Denné'Aal

"Why be so civil?"

Written by: jester2b

Artwork by: Rafael Sewa

There's a Beast in Us All

Humanity are nothing more than animals, cunning creatures whose minds are acutely adapted to mold their environment to their advantage. To claim otherwise, to deny nature, is to deny reality.
In the eyes of Denné'Aal, humanity and all other races who inflict themselves with the illness of civility are squandering their potential as a species.
Denné'Aal has elected to guide mortals from this illness, to shepherd them back to their roots, and show them their true selves.
He shall be the light that guides the caged beasts out of their cages. That hand that shows them how to break the bars and be free.

Appearance

Denné'Aal is commonly depicted in Junimal as a ravenous and wounded beast that cares not for dignity and grace. A creature that cares not even for itself, only the savagery it inflicts on the world.
Scholars hypothesize that he has always taken that form to appear grander in mortals' eyes. Others theorize that the bestial form was a Junimalic creation to symbolize what he represented to their people and that it was never the shape Denné'Aal chose to take.
It is known that Denné'Aal prefers to influence mortals rather than take direct action, to be a voice that speaks to the primal nature within us all. As such, some have speculated that he is a voice that speaks in dreams and in the mind, never taking an actual physical form. Another popular belief is that he travels the world as a cruel and well-spoken man who seeks those with a latent savagery that is yet to be unleashed.

Depiction of Denné'Aal in both possible forms.

Enemy of Order

It is unknown when and how Denné'Aal became known to the Junimalic people. Some researchers hypothesize that his role in their religion as a god of disorder, decadence, and savagery existed long before he became known to them. Like many things from the early Junimalic era, the name of this original god that Denné'Aal would take the place of has been lost to time. Evidence for this theory is shaky at best, but it does explain how Denné'Aal interacts not only with the Junimalic people but all of humankind on Nostrina.
Denné'Aal prefers to lurk in the shadows, influencing people to embrace their savage side rather than taking direct action himself. The people of Junimal revere the idea of orders and ascending above our base instincts, blatantly and directly challenging Denné'Aal's ideal vision for life in all realms. Instead of destroying all of Junimal and plunging Nostrina back into the Primeval era, however, he wants to challenge these ideas, to peel back their latent lies and reveal his truth to the masses. This is a battle of philosophy based on the very nature of life itself. As such, he plays his part as the evil, decadent god in Junimalic belief, an influence they must challenge or become a part of his very argument against those who would deny mankind's natural roots.