Not all martyrs see divinity.
Excerpts from Defining Divinity,
By Finnegan Kells
The gods of Moebius are not static beings; they change and evolve just the same as the many races they lay claim to. Indeed, the relationship between the worshipped and the worshippers is more tightly-knit than most understand. Religion is paradoxical: A god's fundamentals appeal to a worshipper, and that worshipper's own beliefs about his or her god in turn defines that supernatural force. It is long debated among religious scholars whether gods control man or whether man control the gods.
Let us examine the god of war, Martyr. In the dawn of man, before communication, before even death (or perhaps as a way of staving off death), there was the hunt-- the need for food. Martyr was originally a god of the hunt, and his red hue was symbolic of spilled animal blood. His signature weapon, the spear, is perhaps the oldest and most common hunting weapon ever made. The first strategies, the first competitions between men, and many believe the first god were all born of the hunt.
And soon after, conflict between men developed. It was here that the god of the hunt underwent his first change, as man felt the need to protect himself from his brother. The hunter took up a shield. Spear-points pierced human flesh as readily as it pierced an animal's. War and strife were born, and Martyr was the spear crossed over the shield, the attacker and the defender.
This raises the most curious question of the origin of a divine being. Are gods born, just as men are? Are they simply brought into existence as the concepts they signify take shape? In times long past, the line between Martyr and Rasheti was hazier than one might think. The spear-crossed shield was a single crest, worshipped as one being. However, as war developed, the spear and shield separated. Martyr became more and more offensive, and he forsook the shield, which became a symbol in itself. This separation was the birth of the god of protection.
The gap between the god of war and the god of protection has only grown wider throughout history, extending to other areas of life. The fighting styles and even the very mindset of their priests reflects this: A war priest tends to be a hot-headed tactician, always moving and changing; whereas a protection priest is a steadfast wall, a patient and constant answer to a fierce opposition. A commander who worships Martyr would be a realist willing to sacrifice a battalion to offer the rest of his army a tactical advantage; a priest of Rasheti is more idealistic, feeling that even one unnecessary death is too great a price to pay.
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While many believe that the shifting in powers between divine beings is a long-completed process, new research suggests that this is not the case. Several new gods have recently made their presence known, and there are very likely more new gods who have chosen not to do so. Many former avatars have ascended to godhood, stealing a portion of their mother or father's divine energy.
It is interesting to note that these second-generation gods are far more human in size and stature, perhaps because of their half-mortal nature. For instance, Martyr appears to most as an enormous humanoid, perhaps 20 feet tall, formed entirely of ash. His eyes and heel are aflame, and he is armed with only a simple spear and wears only a bronze helmet, its crest also aflame. Rasheti is a gaunt figure, equal in height to Martyr. His torso resembles a seven-sided shield; his limbs are thin but for his massive forearms, and he has seven fingers on each hand. His head is a smooth sphere devoid of ears, nose, and a mouth-- its only feature is an enormous eye, its iris yellow and its pupil white. The palms of his hands have smaller, matching eyes.
Martyr's son Orlando Ogoun, however, has features common to the Jangalan people: dark skin, thick hair (although his is red in color, not the far more common black), a broad nose, and dark eyes. He stands at a height average to most men, about six feet, and often dons contemporary clothing. Little is known about the avatar of war, as he is rarely in public eye.
Our last example of newer gods is far more public: much of today's youth is drawn to the teachings of Pox, the god of insanity, thanks to his unconventional gospel. Pox uses aggressive music combined with the recent development of disc technology to spread his ideas quickly throughout the world. Physically, Pox is a disorienting image, and if stared at for too long one could quite possibly forget oneself. He has sharp Elvish features and a thin frame, but is instantly recognizable for his unusual skin coloration: it constantly flows and shifts in color, like oil in water. His hair is fashioned into a black fin of hair. Despite hundreds of hypotheses regarding his parentage, no accurate conclusion has yet been reached, and none claim know the motivation for his bizarre actions.
---
Finnegan Kells is a famous religious scholar from Gaeland who, after gathering a few months' supplies and cold weather gear, sailed across the ocean towards the central continent. He has not been seen since.
