MTG Salvation

Heliod represents law, justice, retribution, and the bonds of kinship. Heliod presides over matters of family honor, questions of morality and virtue, speeches, marriages, acts of protective bravery, dawn meals, and self-sacrifice. Heliod's name is often part of legal proceedings, and sacrifices to him are made in times when the greatest aid—or the strictest justice—is needed.

Heliod wields Khrusor, the Sun Spear, a weapon blessed with his power that can be pitched down from the heavens to any point on Theros. Obscure legends say that another major polis once existed, a coastal city known as Arixmethes, that Heliod smote with Khrusor and cast into the sea.

Heliod radiates with pride and self-assurance. His presence fills the sky with light, blocking mortal access to the dark, starry view of Nyx, and in person he has the same overwhelming aura of awe and brilliance. He is convivial and gregarious, making friends and forming bonds easily, and he sees himself as the ally to all. But others know that Heliod can be fickle in his loyalty. Heliod's greatest ally today might be the target of his retribution tomorrow.

Heliod is the sun god, literally bringing the light of day to the world, so almost everyone on Theros pays at least tokenistic acknowledgment to him. Some families have a custom of winking in the direction of the dawn's light first thing in the morning, a gesture of respect to the sun god's luminous eye. Heliod's devoted worshippers are mainly humans and Laggona Band centaurs, who celebrate Heliod on the first clear-skied morning of every month. Temples to Heliod often feature stairs up to a rooftop courtyard, enabling sun worship. The largest holiday aligned with Heliod is the summer solstice, celebrated with three days of ceremonious feasting, weddings, and oaths of loyalty.

Many Meletian mages received training at the Dekatia, including many thaumaturges, but one is not truly considered a thaumaturge until one has received a reward or other positive omen from the gods. For example, a mage might be considered a thaumaturge when Heliod, god of the sun, grants her a spear of sunlight, or when she is granted a wild creative vision by Keranos, god of storms.

Most revere the hunt and the pride, but according to chronicler Lanathos, some leonin still make offerings to Heliod and Nylea.

A herder bragged that his livestock was the finest in all of Theros because it had been created by Heliod and Nylea themselves. He grew rich from the lie, and the gods grew angry at the injustice. Heliod convinced Mogis to place a curse on the cattle, transforming them into poisonous, fetid creatures.

Thassa is the god of the sea and also presides over aquatic creatures and the secrets of the briny deep. But she is also the god of ancient knowledge, murmurs, gradual change, introspection, vast distances, long voyages, and far-ranging searches. Thassa might also be described as the god of patterns, such as those of tides, currents, ripples in water, and even the passage of time.

Thassa wields Dekella, a two-pronged spear. Wielding Dekella allows her to control the tides and stir the seas into whirlpools. Legend has it that a mortal sailor once stole Dekella and used it to destroy an enemy fleet, and that Thassa punished the mortal by turning his entire family into eels.

Thassa is the god who is least likely to be satisfied with the status quo, but also the least likely to rush to change. She is constantly striving to resculpt the land, changing coastlines and upending institutions for the purpose of slow, eventual, unfolding change.

When she speaks, she often uses the future tense, always referring to what tomorrow will bring, forever uninterested with the reality of today. Thassa is slow to anger but implacable once roused. Her anger can grow like a rumbling, cresting, unstoppable wave, taking out whole villages with its fury—then subside with the tide, dragging the evidence of her wrath calmly out to sea.

Tritons and the humans of Meletis comprise most of Thassa's worshippers, as well as all who venture out to sea, whether for exploration, commerce, or war. Although tritons exalt her above all other gods, she shows no favoritism toward them, seeming equally impassive to all mortals. She is worshipped with offerings of fish and salt by the poor, offerings of pearls and nacre by the rich, and with murmured prayers and quiet contemplation by all.

Meletis sits on the Siren Sea, surrounded by a host of small islands called the Dakra. The Dakra are said to have been created when Thassa, god of the sea, felt sorrow that Korinna, ancient queen of the tritons, had been killed by a human's harpoon. Thassa's tears fell onto the sea in the form of an archipelago of misty isles. The Dakra have rarely been settled by humans, as they harbor strange nymphs and fierce monsters, and are enchanted with the magic of the gods.

