Name: Xiara, Dark Goddess of Nature
Avatar’s powers: (Choose/Create two)
As a goddess of Nature, Xiara has implicit power over the growth of plants. She can grow an acorn into a thousand-year-old oak, or foster a flower on infertile soil. This can happen as quickly or as slowly as she likes. Of course, the flow of her ability can turn the other way too. A flower that displeases her may soon feel the rot of her touch and the foliage on the forest floor know better than to impede her.
Alongside her powers over the growth of plants, her abilities extend to living creatures to an extent. She can resurrect the dead if their souls have not yet entered an Underworld(AKA haven't been dead too long). Although most are left...changed by the experience. They may find themselves having an affinity for the sunlight or drinking more water than usual. There may also be some physical changes. Although most are minor, a slight change in skin color, a few strange growths. Whispers claim the largest trees in Xiara's dark garden were mortals that have been revived by her many times due to their failures.
Avatar:
Xiara's form is often described as a beautiful woman writhed in tendrils of varying sizes. These tendrils writhe and squirm like the tails of many snakes caressing her body, but also resemble the twisted and organic curves of ancient roots. Often she wears a mottled green cloak and shroud to obscure her features...Although depending on her mood, little can hide her true nature. When calm, her form is almost human, but can quickly swirl into a towering, raging mass of tendrils should she become infuriated. She typically manifests as a Female.
the tentacles that flow from her body are extensions of herself. While she does have two that are very nearly arms and hands, she can control the rest at will and are capable of the fine manipulation required for grasping.
Xiara, Casual
The Nature Goddess, on a moonlit walk.
Empowerment: (Choose or make up to 2.)
Although a Goddess of Nature, Xiara would be better described as an
Aspect of the Domination of Nature over Civilization. The collapse of all things like cities and governments and a return to the natural state of things. Actions that embody this aspect provide Xiara with the most empowerment.
- A shrine planted with a Great Hardwood tree and fast-growing, woody vines with the ruins of civilization around it is a suitable monument to Xiara. For a small cult, it could be as simple as a ruined farmhouse at the edge of a village. However, shrines built at the heart of towns and cities may quickly become a Locus of worship for Xiara's powers and her influence will ensure the swift overgrowth of the settlement.
The followers of Xiara often eschew clothing unless needed to defend against the elements or enemies. With such a nudist society; it isn't unusual for such public displays of nudity to also attract very public sexual interactions. Both willing or unwilling. Xiara makes no difference. Sex and reproduction are parts of the natural order of things. Male or Female, for the most capable it's a free-use paradise. For the weak, it is a privilege to please someone more capable than them or a warning cry to find someone capable to protect them. However, Xiara's belief is a belief in the strength and ability of the individual, not the group. A group of men or women forcing themselves on one another is shameful. Conversely, single combat is looked upon favorably.
- Showing those representatives of Civilization the way of Xiara empowers her greatly. Whether it's defeating such an opponent in single combat, or satisfying your desires through dominance. These things give Xiara power. The amount of power depends on their position in the social hierarchy with Lords, Mayors, and Knights likely being less impactful than Kings, Princesses, and other such positions at the top of the Civilization Hierarchy.
Divine powers: (choose or make up to 3)
-For the worshippers of Xiara, Snakes are a sacred animal. They are a double entendre of representation by representing fertility and rebirth while also representing the destruction of civilization through the fear of those who would live in "civilization". So of course swarms of snakes can be called upon in the area of Xiara's followers. These snakes know who their master is and who their enemies are.
- Nature is never too far off for a follower of Xiara. Typically it provides what the follower may need the most. It could be writhing vines to wrap up an enemy, or a berry bush ready to provide nutrients to a starving follower on an important task.
- In the most dangerous situations or the most glorious affairs, Xiara may summon her Snake Guards to assist. It may be for a dramatic battle, or to show a VIP how pleasurable succumbing to Nature can be.
Blessings: (choose or make up to 2. the number of blessings that can be granted, depends on dark god power. The gifts and blessings that can be granted to loyal followers. It can be the gift of beauty, strength, mutation, magic, visions, etc.)
-Due to being a Nature Goddess(albeit a perverse one), beings with natural affinities to Nature and Forests are drawn to her. Be it Taur, Fey, or Faun, they revel in their Nature and succumb to it. For those who are not so naturally gifted, she can grant them bodily changes to bring them closer to the natural state. For a hunter, she can offer them the rounded eyes of an eagle to see long distances, or the slitted eyes of a cat to see better at night. For a warrior, she could give him the physique of a bull for brute strength. For the lover, perhaps the libido and fertility of a hare. All of these blessings will physically change their bodies to be more...in tune with their new enhancements.
-for those who don't desire physical changes, Xiara can offer just a taste of her magical ability. For those who accept it, they gain the ability to manipulate plants in a similar way to the goddess...Although not to nearly as dramatic of an effect, of course.
