Category: Pantheon

Characters bio, bits on writing, excerpts of dialogue, and more!

Fingersmiths “R” Us

Cast:

Bob – a short story author, published a novel

Erik – a screenplay writer


chez moi – a graphic novelist

Setting:
Fred 62 Diner in LA

Yesterday, at 2pm, I arrived at the diner mere moment before Erik did, despite the best efforts of the traffic gods and an unreliable GPS. We agreed to sit outside, and after we obtained refreshments, the conversation lurched immediately into a “whatcha done lately?” mode. Erik is a filmmaker who desires greater control over his craft, so he decided to break into script writing.

After taking turns in exchanging horror stories about grad school, and before we ran out of gas, Bob made his grand entrance. He’s a middle aged man with the wittiest sense of humor this side of George Carlin, or an American version of Lord Henry from the Picture of Dorian Gray. We spoke a bit about the goals of the club, what we expected from it, and what we hope to gain from each other, and so forth. Continue reading Fingersmiths “R” Us

Philosophy of the gods, part 1

Kaeli vs elder god Orcus, by Awet Moges

In this blog I will be drawing a distinction between two philosophies – one espoused by Kaeli and her guru, Cartaphilus, and the other, by the Elder gods. (Click here for Part 2) Hopefully this will explain how Kaeli’s worldview compares and contrasts with those of the elder gods.

The insurgents
Kaeli’s innermost beliefs are buttressed and articulated by the radical ideas of the anarchist, Cartaphilus. The elder gods, on the other hand, serve as the antithesis to her defiant stand, as the wizened cynics who disdain the fervor of youth. Continue reading Philosophy of the gods, part 1

Saraswati

A former Hindu goddess of knowledge, Saraswati was the daughter of Shiva and Durga. She is credited with the invention of language and knowledge for mortals, and the divine inspiration of their holy Scriptures. Mortals pray to her for moksha, or true wisdom that will deliver them from their mortal shells.

Saraswati’s fealty to fixed ideas causes her to bend all gods and mortals to high standards. Since she desires change in others into becoming better people, she is relentlessly critical and judgmental. Sometimes Saraswati is surprised when others do not appreciate her judgments, although she is quick to praise whoever meets her standards. Continue reading Saraswati

Ekchuah

An amorous, consummate libertine who has lived the luxurious life and experienced all sorts of pleasures, retired from the violent days as the former Mayan god of war. On the surface Ekchuah is cynical and jaded, but his sophisticated veneer conceals a sentimentality he has always kept in check. He longs for his reckless youth, and desires it in others. He preys on the younger goddesses, and loves to chase them especially when they resist. No longer entertaining the illusions of his heyday Ekchuah is currently working with the bounty hunter Orcus these days.

The gods wear masks, for they are all in self-deception. They have buried their thoughts deep in order to appear polite and pleasant to one another. The clever ones like Ekchuah realize that they can uphold conventional behavior and spout platitudes entirely in line with the orthodoxy, at no cost to their true beliefs. Ekchuah blends in with the others, and is left alone with his dangerous thoughts, discreetly sharing them with certain others without any cost to his reputation. Sometimes Ekchuah spreads his thoughts indirectly, with irony and insinuation.

Ekchuah is notorious for his double-dealing ways. Often infiltrating his enemies’ ranks, and working from within to bring the system down, Ekchuah does not give them anything to see or react against. He has learned that he does not have to fight someone who has what he wants. Hence, he joins them and waits for the perfect moment to stage a coup d’état.

Instead of revealing his position publicly that informs the opposition of his intentions, Ekchuah  suppresses his desires to act out hostilities. Whosoever gains in publicity and feels good about expressing themselves openly loses in a reduction of their ability to inflict true damage.

He appears on the enemy’s side where he gathers valuable information (weaknesses or incriminating evidence). Subtle maneuvers such as distributing false information or persuading the enemy into self-destructive behavior result in untold damage far greater than any outside attacks could produce. By ostensibly playing the part of a loyal enthusiast, Ekchuah’s true and hostile intentions are easily concealed. Being undetectable means there isn’t any limit to the destructive powers in Ekchuah’s grasp.

Orcus

Orcus

“…a single-minded pursuit of flagons, feasts, and fornication.”
Known as the former roman god of the underworld and an erstwhile punisher of broken oaths. He used to represent the evil and punishing side of Pluto (roman god of wealth) and tormented evildoers in the afterlife. His power is often limited to mortals, which means he has little to no role among the immortals. Mortals hate him, while the society of immortals often ridicule his position.

Clearly dishonest, disloyal, lacking interest in relationships, but in spite of these vices, Orcus represents a sort of exciting danger, particularly for women and goddesses. Continue reading Orcus

Bellona


Truth is a woman; she only loves a warrior. – Nietzsche
As the Greek deity Enyo, Bellona often carried weapons of war drenched in blood, and accompanied Ares, the premier god of war. As the Roman goddess, she was the original war deity. Currently a member of the Senate at Teotihuacán.

A hopelessly self-centered goddess, Bellona is constantly embroiled in drama, for she needs it in order to keep boredom away. She finds comfort and security anathema, and seeks trouble instead. A passive aggressive sado-masochist, pain is a source of pleasure, and Bellona enjoys complaining about such troubles, being the victim. She despises the polite gods, and often argues with them. Bellona has a long history of tragedies and traumas, and is always on the outlook for a new one, consciously or unconsciously. Continue reading Bellona

Skuld the valkyrie

 

 

The youngest Norn, she who is called Skuld, ride ever to take the slain and decide fights


Skuld (necessity, or she who is becoming) was originally a sinister spirit of slaughter or dark demigoddess of death who hovered over battlefields and chose warriors to be admitted to Valhalla, the home of Odin’s army. She also held the Norn position, the goddess of fate, but nowadays she serves as a liaison to Teotihuacan.
Skuld in her long existence, has become a master at the game of seduction, where she orchestrates a game of emotional pendulum that swings between hope and frustration. The ability to delay satisfaction is the ultimate art of seduction: when the victim waits impatiently, he is held in thrall. The bait is the promise of reward (formerly, for the mortals it was the glory of Einherjar) – fundamentally, either pleasure or power – but the promise always remains elusive, which actually makes their targets chase Skuld even harder. Continue reading Skuld the valkyrie