Safura the Survivor
Saint of Monsters, Survival, Aberration, and Equilibrium
Born hollow, live full.Titles: Safura the Survivor, The Great Shaper, She who moulds, Lady Kiakua, The Starbreaker, The Malformed Mother, Zall'ez Okai Favored Weapon: Spiked Chain, Sawtooth Sabre Alignment: Earth Elemental Lord: Okmog, The Calcareous King Obedience: Spend an hour brutalizing yourself or another being within an inch of their life, stopping just shy of the killing blow to teach them what it means to survive. Preferably, reduce yourself or another being into negative HP(or close to their death threshold) and let them make checks to stabilize to see if they live - but this is not required. If the creature being brutalized survives, all damage from the hour is healed, though scars may remain. Once finished, consume a piece of meat from a foe you felled yourself and say the first Safuran Mantra(At the top of the page) to honor The Survivor. Effect: Once per combat, when you take damage from any source, you may automatically split that damage evenly between yourself and your attacker as an immediate action. The attacker receives no save to negate or lessen this damage, and cannot reduce this damage in any way(As it ignores resistances and DR and such). You gain a bite attack as a primary natural attack that deals 1d6 damage for a medium sized creature, x2 critical. If you already possess a bite attack, you can either have it scale up in damage by one die or increase its critical multiplier by 1.
Divine Domains
Earth, Strength, Community, War(Blood Subdomain Only), Protection(Defense Subdomain Only)
Artifacts
Because the faith of Safura is so poorly documented by theologists and civilized scholars, little information is known about any artifacts of her faith that may or may not exist...only vague bits of knowledge and heresay exist to tell tale of Safura's artifacts.
Though only heard of in passing, the artifact known only as The Aberrant Cradle is supposedly a powerful artifact of Safura that exists in places unknown - countless inferior replicas are believed to exist in countless monster dens across Zheng-Kitar, but all serve an incomplete function of allowing the faithful of Safura in the creation of new monsters. Supposedly, though it is poorly understood, this artifact(And its lesser replicas) allows for the faithful to offer up blood sacrifices or life energy of some kind to bring about the spontaneous generation of monsterkind(A process which typically happens only naturally in the wild). Some rumors claim that this cradle and its lesser replicas can even magically bring about pregnancies in those offered up to it to force them to give birth to monstrous creatures - though this has never been confirmed.
Perhaps the best known of Safura's artifacts, the items known as Starcrusher Totems are objects that are constructed by the faithful that dwell within the wilderness - standing as mighty items of power whose influence can fight back the encroaching influence of civilization to allow monstrous creatures to be birthed and spawned even in areas that have long since been civilized, or to act as anchors which reinforce the monstrous power in an area that is already incredibly isolated and wild, empowering the monsters that dwell there. Often, these objects are destroyed wherever they are found by agents of civilization such as The Rasmanthus Guild for their fell influence - in particular, these are constructed frequently by wild Lamia, Dai-Yukai, and Eldragi tribes to honor Safura's name, though any of her followers can presumably construct them.
No other information on her other artifacts exists - simply rumors of a weapon, a suit of armor, or other such conflicting reports has painted an inconclusive picture of her other artifacts(if any others exist).
Holy Books & Codes
The Banescroll Apocrypha
Divine Symbols & Sigils
An four-eyed insectoid head with a humanoid being bitten in half in its mouth
Tenets of Faith
Exalt the Aberrant and Monstrous. Seek out and spread the influence of both, for theirs is the purest form of life in all the world. Do not let civilization snuff out the cycle of spawning.
No imbalance uncorrected. All forces and energies must exist in equal measure with one another - tear down and correct the imbalances of the world no matter the cost.
Live untamed. Fullfillment cannot come to those shackled by civility and sophistication - embrace the wild within and gorge yourself on life and its pleasures.
Consume the unworthy. Uphold the natural law of selection and let those who cannot fend for themselves become fuel for those who can.
Survival above all. Stand in defense of your pack and place their survival above all else. Foster in them the strength to survive.
Holidays
Because much of Safura's following is based far from civilization's reach, her holidays are not centralized and are typically localized to each group of her faith - and typically coincide with various events such as past wars waged against the civilized world, the life or death of some important figure, or the date of some great omen from Safura herself.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
To protect the cycle of spawning which creates monsters far from the reaches of civilization.
To create a world where no creatures exists who is not worthy of life.
To correct the greatest imbalance of all - civilization.
