“You may resssst now… shhhhh” - Nizoa, the Amorous Amignificarem
Introduction
Known under the monikers, “the monster mistress” and “The Queen who slithers”, Nizoa is the reptilian-goddess of monsters, healing & hexes, rain & mist, judgement & the cycle of life-death-rebirth.
Physical Description
Perceived from head to tail tip at 15 ft long, when upright she only stand at about 6’3, as a snake-like creature, with scales, venomous fangs, forked tongue and an elongated tail replacing where her legs should be. With her most notable features being long, growable, dagger-like claws & her eyes, with her sclera being a golden yellow & red irises, said to be able to turn others into stone at will.
Personality
Perhaps the most distant of the pantheon, Nizoa is not social, isolating herself in various locations creating & adapting all sorts of monsters, mostly to attempt to bring the world back to the way it was before the time of dragons. While not mute, she does not speak often, and can be quite secretive with her intentions, even if they’re meant to do good.
Powers
She has domain over monsters (non-humanoid creatures who are, while powerful, are only as intelligent as any other animal), both healing and hexing, judgement, rain & mist, and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Thought recently, this has been waning.
Lineage
As Animage’s original consort, she has had one child with him; a centaur daughter with a scorpion tail named Nessus, who sits on the council of the unseelie court. This is her sole creation she considers to be her next of kin, as the monsters she makes feel more to her like mixing & matching toys together rather than children.
Possessions
The Claws of Calamity - while these can be easily shed, it is said that these claws have the ability to pierce thru even the harshest metals.
Rew, The sacred tree of the Rime - located at the more northeastern point of Stÿrgn, this is an everlasting tree that is said to heal almost any mortal ailment. All monsters & animals are said to have come from this tree & is Nizoa’s home.
Realm
While she can appear anywhere not already preoccupied with settlements & large groups of people, her main dwelling is Rew; the name of a large, warm, everlasting tree where monster & creatures of all shapes & sizes are created. The entire land surrounding it is chock full of monsters that may be prone to killing humanoids, so to reach it is only possible if Nizoa decides there is no threat.
Pantheon Relations
Daolyn - Since the two existed at the same time, she sees him as her opposite, and while casual rivals, it’s not uncommon for the two to work together, so long as it benefits the planet of Amor. In exchange for letting her create monsters of all sorts, he has knowledge of every single one.
Elvaren - Nizoa is constantly perplexed at how kindly she treats her, even when her followers have been destroyed by her monsters. Because of this, it is said that whoever becomes Elvarens most devout follower will never have a single scratch laid upon them. So far no one has been able to complete this
Molimai/Klazoa - The two see each other as frenemies, as Nizoa sees her creatures as the standard for nature, while Molimai thinks some of them should have sentience. This has put them both at an impasse with each other, but otherwise, both remain indifferent.
Animage/Hepheshtu - Since both Nessus’ conception, and Animage training his followers to wipe out all her creations, she is resentful of him, and all her focus is on how to create a monster capable of defeating his finest mortals.
Roe’wyn - Nizoa still sees Roe’wyn as his previous incarnation, and this fantasy is the only thing keeping her from seeing his small stature as food. She is also resentful to him, as magic is the easiest way to kill her beasts.
Syprian - The first god to ever admire her creations, she had developed a mild crush on Him, but had never acted upon it. She regrets never saying anything to him.
Worship
Druids & those who work with and around animals & shapeshifting follow her, usually in secret and away from prying eyes, as due to her rampant monster creations, most societies tend to look down on her, citing her as “an unneeded goddess”. This has led to many kinfolk to disown her as a follower publicly. In secret, Most people, especially kinfolk who work in the natural world however, understand her place in it, and those who respect her do their best to preserve nature; it IS most animals’ homes after all.
During humid rainstorms, even in Stÿrgn, the evaporation may at times turn lime green. When this happens, her followers recite a specific chant to themselves, which when followed properly, is said to heal any mortal ailment or hex those who have done wrong. The latter depends on how many kills the opponent in question has performed vs. how many creatures the chanter has saved.
Her followers are also more likely to win over favor with most animals, as all of them fall under Nizoa’s domain. Ranchers, trainers & mounted couriers are typical jobs her most devout work in, however this has brought on stereotypes such as having backwards ways of life & not knowing how to use magic.
Holidays
Rewther Day - on day of the full arghans moon, a secret candlelight procession is held in various communities wherein devotees will come together in a costume to form a large snake representing Nizoa. Soft flute music is played to mask the weeping from its partakers, ending at a specific tree on the shoreline, wherein everyone honors and celebrates all the lives lost in the year prior. This used to be a common practice, but in the present era, most people instead have taken the concept of honoring those who have passed on, as spirits of those who have passed on can still linger for decades. Oracles & mediums have the best chance of contacting the specific deceased loved ones asked at this time, and the shoreline is the best place to do so, assuming there is no regular memorial site already in place.
Practice of Faith
Unlike the rest of the pantheon, Nizoa’s worship is concealed by most followers. Often they’ll gather in secret at each major mark of the year: end/start of a new moon & each full moon. While not hunted, these gatherings called “cloves” will practice shapeshifting, trade recipes for transformations of all sorts & end with a group circle summoning an approval of Nizoa. If all have not intentionally harmed a creature or animal, her approval is granted, and green mist emanates, which heals all followers of any physical ailments. If someone in the group has not, the mists will merely have no effect.
Quests
Trees, bees & seas - there is always someone attempting to settle somewhere a creature has occupied. As a devotee, someone needs to step in before nature is taken over by a larger pest: society.
Journey to the Rime of the Rew - whoever can survive past Nizoa’s playground without being harmed by a single creature is said to be granted the ability to shapeshift into any one of Nizoa’s creations they choose at will.
Temples
Most of her temples are nomadic, in that there is never usually the same spot twice. Each specific item used in ritual for her is kept in secret by members of a local council. Usually consisting of a rare animal part, the serpent head used in the Rew’th day procession, an alleged branch from the Rew, and a shortblade said to mimic one of Nizoa’s fangs, simply called “the fang”.
Relics
Nizoan Scale - about the size of a tea plate, those who attune to one are said to blend in with the natural environment
Dawnlands vs. Dusklands
In the Dawnlands, she is perceived with white scales & black underbelly & claws high lighting her death associations, whereas in the dusklands, she is more green with a yellow underbelly and red claws