True Name: Zatolen
Persona Name: Zatolen
Other Personas: Troskraam, Dakou, and Ziamvikosis.
Ascended Greater Fate of Power, Corruption, Taboos, and Deviancy.
Excerpt: ‘The True Mother gave to the mortals the Body, a vessel, a means to hold what was sacred. Zale gave them the Heart so that they might become one and grow. From Mealis, they were given Spirit so that they might find piety, zeal, and dedicate themselves to something ever greater. Zatolen saw them and spoke. “Thou are, thou love, thou believe, thus I gift thou thought.” And granted them the Mind so that they could think and learn and appreciate how the wonders of the world work.’ Founding Prayer of the Cult of Zatolen.
Known across the plane as Zatolen, The Dark Lord, The Dark God, The God fo Strings, The Giver of Rings, The Champion of the Fates, The Chief of the Gods, The Falling Star, The Ascendant, The Breaker of Sun and Sky, The Alloy, The Crucifier, The Scarlet Eyed, The Dark Within, The Prince Consort, The Honorary Bunny, The Skysheer, The Eclipse, and The Bane of the Weak.
Holy Book: The Book of Crowns, The Magenta Book, and the Book of Scales.
The Leader of the Gods of Darkness, Member of the Fated Crowns, the Fae Courts, the Laughing Gods, the Muses, the Dragon Gods, the Dart Frog Crew, and the Gods of the Common.
Zatolen’s holy symbol is the Horned Cross – a vertical line crossed by a small crescent at the bottom and a longer line at the top, which resembles an inversely proportioned anchor.
When active on Ithia, The Scarlet Star stands above Mealis’ Caress. This bright Red Star has been known to grow so bright it blocks out the influence of the other gods, save Kaxis’.
Zatolen’s Divine Realm is a great mountain that cycles through spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Ancient trees rise, brambles, and berry bushes dot this land with clear streams and a large, slow river perfect for swimming and fishing. A lodge that is a mixture of log cabin and palace sits at the top of the mountain. The cabin is well-made but not overly refined. Its vast halls are full of furniture carved by Zatolen’s own hands. Its halls are full of his children, friends, and servants he’s acquired over his time in this cycle. An army of dogs Zatolen has found abandoned fills the hall, led by his three personal dogs, whom he has ascended to divinity, and often sit around the fireplace of his audience chamber, where the trophies of great beasts he forged to test his abilities rest behind him. Though one might notice that the walls he can see are spiraling collages of his many children’s lives, be they born or adopted, they fill all his vision, stretching off the whole of their lives, though some seem to have ended rather abruptly. All his places of power include a throne for him, and Mealis and her presence are apparent where her blessed light has bleached walls, seats, and tables.
Zatolen maintains one artifact of power.
-The Prophet of the Weak: a black morning star with a handle that can slide from one-handed to polearm length. Its head flourishes into twisted fingers, each pointing outward accusingly with jagged, clawed nails. It spreads guilt, shame, and fear among those who see it, and those whose skin is pierced by its accusing fingers feel pain that grows ever greater until they accept all the greatest failures they refuse to take accountability for.
Zatolen has many holy relics including the Scarlet Spurs, The Black Blood Armor, The Sword of Scarlet and Sorrow, The Shroud of Selimara, The Urn of Gorok, The Book of the Librarian, The Ears of the Bunny, The Rending Stone, The Skull of Iomharach, The Cataclysm Stone of Norgrad, and The Sacred Crafts of the Siblings(Which he’d very much like to get back and has no idea how the mortals got into his children keepsake drawer.)
Zatolen views Roses, Dogs, and Dollidoos as sacred.