While tritons pay respect to many gods, they are devoted to Thassa, god of the sea. Tritons see Thassa as the primary god of the pantheon of Theros, believing she will bring their race to ascendancy over beasts of the sea and the human-dominated poleis of the land. Tritons often act at Thassa's direct command, drowning boats in magically conjured whirlpools or creating great monuments on the Dakra Isles.

Triton priests lead ceremonies honoring Thassa, often involving offerings at towering shell-altars both under the sea and on land. Some triton worshippers create magical sculptures out of saltwater that tower up out of the ocean, then crash down into the waves again.

When the sun first shone on Heliod, god of the sun, the first shadow was cast. When Heliod saw it, he feared and banished it, sending it beyond the so-called Rivers That Ring the World, the five rivers that form a boundary between Theros and its Underworld. That shadow became Erebos, the god of death. In time, Erebos accepted his role, knowing that although Heliod had banished him, he would always stand behind the sun god.

Erebos rules over death and the Underworld, but these aren't his only duties. Because of his own origins, he is also the god of misfortune, ill fate, begrudging acceptance, envy, and bitterness. And because he is lord of the Underworld, where gold is common and valueless, he is also the god of wealth.

Although it might seem as though Erebos is connected to Nyx more closely than the other gods, this isn't the case. Erebos's realm lacks both the sun and the night.

Erebos wields Mastix, a golden-handled whip with an impossibly long lash, like a thin shadow that stretches on forever. The whip is a means of inflicting pain when he must, but its more frequent function is as a snare to pull the reluctant dead into—or back into—his realm.

Erebos is an effective warden and lord of the Underworld realm. He is not without compassion, but his compassion is limited to feeling on behalf of others what he himself feels, and his acceptance of his fate means that his lieges, the dead, must accept theirs. He idly envies the sunlit world of the living, but only in a daydream-like way. He knows that all mortal souls will eventually join him, which affords him a kind of satisfaction and certainty. When others suffer, it brings Erebos peace, but not glee, because the alienation and banishment of others enables them to identify with his own.

The god of the underworld is worshipped by three distinct sets of mortal beings: those who exalt death, those who desire wealth, and those who pray for acceptance of their fates. The first group is the smallest but most dangerous; they seek to bring about a confrontation between Heliod and his shadow. The second group is largest. Because the dead leave their earthly wealth behind, Erebos has become associated with that wealth, as well as with the abundance of (to him, pretty but valueless) gold in his realm. The final group is closest to Erebos's heart—those who have been cast out and who seek peace with their fate.

Winter is seen as a time of sleep and death. The Winter Nexus is at the far edge of Setessa in an old lion's den believed to predate the founding of Setessa. The ancient den is in a small rocky cave below a burial mound. The cave is said to lead down to the Underworld itself, and the smell of blood and decay hangs in the air. Here, people make offerings to Pharika and to Erebos in hopes of sparing themselves grief or pain in old age, or in remembrance of someone who now walks in the Underworld.

When sentient, mortal beings die on Theros, they pass into its Underworld. They dwell in this eternally gray realm without sun or night under the watch of Erebos, god of the Underworld.

"Taste the world," say the satyrs, "before Erebos rips your tongue out."

Purphoros is the god of the forge, the restless earth, and fire. He rules the raw creative force of heat and energy that fills the souls of sentient beings. His energy emerges as chaos, something to be harnessed and shaped by labor and passion. For this reason, Purphoros is also the god of artisans, of obsession, and of the cycle of creation and destruction.

Purphoros wields Akmon, a large hammer whose head slightly resembles an anvil. A blow from Akmon can render the earth molten, and when it strikes metal, each spark becomes a new enchantment, some of which even take on life.

To sit in the presence of Purphoros is to be inspired. He forges the most ornate and delicate items only to dash them into flame and start again. He is reasonable yet ultimately follows no rules save his own creative and destructive impulses. Sometimes, this can mean covering a whole area with lava to make way for something new. His main flaw is that of frustration, of feeling limited and constrained. He is forever pushing against the barriers of mortal imagination, sensing that there is much more to express. This can cause him to plummet into despondency and then lash out at the world with raw destruction.