Followers & Priesthood
Almost exclusively, the followers of Safura the Survivor(Or as she is better known to her more monstrous followers, She who moulds or The Great Shaper) are monsters, aberrations, mutants, tribal savages, and those who exist far from the reach of civilization - her faith has very few followers who dwell within the bounds of civilization for extended periods of time, by the very nature of her creed. As such, Safura's followers are typically monstrous or aberrant beings such as Gnolls, Lamia, Dai-Yukai, Eldragi, Orcs, and those who exist in the wilderness outside the reach of civilization - in addition, those who fall through the cracks of civilization due to misshapen births, deviancy, or simple societal aberrance or exile often fall into the faith of Safura as well, if they are not drawn into the faith of similar Saints such as Soo-min the Sorrowborn. Oftentimes, the followers of Safura tend to band together into tribes - finding solace together, though many such as forest hermits find comfort in solitude far from the reach of civilized society. Because of the barbaric, primal nature of Safura's faith, her followers rarely bear distinguishing marks of station nor do they tend to gather in large groupings - oftentimes, priests of Safura hold relatively high rank within their tribe or area of operation and given due amounts of respect, though this does not stop them from coming into conflict with one another. Rarely, multiple tribes can find common ground and band together into large groupings when especially influential faithful come into power, but otherwise they tend to stay relatively isolated within their peer groups or alone, interacting with other monsters and tribals in a friendly if distant manner. Typically, on the rare occasion when large amounts of faithful gather into one place, this is seen as a sign by more civilized people as the sign of an impending attack, as these large gatherings typically preceed the legendary Festivals the faithful hold far from the light of cities and society - festivals of blood, of birth or life, of raucous barbaric glee or even simple celebration(Though even these often feature ritual combat and bloodsports). Though they rarely bear distinguishing marks or symbols of office or station, members of the faith tend to daub their skin with ritualistic lines or tribal markings in dark red paint or in blood - they often are seen wearing simple fur and bone outfits, with higher ranking or especially powerful members of the faith wearing jagged earthen or insectoid headdresses or armor to pay homage to their goddess. The specifics vary from tribe to tribe and location to location, but the general notion of painting or decorating ones own body with reds and greys as well as rocks and insectoid themes to honor Safura endures across species and tribal boundaries.Ethics
In a short descriptor, the followers of Safura are brutal but fair - following the teachings of their Goddess, they believe in the Law of Natural Selection and believe that those who cannot thrive in this harsh and brutal world are owed nothing but to be consumed by the strong to fuel their further growth, though "Consuming" is not always limited to its literal definition, as many among the faithful liken "Consuming" the unworthy to little more than using them as stepping stones to further greatness, holding the act of killing or brutalizing them in the same space as literally devouring them. Oftentimes, the faithful of Safura hold their tribe or familial unit in high regard and work to their benefit constantly - weeding out weakness while simultaneously working to protect them and further their goals and lives as best they can, as so long as they do not prove themselves unworthy followers of Safura believe that one's pack or similar familial unit is sacred above all else. Living by the first Safuran Mantra Born Hollow, Live Full, the faithful believe that to be "Hollow"(Often defined as a nirvana-esque state where one exists free of any outside influence, lacking any experiences but yet remaining alive) is the ideal state of existance for all beings to begin at and reach maturity by(A feat only achievable by monsters, who are born into the world fully formed from pure life energy)- and that only by living free of constraint or limit can one become "full", glutting themselves on life and its glories to live a life unlike any other. To this end, the faithful scorn the touch of civilization, believing that a life lived under its influence stifles the soul and fills one's body and existence with useless, corrupting experiences that only serve to distract one from fulfilling themselves and their duty as a living being. While they will not hesitate to enact cruel and horrific bloodshed(And may even revel in it), the faithful of Safura are defined by their views on Civilization as a whole - seeing it as a cancerous growth that stands as the greatest imbalance in the cosmos, which consumes and expands without end until one day, all things will be crushed beneath its self-destructive weight unless it is stopped or checked in some way. Because they hold balance and harmony in such high regard, the faithful of Safura seek to correct this imbalance constantly by tearing down the great cities and works of civilization wherever they can be found - though societies such as the Baltairans who live in harmony with nature are typically excluded from the worst of their wrath. Regardless of their origin, however, the faithful all unanimously agree that these imbalances in the cosmic equilibrium cannot be tolerated - and that by devouring or crushing civilized societies or agents thereof and using their life essences or power to fuel their own growth, they continue to carry out the sacred task of re-balancing the natural order of the world. For them, the small imbalances of life such as between a leader and their people, a mighty warrior and a peasant, and such pale in comparison to the "Great Imbalances" that they view as wracking the world - Civilization versus Nature, The Mundane versus the Magical, and above all the fight between Order and The Cycle of Spawning(The great cycle created by Safura that births monsters into the world from pure life energy far from civilization's influence), which the faithful seek to protect at all costs. Finally, as one might expect from the followers of the Saintess of Monsters and Aberrance, the faithful of Safura holds monsters, aberrations, and the deviant as innately "pure" existences the likes of which stand above the rest of the world's cultures and peoples - and while