Marmaros

*"He is treachery and opportunism, loathed and adulated. A necessary evil."*

> - Unknown Stephedist scholar.
>
>

A member of the Iotheman Pantheon, the ex-messenger god **Marmaros** was the representative deity of mischief, deception, vengeance, bad luck, mutes, money, business, merchants, trade, good fortune, commerce, gambling, and humor. Recognizable by his snake head, Marmaros was a controversial entity long before his demonization, as he was the embodiment of chaos, both good and bad, and was said to show no favoritism in his favors, even to his most devoted followers.

In myth, he was decapitated by the god Aleganus and his head replaced with a snake after the God of Mischief played a trick on him. In retribution, he bit and poisoned the god, who perished from a wasting death. Marmaros, the Hissing God, was ever since exiled from the Pantheon of the Gods, but remained a vital component of daily life and demanded tribute and respect just like every other deity.

## Society

### House of Mar

The House of Mar was his temple in large Iotheman cities, which were more commercial forums than religious sanctuaries, filled with market stalls and alcoves where money-lending priests built their fortunes on interest loans. His cult owned the debt of most every primad in history.

Marmaros' disciples, the *morani* (s. *moranus*), would pierce their lower lips with golden rings in simulation to their deity's fangs. High priests pierced both lips with gold rings, the higher ranking having their lips caged in jeweled ringlets.

### God of Wealth

Iotheman view of the economy: It cannot be controlled, not by man, not by god. It is the game of the wicked one, and people play it in the hopes of winning. But he is clever, the Hissing God, and in the random turns of his plots can turn castles into crumbling sand and make gold fall away like rain. But this is not to say Marmaros is not generous, as he is very rewarding to the greatest champions of the free market; the ones who know how to play the game, whatever it takes.

He has his statues around in the empire, not accursed or seen as evil, but venerated as icons of fortune and, at best, prosperity. His cult offerings regarded favor in business pursuits, investments, etc. or on the inverse ruin enemies' lives and enterprises for them.

The Hissing God's name or altar would be solicited for luck in games of chance or ahead of risky gambits.

## Symbols and Characteristics

Marmaros is the patron of snakes, which are his messengers.

The coins in Iotheme were minted with the face of the ruling primad on one side, and a coiled serpent on the reverse. All currency belonged to the God of Wealth, and its value was only loaned to the emperor.

## Demonization

The Hissing God has always suffered an ambiguous reputation for evil, not helped by his terrifying visage, and so the god's Byreonic conversion into one of Hephestia's diabolical enemies was simply a matter of emphasizing what made him so menacing. Demonized idolatry featured heavily aspects of Iotheme's ancient enemy, the multi-headed snake hydra of the Arquisans, which gravitated with the early Stephedists.

In demonology Marmaros is associated with the serpentine lichlings.