Athena

Athena raising the sword Salvation
CategoryHigher Powers
PowerGreater
WorldJovar (Nawenglorûs)
RaceTungesti
Genderfemale
Alignmentlawful good
Symbolowl
DomainLaw, Good, Protection (bolstered), War
EnemiesGruumsh, Set, Thasmudyan
Born7 War March 4007 DE
Godhood17 Bliss 9108 GE

Athena came to prominence in the Creation War. Then she was but an angel, a very powerful one at that. She formed an elite cadre of angels called the Golden Seven. She was a master of two-handed blades and feared by primordials and demons alike. Even though she was highly respected for her martial skills, it was her leadership skills and charisma that made her feared by her enemies and admired by her friends. Hundreds of times in the Creation War and Demon Spawn War she led much smaller forces against opposing numbers that would make most leaders beat a retreat and live to fight another day. In the Demon Spawn War, Athena was passed over by Ares who became the supreme commander of the Quara'tun Covenant. She did not resent this, for she considered such a role to be too distant from the front-lines where she preferred to lead her troops by example. Athena was passed over again when Ares became a god, with the title supreme commander passing to his protégé Asmodeus. This time, she had met her match in charisma and one of such wit that it wasn't till their love affair ended many years later that she figured out that Asmodeus had manipulated her with his professed love, care, and artfully deceptive words. This led to him having a better chance of becoming the supreme commander of all divine forces battling the demons. When Asmodeus was selected to lead the Quara'tun Covenant, Athena began to focus more on nurturing mortals and taking other steps towards becoming a god.

On 17 Bliss 9108 GE, Athena entered the ranks of the gods. One of the first major things she did as a god was on 3 Bliss 9111 GE. On this day, Phalgas, Athena and Danzar-Khâl slew the Nine-Tongued Worm.

Beyond her personal traits, Athena was the one who proposed a system of rules for how the wars against the primordials and later against the demons should be waged. Forgiving and goodly, they became known as the Nawirrûs Edicts. In 9414 GE, it was these edicts that led to the sentencing of Asmodeus and his lieutenants, making them Fallen Angels.

Athena is the goddess of law, good, protection, and war. She is prayed to by the goodly fighting peoples of the realm. Like Ares, she is a War God, but where Ares would welcome razing and putting a city to the torch, Athena would rather have her followers practice forgiveness and compassion for the beaten.

Standing before her seven archangels in full battle regalia, the goddess Athena takes off her helmet. This ancient helm has resisted the blows of primordial dreadnoughts and the vile weapons of Abyss’s demon lords.

She shakes out her long golden hair and with deep piercing blue eyes, looks over her archangels. Perfection, if only I could send these champions to Cinazan. They could settle this matter in a month.

Chin raised, high square unfeminine cheeks, she says to them, "I’m sure that Geb has a hand in this Chaos War. He is a primordial lord. He might have turned to taking on worshipers like the rest of the pantheon, but he is still a primordial. I will never trust that man."

- from the story of Raxcvillibus, "Godspawn - Chapter 3"

Athena, like most Gods, has a multitude of sects which interpret her divine tenets in different ways. In the Lands of Purity, there are two major sects of Athena worshipers. Those of Malacost generally hold more forgiving and charitable views of Athena, while those of the Divine Empire are more militaristic and use a bit more force when spreading her religion. Athena has a number of tenets, called The Virtues, with Athena's Third Virtue: "All must make sacrifices for the greater good."

Sources of Divine Power
Core WorshipProselytizers
Divine Empire
GaereausOrder of the Solars
MalacostRighteous Arms of Athena
UkhelgasScourge of Athena
Six Arcane
Known Powers
TraitDescription
Jovars Shield50% chance to deflect all ranged attacks (rays, missiles), 50% of those deflected are rebounded back upon the attacker
Divine Toughness+8,000 hit points as Greater Power
Modulating Energy+25 modulating energy damage for all attacks
Touch of Lawall attacks are treated as having the Negative Entropy descriptor, any non-lawful aligned creature struck must make a Fortitude DC30 minus their level or have their alignment changed one step closer to Law, with the order being Chaotic then Neutral then Lawful.
Follower Boons
TraitDescriptionRestriction
Shield of Athena+2 attack when using a shield to bashnone
Divine Armor+2 divine bonus to ACpriests