be upon them, four mantles of the Pale Blue Moon!

— "The Chant of Chains", the only known prayer to The High Horseman

Divine Classification

Lesser Idol

Honorary & Occupational Titles

The Oinodaemon, Hyldrin, The Unraveler, High Lord of the Hinnom, King Gehenna

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