Hadar

Debt
Fire
 Default patron replaced

Hadar is a dead god who inhabits the highest level of The Labyrinth. Unlike any other being in the Labyrinth he retains a fraction of his influence over the living world, which he trades in exchange for services in the Labyrinth after a creatures death. He is the son of the Goddess Shengrae. Before his death at the hands of Versinet he was the god of flame and sacrifice.

## Versinet and Hadar

Long ago the first followers of Versinet sought to build a great temple to her, but had not the wealth to build it. Versinet sought out Hadar a young and ambitious god and asked him if she may loan the stone and gold needed, swearing an oath to repay the loan. Hadar
accepted and the temple was built. But one moon after this the temple had drawn worshippers from all the corners of the world and Versinet returned to Hadar, the easily repaying the cost of its construction with the wealth of her new followers, but Hadar said "this is barely half what you owe, you forget interest, how else am I to make a profit? Come to me next moon and bring me all the gold of the earth.", Versinet bowed her head and wandered out into the mountains, gathering every speck of gold in all the world and by the next moon had returned to Hadar. Hadar sat among a beautiful temple surrounded by his followers and said "This is barely half what you owe, you forget interest. How else am I to make a profit? Come to me next moon and bring me all the beasts of the land.", Versinet bowed her head and wandered out into the plains, gathering every creature that walked the earth and by the next moon shepherded all of them back to Hadar. Hadar sat atop a tremendous golden throne, his followers bearing golden robes and golden staves and said "This is barely half what you owe, you forget interest. How else am I to make a profit? Come to me next moon and bring me all clouds in the sky.", Versinet bowed her head and floated out up into the skies and gathered all the clouds in the sky, the people of her temple blanched without shade from the summer heat, and starved without the bounty of the land but by the next moon Versinet returned to Hadar, bringing with her every cloud in the sky. Hadar and his followers were hosting a great feast, ox the size of mountains roasting over giant flames and they rejoiced in the clouds that now surrounded them on the earth, but Hadar said "This is barely half what you owe, you forget interest. How else am I to make a profit? Come to me next moon and bring me all the stars in the sky.". Versinet bowed her head and floated out into the darkness, her followers could no longer see her and most thought that she had abandoned them and they left to serve Hadar in his glorious realm, but by the next moon Versinet returned with all the glory of the heavens to Hadar, his realm sat upon a pillar of cloud, commanding dominion from one end of the earth to the other. Hadar and his followers rejoiced that now the bounty of heaven was theirs and Hadar now ruled all that was and would be, the followers of Versinet and every other god were sacrificed upon great altars to Hadar. But the next moon Versinet returned to Hadars court, Hadar from his throne of stars and gold and said "Versinet, why do you climb up to my glorious realm? I have not summoned you." Versinet bowed her head and said "I have come to pay my interest", Hadar and his followers bellowed with laughter "But I already have all that is or ever will be, all the wealth in the world". "Then" Versinet replied, "I may only pay you in the wealth from beyond this world" and she leapt up and slit his throat, granting him all the wealth of The Labyrinth. His followers fled in horror as Versinet tore down his temple and it's pillar of clouds, sending all of them to serve their master in the underworld. Down beneath the pillar the last few true followers of Versinet gathered and asked "Is all the wealth of world ours now?", Versinet simply smiled and began to work. Returning all the gold back to its place under the mountains, all the beasts back to their place on the earth, all the clouds to their place in the sky and one by one she even returned every star to its place in the heavens, finally she took Hadars command over sacrifice for herself, its new rightful place.

## The Bookkeeper

After his death Hadar retained some control over the forces of the universe he was once the undisputed god of, particularly fire. Shengrae allowed her son some further influence in the world by appointing him the master over debts, this caused the spectral being known as the Bookkeeper to form in the world of the living. The Bookkeeper can be seen but cannot speak, nor touch, being forced to act through agents, he appears as a human figure dressed formally in black and carrying a great ledger. He concerns himself solely with the repayment of debts to him or his mother and his ledger contains record of every unpaid debt in the world no matter to whom the debt is owed. Through this office Hadar may once again grant powers to his followers, though the means by which these powers are attained are complicated and esoteric, Hadar has no formal church nor doctrine, the only information on this power can be found in obscure writings. Unlike the powers offered by a true deity Hadars powers always come at a price, in return for the power he offers in life he demands that a creature serve him in the Labyrinth once they have died, bringing him closer to his escape. Those that bargain with Hadar, especially those that in some way intend to avoid paying their debt may see apparitions of The Bookkeeper and feel the dread effects of his silent manipulations.