Kebis (KAY biss)

God of Animals

CobaltDM - June 9, 2022
Edited March 22, 2023

Kebis, also known as The Stag, is the God of Animals. He was the primary creator of living creatures, and had a large part to play in nearly all of mortal creation. He is the sole creator of many races, including Woad Elves and many others. He played an active role with his creations, teaching them to respect nature and its inhabitants, and would violently punish those who were cruel to his domain.

"Extreme in his protection and his power, the word of Kebis is law outside the walls of our precious cities. How do you defy nature itself?" - Aldernon the Wise

For much of the Great Formation, Kebis struggled to find his domain. Without a planet to work on, how could there be life? He and the other gods knew he was fascinated with how they came to be, although the answer continued to elude him. Time passed and the others settled into their domains. Mytkora was built. Lai'lou found her domain and began creating a wide variety of plant-life to cover the land that Otia laid down for her. Kebis felt moved by her creation, but disaster struck before he could fully embrace his calling. Kebis was weak, and The Calamity needed strength. He did not hesitate to lend his aid to Mestonia, but it was rather ineffective at stopping Yparxis. Despite their eventual victory, Kebis was shaken at seeing Enamos fall. After Tassah sealed herself away beneath the seas, he decided that he would do everything in his power to prevent life from ever being unjustly destroyed again. As he finished this vow, he had an epiphany. He saw billions of life forms, of all shapes and colors and sizes. He saw elves tending to Lai'lou's forests, mice scurrying through grassy fields, eagles soaring through windy skies, and so many more species. It seemed that his domain could no longer wait for him to find it. With some help from Idros, Kebis began traveling to meet with his fellow gods. He bravely ventured into the darkness of the ocean and found Tassah, and worked with her to create the fish and other denizens of the water. He soared to new heights and made birds and insects with Idros. He swam through rivers and streams to fill the world's fresh waters with whatever Makeiro desired. He was overjoyed, as were his peers. Eventually, he brought together many of The Eleven to begin creating creatures that more closely resembled their sentience. Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Halflings, Gnomes, and several other races filled the world, but he did not stop there. Wishing to stand out among the rest as a powerful creator, Kebis made seven bestial races after his seven favorite creatures of land and water. He designed them each to fulfill a role within his great tribes of the Tekoran wilderness. First were the mighty Leonin, after the lion, created to lead. Next came the resilient Minotaurs, after the bull, created to endure and provide. Third came the quick Tabaxi, after the jaguar, created to hunt and be unseen. Fourth were the wise Loxodons, after the elephant, created to advise and offer guidance in times of struggle. After them came the curious Tortles, after the tortoise, created to explore and spread Kebis' ideology. He faltered when designing the fearsome Lizardfolk after the reptiles of the swamp; the race was created to be warriors but instead became savages. Last came the Harengons, after the rabbit, created to bring laughter and camaraderie. He grew to love these new worshipers. From their creation onward, he spent much of his time among them. He took many forms. In the forests and plains, he was a twenty-foot tall, black stag with glowing blue eyes. In rivers and lakes, he was an oversized catfish that would playfully bump the boats of fishermen. In all his shapes, he would interact with mortalkind in a caring way. This carried on for decades, until one day he discovered three human men hunting for sport. They hadn't been using the gifts of the elk they slaughtered, such as the meat and the hide. They killed for fun. Kebis became angry, and massacred the men. Everywhere across Mytkora, more and more incidents like this were happening. Kebis renewed his vow, and began appointing the first Wardens. Wardens were rangers and druids that were granted powerful Primal Magic by Kebis. They were to help him defend nature from poachers and others who would abuse its resources. They continued this mission well into The Silence, eventually passing their responsibilities on to the next generations as they aged and died. To this day, though their numbers dwindle and the ones with real gifts are fewer and farther between, the Wardens maintain their sacred oaths until their patron tells them otherwise.