| Other Names | The Crone |
| Status | Demigod |
| Area Of Control | Hate, Ugliness, Envy, Bitterness |
| Ethos | Loathing is powerful. Let it fester in your soul. |
| Pantheon | Ogre |
| Worshipers | Outcasts, criminals, the vengeful, the diseased |
| Appearance | Agethos appears as a very old, withered female, diseased and deformed. Her race appears to be somewhere between human and ogre. She is dressed in muddy rags. |
| Symbol | A shattered hand mirror. |
Agethos is the patron deity of all those who lack physical beauty. She is the embodiment of ugliness and bitterness. Her envy over beauty fuels her rage and her war against beauty in all its forms. Agethos appears among the mortals of the world often, usually in some guise and always to further her wicked ends. Her favorite tactic is to destroy the beauty of a sentient creature: pouring acid on the face of a elfling maiden or tempting a young human duchess to indulge in her love of grum food.
Geographic Placement
The worship of Agethos is widespread throughout much of Ithria.
Agethos is worshiped openly in
Duthelm,
Ormek and the
Coalition.
Temples, Churches and Holy Sites
There are major temples to Agethos in
Stovikar,
Tyrrenkor and the
Citadel. Minor temples can be
found scattered throughout Ormek, the Coalition and Duthelm. While Agethos is
worshiped openly in those evil lands, much worship takes place
in small shrines hidden beneath shops or homes since the worship of Agethos
is often outlawed or at least discouraged in more civilized lands.
Ceremonies
Worshipers gather
in small groups of 10-20 per shrine and meet in the dead of night. Raids, assassinations and other acts of evil are carried out
often. Such acts are usually aimed at striking back at the world at large, but
also to aid the faithful in their lives. Services sometimes involve the sacrifice of a beautiful, wealthy or
successful man and woman, often a
couple. Beautifully crafted objects are also often sacrificed.
Holy Days
The worshipers of Agethos always gather once a month on the night
of the full moon.
Philosophy
Loathing and hate are powerful weapons to the faithful of
Agethos. Hate makes them strong and with it, they strike out at beauty and
passion, hope and goodness. The world has rejected them, and so they reject the
laws of the world.
Scriptures and Prayer
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Symbols
The symbol of Agethos is a shattered hand mirror. The faithful of
Agethos keep no mirrors themselves and shatter the mirrors of those they fight
against.
Artifacts
The Hand Mirror of Agethos is said to be the most treasured
object of this religion. Supposedly once held by Agethos herself in centuries
past, this simple hand mirror, now broken, is said to show the future.
Tithes
The faithful of Agethos give a small portion of their wealth to
their shrine or temple with each full moon. Raw wealth, such as gold or jewels,
is stolen from sacrificial victims to further the cause. Beautiful objects and
art are destroyed and sacrificed to the glory of Agethos.
Allied and Opposed Faiths
While Agethos is opposed to many religions and groups in the
world, she is most diametrically opposed to the Church of
Kythira. Abject loathing exists
between Agethos and Kythira and their two churches make war upon each other
constantly. There can be no peace between them.
The church of Agethos has no strong ties with any other religion or group. For the most part, the faithful of Agethos are fiercely independent and trust only each other.
Rank Structure
The worshipers of Agethos are the outcasts of
society. The old, the diseased, the insane, the ugly, the unwanted, the unlucky,
the abandoned, the betrayed and the criminal. In the church of Agethos, they
find a home and some measure of acceptance among others of similar ilk. All
are welcome to come and worship. Above the worshipers there are three ranks:
acolyte, priest and great priest.
Abilities and Spells
Acolytes are taught basic spells. Priests have a much larger
compliment of spells granted them by Agethos. In addition to spells, great
priests have the ability to wither flesh with a mere touch of their hand. The
stronger the great priest is, the more times per week he or she can perform this
feat. This can be used to punish underlings or used as an attack against an
enemy. Often, it is used to wound and scar victims before they are sacrificed.
In withering the flesh, the great priest absorbs strength and vitality from the
victim.
Dress and Equipment
The priests of Agethos wear black robes and white porcelain masks
during ceremonies. The masks are in the likeness of a humanoid face, but often
show ugly bestial traits. The mask of the great priests are elaborate and made
in the likeness of great and terrible beasts..
Rules of Conduct
Priests of Agethos are forbidden to bathe, or perfume themselves
or use mirrors.
This page last updated Monday, October 08, 2007. Copyright 1990-2008 David M. Roomes.