Gait

Titles: 

Angel of Destiny, Godslayer, Time Tamperer, Tyrant’s Thumb

Inspiration: uG / gait, Igor, empath diviner

Biography:

The wisdom of Halia teaches the peoples of Eideiri to accept that which they cannot change and to improve that which they can. Perhaps none know the boundary between the two better than her most devoted angel, Gait. By pushing the boundary of that which is possible to control, Gait has taken his moral duties beyond his domain of portals and destiny. 

As a mortal, Gait lived as a mentor to those chosen by destiny. He traveled the world, preparing them for the challenges they would face in accordance with prophecy. Over time, he became an icon. Many people wanted their children to be chosen by prophecy and Gait was seemingly able to oblige. Perhaps he understood how best to manipulate the wording of prophecies to alter their chosen or perhaps it was already a part of their destiny to be eventually chosen by Gait. 

Already controversial for possibly altering destiny, the work of Gait was often denounced by historians for being overly lethal. Gait’s primary power was to take on the likeness of another in every way. He used this to test destined warriors and adventurers for a challenge before they would attempt their challenge. Some believe this was to better prepare them for the challenge ahead. Others believe it was used to kill the destined and force prophecy to select another. All agree that it killed many potential heroes who may have had a strong chance, given more time and better circumstances than what Gait allowed them. 

Halia did not grant Gait immortality. Rather, he seized it as if it were his destiny. He acted in her name and in his version of her teachings until he was too powerful for even a god to ignore. He became her angel and she granted him the domains some say he already possessed and he carried out his duty of paving the path of destiny for those who would make their marks in history. 

… And then he slew a god. Not much is known about the occurrence other than it happened. Even the god’s name became lost to time. All remnants acknowledging the reality of that god became indecipherable. Scriptures continued to refer to the ten gods but became conspicuously vague when referring to one among them. The same held for statues, drawings, and all other depictions of the gods. Even the worshippers seemed to be curiously missing. The ultimate conniption of modern theologians is whether Gait killed a god and took its place or if Gait had to become a god to kill a god. No answer provided an adequate explanation as to why the ancient scriptures referred to ten gods prior to Gait’s ascendance. Some believe that means there are not one but two missing gods of which Gait is neither. 

Worshippers:

Slaves, tyrants, villains, heroes, oracles, prophets, and diviners.

Places of Worship:

Temples, doorways, and private worship.

Worship:

Beyond the breadth of his temples, worship of Gait is often uncommon and sometimes taboo. Many feel it is inappropriate to offer devotion to a godslayer. Others feel that Gait cheated his way towards godhood and although none defy his power, many feel it is illegitimately sourced and misused. Outside of the walls of his temples, of which all gods are permitted their own, formal worship of Gait is either done in obligation rituals to all gods or in desperate prayer for his intervention.

The implicit teachings of Gait are of seizing destiny, breaking time, and not accepting the status quo. Any one of these would be considered a dangerous ethos on their own. Combined they can be construed as heresy. As such, worship of Gait is done secretly and sparingly. 

Those in troubled circumstances might give an offering to Gait in the hopes that he would choose them for a greater destiny or lend them the power to fulfill that destiny themselves. However, such an offering is made only when all other options are exhausted. Tampering with time and the fates is the defining crux of most literary tragedies and is often seen as nothing more than short sighted foolishness ending in an unpleasant death. 

Those willing to go beyond a simple prayer may pursue a plethora of uncharted powers ranging from temporal and portal magics to the great unknown. However, doing so comes at a cost to their own ability to process reality and generally ends in lunacy. Many of these powers are highly coveted and those who can use them are compensated extremely well for their services. Powerful servants are able to establish portal networks, gather second chances at diplomacy, and even prevent assassinations by rewriting time.

There are two ways to attain the powers gifted by Gait. The first is to be born with it. Children chosen by destiny are often born in unusual circumstances and are highly valued and feared. Some cultures smother a child marked by destiny in fear of the tragic life ahead of them or in fear of an evil destiny. Others cherish and worship them. Some offer bounties for their corpses but more commonly they are captured and sold at a premium as slaves. The few that live are taken to the temples of Gait where acolytes raise them and prepare them for their destiny in accordance with prophecy. Fewer still make it to the world to live their destiny but those that do go on to define history.

The second way to attain the powers of Gait is to be chosen by Gait through prayer of offering. Gait looks for those willing to break the boundaries of their own opportunities and blesses them in the moments which could define their greatness. Furthermore, great mages occasionally travel to temples of Gait and bargain for power. By proving themselves to have the potential to change the world, they are sometimes gifted access to Gaits powers. Although these powers are highly sought after and extremely valuable, there are rarely more than a few dozen chosen by Gait in the world at any time.

Finally, there is one group which worships Gait not for his power but for his actions. Those in power, especially tyrants and overtly evil beings such as liches, provide the largest sum of offerings to Gait. They do so in recognition that many of their regimes would be constantly disrupted by attacks from ‘heroes’ who never make it past Gait. 

Servants:

The Temples of Gait

More of an organization of mortal followers than a servant, the temples and their inhabitants gather those chosen by destiny and those devoted to Gait together in one place. Those chosen by destiny are then trained by the followers of Gait and otherwise prepared for their destiny. Few make it back to the world but they always make an impact when they return.

The Lightweavers

Although they operate in open defiance of Gait’s morality, or apparent lack thereof, the Lightweavers are formally recognized by Gait as his only official servants. Much to the dismay of the temples, the Lightweavers make an attempt to curate prophecy to better the world. While the temples believe it is not their place to stand in moral judgement of prophecy, the Lightweavers are known to disrupt prophecy in favor of their own morality.