Zatolen is a man built like a serpent, thin and muscled, with the fingers of someone who excels at pulling a bow across the strings of a violin or a blade across a throat. Though they are heavily callused from work. He has the pallor of arsenic bleaching, hair as black as coal forming a delicate goatee, and long locks that bleed into shadow behind him like the cloak of some dread villain. His lips are often curled into a smirk or blank disinterest, and eyes that burn with Famill looking like the captured power of two scarlet stars mid-nova. Zatolen keeps regal or rural clothing, and while it is generally kept clean, one can often see small signs of mess left by children and pets. He’s almost never portrayed without his three favorite hounds, Siegfried the Dollidoo, Sunshine, his personal C-Horse, or in the embrace and/or conflict with Mealis. She can often be seen perched on one of his shoulders. Having grown up in the previous cycle, he has more modern ideals and tries to steer people towards a life with more than toil. He takes in abandoned dogs who could not otherwise survive on their own and adopts and takes in the children and ex-lovers of his fellow gods, whose lives have been wrecked for their involvement. Zatolen tries to set an example and serve as a parental figure for the younger gods whose parents are not overly familiar. He is consumed by regret for the loss of his daughter, Selimara, and the breaking of his son Ogrell, as well as the death of Kaldron. He is one of the Consort Princes of the Fae Queens.
Zatolen grants his divine servants the power to channel negative energy, empower the body, spirit, and mind, overcharge spells, break magical barriers and shields, and one’s own life force into raw power.
Zatolen sponsors the High Winter Festival, where the people of Ithia gather, and each God gifts the mortal feasts with one of their favorite dishes. It is a time of gathering, of coming together to help the community throughout the day, playing games, and then the feast provided by the Gods. It is ill-advised to trust the food gifted by Na’Tally, at least Ja Zoi isn’t allowed to poison anyone.
Zatolen is worshipped by many species, though he discourages worship of him. He is seen as the pursuit of power; he is the alloy, the binding of materials, the shaping of matter and life into a point. He is one of the few gods who answer calls from people outside his clergy, listen to prayers his fellow gods neglect, and make sure monsters never harm children. His flocks gather on Revansday to socialize, share burdens, triumphs, fears, hopes, and dreams. Prayers are performed before sleep, a private and intimate moment with the great Father. The Norgathi made a grand cathedral for him and tried to christen it with the sacrifice of a demi-god child of Mealis, and he struck down their vainglorious tribute in wrath.
Zatolen discourages sacrifices of material things but accepts the self-sacrifice of blood. To bleed out the purity, to let Zatolen into your heart and soul, to erode the weakness of mortal flesh, over time, sacrifices will grant strength, warp the body, and eventually reform you into your ideal of paternal or maternal strength. Fully Corrupted can tear vampires in twain, throw carts, and hold the line against entire formations.
Zatolen’s Values
Arches (Goals) –
Zatolen hopes that mortals will not continue to submit to the will of petty gods but will become something greater. To pursue the moral superiority of vain, gluttonous, and empty creatures.
Pillars (Virtues) –
Deviancy, Corruption, Skepticism, Science, Power, Family.
Columns (Vices) –
Purity, Faith, Piety, Order, Chaos, Weakness, and Loneliness.
Zatolen is worshipped in cities and towns; his structures are often hidden away or repurposed, providing quiet, safe spaces where people can unburden their souls and find peace in a chaotic world.
Zatolen has no avatars.
Zatolen shares the Eclipsed with Mealis.
Zatolen has the Dunkelgott.
Zatolen is the Father of Humanity, Hourataur, and Vougutaur.
Zatolen’s saints include Dirk Wesser, Vimsar the Red, Steris Victoria, Timar Steelhart, Slynna Luni, and members of The Hand of Thorns.
The Bounded of Zatolen.
-Patriarch/Matriarch: Each extended group of Zatolites is led by a Patriarch and Matriarch.
-Seekers in Scarlet: High Priests, Clerics, and Paladins. Generally, leaders of more local groupings.
-Crossbearer: High Priests, Clerics, and Paladins. Minor leadership positions.
-Blackheart: Veteran Priests, Clerics, and Paladins.
-Bound: Priests, Clerics, and Paladins.
-Dogs: Hopefuls, Students, and Support Staff.
The Bounded of Zatolen wears a selection of robes and armor to fit the individual’s wants in black and scarlet.
Zatolen maintains several holy orders, including the Kingslayers, the Blood Letters, the Blood Wardens, the Ladies in Scarlet, the Scarlet Company, and the Nightslayers.
Zatolen is the adopted son of Talcor and the True Mother; he is married to Mealis and has many children, some of whom are Maralina, Kayin, Korrel, Ogrell, Selimara, Fineth, Margo, Dirgminsk, Gilfjord, Tristia, Dirk Wesser, Siegfried (Adopted), and Slaine Gealach (Adopted).
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