Followers of Purphoros, the god of the forge, brought the secret of bronze to Theros, leading to stronger objects and armaments than any created previously. And the most sanctified shamans of Purphoros also possess small quantities of a new metal said to have come from Purphoros's forge: iron. But it's not only smiths who worship him. Artists, human and satyr especially, seek his aid, ascending to altars on volcanic slopes to breathe deeply of the creative vapors. Warriors give him homage when lighting a bonfire. Potters inscribe their works with markings meant to honor him.

There are a few temples in Akros dedicated to the major gods—mainly Purphoros and Iroas—but due to the Stratian duties of many Akroans, the major temples are located afield, in mountainous places.

Anax is a burly man in his late 40s, once a follower of Iroas. In his later years he has turned to Purphoros as he steers his people through the creation of a small empire. This shift is reflected in the trend in art now seen from Akroan artisans. Swords and armor are now decorated. Pottery, clothing, wall paintings, and weaving show ancient Akroan patterns and symbolism handed down for generations.

The people of Setessa believe that it is Purphoros's fire that warms the earth enough for the autumn harvest, so people give offerings in hopes of an autumn bounty.

The most aggressive and dangerous nymphs, these red-aligned creatures dwell in remote mountain crevasses and near volcanoes. Purphoros is fond of their company, and these nymphs also take part in satyr bakkeia—but only the very wildest ones.

Nylea is the god of the hunt, the seasons, and the forest. Because of her reign over the hunt, she is also associated with predation and hunger. And because of her rule of the seasons, she is also the god of metamorphosis and rebirth. Nylea receives strength and peace from sleeping inside the chrysalis at the center of her grove.

Nylea is Theros's finest archer, and she wields a shortbow called Ephixis. Her companion, the nymph Theophila, conjures illusions for target practice, such as fireflies or miniscule silk worms. Nylea has no qualms with predation, but she loathes hunting for sport. She personally kills poachers in the Nistos Forest who have not asked for her blessing to hunt her animals.

Nylea is usually aloof and thoughtful, but with her companions she is playful and joyful. She has a feral, animalistic side and shoulders the responsibility of keeping the forest a haven for animals, preventing the spread of humans into her domain, and letting the natural world have free rein. Nylea is quick to anger and vengeance if something threatens her realm. The seasons change at her whim, and she delays the change if angered. She is allied with Purphoros, and permits him to unleash fires on the forest when it is in need of cleansing or when humans are encroaching too far into the wilds.

Nylea has a tumultuous relationship with Karametra, the god of the hearth. Karametra is infuriated by Nylea's interference in the seasons. In turn, Nylea is disgusted by agriculture, which she sees as an aberration from the natural cycle of the world.

Nylea doesn't have temples built in her honor. She dislikes the construction of temples and cities in general. Nymphs of all kinds pay homage to her, as do sentient humanoids such as satyrs, centaurs, and many citizens of Setessa. Her holy sites often consist of a tree surrounded by a cloud of butterflies. When one of these trees is spotted, people say she is near. Her human followers tend to be loners, outcasts, and those who choose to live in the wilds. Some city dwellers will come into the forest to honor her, especially to pray that the seasons will change in a timely manner. Nylea hates sacrifices and is notoriously hard to please.

Depending on their offerings, worshippers could as easily anger her as win her blessing. She enjoys seeing acts of kindness and protection of creatures both domesticated and wild.

Setessa has a nexus honoring each of Nylea's seasons and the accompanying Karametran planting rituals. There are no temples to other gods in Setessa, but offerings to any god may be placed at these holy sites. Under each nexus is a starfield—a vision of Nyx.

The Spring Nexus is the source of the magic of abundance, summoning, and healing. Although they have a tumultuous relationship, Karametra speaks of Nylea as her sister, and encourages people to leave offerings for her here.

Summer is seen a time of strength, and the Summer Nexus is a source of increased power. Nylea is worshipped here, as is Iroas before the Iroan Games.

