Rise (War Witch Book 1) (93 page)

The Dark Gift bestowed upon Dark Blessed of Xen Phal is
Feral Attack
. Upon activation of this Dark Gift, the Dark Blessed physically reverts to an earlier state, growing savage claws and fangs capable of doing incredible damage. More powerful Dark Blessed also grow bony protrusions from their knees, elbows, head and back, which do even more damage as well and also act as a primitive armor, making them a savage killing machine.

His Dark Mark is The Skull.

Versia

Mother of vampires, Goddess of bloodletting.

Cold, cruel and emotionless, Versia emerged from her mother’s womb still born, yet lived out of pure evil. An undead Goddess, she descended upon the world with a ravenous hunger, spilling blood at every turn as she satiated her thirst. Even now, banished to the Low World, she resides in her dark castle, bathing in blood, the most beautiful of the Demon Gods, perfect in her appearance, but empty inside, desiring only to drink from the High Gods and know what it is to have her hunger sated.

Many depictions exist of Versia, showing her as a white-skinned creature of unspeakable beauty with raven hair and green eyes, dressed in black. Some show her reclining in her blood bath, drinking from a small child.

Her symbol is a teardrop, often painted red, standing for the blood she craves. Her priests wear a ruby, or garnet, cut into the shape of a tear, about their neck, usually on a fine gold chain.

The Dark Gift bestowed upon Dark Blessed of Versia is
Raise the Dead
. With this terrible gift, the Dark Blessed is able to summon forth undead minions to do their bidding. Blessed of the High Gods seek to stop these Dark Blessed while they are still new to their hellish calling, for more powerful Dark Blessed of Versia are able to call forth entire armies of undead warriors.

Her Dark Mark is Fangs.

Lotok

Father of hunger, intrigue, manipulation and usury.

Perhaps the most sane and stable of the Demon Gods, Lotok looks upon the Middle World as a playground. Greed and paranoia are his tools as he slowly, patiently, works to hammer the world into an image that pleases him. The coin is the weapon by which he stabs his enemy, and drives them to commit acts they otherwise never would. Never the less, he understands all too well the power of destruction and is known to manipulate and scheme the downfall of entire kingdoms, merely for sport.

Depictions of Lotok show him as an old man, hunched with age and greed, seated at a table piled with gold, which he counts endlessly. Others show him standing amidst the starving, holding bread in his hands which he will not give them, unless they do something for him first.

His symbol resembles a one pound weight, like the ones used by merchants. It stands for all he has taken, and the pound of flesh they say it costs to deal with him. His priests often carry a one pound lead weight with them on a chain to show their dedication to their god.

The Dark Gift bestowed upon Dark Blessed of Lotok is
Devastate
. This Dark Gift is well known, and feared. Every time it is used, something withers and dies. Upon activation, the user of this Gift may choose one thing and have it wither in some way. When used on a person, this means that any physical or mental attribute, such as strength or intelligence, can automatically be taken away until the Dark Gift can be undone. It can be used to destroy marriages, treaties, lay waste to crops, wells and entire tracts of land, and even cause an entire Kingdom’s economy to collapse.

His Dark Mark is The Dagger.

Hammandral

God of torture, giver of pain, eater of bones.

It is said that Hammandral finds the screams of the tormented the sweetest music, the sounds of breaking bones like bells to him. He is considered the most powerful of the Demon Gods, after only Ker Zet herself, for he is the most unstoppable. He sits upon a throne of bones, surrounding himself with the tormented and plots military strategy, dreaming the day when he will stand supreme over the Middle World. He is often considered the opposite of Ramor, and is called by many the General of Hell.

He is shown as a massive man with rippling muscle, his face covered in a death’s head helmet, covered in blood as he sits upon his throne. Other depictions show him similarly, only holding two halves of a man in each hand.

His symbol is a burning brand. It stands for all the pain and suffering he inflicts upon the world. His priest often carve it upon the tools they use in their dark rituals to him.

The Dark Gift bestowed upon Dark Blessed of Hammandral is
Cause Pain
. This Dark Gift needs only a touch to deliver agonizing pain to its target, even though no physical wound has been incurred. Dark Blessed of Hammandral are well known for using this Gift, then finishing off their opponent as they writhe in agony. However, it has no effect on Blessed of Morobon, making these two mortal enemies.

His Dark Mark is The Ax.

Sifias

Father of lies, God of deceit and treachery.

Born of Ker Zet's own treachery and deceit of her siblings, Sifias takes after his mother well. As with other Demon Gods, he spreads his influence in the most insidious of manners, by starting small. No lie goes unheard by his ear, just as each spark of jealousy is fanned into full flame by his gentle breath, turned to bloodthirsty rage. He relishes in the willful breaking of oaths and as such, is the mortal enemy of Kalis.

Few depictions of this God exist, for it is said he has no true form of his own, changing as whim or need arises. Those few that do exist show him as a man with several faces, each one telling a different lie.

His symbol is a thorn, for it is small, but causes great pain. His priests often wear his symbol about their necks as a pendant.

The Dark Gift bestowed upon Dark Blessed of Sifias is
Manipulate Thought
. This insidious Dark Gift allows the Dark Blessed to manipulate the very thoughts of anyone who hears him speak. The effects, while not permanent, can be incredibly destructive, especially over repeated listenings.

His Dark Mark is Black Lips.

Balmor

God of eternal life, father of zombies. The Zombie Lord.

Born a ruined mess of a creature, Balmor is the twin brother of Versia. Through hate alone, he survived as an undead God, his decayed body animated by his own evil will. From the Black Plains of the Low World, he rules over the risen dead, sending a never-ending stream of unstoppable warriors into the Middle World on a mad quest to extinguish all life. Only when the World has been turned into a graveyard will Balmor be satisfied. Naturally, he and Terakus are sworn enemies, and he has vowed to turn her into his undead Queen.

The depictions of Balmor show him as man decayed into a ghoulish mess, feasting upon the flesh and bone of others, drinking in their life force to sustain his own. Others show him as a king of a great graveyard that stretches on forever.

His symbol resembles an empty coffin, which is easy enough to understand the significance behind. His priests will often surround themselves with coffins they have broken open for the purpose of their dark rituals.

The Dark Gift bestowed upon Dark Blessed of Balmor is
Steal Life Force
. Among the most feared of Dark Gifts, this power makes the Dark Blessed a virtual immortal. By siphoning off their opponent’s life force, the Dark Blessed can instantly heal any wounds, stop aging, and become incredibly resistant to pain. The victim of the Dark Gift, however, ages drastically, and often dies, from this Gift.

His Dark Mark is The Mobius.

Warrot

God of coercion, slavery and bondage.

Of all the Demon Gods, Warrot poses the greatest military threat, for it is his Goblins and Hob Goblins that daily bring new slaves into the ranks of the Demon armies. It is Warrot who discovered the secret of turning a Werefolk into a Hellbeast. It is Warrot who still holds sway in many kingdoms, his fist wrapped tightly about the hearts of selfish kings who do not wish to give up either their slaves, or the tax money they gain from the slave trade. Warrot is as close to a legally accepted Demon God as exists, and he moves daily to secure that position further.