By Finnegan Kells
The gods of Moebius are not static beings; they change and evolve just the same as the many races they lay claim to. Indeed, the relationship between the worshipped and the worshippers is more tightly-knit than most understand. Religion is paradoxical: A god's fundamentals appeal to a worshipper, and that worshipper's own beliefs about his or her god in turn defines that supernatural force. It is long debated among religious scholars whether gods control man or whether man control the gods.
Let us examine the god of war, Martyr. In the dawn of man, before communication, before even death (or perhaps as a way of staving off death), there was the hunt-- the need for food. Martyr was originally a god of the hunt, and his red hue was symbolic of spilled animal blood. His signature weapon, the spear, is perhaps the oldest and most common hunting weapon ever made. The first strategies, the first competitions between men, and many believe the first god were all born of the hunt.
And soon after, conflict between men developed. It was here that the god of the hunt underwent his first change, as man felt the need to protect himself from his brother. The hunter took up a shield. Spear-points pierced human flesh as readily as it pierced an animal's. War and strife were born, and Martyr was the spear crossed over the shield, the attacker and the defender.
This raises the most curious question of the origin of a divine being. Are gods born, just as men are? Are they simply brought into existence as the concepts they signify take shape? In times long past, the line between Martyr and Rasheti was hazier than one might think. The spear-crossed shield was a single crest, worshipped as one being. However, as war developed, the spear and shield separated. Martyr became more and more offensive, and he forsook the shield, which became a symbol in itself. This separation was the birth of the god of protection.
The gap between the god of war and the god of protection has only grown wider throughout history, extending to other areas of life. The fighting styles and even the very mindset of their priests reflects this: A war priest tends to be a hot-headed tactician, always moving and changing; whereas a protection priest is a steadfast wall, a patient and constant answer to a fierce opposition. A commander who worships Martyr would be a realist willing to sacrifice a battalion to offer the rest of his army a tactical advantage; a priest of Rasheti is more idealistic, feeling that even one unnecessary death is too great a price to pay.
---
While many believe that the shifting in powers between divine beings is a long-completed process, new research suggests that this is not the case. Several new gods have recently made their presence known, and there are very likely more new gods who have chosen not to do so. Many former avatars have ascended to godhood, stealing a portion of their mother or father's divine energy.
It is interesting to note that these second-generation gods are far more human in size and stature, perhaps because of their half-mortal nature. For instance, Martyr appears to most as an enormous humanoid, perhaps 20 feet tall, formed entirely of ash. His eyes and heel are aflame, and he is armed with only a simple spear and wears only a bronze helmet, its crest also aflame. Rasheti is a gaunt figure, equal in height to Martyr. His torso resembles a seven-sided shield; his limbs are thin but for his massive forearms, and he has seven fingers on each hand. His head is a smooth sphere devoid of ears, nose, and a mouth-- its only feature is an enormous eye, its iris yellow and its pupil white. The palms of his hands have smaller, matching eyes.
Martyr's son Orlando Ogoun, however, has features common to the Jangalan people: dark skin, thick hair (although his is red in color, not the far more common black), a broad nose, and dark eyes. He stands at a height average to most men, about six feet, and often dons contemporary clothing. Little is known about the avatar of war, as he is rarely in public eye.
Our last example of newer gods is far more public: much of today's youth is drawn to the teachings of Pox, the god of insanity, thanks to his unconventional gospel. Pox uses aggressive music combined with the recent development of disc technology to spread his ideas quickly throughout the world. Physically, Pox is a disorienting image, and if stared at for too long one could quite possibly forget oneself. He has sharp Elvish features and a thin frame, but is instantly recognizable for his unusual skin coloration: it constantly flows and shifts in color, like oil in water. His hair is fashioned into a black fin of hair. Despite hundreds of hypotheses regarding his parentage, no accurate conclusion has yet been reached, and none claim know the motivation for his bizarre actions.
---
Finnegan Kells is a famous religious scholar from Gaeland who, after gathering a few months' supplies and cold weather gear, sailed across the ocean towards the central continent. He has not been seen since.