Lycotasmos (lee-koh-taz-mohs)
God of Celebrations
Lycotasmos is the deity of festivals and exuberance. He is depicted as a jubilant satyr man with wild red hair and a short beard. His symbol is a grape vine tied in a bow.
The son of Zole and Nypoloita and brother of Exa, Lycotasmos comes across as friendly and carefree compared to some of the other deities. As the god of celebrations, Lycotasmos is often seen as the party deity, representing excess, fun, and wine-addled stupor, and while this is not entirely untrue, it also does not paint the full picture.
Much like many of the holidays and festivals he represents, Lycotasmos is equal parts entertainment and tradition. Stories of his legendary revels are in equal number to those about Lycotasmos punishing those who would break tradition. Forgetting important holidays, routine sacrifices, breaking marital vows, and on occasion even neglecting to bring gifts to a birthday have all drawn the ire of the God of Celebrations, and while his wrath tends not to be life-ruining, there have been some exceptions for those he finds particularly repugnant.
Unsurprisingly, worship of Lycotasmos is incredibly popular across Koss, and he is without a doubt the most widely worshiped of the lesser deities. The opportunity to stop what one is doing and embrace holidays and celebrations is as beloved to a soldier in Vas as it is to a philosopher in Rheo. Temples to Lycotasmos are typically spaces where people can congregate easily such as community centers, and typically transform depending on what is the current or upcoming celebration. Cults to Locotasmos tend to go overboard on indulgence in one way or another, seeking to keep their revels continuing in perpetuity, and while this can occasionally be dangerous, much like the deity himself, it is usually more of a nuisance for those who encounter the cults than a real threat.
Among the other gods, Lycotasmos has a mixed reputation. As the deity who oversees holidays and traditions, he tends to receive sacrifices and worship on days which might otherwise be dedicated to other members of the pantheon. Some deities, Apnosis in particular, are resentful of being forced to share, while others appreciate the extra worship brought in by these events regardless. Lycotasmos and Vasithari share a friendly relationship, as harvest festivals are some of the largest and most important in Koss.
Within his own divine family, Lycotasmos is closest with his sister, Exa, though her brashness occasionally turns his parties into brawls. He is regularly frustrated by his father’s strictness and bull-headedness, while at the same time being very critical of his mother’s infidelity, with many stories of his own half-siblings becoming ruinously drunk or making fools of themselves at celebrations, all orchestrated by Lycotasmos. He is deeply devoted to his husband, and the two of them are one of if not the only entirely monogamous couples among the whole of the Kossic pantheon.
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