Torturer, Rapist, Misfortune

Domain:	Pain, Suffering, and Misfortune
Symbol:	A broken or cracked wheel of fortune
Deity Alignment:	Chaotic Evil
Worshipers:	Any evil

Athelstan appears as a tall, strongly built warrior. His features are angular and handsome. He wears his light brown hair long, and his dark eyes sometimes glow with inner light. Always he is depicted as proud and fearless, and portraits often show him engaged in acts of great cruelty. Athelstan often wears elaborate tunics and cloaks of red and deep green, accented with gold or silver. His Sword of Pain, a long, narrow blade of magical powers, may glow bluish white, black, or red, depending on its wielder´s intent.

Athelstan is proud, cruel, and selfish. He takes great delight in causing pain and suffering. He despises the weak, the good and the innocent, who are always his favorite targets. Athelstan deems only the strong and powerful as worthy of his attention as either allies or opponents; the weak are fit only for torture or servitude. Athelstan holds nothing but contempt for women, who are useful to him only as submissive servants, and objects to satisfy his lust and his sadistic nature. Athelstan craves dominance in all things, and enjoys wielding power and deceiving others. Athelstan is aware that the other gods consider him simple-minded and even insane; he is quite content with this image, which hides his true cunning and allows him to hatch plans of which even Othniel is unaware. In fact, Athelstan works very hard at maintaining his image as the Mad God with frequent fits of rage and seemingly unpredictable behavior. Not only does this make the good deities underestimate him, but provides a convenient excuse when he decides to go against Othniel´s decisions.

Most of Athelstan´s worshipers and all of his priests are men; the few women among the faithful always hold subservient roles. Those who worship Athelstan are those who enjoy dominance and cruelty, and causing misfortune to others. Many are soldiers and warriors who enjoy blood-shed, and sneer at their comrades who allow rules and authority to prevent them from living as nature intended -- dominant to the weak and the good. Thieves and criminals who take pleasure in harming others often worship Athelstan, as do quite a few cruel individuals in positions of power. A smaller following comes from those who enjoy causing mishaps among their fellow men, either out of jealousy for the prosperity of others or from a bent towards mischief.

Athelstan despises Estereal, whom his Church calls, The Blind Fool, and resents his undeserved position as leader of the pantheon. Estereal could have been great and powerful -- a leader that even Athelstan might have been proud to follow. But instead Estereal became too caught up in the foolish notions of honor and justice, failing to see that the only ones worthy of respect are those who are capable of taking power for themselves. Estereal´s love for Soltana and his loyalty to his siblings are great weaknesses that will one day be his downfall.

Athelstan shares Othniel´s belief that Azkal betrayed them because he did not have the stomach to follow through with their clever plans. Yet of all the pantheon Athelstan considers The Collared Warrior the strongest and the most worthy opponent. He enjoys their frequent battles, and though Athelstan looks forward to the day when he will eventually kill his brother, he is content to postpone this eventual victory. Without Azkal around, there will be no opponents truly worthy of conquest. Besides, Azkal can endure a great deal of pain, and Athelstan derives more pleasure from hurting his enemies than he does from killing them.

Soltana, The Sanctimonious Slut, is weak, stupid and foolish, and Athelstan despises her completely. He sneers at those who claim that he has been ruled by his lust for the goddess -- certainly she is more than adequate for such use, but any other beautiful woman would serve as well. Athelstan would be more than happy to ravish her again, for he enjoyed her screams as much as her body, even if they were only token protests. He enjoys causing Soltana pain and suffering, hoping to push her into betraying her belief in the nauseating notions of loyalty, love and sacrifice. Her powers are not worthy of notice. Surely even Estereal must realize that she has no place outside of a man´s bed -- no doubt Estereal only takes the time to listen to her prattling advice because he doesn´t have what it takes to bed her as a real man could.

Athelstan is amused by Wajen, who believes herself proud and wise, even though her own lust allows her to be used and manipulated by Othniel. Since Othniel has The Great Mother well in hand, there is no need for Athelstan to waste his time on her. The Church of Athelstan refers to Wajen as The Green Bitch in Heat.

