Ossara, the Maiden of Rot

Witch of the Dying Lands

Ossara is known as the Goddess of the Withering Touch and is the third child of the Orakiah Pantheon.
She is considered the goddess of decay, undeath, and autumn.
It's said that Ossara was born from the basin left behind when her Oranok set out on his adventures. However, her home would become her prison as she lacked the strength to climb its steep walls. By the time Oranok sought to return to his place of birth, she and the basin had long since fallen to rot and decay, Ossara having embraced these qualities as her own. Freed by her father's hand to roam the realms, she longed to see what lay beyond her fallen domain, eager to see new lands as they too would crumble to dust around her.

Appearance

Ossara is best known for her hideous and terrifying form, showing little regard to her vile appearance. Her withered body is almost nothing but bone and rotting flesh, donning only stagnant cloth to cover herself at the best of times. Depending on those who seek her attention, she'll often wear a shape that resembles her visitor, showing them what would happen if they were in her decaying shoes.
Her true form is thought to be that of a tree but none have ever laid witness to such a shape. Ossara greatly favors maintaining a mortal form to strike fear into those around her, favoring the fleshy forms of mortality over a divine shape. Although her dreaded form is the best known, stories speak of a cycle of decay that begins anew every morning, allowing her to enjoy her true beauty for a shining moment each day before crumbling into nothingness once more.

Personality

Most people believe Ossara to hold the mind of a maddened hag. The rot coursing through her veins is said to make her incredibly erratic, seeming friendly in one moment only to become hostile and scream like a banshee the next. Many try to imitate her cackling voice, thinking her a joke, but the wisest of people know well enough to put a stop to such disrespect. Those who continue their pranks have been known to lose their voices entirely, Ossara not known to take kindly to disrespect.
Among her fellow deities, Ossara's well known for being one of the most reclusive. No matter where she might go, she likes to stay far away from others, which some like to think is a kindness to keep her decay limited to select few locales. Others instead believe that she prefers to avoid the prying eyes of others, as well as the peace and quiet to allow her the best environment to work with. Although she enjoys her frightening visage, she's also said to despise those who tremble before her.
However, despite her supposed madness and distaste for the fearful, she's incredibly open to those who show her respect and seek her aid. Although none wish to speak of their encounters with her, the undead who serve her have told stories of her kindness and grace. Most believe these a lie to please their mistress, Ossara being well known for striking deals that never pay out well. Others believe her kindness true towards her undead minions, considering them the only ones to understand her unspoken sorrow.

Abilities

Ossara's grasp over the cycle of life and powers of decay allow her to control the life force in any living creature. This allows her to drain any foe, leaving them nothing but a withered husk, as well as crumble any obstacle in her path. Not only can she destroy physical objects but so too can her powers affect the mind itself. Similarly, while her powers can destroy, so too can they be used to prolong the lifespan of others and protect them from the withering effect of plagues and disease.
Her command over life and death makes her one of the most powerful necromancer among the deities. Any and all who serve or strike a bargain with her are said to become part of her vast armies of undead, from the simplest of ghouls to powerful liches serving as her commanders. Ossara prefers to let her minions fight her battles for her, using her wretched magic to weaken her foes, only using her plague-infested axe when absolutely necessary.

Worship

Public praise of Ossara is a rare sight as only select few are open to the glares of disgust such faith evokes. Instead, such worship is kept to the darkest corners of civilization and the privacy of her followers. Most necromancers are thought to be her servants, and while that may be true for most there are still those who choose not to haggle with the rotting witch. Her most devoted followers prefer to keep to a solitary existence in swamps and other desolate regions, among which are also select alchemists and druids who focus on nature's decay rather than its growth.
Most of her followers are selfish souls, caring only for themselves and willing to do anything to have their way. But much like their mistress they won't shy away from striking a bargain with those who come seeking their powers. Those that do are often victim to the plagues wrought by their hand, forced to pay their desecrator to gain salvation. Among Ossara's finest are her undead servants. While many of her minions are unfortunate souls bound into servitude, there are those who stand firmly at her side and bring pestilence upon the lands around them, seeking to bolster her influence across the realms.

Commandments

• Let not decay hinder you from achieving your heart's desires.
• Death is but a new chapter. Weave your own tale through mastery of the great cycle.
• Embrace that which other fear and you shall reap the power it holds.

Notable Relations

Allegiances

• Jayle - Her fondness for deceit and false promises makes Ossara a close friend of Jayle, the two of them said to often work together on a variety of dark schemes.
• Kaius - Tales speak of Kaius having once served as Ossara's apprentice after failing as a disciple of magic, while others imply him simply akin to a son in her eyes.
• Lyn - As kindred spirits in the art of weaving pacts, despite their occasional differences, Ossara maintains a favorable bond with Lyn and the devil's under her wing.

Oppositions

• Halanir - Although most often thought to be a mere sibling rivalry, Ossara is known to seek the downfall of Halanir's groves and temples, her true motives unclear.
• Tali - One of the most well known struggles among deities is that between the reapers of Tali and the undead of Ossara, the two goddesses considered sworn enemies.
• Varin - The necrotic powers which fuel Ossara's armies are ever a threat to the radiance of the Celestials, Varin's vigilance always locked on her advance.

Divinity

Goddess of the Withering Touch

Title(s)

Mistress of the Black Breath
Wretched Bonemaiden
Plagueweaver

Moral Compass

Temptation & Goal

Symbol

Cracked and open skull

Phrase

Harken the rattling of bones

Reputation

Dreaded

Presence

Illusive

Plane

Khaalekk 

Realm

The Cradle of Decay