After a storm shook Setessa, taking down centuries-old trees, Karametra chastised Keranos for his selfishness. Furious at her impudence, Keranos sent a storm of truly epic proportions to destroy the crops, snap the branches from the young trees, and force the people to huddle indoors.

Young Anthousa had been hunting and was caught in the deluge. Knowing she was Karametra's favorite, Keranos sent a bolt of lightning down from Nyx. It struck the grave of a titan, buried for countless centuries under the earth. The ground rose before Anthousa, uprooting trees as frightened birds fled into the stormy sky. An earth-titan, easily thirty feet tall, rose from his primordial resting place. Grabbing the trunk of a broken tree, he swung wildly at the young warrior. Anthousa narrowly escaped, and the titan gave chase. Nylea saw the scars on the face of her forest and raised vines to clutch at the titan's legs. Turning back, Anthousa saw the titan stumble. Quick as a deer, she used the vines to scale up to his shoulder as he struggled to get free. Anthousa sought the soft flesh just below the titan's ear.

Calling out to Karametra, she drove her dagger deep into the flesh. Hearing her daughter's plea, Karametra enchanted Anthousa, giving her the preternatural strength needed to cleave the titan's head from his body. The severed head fell to the ground, where it sunk halfway into storm-soaked earth. There the skull lies to this day, the home of foxes that shelter in the great cave of his mouth.

Most revere the hunt and the pride, but according to chronicler Lanathos, some leonin still make offerings to Heliod and Nylea.

A herder bragged that his livestock was the finest in all of Theros because it had been created by Heliod and Nylea themselves. He grew rich from the lie, and the gods grew angry at the injustice. Heliod convinced Mogis to place a curse on the cattle, transforming them into poisonous, fetid creatures.

Many Meletian mages received training at the Dekatia, including many thaumaturges, but one is not truly considered a thaumaturge until one has received a reward or other positive omen from the gods. For example, a mage might be considered a thaumaturge when Heliod, god of the sun, grants her a spear of sunlight, or when she is granted a wild creative vision by Keranos, god of storms.

Cymede worships Keranos primarily. She is a skilled warrior but a more powerful seer. Having herself been struck by lightning and given a glimpse of the future, Cymede is seen by some as being partly responsible for her husband's effectiveness as king. Cymede is beginning to become aware of the power of godly creatures such as nymphs. She has seen abstract glimpses of their power and feels the gods are bestowing gifts on the faithful. Because of this, the cult of Keranos is gaining a foothold in the Kolophon. Cymede has even had a special temple built on a distant mountain summit where the storms are particularly severe. During the storm season, she visits there, meditating on a silver platform.

After a storm shook Setessa, taking down centuries-old trees, Karametra chastised Keranos for his selfishness. Furious at her impudence, Keranos sent a storm of truly epic proportions to destroy the crops, snap the branches from the young trees, and force the people to huddle indoors.

Young Anthousa had been hunting and was caught in the deluge. Knowing she was Karametra's favorite, Keranos sent a bolt of lightning down from Nyx. It struck the grave of a titan, buried for countless centuries under the earth. The ground rose before Anthousa, uprooting trees as frightened birds fled into the stormy sky. An earth-titan, easily thirty feet tall, rose from his primordial resting place. Grabbing the trunk of a broken tree, he swung wildly at the young warrior. Anthousa narrowly escaped, and the titan gave chase. Nylea saw the scars on the face of her forest and raised vines to clutch at the titan's legs. Turning back, Anthousa saw the titan stumble. Quick as a deer, she used the vines to scale up to his shoulder as he struggled to get free. Anthousa sought the soft flesh just below the titan's ear.

Calling out to Karametra, she drove her dagger deep into the flesh. Hearing her daughter's plea, Karametra enchanted Anthousa, giving her the preternatural strength needed to cleave the titan's head from his body. The severed head fell to the ground, where it sunk halfway into storm-soaked earth. There the skull lies to this day, the home of foxes that shelter in the great cave of his mouth.

Some believe they are the product of Keranos's folly; that he "inspired" a mage with lightning, leaving the mage's mind damaged but impassioned in one stroke. Others believe the secrets to the creation of chimeras come from a long-forgotten polis where magic was wielded too recklessly.

