Nise

Title Sister of Battle, Stormmaiden, Pain Mistress
Portfolio War, weather, and blood
Typical Worshipers Pirates, sailors, soldiers
Typical Worshiper Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Domains Air, War, Water, Weather
Subdomains Blood, Ice, Storms, Wind
Favored Weapon Cutlass
Favored Animal(s) Seahawk

Legends

The godling Nise loved her father Braal, a primitive god of War in another reality, and would listen to his tales of heroic valor when the cosmos was young. He spun yarns untold of in the Divine Record, whose bases influenced the mythologies of a myriad of worlds. He recalled the forging of the worlds and the battles that were fought against titanic threats to the fabric of reality such as Mâl, Destroyer of Worlds. She adored him so that she naturally followed in his footsteps and kept nothing from him. Nothing but one secret, and that was of her second love, Lyvalia. Nise had befriended Lyvalia when she had been in service to Braal and other gods. They would sneak off together, and Lyvalia would insist on listening to the tales of Braal retold to her by Nise. It was Nise that would take Lyvalia into the inner sanctum of the Heavens and show her the source of the power of the True Gods. She shared the power of the gods, and she shared her heart and body with Lyvalia. It was to Lyvalia that she turned when Braal was judged for his supposed crimes against that world’s gods, and in her that she sought solace when he was sentenced to be Dispersed into the Void. Nise’s heart broke forever when wise Gerana revealed that Lyvalia had been at the root of betrayal. Her life nearly ended as well, for it was then that Lyvalia stole her powers, her immortal essence. Only her father’s sacrifice saved Nise, as he gave of his own essence to revive her, a mercy of the sympathetic gods. Nise cradled her father as he faded from existence, her tears flooding the mortal realm, as Lyvalia’s daemons flooded Heaven. Nise’s celestial longboat, the Sacred Seahawk, rode the tide of sorrow and regret to this reality. When the harvest moon rises full and blood red, mortals call the blood on the moon Nise’s tears.

Church

Clerics of Nise are organized in a very militaristic manner, and they are almost exclusively women. The ranks of clergy consist of a high priestess, called a Canoness. Second to her are the Domina, who in turn command the Mistresses of Battle. The remainder of the clerics are known as Knight Sisters, and those who have not yet bled in battle are Aspirant Sisters. Aboard ships, both sanctioned and piratical, Nisian clergy gain the honorific Shipsister, such as Shipsister Domina Xena. They advise and encourage warriors on all sides and nations, except possibly those of lawful orientation; Nisians chafe under too-strict chains of command. They have been known to command pirate fleets, as well.

Spell Preparation Rituals

Sacrifice of small animals or a blood tithe from a self-inflicted cut is necessary for supplication to Nise. Rare is the Nisian that does not weep during her prayers. The clergy consider the Blood Moon a good omen and a holy night. They will often make more significant blood sacrifices at this time to honor the pain of their goddess.

Religion Traits

The following religion traits may be chosen by worshipers of this deity.

Blooded

You relish the blood spilled in battle, be it your opponents or your own.

Benefit You gain a +2 trait bonus to confirm critical hits against an opponent that has wounded you.

The Arm of Nise

The heady smell of battle and blood gives speed to your sword arm.

Benefit If you are at less than half your full hit points at the start of combat, you gain a +3 trait bonus to initiative.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

The Gods of Porphyra © 2012, Purple Duck Games; Authors: Christopher Kaiser, Perry Fehr, Mark Gedak, August Hahn, John Hazen, Sean Holland, Sam Hing, James H. Lewis, Chris Longhurst, Scott Messer, Sean O’Connor, David Nicholas Ross, and Jeremy Whalen

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