Tariel
The Torn God, The Twin Hags of Calamity, Material Goddess(es) of Destruction
Tariel are the Twin Material Goddessess of destruction, catastrophe, storms, tectonics, duality, balance, fire and ice. They are also sometimes invoked in the protection of mothers during labour: Tariel is angered by that which prevents the flourishing of nature, including the act of giving birth. They are an ancient, mysterious and deeply powerful deity, with inscrutible motives.
Tariel are said to sometimes take the form of a pair of crones. A dual god in a similar sense to Ninalta & Saint Ajora, although unlike the harvest goddesses, the Torn God's aspects don't seem to carry their own independence, and indeed stories of the two crones often describe them switching rapidly between speakers, even midsentence. One of their halves is aspected to fast destruction, as by fire, and the other half is aspected to slow destruction, as by ice. They are sometimes named Koumei and Koushei, respectively.
There are some apocryphal accounts of Tariel clashing with other Material Gods, though their historical veracity is in question. Nonetheless, if Tariel possessed even a fraction of the power her few tales allege (for example, creation of The Worldscar), they are likely more than a match even for Ina'ut, the Lady of the Mountain or Merlinkainen.
Tariel's alignment is Chaotic Neutral.Appearance & Heraldry
See also: Tariel Image Gallery (External)Tariel is an extremely mysterious and theologically varied deity, as are their portrayals. They are most often described as a pair of shrunken, elderly human women, usually bearing signs of divinity (e.g. auras, haloes, holy gestures). Often one is aspected to fire, the other to ice.
Sometimes they are portrayed as one woman, though still with an emphasis on contrast: red and blue, fire and ice, et cetera. In Alanthian and Near Drow religion, the single Tariel is possessed of three pairs of arms carrying a variety of savage weapons and powerful incantations, all taken from gods she's slain.
Non-humanoid portrayals are also known. Some Hyperion Cults in ancient New Rozsa portrayed Tariel as a holy, blue vulture with a thousand-metre wingspan, crowned with a floating disc of gold, alight with holy flame. At least one coven of drow Tarielites appears to have worshipped the colossal mountain of Maraxus Mons itself as the physical half of Tariel's existence (the other half being spiritual, which they describe only as "The Voice", and did not treat as worshipfully).Worship
Worshippers of Tariel vary, between those who simply desire raw power, those who wish to guide the primal forces of nature against the hunger of civilization, and those who believe “two steps forward, one step back” is a wise approach to progress, that selective destruction acts to achieve balance and erase corruption. Adherents of Tariel often believe they are a harsh but effective medicine for the realm’s afflictions.
Tariel are most prominently worshipped by the Salubri of Nurin and the Yamabushi of the Ashina and Morō clans of the Maraian Highlands. Both are organizations of "eco-warriors" or stewards of the realm, who harness the power of nature to assist it defending itself from forces of decay or exploitation. Lone, roving combat mages who care only for power are also common; indeed, Tariel may boast the widest range of evil, neutral and good adherents among the Material Gods.
Some cultures of drow worship Tariel as a sort of inverted creator god: they believe it was their destructive earthquakes and eroding ice that carved out the subterranean drow homelands. This cyclic yin and yang of destruction and creation is central their beliefs.
Cosmology
Even in the highest echelons of divine study, Tariel’s place in Material Cosmology is an utter enigma, comparable in mystery even to the Overbeings. They are obviously Material Gods and not Duskscape Regents, that much is certain. They do not seem to be Elder Spirits, or one of the indigenous gods of the Watchers, Hecath or the Ong-Baraka. There is no historical evidence of Tariel being a Colonial God, Insurgent God or later Ascendant. It is for this reason they are sometimes called the Wild Cards, or The Pantheon of Two.
More is known among scholars in Khayyam. The oldest libraries of the continent's Sultanates contain First Age Alanthian tomes detailing their exploration of Maraxus Mons. One of the dangers mentioned by the explorers was attacks by drow "Tarielites". This predates the breakaway nation of Iyō, well before its Queen Regent in Perpetuum became the first native-born Materian to ascend to local godhood. This places Tariel's existence on Materia far earlier than the first Ascendant Demigods, making Tariel either primordial or extraplanar. But new wisdom bears more questions. If primordial, where did their worship originate? If extraplanar, to what end did they adopt Materia as their home?
In Ar Shau (the Autumn Isles, Corewest of the Broken Empire), it is believed the hags once part of a rich pantheon long before the First Age of Man, now the only remaining member after killing the others. Only small and isolated cults of Autumn Islanders worship Tariel.Domains
Tariel's primary Domain is Destruction. Their secondary domains are Fire, Cold, Earth, Dust and Plague.Favoured Weapon
The Twinrova's favoured weapons are the two-bladed sword and unarmed/Kung Fu. Their Relic two-bladed sword is the Sword of Fire & Ice. Their divine martial art is Senjutsu.Apocrypha
It is said that Inum'indiron'aravaut, God-Emperor of the Kelpeater Empire, sought to woo Tariel, going so far as to make enormous shows of ritualistic destruction in an attempt to gain their eye. Statues and steles thought to be praising Tariel are known from Alanthian ruins. If he was successful in ever meeting (or even catching the attention of) the goddess(es), there is no record of it.
Tariel
Godhood
Material, otherwise unknown Alignment
CN Domains
Destruction, Fire, Cold, Earth, Dust, Plague Favoured Weapon
Two-Bladed Sword Relic Weapon
The Sword of Fire & Ice
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