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Mythology Monday: Telaxus, God of Sacrifice

As with Lobos before him and Marija After him, Telaxus has a little bit of background I need to go over. He is a terrible being of evil, through and through, and for that he had a coalition of gods trap him in an ornate jambiya locked him away for, what they thought was all eternity. Instead, of course, he exerted his influence and an unknown person found the knife and brought it to the world. There, it feel into the hands of a group of adventurers who I was DMing, and through their very actions (and inaction) they freed the god of Sacrifice, torture and murder from his god-created prison. though it involved the self-sacrifice of one of the player characters, Uplik, he was resurrected by Telaxus immediately to serve as his high priest, where he has served admirably ever sense.

 

Telaxus, God of Sacrifice

Other Titles: Murderking, The One Who Wants Death, Bloodseeker

Alignment: LE

Weapon: Jambiya

Major Domains: Murder, Sacrifice, Torture

Minor Domains:  Punishment, Prisoners, Slaves

Totem Animal/Warform: Jackal (the warform is composed of magma and soot, with burning teeth and a tail that vanishes in the wind)

Holy Symbol: A thin, skin choker, dyed blood red.

Favored Appearances: Almost universially, the forms of Telaxus are dark, brooding and full of menace. While there are others in the pantheon who wish to be among the people of Kasan, Telaxus is not one of them. Where he walks, strife and pain follow. his curly, dark hair frames a round, dark face bearing multiple angry scars and angry read eyes. He is of average height, if not a shade taller, and his build belies not that of a warrior, but a well fed and strong farmer. He often wears a dark and long robe with a broad hood and a vest of red and black. He carries his jambiya with him at all times.

His female form is that of an elf, many times, with dark skin and harsh features. Her long, dark curly hair frames a face that wears a perpetual frown that bleeds into her eyes and even her posture, creating a hostile demeanor. to any and all around her. She, too, wears a dark robe, hood and vest with a jambiya on her hip at all times.

Personality: Telaxus is a violent loner, prone to lashing out at those around him but easily appeased with gifts and offerings. His favored music is the screams the the tortured and the damned, reaching his ears across the cosmos. Though he chaffs at the thought of the other gods who thought him to reckless and terrible to be free and trapped him within his prison, he does not hold the grudges deeply. Instead, he focuses on combating the Accursed and their minions in the Iron Marches. On Kasan, however, he takes a much deeper and involved interest, personally leading and recruiting his empires across the world. Though he is newly freed he has, with his archpriest Uplik, gained a strong following in some depraved parts of the world.

Teachings: Telaxus portfolio leads his followers down a dark and sinister path, one covered in the blood of others. Murder is the most basic form of worship to Telaxus, and it is the solution to all the wrongs. Do you want something someone has? Kill them. Has someone wronged you or your family? Kill them. Are there tensions between you and a noble because your sleeping with his wife? Kill them.  There is no problem to Telaxus that cannot be solved with a knife between the ribs. Sacrifice, too, is dear to Telaxus, though not just any sacrifice, though it does just fine in a pinch. What pleases most is the sacrifice of intelligent members of the community for a specific goal that seems insurmountable. This piggybacks off of the previous tenant. If there is a problem, kill someone. In addition to killing for gain, he has a very miserable streak when it comes to those who are a problem. Torture, slavery and imprisonment are the favored of many forms of punishment, Telaxus does not shed tears, he sheds blood.

Abode: The Crimson Rampart is one of the foremost bastions of Paltonarch power in the Iron Marches. Both as a newcomer and an unwanted guest, Telaxus lives here,  an army of chosen dead filtering both too and from the battlefields of the center of the Marches. It is here that the enemy are brought to be tortured and eventually killed for the information they contain and the deeds they have committed.

Clergy: Priests of Telaxus are not only rare, they are heavily shunned by most of society. Constantly seeking to solve problems with the blood of others, bullying and threatening murder on those who displease them and training in the art of torture has given them a fearsome and deserved reputation.

Knightly Order: The Daughters of Violence are women dedicated to the lord of murder in the most visceral way, wandering from town to town and city to city offering to solve the problems of the community through the violent and bloody solutions their lord offers. Adept at their gods handiwork, they are sometimes the last desperate hope of a failing town.

Clerical Attire: The Clerics and Priests of Telaxus wear the same vestments as their god, a long black robe with a hood and a black-and-red vest.  Often they have their Choker prominently displayed but there are times when discretion is the better part of their work.

Followers: Murderers, theives, and outcasts, along with warriors of ill repute and priests who often need to sacrifice to the gods. Executioners, inquisitors and even judges sometimes follow the god of knives.