Krekshtiva

"I am the maid that fills your empty glass, and the warrior that crumbles beneath your mace. I am the beggar that pleads for a single coin, and the fearful servant that whispers my name. I am all of the thousand faces who have ever bowed before my crest, and the thousand faces upon the robe you shed. I am you, Rorik Immerwald, and to kill me is to kill yourself."
—The Many-Faced God, *The Last Mystic*
**Krekshtiva**, known almost exclusively as **The Many-Faced God**, was a god of the modern pantheon before his death in 1485. He was known to attract many followers by offering them secrets in exchange for knowledge, which allowed him to gain an extensive understanding of the world and further extend his influence.

Unknown to his followers, those who offered him knowledge entered into a contract - one that allowed him to use his followers as his eyes and ears. This connection with each follower ultimately resulted in many of his followers' deaths when he was slay by the dwarf, Rorik Immerwald.

## Transcript

* My name is Krekshtiva Onivari. Please listen to my words.
* High Priest Zarvha has personally summoned me to Esapaeni to help end this war of titans. It is an incredible honor. I don’t know how I can help, but I can’t refuse.
* The devastation is incredible. Both sides are destroying the land they’re fighting for.
* Summoners are gathering in Sa’ir. There is rumor of a new weapon that can defeat Esapaeni. I’m going to investigate.
* They’ve brought all of their summoners here… What could they hope to achieve? Is there a beast more powerful than a titan?
* This is not a traditional summoning. They’re not creating a beast - they’re calling one.
* They succeeded. What have we done?
* They call it “Zogatsu.” Sa’ir has fallen - crushed in a single night. Nothing remains.
* I’ve retreated to Esapaeni. We stand no chance, but there’s nowhere else to go. We will not survive to see daybreak. The rest of humanity will soon follow.
* I cannot believe my eyes. We have witnessed the single greatest miracle in our history. Zogatsu is dead, struck down by the gods themselves in all of their glory. It cannot be put to words how profound it is to lay eyes upon this world’s makers.
* There are reports of fragments of Zogatsu’s power crashing across the land. A piece of its essence crashed in nearby Al’ghoa.
* The people are overwhelmed by its power. Their bodies are warping; their pain is beyond our words, but they cannot die. I know what I must do.
* I have taken the essence upon myself. This should relieve some of their suffering. I won’t last long, but with Raga’s grace, I can be cleansed of this cursed power.
* They’re gone. The gods - all of them. Before my very eyes, they left. I and the people of Al’ghoa have been doomed to an eternity of torment.
* I don’t have much time. I can feel myself slipping already. For the sake of those who are unafflicted, we have no choice - I must be sealed away.
* ...
* Should anyone else find themself in this hellish realm, please heed my warning. At the cost of my will, I have become a god. At every second I feel the agony of Zogatsu’s power searing across my soul, yet I ceaselessly urge to be reunited with its other fragments. This cannot be afforded to happen.
* As my divine power takes shape, I understand how dangerous I have become. My other face seeks to manipulate and guide the unknowing to this realm with the promise of power and secrets. “He” wants to be killed. He wants Zogatsu’s power to be freed. Eternity is too long of a time to prevent this from happening - “He” will one day succeed. Therefore I will wholly accept what I am. I will join with “Him” and embrace this power. Should some fool dare challenge me, I will fight with all of my might. I will not lose to just anyone - I will ensure that whoever defeats me has the power to stop the reunion of Zogatsu’s essences.