Dira
From Mizahar Lore
 Queen of the Dead | |
| Race | Goddess |
|---|---|
| Title | Goddess of Death, Queen of the Dead |
| Domain | Death |
| Divine rank | 2 |
| Symbols | Scythe, Jackal |
| Cults | Black Rock |
| Worshipped in | Taloba, Black Rock, throughout Mizahar |
The Goddess of Death, Dira is endlessly patient and considers balance to be important. She knows everyone will pass eventually, and is in no rush to claim as many souls as she can. Death is simply necessary, and the beginning of the next adventure. Dira is responsible for making sure that the souls of the dead go where they are supposed to go - to Lhex, or to any other gods who may have laid claim to them. She is always accompanied on her travels by her two jackals - Before, who is solid black, and After, who is white.
Contents |
Domain
Worshiped throughout Mizahar, Dira rules over the sphere of death as the counterpart of Kihala. She also rules over Black Rock, a delightfully morbid citadel off of the coast of Falyndar. How often she is there, however, is open to question. Some would call her a leader in name only, but the island is under her protection.
Dira does not decide what happens to a soul once its living body dies - instead, she is in charge of ensuring that the soul is guided to its proper realm. Myri's Myrians, for example, go directly to Myri. Considering how many deities exist in the Mizaharian pantheon, it's not hard for a soul to get lost, or trapped in a god's realm. Dira will guide each soul to its proper place.
While she knows that all come to her eventually, there are those that try to cheat the system, and in that case, that's when Dira is entitled to have a little bit of fun. Part of her job is to hunt down the stragglers who constantly extend their mortality, and return them to the cycle.
Attitude
Dira is usually neutral and brutally honest. They say that she is no respecter of persons--no one is exempt from death. She gets along quite well with her counterpart, Kihala, Goddess of Life. Too much life leads to suffering. Death is a natural occurrence. While Rak'keli pursues her feud with Dira, it is one-sided. Dira is in no rush to usher the living to the ranks of the dead - she knows that all will come to her eventually.
Death is about balance - if too many of the living dwell, then more die and suffer. Death is merciful, death is a deliverance. It is something to be celebrated, not dreaded or feared.
Omens
Dira's Omens are, in essence, her champions. They are the silent honor guard that look after Black Rock and Dira. Wearing heavy, hooded black cloaks and jackal masks, they show no signs of any prior identity between that which they now claim - servitors of Death. They give Dira their life, and she gives them a new one in return. The Omens do not communicate through sounds, but through gestures. Some say that the Omens can speak directly into one's mind - making their words seem like the person's own thoughts.
Seeing an Omen is generally regarded as a very bad sign - that death of someone is imminent.
Gnosis
Dira's Gnosis marks allow those who have been gifted by them to see how long a person has until their death, and at higher ranks, they can interact with Ghosts and Undead without additional tools.
- Rank 1: The wearer sees colours that mean a vague period. For example:
- Black: Within one year.
- Blue: one year to ten years.
- Green: ten years to 30 years.
- Yellow: 30 years to 60 years.
- Orange: 60 years to 90 years.
- Red: 90 years to 120 years.
- White: Over 120 years.
- Rank 2: An improvement of Rank 1, the bearer of Dira's Gnosis mark still sees colours, but their knowledge of when a person's deathday approaches to anywhere within that day to five years.
- Rank 3: Can see the exact time of death as the course of life presently stands. At this level, they can also do some damage to Ghosts without the need for any tools. They can hit, hurt, block, and otherwise interact with a ghost, even if it has not materialized. If they strike a normal undead, they deal out a significant amount of pain, and they will not regenerate, depending on the severity of the wounds.
- Rank 4: Can see the exact time of death as the course of life presently stands, as well as what decisions and actions can influence that course and lengthen or shorten one's life expectancy. They can also capture a ghost and send it packing - unfinished business and all. Their very touch can burn an undead.