| "Algam" | |
|---|---|
|
Aliases |
Bloody-Handed, Bone Lady, Dark Lady, Death, Lady of the Mounds, The End |
|
Divine Rank |
Greater Goddess |
|
Portfolio |
Death, the Dead, the undead, judgement, Death Hunters |
|
Worshipers |
Sentient undead, funeral workers, necromancers, assassins |
|
Allies |
Herpisore, Pharyngia |
|
Enemies |
None) |
"Take it up with Algam." -Pylia the Murder-Born, Pirate Captain of the Bone Reef
Algam is the goddess associated with death.
History[]
Along with all the other gods, Algam was "born" during the creation of everything. While the other gods marvelled at creation, Algam only pondered whether it would return to the state from which it came after seeing individual aspects wink out as they came into being. Many of the others accused her of being morose, but
Current Events[]
Pending!
Domain[]
The entrance to Algam's labyrinthine domain is on the northern shores of the Grand Fountain of Life, in a burial mound. It slopes downwards a short ways before giving way to an impossibly long hallway, where a spirit known only as "The Gatekeeper" resides. The Gatekeeper, fond of riddles, asks those uninvited to answer a question; if answered correctly, the Gatekeeper permits entrance. An incorrect answer sends the visitor back to the entrance. It is rumored that The Gatekeeper will permit uninvited guests entrance, but only if they give it a relic from its living days...whenver those were.
Past The Gatekeeper are the Halls of the Dead. The undying spirits of Algam's priests guard these halls, and on occasion guide visitors to the individual "quarters" of one they wish to visit. In these chambers, the dead are gradually purged of all memories as Algam's servants prepare to usher them back into the world in new bodies; some dead are kept as they are. Others are kept for a brief period of time before being sent to some final destination, such as Valhalla, or Etlae's domains. Who determines who is to be brought back as they were, who is to go to some other place, and who is to be reincarnated, is a mystery, though "Algam" is the likeliest answer.
There are locations in Algam's halls where Herpisore and Pharyngia's domains are to be found. Herpisore tends to create openings to his realm close to those who died of diseases, while Pharyngia's realm is close to the resting places of healers and physicians. Her lesser servants, spirits representing death from murder and age and other causes, wander her halls.
Deep, deep underground and accessible by ways not even sages know, is the Throne of the Dead, where Algam resides. The chill of death is heavy in the air in this cavernous chamber, and it is thick with every emotion known. On an upraised, tiered platform, is the literal Throne of the Dead, an obsidian seat upholstered with shadows made material.
Worshipers[]
Pending!
Appearance[]
Algam's form is always consistent. Where other gods choose to take the shape of beasts or even concepts, before their more recognizeable forms, Algam always appears as a pale and unremarkable woman of indeterminate, but adult age, clad in funeral attire. Her eyes are milky and white, and almost always closed -- to make eye contact with her is to see your own death in your mind, and maddening for deathless beings. Her hair is black with greyish flecks and worn in five loose braids, three down her back and two down the sides of her face. Her hands are covered in blood and dirt, and she keeps them to herself at all times, for her touch can rob mortals of what allows them to die. Of all Algam's features, her voice is perhaps the most remarkable, being clear through all other noises. Though she is capable of speaking any known language, Algam prefers the divine tongues due to the authority that words spoken with them carry. Deities