Decry from Cosmic Irony | Hubris & Tarapheus

Caelestis Hubris, god of irony and watches over the region of Mudwick. Known to be one of the more "extreme" religions, her followers are called the "Muscarines" and at this time they were still a legal "church" in the cities. Hubris is one of three gods who reigned over the island of Astrolis. Laloe was a wish-granting goddess who watched over Udora, while the martial god Xiao Li currently leads Visfar.

!! MILD GORE, BELITTLEMENT !!

Shortly after the wars between the divine, Hubris had finished her latest scheme with poisoning the worshippers of Laloe’s faith, surely she meant it to test their worth to her friend, but in the end they got themselves killed due to their own selfishness. It was as hopeless as ever she thought, but Hubris realized that Laloe took blame for the crime and was taken into a limbo for punishment. She heard the news from her small blobs of creations who were keeping watch of Laloe’s dying people. The mortal massacre caused that sensitive deity to bring a sword to her throat and slice it open. As the goddess bled a crystalizing translucent liquid she cursed herself to the space between realms. Now that became a concern for Hubris, who was she going to go to play with in times of need? Completely shut out by the neighboring –and mourning– martial god, Xiao Li, Caelestis Hubris was left on her own to investigate the matter. 

Since none of the other gods were going to go near the islands anytime soon, the goddess took this chance to explore inland. The second war of the divine was slowly coming to an end and the divine courts were a lovely mess; the skies were tense and the ground shook with vigor. She laughed at the mortals who cowardly ran to corners instead of embracing this chaotic symphony, who were understandably running for their life. The goddess saw that in the distance of lush shrubs and sandy dunes, was a village of aureate brick. Mortals finally accomplished some dignity? She scoffed and had to take a closer look at these foreboding structures in front of her. There was something about the rain that surrounded the area and its hue that was not like that of ordinary water, but it almost perfectly matched the cities’ yellow bricks.

It was when she stepped in the rain that she realized it was not rain at all, but liquefied gold. She didn’t particularly crave it, but how could she refuse the chance to dance in the divine’s blood? The poor scrawny villages shuffled about as they rolled barrels into their towns with shouts of freedom, thinking that the glorifying liquid were blessings from the gods themselves–little do they know it was a final cry of their precious deity finishing in the hands of an entity that happened to get lucky. She couldn’t help but giggle at the thought that they’re probably about to experience a very rude awakening. 

The divine weather stretched across the villages, reaching the edge of sandy dunes. Beyond them lay a dense, lush forest. This was most likely a sign of dominance over the domain of the god who reigned on top of whatever divine battle that took place in the roaring clouds. As Hubris was dancing in the god’s spilled blood, a commotion broke out in nearby streets. The surreal and humanoid bodies roared with excitement as they wrecked the streets in search for more of this beautiful divine beverage. It was funny to watch the beings devour not only the citizens of these cities, but their own kind as well – they were so overcome by greed that they were willing to consume their own flesh to feel this kind of thrill.

At first, the blond deity was entertained by the plot that was currently unfolding before her, but once one of those ugly elongated arms reached for her, she was quick to feel a need to put them in their rightful place. “You dare place your cursed limbs on my body?” She spat at the creature with her hand raised to grab its surreal face. Its screech influenced her lips to widen and she clenched her hand tighter to feel its disturbing skin tear beneath her nails. Its arms flailed to shake her off, but she shoved the thing down and replaced her grip with her heel in its face.

“Shrivel in despair and grovel at my beauty, ya worthless unwanted waste!” Hubris cackled with her curls dripping in gold. It rolled down her soft and plump cheeks while droplets filled the wrinkles in her eyes. The entities almost filled the streets completely and were in the process of shooing off the remaining humans who resided there. The men ran with their wives and their children were scrambling about covered in blood. They were all cowardly, but that just gave Hubris more space to express her gratitude for this divine weather. 

Hubris felt a small yet harsh yank from her wrist. When she turned she saw a young man being pulled away by a snappy and grotesque mouth. He didn’t look like an adult and he certainly didn’t care to ask before touching this deity. An older lady, possibly a relative, was shouting this boy’s name as she pushed through the crowd of fleeing families to get to this unfortunate soul.

Hubris scrunched up her nose in disgust and yanked the young man away from the attacking creature. “Mortals will hold onto anything.” She scoffed as the monster went to capture another human upon this one's freedom. “You're a pathetic boy.” Hubris smiled and tossed the child to the yearning woman who was barely getting out from trampling beasts. “Since I’m already here, and because they are repulsive enough to commit an affront upon my gorgeous skin, I’ll help ya hopeless mortals out.” She stomped on the disorientating face beneath her, which only gave her exposed legs decoration she appreciated little for, and spent the next hour tearing apart the other ugly monsters. Hubris never used a sword or bow, but preferred her bare hands and teeth — to feel their fear boiling off their flesh was enough to encourage her to consume them all. 

With her face painted in red and gold, the deity felt the weather begin to lighten up, and in the midst of her spree she felt a shift in the air. Fewer and fewer packs of beasts came after her, and she could feel something dissecting her untamed movements from afar. It was not any of those exaggerated and unsightly stuffs or humans -- this was something that’s been there the entire time, but only chose to pay attention now. Hubris’ green eyes searched for the presence in the almost still fields. There wasn’t much movement in the village anymore apart from the gross guests who were groaning for their detached limbs.  “Which perv’s watchin’ me?” 

Behind her was a growing beam of light that stretched and had done the late honors ridding any remaining disgusting intruders. “As the newly erected god, Silhem Tarapheus, I greet you in temporary peace.” Soft bronze skin touched the sandy floor with delicacy, gold trinkets adorning their nearly bare body as they sauntered toward this shapeshifting deity. The seemingly humanoid male before Hubris was beautiful, definitely shiny, but appearing here after doing nothing when she had to touch those revolting things? She scoffed and held her head high. “I didn’t expect to see a bedazzled vulture makin’ its grand and useless entrance .” 

The dark-toned entity blinked in response and was, in all simplicity, flabbergasted at the backhanded insult. “Not enough to impress the gorgeous animal that intruded into my region?” He chuckled, placing a pair of arms on his hips while the other pair crossed his broad chest.

“Of course it is impressive. The fact that ya dare assume flashy lights is enough to gain the approval from a god of an avenging sea, a god of infinite and eternal beauty, the god of irony!” She gripped a tuft of fine hair from this individual and yanked him with enough force to bring him down to his knees.

“Bow down and know your place, pathetic vulture of gold!” Creatures all alike and different would plead, cry, and even attempt to defy her when her heel pinned them down. Much to her surprise, the male entity stared up at the goddess with an almost eager look, like he was equally impressed and intrigued by the insulting shapeshifter. 

And, on top of everything, the four-armed deity stated in a whisper full of pride and delicious surrender, “You’re one gorgeous woman.”

This was when Hubris knew, this god will assist her in the near future.