the exact degree to which they seek to spread the influence of the monstrous and the aberrant varies from tribe to tribe and location to location, all members of the faithful view monsters as innately pure existences that are born into this world "Hollow", untainted and uncorrupted by any influence by themselves. Because the faithful so strongly believe life is best lived untamed and without the burdensome shackles of civilization, the beings known as monsters and aberrations that are born into this world fully formed as "hollow" existences are purer than any life tainted by an upbringing designed to tame and constrain - and are beings that they seek to create and protect wherever possible(And even become themselves), even going so far as to hold the mutant and the deviant in high regard as well for the simple fact that they stand against the constraining yoke of civilization. Above all, the faithful seek to embody the monsters they cherish and hold in such high regard - to become "hollow" as they are, and fill themselves with the experiences of life and the energies of the unworthy they "consume", is the essence of what they think it means to live and thrive in this cruel, violent world. They often see themselves as inheriting the energies and essence of those they kill, and as such rarely show mercy to a defeated foe - preferring to kill or consume them to add their victim's strength to their own(Which they see as an honor, and the greatest fate the unworthy can achieve)...though this does give them a strange, monastic view of the world as especially powerful faithful view themselves as amalgamations of thousands of beings, all come together to "fill" one mortal vessel to its very brim. To them, life itself is a great, unending struggle - and it is the duty of those who live to fight and struggle to their utmost, and become the very best and most perfect being they can so that as they have lived full and great lives, their energies will return to the ground from which they were born to begin the cycle anew, thus improving the world with each life lived as their "full" shells will give birth to many new "hollow" ones, to begin it all over again.History
As one might assume from Safura's often alien, insectoid appearance, she is not believed to originate on the continent of Zheng-Kitar at all - or even from the Planet of Ea as a whole. Though she is frequently depicted as multi-limbed insectoid or earthen creature(Representing survival), she is also portrayed as a female for reasons that partially represent her ancient status as a Fertility Goddess(Though this has faded in the modern day), but also represents the odd tale of her arrival onto Zheng-Kitar, many thousands of years ago while The Spirit Kings walked the lands after the sacrifice of The Six Great Ancestors. In this tale, it is told the arrival of a great calamity was foretold in the stars by Xu-Jie and Guanyong themselves, who saw the winking out of a dozen stars in the nighttime sky and foresaw the arrival of a great, star-destroying being onto the land of Zheng-Kitar who would either bring about its greatest calamity or become part of its very foundation. Afterwards, many decades or centuries later when a titanic, mighty comet struck the south-western portion of the continent(And in doing so, created the Bay of Dai-shen-roku, named after The Spirit Kings who bore witness to the destruction), a towering insectoid of vaguely feminine shape climbed out of the newly created bay, the first monsters springing up in her footsteps as she trod upon the land of Zheng-Kitar fresh from the destruction of an entire star system and faced down The Spirit Kings who stood before her. And, it is said, as The Spirit Kings bore witness to her, they realized that it was her arrival that was foretold by Xu-Jie and Guanyong so long ago and, rather than destroy or capture or torture her as The Yema would, saw her value as she bore witness to the world, a completely hollow existence devoid of any influence the likes of which the planet had never seen before, and offered the mighty being a choice even as as she challenged The Spirit Kings to combat as the first beings she had laid eyes upon after her emergence. Defeated in the ensuing combat by Baoshan alone, the mighty being was given the choice of exile from the lands of Zheng-Kitar or service to those who had defeated her - and in their infinite wisdom did not judge or censure this being, even as she refused to give a proper answer for a half-century afterwards in favor of wandering the land to bear witness to the lands those who had defeated her spoke so highly of. And when this being returned and pro-offered its services and those of its monster legions to The Spirit Kings that had defeated her in exchange for the creation of The Cycle of Spawning to give its monstrous children a home, it is said Baoshan and The Spirit Kings saw the worth in such a thing, and accepted the being's offer of servitude - bestowing upon her the name Safura in recognition for her wisdom and her humility as Baoshan, the one who had defeated her, was made to be her mentor and master that worked alongside her to establish The Cycle of Spawning. With the cycle established, the being known as Safura was said to have fought alongside the side of her masters The Spirit Kings against The Witch Kings of Bhorsis-Razghûl, returning to the court of her personal master Baoshan after their victory and subsequent disappearance and eventually ending up in the service of his lord, Okmog, The Calcareous King. Thus, it is said, The Spirit Kings turned the power of what could have been the greatest calamity ever to wrack the planet of Ea to their advantage, using their wisdom to turn the strength of a prospective enemy into a constant, ever-evolving test for their faithful to be mindful of the harmony that they saw as so crucial to the survival of all beings.
Sup deeply, ye empty and hollow; That ye be full come the 'morrow.
Divine Classification
Elemental Saint
Alignment
Children
Example Divine Oaths
Oath of the Balancekeeper: For each act of good you do or that you see done, commit an act of evil of a similarly related but inverse nature(EX: Save a life, take a life, Take Money, Give Money, Etc).
Oath of Untamed Soul: Fight back against the encroaching influence of Civilization wherever you can. Construct or Protect Starcrusher Totems in places that you go as much as possible, and never allow a newly born monster to come to harm by the agents of civilization unless it threatens you or your allies.
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