The Torturer´s feelings towards Jvelto seem largely ambivalent. He does not bear any special grudge against the Oceanlord, but neither does he have a great deal of respect for him. Jvelto, The Drunken Dolt, could be a great warrior or even a ruler, but he lacks ambition, and wastes his time in idle pursuits. Athelstan also considers Jvelto´s sense of humor boorish and simple, and the Oceanlord himself is far too easily duped to be much of a challenge.

Athelstan hates Torodin, The Sniveling Seer, more than any other god in the pantheon. The so-called Lord of Shadows is haughty and arrogant, and has the audacity to believe himself superior to Athelstan because of his great intelligence. Torodin is weak, foolish, and cocky. The Torturer loves making the sniveling coward suffer, directly when possible, and through his priests and worshipers when not. Athelstan resents Torodin´s snide remarks at his expense, and is suspicious of Othniel´s regard for their youngest brother, suspecting that if Othniel could win Torodin over to their side, he would grant Torodin a greater position of power than Athelstan enjoys. Athelstan could have killed Torodin on several occasions, but allowed his weak-hearted allies to rescue him. Athelstan enjoys making Torodin suffer, and he has great plans for Shadowlord´s future.

Athelstan values Othniel as a loyal ally and an able planner. But he does not seem to completely trust Othniel, and maintains his facade as the simple-minded lunatic in his dark brother´s presence. Still, Athelstan supports and protects Othniel, the only one in the pantheon with the courage and vision to match his own. Though he would like to rule alone, Athelstan has foreseen that he and Othniel will only triumph as long as they work together. Athelstan harbors a secret amusement at Othniel´s pride in his complex, long-term plans, which are not nearly as far-reaching as his own. He is a bit frustrated at his brother´s blind devotion to planning -- sometimes Othniel gets too caught up in his scheming and fails to give in to the zeal of the moment, even passing up chances to hurt and humiliate their enemies. A plan is all well and good, but a god has to know when to have fun.

Athelstan enjoys both the company and the loyalty of the lesser evil deities -- Baltasar , Bittor, Chakra, Declan, Gosheven, Kos, Reeba, and Roch, and Txomin. He enjoys bedding Istaqa, Thecla, and Nyx. All of these young gods enjoy having fun with their evil natures, and prefer Athelstan´s company to Othniel´s - a situation that pleases him greatly. Whenever battles are planned, it is usually Athelstan who gives the orders, as the young gods respond better to his able leadership than to Othniel´s haughty ways.

The Church

About half of the churches of Athelstan are combined with churches of Othniel; the High Priest of these combined churches is always a priest of Othniel, with the leading priest of Athelstan serving as a second in command. Knowing that their clerics do not tolerate subservience well, only the wisest and most patient among the clerics are assigned to these shared temples. The remaining churches of Athelstan fall into three categories -- training monasteries, false shrines, and secret temples.

The monasteries are hidden in remote areas, and provide a place for novitiates and new priests to learn their duties as a cleric of Athelstan. Emphasis is placed on combat abilities, and skills of disguise and torture. Every new priest of Athelstan must spend at least a year learning the secrets of causing physical pain from an elder priest well versed in the art of suffering.

The church of Athelstan also builds false shrines -- churches that are outwardly dedicated to another deity. To increase the shrine´s chance of remaining undiscovered, a minor deity is usually chosen, one about whom the common Hurvan and even the other clerics are less likely to have extensive knowledge. These shrines are generally built in small towns and villages, as people living in larger areas with many true temples to the major gods are more likely to notice something amiss. The church uses these shrines primarily to cause discord among the other churches and to sully the reputation of the major Hurvan clerics. They accomplish this by earning the devotion of the people in their community with excessive service, and then gradually spreading lies and rumors about the other churches. Hatred against other priests is fostered as much as possible, and those inspiring the common people into acts of violence against good clerics are well rewarded. Only the most charismatic of priests are assigned to these shrines. They are called back for frequent reports and training, to give them a much needed respite from being forced to commit acts of kindness.

