Scaetha, The Judger of Souls
Scaetha, a daughter of Tiw, once served as a lesser war deity. Her responsibilities included blessing female fighters before battle and harvesting the souls of the fallen faithful for deliverance to her father’s mead hall.
When Hela unlocked the gate to the Abyss, Scaetha joined Sigel in stemming the tide of souls. Hela, though, stood her ground in front of the gates until every single damned soul escaped from the Abyss. After a fight that shook the heavens Scatha and Sigel, finally, managed to drive Hela away from the gates and closed them.
In return for her service, Sigel promoted Scaetha to the role of goddess of death and judger of souls, replacing Hela in this role. Since Sigel’s disappearance, she has also become the champion of those who follow the light, although she grants no special favors with regard to this aspect of the universe.
After Hela went crazy, many of her followers abandoned her and adopted Scaetha due to the similar domain. Most though, out of greed for power or mental breakdown due to their Goddess madness turned into followers of The New Way of Hela: necromancers and scourge of the living wanting to turn the world of the living into the world of the undead. Finally, a rare few saw the act of Hela as one of redemption and mercy for the souls of the damned and started what they called "The Old Ways of Hela". They saw themselves as guardians of the spirits, helping them in their travel after death.
Followers of Scaetha are at open war with the followers of The New Way of Hela. On the other hand, out of respect for Hela's previous role, Scaetha and her followers maintain a cold but cordial relationship with the followers of The Old Ways of Hela. Unfortunately, the later are so rare and sometimes so similar looking to The New Way that they are hard to tell apart before a confrontation has started.
Scaetha is depicted as a stern-faced woman clad in armor. Saxa tends to show her in chain mail, elves in leather, while Anari and dwarf prefer plate mail. She carries a sword in her right hand and shield in her left.
Shrines in her honor can be found in any settlement’s graveyard, and normally take the form of a stone raven with spread wings. Her temples are dark and gloomy places, where any sound seems muffled. Dotted throughout the temple are numerous crypts, each containing clerics and paladins who fell in battle against the undead. Though their mortal remains lie silent, their souls continue the battle in the afterlife. The war against evil is eternal for followers of this faith.
Scaetha’s clergy serve two purposes. First, they are responsible for blessing corpses, ensuring they reach Scaetha without being intercepted. Second, they wage a perpetual war against the undead. It is for the latter they are most renowned. Priests and paladins perform much the same roles, though paladins tend to be more militant in their outlook. Both are typically stern and humorless, for their work brings them in contact with many horrors.
Divine Domains
Aspects: Death, final judgment, hate undead
Holy Books & Codes
- Priesthood: Eulogists (priests Divine Slayers (paladins).
- Herald: A member of the hero’s race, shining with divine fury.
- Signature Power: Weaken undead.
- Trappings: Clergy may use any trapping except darkness or necromantic.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Symbol: A skull with an axe embedded in the top.
Tenets of Faith
- Sins: (Minor) refusing to destroy an Extra undead or demon, engaging in conversation with an undead or demon (except to Intimidate or Taunt it), allowing a corpse to be buried without blessing it, desecrating a tomb or other burial place;
- (Major) refusing to destroy a major undead or demon, not spending a week in the Withered Lands once a year;
- (Mortal) knowingly aiding an undead, demon, or cleric of Hela (New Ways)
Holidays
Holy Day: Every Sunnandaeg. During Werremonan these are high holy days.
Ceremonies and festivals revolve around death. Dirges, poems about fallen heroes, and eulogies to lost comrades make up much of the proceedings. Prayers and hymns are centered around blessing departed souls, in the hope Scaetha finds them innocent of any sin.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Duties: Destroy undead and demons.
Titles
Judger of Souls, Holder of the Two Keys, Gatekeeper, Soulkeeper, Shieldmaiden of the Gods.
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