"By the red eye of Mogis." A mild profanity, often used in reaction to tragedy or violent death.

During training, every Stratian is warned about the threat of Mogis, because it is during battle when the god can slip into the hearts of warriors, making them crave ever more blood and pain. All Akroans know how Mogis can take a small flame of revenge and grow it into an inferno of madness. Those who are overcome by such desires flee the polis to find enclaves of those who worship Mogis. Not all who worship the twisted god are cannibals, but all crave rage and bloodlust—and some do crave human flesh as the minotaurs do.

A hero of recent Iroan games is a woman called Arissa. She comes from a little-known village and defeated all comers in javelin at the games, but that is not what gained her immortality. In a fit of jealousy, Mogis sent a black, bat-like creature to snatch the young son of an Akroan hero during the ceremony following the games. As it flew into the air with the child, Arissa threw her javelin farther than humanly possible, skewering the bat-thing; she caught the babe and returned it safe and sound.

The Setessan warriors pay homage here to the Twins of War, Iroas and Mogis; they see honor and fear as equal parts in victory.

A herder bragged that his livestock was the finest in all of Theros because it had been created by Heliod and Nylea themselves. He grew rich from the lie, and the gods grew angry at the injustice. Heliod convinced Mogis to place a curse on the cattle, transforming them into poisonous, fetid creatures.

The legend goes that the god Ephara granted magic to the humans to help them overthrow Agnomakhos, cast out the leonin, and free Meletis from tyranny.

There are a few temples in Akros dedicated to the major gods—mainly Purphoros and Iroas—but due to the Stratian duties of many Akroans, the major temples are located afield, in mountainous places.

Anax is a burly man in his late 40s, once a follower of Iroas.

Because of their warrior culture and discipline, the god Iroas favors the Akroans.

Summer is seen a time of strength, and the Summer Nexus is a source of increased power. Nylea is worshipped here, as is Iroas before the Iroan Games.

The Setessan warriors pay homage here to the Twins of War, Iroas and Mogis; they see honor and fear as equal parts in victory.

From a bird's-eye view, Setessa's layout resembles the rings of a tree, which radiate outward from the Temple of Karametra at its heart.

Setessa's outermost ring is a dense circle of trees and vegetation that functions as a natural wall against outsiders. The trees have platforms for archers and the wall is constantly guarded. Karametra's warrior-priests monitor who enters and exits the city.

For the inhabitants of Setessa, the welfare of children is paramount. Karametra, the polis's patron, is the god of orphans, and abandoned children are brought from outside to be raised by the polis.

The Spring Nexus is the source of the magic of abundance, summoning, and healing. Although they have a tumultuous relationship, Karametra speaks of Nylea as her sister, and encourages people to leave offerings for her here.

After a storm shook Setessa, taking down centuries-old trees, Karametra chastised Keranos for his selfishness. Furious at her impudence, Keranos sent a storm of truly epic proportions to destroy the crops, snap the branches from the young trees, and force the people to huddle indoors.

Young Anthousa had been hunting and was caught in the deluge. Knowing she was Karametra's favorite, Keranos sent a bolt of lightning down from Nyx. It struck the grave of a titan, buried for countless centuries under the earth. The ground rose before Anthousa, uprooting trees as frightened birds fled into the stormy sky. An earth-titan, easily thirty feet tall, rose from his primordial resting place. Grabbing the trunk of a broken tree, he swung wildly at the young warrior. Anthousa narrowly escaped, and the titan gave chase. Nylea saw the scars on the face of her forest and raised vines to clutch at the titan's legs. Turning back, Anthousa saw the titan stumble. Quick as a deer, she used the vines to scale up to his shoulder as he struggled to get free. Anthousa sought the soft flesh just below the titan's ear.

Calling out to Karametra, she drove her dagger deep into the flesh. Hearing her daughter's plea, Karametra enchanted Anthousa, giving her the preternatural strength needed to cleave the titan's head from his body. The severed head fell to the ground, where it sunk halfway into storm-soaked earth. There the skull lies to this day, the home of foxes that shelter in the great cave of his mouth.