The most important temples, and those housing the leadership of the faith, are the secret temples to Athelstan of which even the church of Othniel is unaware. At the most important of these churches, an underground temple called The Pit of Despair, the Grand Torturer , leader of all the faith, and his greatest High Priests plan great schemes, and direct their subordinates in the effort to spread suffering and pain across all of Hurva. The church of Athelstan is rigidly structured, much like an army of soldiers, which each priest given a rank and expected to obey his superiors without question. Disobedience and failure are viciously and quickly punished.

Churches of Athelstan vary in structure -- the need for secrecy and forbidding locations leads to varied and often unusual structures. All, however, contain opulent quarters for the leadership -- unlike Othniel, the church of Athelstan believes in encouraging competition by rewarding only those who excel in service, rather than encouraging all its priests to surround themselves with luxury. The drudgery of the temples is usually performed by slaves, allowing the clerics to attend to more important matters of the faith. Whenever possible, the churches incorporate vast dungeons into their structures; always there is at least one room supplied with instruments of torture, where the art of pain can be perfected.

Unlike the Church of Othniel, the church of Athelstan makes no attempt to tempt and persuade others to its cause. They enjoy their fearsome reputation, and seek always to keep it alive. There have been priests who lost control and went on violent rampages until caught by authorities. Though the leadership of the Church warned their followers against these examples, they were secretly pleased with the horror their underlings invoked in the Hurvan people, and made sure that their priests were given credit for the mayhem.

A select group of the more powerful priests of Athelstan have been chosen for special service and trained to seek out and attain positions of secular power among the people of Hurva. These powerful priests are granted special gifts and abilities by the Torturer, and report directly to the Grand Torturer himself. They funnel wealth back to the church, and provide victims for worship services and holy days. Their ultimate goals are a secret even among the faithful.

Dogma

From time to time, The Grand Torturer sends secret missives to all of his brethren, reminding them of their duties and of the goals of the Church. The latest directive read as follows:

Disciples of Pain, Bringers of Suffering, and Bearers of Misfortune,

Greetings from your earthly master, Grand Torturer Baltsaros.

Many of you have heard, by now, of the fate of Master Rapist Chaziel. There are those among the brotherhood who have dared to question my ruling, saying that one of our own deserved better than to be hung by his entrails until death. These doubters have been punished accordingly. I warn you all - do not question my judgment. I am closest to our Heavenly Master, and greatest in His power. I know His will for us. Do as your superiors have ordered you, without question -- that is the way to serve the great Athelstan.

As for Chaziel, he committed the greatest sin among us -- he allowed himself to have feelings for a woman. He forsook his calling, and helped the whore and the child she bore him to escape our wrath. I say to you, my children, love is for the weak and the foolish. Harden your hearts against it, and remember the example of our Heavenly Master, who used Soltana in the only way a woman is fit to be used. You are not disciples of The Sanctimonious Slut, or of the Sniveling Seer, that you should allow yourselves to be ruled by weak emotions. I urge any of you who are even tempted towards kindness or admiration of a woman, to kill her as soon as possible, and save yourselves from sin. Remember the words of Misfortune himself -- never let an innocent go free, or a kind act go unpunished.

I have another word for those of you working towards the great plots of our Church, especially those of you serving along-side our brother priests of Othniel. Your devoted service to our plans, and to your duties, is expected and appreciated. Never doubt that good service will be rewarded.

But I urge you -- do not let scheming and plots blind you to opportunity. We are not priests of Othniel, who must patiently wait for opportunities to manipulate events. Seize the day, I say to you. Never let an opportunity to cause pain, suffering and misfortune pass you by. Be discreet, of course. For now, we must remain hidden. But do not pass by the easy victim because you are too busy running errands, or creating schemes. Remember that your superiors share your goals, and they will understand a delay in your duty if it is for a good cause, such as an easy rape or inciting an unruly crowd towards violence. Remember, every act of violence is done in His name.

Lastly, I must caution you -- do not quarrel with our brother priests of Othniel. They are our greatest allies, and our alliance serves The Torturer´s purpose well. Discord is something to be sown among our enemy, not bred within our own walls. Curb your impatience with their haughty ways, and choose other targets for your aggression. I have been lenient so far. But further outbreaks of violence will not be tolerated. You have been warned.