Prophet:
In a crowded Jungle, the dark elf Nebe Sissan will foud the way to Xiara.
- During their first encounter, Xiara granted Nebe a pair of longer elfin ears that allowed her to listen to the ebb and flow of The Evermarch -The Music of Nature-.
Dominion: (How does the area claimed by the dark god's followers change? Chose or make up to two.
"From the outside, the forest seemed fine. Birds were singing and the vibrant green hues of the trees nearly glittered in the sun. However, as soon as I stepped past the first woody precipice of an enormous oak tree, the forest fell silent and gloom fell upon me. It was midday when I entered the forest, but the enormous canopy above stifled the blazing sun. The birds that were moments ago chirping peacefully stared at me with accusing glares before flying off as if to tell whatever dark master they served of my intrusion. As I wandered deeper, the trees seemed to crowd around me. The roots! The roots I swear would raise on their own and trip me every so often. That was to say nothing of the branches that seemed to shift and writhe like great, massive snakes in the wind.
A wolf padded onto the path ahead of me. I swear it stared at me and grinned before it left! Never have I entered a forest that felt so hostile towards cityfolk."
-Unknown
- Land touched by the followers of the Dark Goddess of Nature is denoted by rampant plant and animal growth. Her powers are the powers of life and life follows in its wake. However, there's a perversion about it. For those who are unwelcoming of nature, the deminse of Xiara's Forests are dark and gloomy places. Life is everywhere, but very hostile towards those that don't call it home. Enormous trees stretch and create a canopy that stifles the sunlight below. For much of the day, Bioluminescent fungi and fireflies are the only sources of light. The ground becomes a mottled path of roots and plant growth and the hungry eyes of predators stalk the darkness.
-Of course, the powers of the goddess have a profound effect on the wildlife as well. The longer a beast lives in the protective forests of the goddess, the more of an effect it has on them. They slowly develop intelligence and awareness far beyond that of normal animals. Every bird and lizard becomes a spy for the followers of the goddess. For larger mammals, the effects are even more profound. Many will find intelligence and awareness that matches even those of humans and a few may even develop shapeshifting abilities to allow them to pass through the lands of man. Serpents, gain intelligence to match any kind of race from civilized society, they grow to enormous sizes and can change into a humanoid form. They can even impress the goddess and become a Snake Guard to service the goddess directly.
Minions: (Loyal creations of a dark god, created either in their image or to their liking. They usually can be found in the underworld, interacting with souls of deceased followers, but can also be summoned by followers – or if the dark god has such a power, by the dark god. Choose their looks and powers – minions can have up to five powers, like healing aura, animal look, strength, control over fire, flight, smithing, etc.)
The Snake Guard are reptilian beings who have come to serve Xiara directly. They are larger than a man (up to 12 feet in height in some cases). They are capable of wielding most weapons with proficiency. They have quite a large amount of
physical strength that allows them to excel in melee. They can also
regenerate which protects them from bleeding wounds and eventually regrow limbs. If subtlety is needed, they can
shapeshift into a snake and sneak into all the places that a natural snake would be able to. Finally, the snake guard can
Breed with Anything and are quite
Fertile. With half-breeds spawned from such minions having minor improvements to their physical abilities, regeneration, and rarely also the ability to shapeshift.
Underworld: (The domain of the dark god, created to dark god's liking. It's a place where dark god's followers go after the death... It can be desert, forest, caves, floating islands in clouds, volcanic caves, there can be dungeons, sex/torture devices, gladiator pits... but what is it for the souls of dark gods followers? Will their souls be morfed here to their liking? Fucked and abused by the minions for eternity? That's for the dark god to decide...)[/QUOTE]
Xiara's Underworld is the ultimate expression of Nature over Civilization. Vast forests cover the domain along with the occasional crumbling structure. Adherents to the faith find their bodies returned to their prime with plenty of time and ways to improve themselves and become their Ideal, Natural selves. The realm also is Xiara's playground where she torments those who have displeased her. The most common form of punishment is to force a soul to take the form of an animal. With their intelligence and ability to speak intact. For the worst offenders, she traps them in large, warped bestial bodies and is driven insane to be hunted by The Snake Guard and Adherents for as long as their punishment is suitable.
I die.
I literally have been working on this for 6 hours. So i'm going to post it and take a break. Let me know if there's anything that needs changed and adjusted.
Also just a random note. The images that i have for Xiara's form are AI Generated. They're not quite
exactly what I wanted, but they're close enough. Granted, I think the images being a bit uncanny for an otherworldly deity
kind of fits. So maybe it's fine. I also used an AI generator for the Dominion images, but I actually like how they turned out. (AI Generated Art just doesn't do people very well often and for most of the big sites out there you only get so many chances daily)