Winter is seen as a time of sleep and death. The Winter Nexus is at the far edge of Setessa in an old lion's den believed to predate the founding of Setessa. The ancient den is in a small rocky cave below a burial mound. The cave is said to lead down to the Underworld itself, and the smell of blood and decay hangs in the air. Here, people make offerings to Pharika and to Erebos in hopes of sparing themselves grief or pain in old age, or in remembrance of someone who now walks in the Underworld.

It's said that Pharika hid many secrets in basilisk blood, although most die trying to learn them.

These rare, black-aligned nymphs are said to help Athreos in guiding the dead to the Underworld. They sometimes bear torches that burn violet.

Meletis sits on the Siren Sea, surrounded by a host of small islands called the Dakra. The Dakra are said to have been created when Thassa, god of the sea, felt sorrow that Korinna, ancient queen of the tritons, had been killed by a human's harpoon. Thassa's tears fell onto the sea in the form of an archipelago of misty isles. The Dakra have rarely been settled by humans, as they harbor strange nymphs and fierce monsters, and are enchanted with the magic of the gods.

Meletis is world renowned as the center of philosophical thought. Philosophers have special status here; they are often attended by servants so that they might spend more of their time debating, thinking, and teaching. The Twelve, a council of philosophers, serves as the ruling body of Meletis. The Twelve are currently headed by Perisophia.

The most learned living philosopher of Meletis is Perisophia, whose skills at logic, rhetoric, and mind magic are so formidable that she is the match for any debater in any forum. Perisophia currently rules as the most senior member of the Twelve.

The wise and ancient sphinx Medomai is not a consistent resident of Meletis. Instead, he appears a few times a year during moments of historical import, such as religious ceremonies, coronations, and the onset of wars. Medomai has been part of Meletis's history for many decades, seeming to possess cryptic knowledge of future events. His arrival is not necessarily seen as a good omen, as his predictions can be dire.

Hypatia was trained as a grange-mage in a Meletian temple to Karametra but found that her calling was on the field of battle. She took up the sword and shield of the Meletian army and showed great promise fighting off threats to the city.

During one battle, she was wounded on a high plateau overlooking Meletis. She saw a pegasus herd flying overhead and said a silent prayer. A pegasus flew down and allowed her to climb onto its back, saving her life. The two of them became inseparable.

Only a handful of tritons live among the humans of Meletis. The most famous is Thrasios, an accomplished warrior who believes he bears the divine sanction of Thassa, god of the sea. Meletians saved Thrasios's family from a pack of marauding minotaurs, so he now fights for the honor of Meletis. His prowess in battle is said to be miraculous; no blow ever seems to land on him.

Meletians know that the area that is now their city-state was once ruled by an archon—a hooded warlord who rode a great flying beast—called Agnomakhos. Agnomakhos ruled with an iron fist for centuries, apparently immortal, outliving the generations of leonin that he used as his soldiers and personal guard. Agnomakhos aggressively expanded his empire during his reign, spreading it as far as the forests to the north and the mountains to the east, imposing merciless order over the wilds wherever he went.

The legend goes that the god Ephara granted magic to the humans to help them overthrow Agnomakhos, cast out the leonin, and free Meletis from tyranny. The humans who were victorious over Agnomakhos founded the enlightened polis of Meletis from the wreckage of Agnomakhos's empire. To this day, the leonin remain detached from Meletis and uninterested in trade or dialogue.

There was a time, centuries ago, when the leonin worshipped the same gods as their human counterparts, but after the era of the tyrannical archon Agnomakhos, the leonin rejected all human ways in a bitter backlash that has defined their role on Theros ever since.

Archons are a relic of Theros's past, a race of mysterious conquerors who soar on the backs of giant winged bulls. Archons once ruled as overlords of huge expanses of Theros, using armies of other races to triumph over their lands. Archons saw themselves as champions of a strict, merciless justice, and ruled with an iron fist. But the age of the archons came to an end. As the archon overlords were toppled one by one, their holdings became the poleis. Individual archons still roam the world, eager to right what they see as the great wrongs perpetrated in this age of Theros.

