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Anasi

Lady of Trickery
Deity

"Such small minded beings, never comprehending the big picture! Never seeing that there’s so much to life beyond just good and evil, life and death, more than just two perspectives and these silly domains the gods tout! Let me show you what the universe is truly like, my dear friend.

-Anasi, Lady of Trickery


Click here to listen to this Arisen's theme song.


Anasi’s history is shrouded with mystery, with even the Old Deus having no recollection of when or how she came into being. They simply only remember that she’s existed for nearly as long as any of them can fathom. Many have sought out the Lady of Trickery to find out more, but all who do simply leave her domain with more questions than they arrived with initially. A rare few do emerge from her lair with a mad smile, a mischievous glint in their eye. They swear up and down that they’ve been shown the true meaning of the universe, preaching that everything they’ve known as truth so far is simply just a manmade illusion. Many view these few as people who were already mad when they visited Anasi, though some can’t help but wonder if there is some truth in their supposedly mad ramblings. 

Formerly involved with the various deities that now make up the Old Deus organization, Anasi over millennia earned the ire and contempt of the majority of the deities who eventually came across her. While most respected her divinity and her power, her aloof nature and scheming were insufferable. Never did it seem as if Anasi had any particular goals, both aiding and hindering her fellow deities solely based on her mood at the current time. Never did it seem as if she contributed anything meaningful, and for that, she was viewed with scorn. Eventually it became a widely known fact that one should avoid the Lady of Trickery, lest one risk being brought into utter ruin and so called madness.

Not that that bothered her in the slightest. She’s always known the truths of the universe, unlike her peers. Truths she was more than willing to share to any who would seek her out, or any she came across in her travels that she deemed worthy. Ancient legends of a magnificent serpent whose scales varied from reflecting the cosmos themselves to appearing to be made of molten lava have been found all across the world within the depths of ancient civilizations. Accounts written of how a serpent descended from the heavens to men and women who had been outcast by society, the serpent imparting upon them sacrilegious teachings and forbidden magics that even the most skilled in the arcane could not even hope to understand. Reports of how cults to an ancient serpent had been found and stamped out, the dissidents within having been plotting to overthrow society as they knew it. 

Many today have forgotten about the Lady of Trickery, the recountings of her appearances and the deeds she’s done simply being attributed as myths and legends. Her teachings locked away within the darkest places of the world, those who found them deeming them too dangerous to ever be in the hands of mortals ever again. While the tales and sightings of the wandering serpent have diminished to near non existence, she lingers still. Imparting her teachings and power on those whose minds are capable of seeing the universe for what it truly is, in the hope that one day, the whole world may one day know the truth. Anasi is extremely selective in who deserves to be taught the hidden teachings of the universe, though as of now, Anasi has only stood for one adventurer amongst the thousands who have graced the Adamantian court.

Depiction

When Anasi once roamed Kagrea, her form typically resembled that of a gargantuan serpent, its scales alternating between lava, starlight, tree bark, nearly every state of being imaginable. Magnificent, crude, charismatic, brash, all labels have been used to describe the Lady of Trickery at one point or another. Her mood is nearly impossible to understand, seeming to shift all across the spectrum at the smallest of influences. Legends tell of the wandering serpent’s wrath as she decimated entire villages, others preach her kindness and love as she blessed them with bountiful harvests and safety from the elements. Trickery is fickle indeed. 

 

There are times when she must present herself within Adamantis or to one of her few followers, where her serpent form simply will not do. At times like these, Anasi takes on the form of an elven woman, her skin a dark grey while her hair is a dull black. Her eyes are made up of what can be best described as a direct mirror into the cosmos themselves, shimmering as shooting stars and nebulas can be seen should one look enough. On her chest, a perfectly carved rectangle lies that serves as another look into outer space, illustrating the starry sky in all its glory. The stars radiate out of cracks in her skin, a black, starlike ichor occasionally gushing out. Legends tell that this same ooze is used to impart her blessing onto her followers, though this has never been officially documented. A mischievous glint perpetually lurks in her eyes, any sane person who gazes upon her getting the distinct sense of madness radiating from her though most swear that the madness she exudes calls to them, slowly pulling at their minds. Many believe this to be the main reason she rarely appears within the Adamantian court, though this has never been confirmed. 

Anasi

Enemies

Nearly every Arisen most likely views the Lady of Trickery with malice and contempt, Anasi having slighted and manipulated the grand majority of them in one way or another during her existence. Due to this, she rarely involves herself in the affairs of the Adamantian court. Her rare appearance can also be attributed to the infrequency of which her powers are called upon to discuss and vote, the majority of affairs not needing her input in any way, shape, or form.

 

Anasi, despite being an Old Deus herself, pales in power compared to other Old Deus such as Admiral and Lathraxis. Many have come to blows with the Lady of Trickery, though none have been able to defeat her purely based off her cunning and potent illusion magic. Engaging the Lady of Trickery in battle for an extended duration wears on the mind of even the most powerful beings, so many decide fighting Anasi is simply a waste of time. Anasi is more than content to call these fights as a draw, however.

Commandments of Anasi:

  • See the world as more than what your senses tell you, more than the ideals and concepts people tout as essential. See the world as the orderly chaos and mischief it truly embodies. 
  • Your cunning and wit are your most valuable weapons. Never let anyone take those away from you. 
  • Be true to who you really are. Never let anyone or anything inhibit you, lest you lose sight of the truths of the universe.