Herne the Hunter

Herne the Hunter, Horned King

Herne the Hunter was the spinner of Fate, the balancer of scales. While he often seemed distant, cruel, and uncaring, he brought meaning to the otherwise chaotic flow of time. Mortals can endure much, so long as there is a reason for their suffering. Without Herne, mortals must find their own meaning - a terrifying responsibility.

Whereas the other gods were symbolized by animals or plants, Herne appeared to mortals as an elk with silver hair hanging loose or as an antlered man, always varying in age from youthful to ancient. He was neutral, standing apart from the natural world but directing ecosystems toward homeostasis.

Few mortals could divine the reasons behind Herne's choices for their destiny. He did not direct meaning out of ire or love. What happened, happened - although he knew the whole of it he did little to alter it. Did he create Fate, or was he its instrument? None can say for sure, though without Herne, Fate would become a wild thing, untamed and ungovernable.

Herne's abode lay within the roots of Yggdrasil, though he could often be witnessed in unlikely places. A mendicant who climbed a remote mountain and reached the snowy peak may have discovered Herne by his campfire. In most cases, Herne would pay no heed to the mortal visitor, but in some stories the visitor would be invited to sit by the fire and listen, giving them insight into the workings of the world.

Sacrifices were rarely made to Herne, for he was not believed to heed them. Very little could cause him to alter his orchestration of Fate. Minor sacrifices took the form of tattoos or scarification. Major sacrifices involved the amputation of a finger, a hand, an arm, an eye, an ear, or a tongue.

Source / Inspired by: Blackbirds RPG
AI Art by Midjourney

They speak of Garm, who crept to the roots of Yggdrasil and witnessed Herne.
There he divined his place in the weave of fate, and became a broken man.
Oh, he did not die a painful death or suffer the pox or become crippled.
No, he became a king and was showered with untold wealth.
The most beautiful women in the land joined his harem and entertained him every night.
What broke him was the knowledge that his life was not his own,
that none of the good things that came to him were his to earn.
What is a man if he is not his own maker?"