The current king of Akros is a fierce warrior named Anax.

Anax is a burly man in his late 40s, once a follower of Iroas. In his later years he has turned to Purphoros as he steers his people through the creation of a small empire. This shift is reflected in the trend in art now seen from Akroan artisans. Swords and armor are now decorated. Pottery, clothing, wall paintings, and weaving show ancient Akroan patterns and symbolism handed down for generations. To his people, Anax is a great leader to be followed without question. To other poleis, he is known as a skilled tactician and heartless killer.

The current—equally fierce—queen is Cymede.

Cymede worships Keranos primarily. She is a skilled warrior but a more powerful seer. Having herself been struck by lightning and given a glimpse of the future, Cymede is seen by some as being partly responsible for her husband's effectiveness as king. Cymede is beginning to become aware of the power of godly creatures such as nymphs. She has seen abstract glimpses of their power and feels the gods are bestowing gifts on the faithful. Because of this, the cult of Keranos is gaining a foothold in the Kolophon. Cymede has even had a special temple built on a distant mountain summit where the storms are particularly severe. During the storm season, she visits there, meditating on a silver platform.

A hero of recent Iroan games is a woman called Arissa. She comes from a little-known village and defeated all comers in javelin at the games, but that is not what gained her immortality. In a fit of jealousy, Mogis sent a black, bat-like creature to snatch the young son of an Akroan hero during the ceremony following the games. As it flew into the air with the child, Arissa threw her javelin farther than humanly possible, skewering the bat-thing; she caught the babe and returned it safe and sound.

The Akroan wrestler Lanathos, after defeating all combatants in the arena, took on a wild Akroan bull for a true challenge, pinning the beast after a day-long struggle.

A warrior from Setessa, Nymosyne was renowned for her prowess at pankration (a hybrid of boxing and wrestling). Legend has it that in the middle of a match, a cyclops raided the grounds of the games, attacking spectators and combatants. Nymosyne jumped out of the arena and, after a brief clash, snapped the monster's neck.

This limestone tower stands near the Temple to Karametra at the heart of Setessa and houses the polis's protectors. They fight with double-edged axes and provide most of the martial training for the arkulli. Their leader is Anthousa, who also leads Karametra's Council of Warriors. She is considered the god's closest advisor and de facto ruler of the city when the god is not present, which is much of the time.

After a storm shook Setessa, taking down centuries-old trees, Karametra chastised Keranos for his selfishness. Furious at her impudence, Keranos sent a storm of truly epic proportions to destroy the crops, snap the branches from the young trees, and force the people to huddle indoors.

Young Anthousa had been hunting and was caught in the deluge. Knowing she was Karametra's favorite, Keranos sent a bolt of lightning down from Nyx. It struck the grave of a titan, buried for countless centuries under the earth. The ground rose before Anthousa, uprooting trees as frightened birds fled into the stormy sky. An earth-titan, easily thirty feet tall, rose from his primordial resting place. Grabbing the trunk of a broken tree, he swung wildly at the young warrior. Anthousa narrowly escaped, and the titan gave chase. Nylea saw the scars on the face of her forest and raised vines to clutch at the titan's legs. Turning back, Anthousa saw the titan stumble. Quick as a deer, she used the vines to scale up to his shoulder as he struggled to get free. Anthousa sought the soft flesh just below the titan's ear.

Calling out to Karametra, she drove her dagger deep into the flesh. Hearing her daughter's plea, Karametra enchanted Anthousa, giving her the preternatural strength needed to cleave the titan's head from his body. The severed head fell to the ground, where it sunk halfway into storm-soaked earth. There the skull lies to this day, the home of foxes that shelter in the great cave of his mouth.

This wooden tower stands on the ridge along Setessa's southern border. It is occupied by falconers and scouts. Their leader is Phaedra, a former orphan from Meletis raised in Setessa. She is only nineteen years old, but her skills in battle earned her a place of leadership.

The regiment stationed in this tower protects the Nistos Forest and watches for interlopers who enter without Nylea's permission. Bassara warriors are welcomed by Nylea and spend extended periods of time living among the ancient trees. During their training, they focus on archery and guerrilla warfare. Their leader is Niketa, a woman in her fifties who now spends most of her time in Setessa. She supervises archery training for the arkulli.