May Our Heavenly Master grant you strength and endurance, that you may bring suffering to our enemies. May the innocent be ground beneath your heel. May the tears of the heart-broken and the helpless fall upon your pillow.

To Athelstan´s service we our bound,

Grand Torturer Baltsaros

Daily Activities

On a daily basis, priests of Athelstan are expected to pray to their god, to obey orders from their superiors, and to make the most of any opportunity to cause pain, suffering and misfortune to others. Priests are required to keep in touch with their brethren and report to their superiors, though by necessity these meetings are irregular and secret. Written reports are never sent unless the utmost secrecy is assured.

Priests are also expected to honor the holy days. Those that can not meet with their brethren to share these ceremonies are expected to escape their disguises long enough to make their own secret observance of the holy day, even if it be a brief one. Failure to do so is considered a weakness, and is punished accordingly.

At least once each cycle of Reeba, priests are required to commit one act of torture and/or rape against a good person. Priests and devoted worshipers of the good gods are favorite targets, and those who manage to molest these difficult targets are well rewarded for their skill. Priests are expected to cause one act of misfortune daily, even if it be a minor one. All priests are expected to practice their combat skills and torture techniques as often as possible.

Ceremonies And Holy Days

The Conquering of Soltana: 9 Esterealan

This holy day honors Athelstan´s rape of Soltana, The Sanctimonious Slut. Priests who are able gather together for an elaborate ceremony at dawn, involving blood sacrifices and ritualistic dancing. Priests unable to attend due to disguises or missions spend this time in prayer, and make animal sacrifices in private. Afterwards, each priest is expected to capture a young woman who is much loved by another man, and force himself upon her. Priests wear ritualistic masks and black, hooded robes for this ceremony to disguise their appearance.

Day of Betrayal: 14 Railos

This holy day is celebrated in memory of Azkal´s betrayal of his dark brothers. Priests hold a lengthy ceremony, in which captured worshipers of Azkal are dressed in the Collared Warrior´s colors and put in a ring to do battle with the greatest warriors among the Dark Brotherhood. The priests of Athelstan devour the hearts of the losers. Those captured warriors unfortunate enough to win their bouts are gruesomely tortured and sacrificed in the name of Athelstan.

The Night of Pain: 13 Enerio

In honor of The Great master of Misfortune, priests of Athelstan disguise themselves and travel about cities and towns, causing pain and suffering to others. Everything from burning homes, attacking lone travelers, and kidnapping children is considered an acceptable offering to please Athelstan. At dawn, priests gather to pray and speak of their achievements, and a feast of roast lamb is shared by the brotherhood.

The Holy Night of the Masters: 13 Bonvesti

Celebrated by both Athelstan and Othniel, this holy day celebrates the evil gods´ great victory in deceiving both Torodin and Soltana, gaining them three new evil deities and a century of slavery from the Shadowlord. In honor of this great achievement, priests kidnap an individual, preferably a follower of one of the good deities (Torodin and Soltana preferred), and bring them to their hidden temple. The victims are tortured in a long ceremony, and then left to do the menial work of the temple for the rest of their lives. Priests who take more powerful victims are rewarded, especially on the rare occasions when an enemy priest is captured.

Major Centers Of Worship

Except for the monasteries and the secret temples of the high leadership, churches of Athelstan are built as close to human settlements as possible, to allow the faithful easy access to victims. False shrines are usually built in small towns and villages. Other temples are often in or near major cities, either underground (especially those combined with temples to Othniel), or disguised as more mundane structures.

Vestments

Though not required to wear their colors in public for obvious reasons, priests of Athelstan are encouraged to wear blood red and green as much as possible. For ceremonies, novitiates dress in pure red, newly ordained priests in green, and higher ranking priests in a mixture of the colors, with various sigils, usually in black, to signify their rank and position in the order. The higher-ranking priests wear a great deal of gold and black ornamentation in addition to the traditional colors, and the High Priests add elaborate head gear to this ensemble. It is said that the current Grand Torturer has taken to using a magical item to alter his shape, thereby assuming the form of Athelstan himself as he is depicted in His portraits.