This tower is hidden in a wild space near the temple to Karametra. It serves as a base for wandering warriors and spies who travel incognito to gather information for the Council of Warriors. They search out routes for "peregrinations," including sympathetic households who will mentor young men at the beginning of their journeys. Ophis warriors also seek lost and abandoned children and bring them back to Setessa. Their leader is Kallias, who was sold into slavery as a child. She lost an eye and several fingers before she was rescued by the Ophis and brought to Setessa.

Most revere the hunt and the pride, but according to chronicler Lanathos, some leonin still make offerings to Heliod and Nylea.

Lanathos is a Meletian chronicler who has traveled all over Theros. He is the only human known to have been allowed to document the leonin and their ways, because he tells a sympathetic story about their origins: that Meletis is actually their ancestral homeland and that they may one day hope to reclaim it.

The leonin king is both a warrior and a spiritual leader for his people. Each king is considered the manifestation of nature's animus on earth. Brimaz is a capable warrior and an inspiring leader but has private doubts about the isolationism of leonin culture.

Known by humans as the Murderer King, Tymaret acts as the de facto leader of Odunos, organizing raids and commanding the best warriors.

Bromos is a hefty male centaur known for his booming voice and hard-nosed haggling. He is the elder of the Surm guros, one of the oldest Laggona guri. He has served on the Heptaristi four times.

Oka is a lithe female centaur who is widely held to be the best courser of any guros. She was married into and has served the Maiand guros for years, and has remained with them even though her mate died several years ago. Oka is also known for her skills with a shortbow.

Great-Hoof is the charger of one of the largest Pheres raiding bands. He is large, muscular, and highly skilled as a tactician. It's rumored that he once broke the back of a minotaur with one kick.

Wide-Eyes is among the youngest of Pheres callers, and her skills are already renowned. She tends to be quite reclusive unless the band needs her aid. Her most stalwart companion is a small squirrel she calls Glokhis.

Smoke-Born is a middle-aged healer who serves several raiding bands. Her birth took place as her home village, Kithara, was burned to the ground by Akroan warriors. Smoke-Born has many small wooden totems braided into her mangy hair, and although her appearance can be disconcerting, her healing skills are unmatched.

Quote from Shockwave07

Just want to say hi and hope you get some of you work on your planes going again.

Quote from Beloved

Quote from Fakeartist

Quote from Beloved

History is repeating because the leaders did not learn from the mistakes of others. So my question for debate is this: Should a country step in to stop the crimes being committed by an entire government that leads directly to the endangerment of its people?

Russia is a long way away from summarily executing homosexuals or anything even remotely close to other Third Reich practices. In fact, even with their new actions, they are still better off than many other places around the world. There are places in the world that do simply kill homosexuals.

You really think Russia is that far from the practices used in the Third Reich? Do you know how Hitler started his genocide? He made laws restricting the rights of the Jewish people. He turned people against them, and then forced them to wear the Star of David to identify who they were. Then he imposed curfews and stricter laws until all of their rights were stripped away.

Do you know the time frame from when Hitler was elected to the time when things got violent? 5 years. Hitler was elected in 1933, and on November 9th, 1938, the Night of Broken Glass took place. The next year, Hitler began his "Final Solution." And do you know the first step to all of this, the step he took in 1933 after he was elected? He stripped the Jewish people of their rights, and then began to systematically exclude them from society.

So, I ask you now, is Putin really that far from Hitler's first steps?

Quote from Beloved

History is repeating because the leaders did not learn from the mistakes of others. So my question for debate is this: Should a country step in to stop the crimes being committed by an entire government that leads directly to the endangerment of its people?

Quote from Tevish Szat

Like many over the last couple days, I have come from the Wizards boards due to the apocalypse in those regions.

My participation here is probably going to be based on the diaspora and community transplant going on, but who knows? I figured I might as well register here anyway.

Quote from Tha Gunslinga

Did it look like this?
http://s.ecrater.com/stores/39207/4935c8c80e57d_39207n.jpg