Piran

Piran is the Liathan god of the sea, death, and betrayal, known as the Betrayer.

## History

Piran is the sixth of Poiesis-Platilla's children, and is the banished God of the Six. Paean took his place as six, and now he is considered the seventh God. According to legend he had an affair with Pheon, creating their own child Paean. This encroached on Poiesis-Platilla's domain and she became angry. The blame was put on Piran, and he was banished while Pheon escaped the same fate.

It is said that when Piran was forced out, it caused a great earthquake that washed an entire city in Northern liath into the sea, creating the rivers that are now Paean's domain and a gateway to meet her father again.

## Domains

At first, Piran's domains included the sea and the afterlife as most Liathans believe that when someone dies, they're returned to the sea. He is somewhat of a trickster god and he deals in deceit, causing paranoia, doubt and insecurity in order to control certain beings at his will. After his betrayal to the gods this became moreso, as his physical form shrank and he became weaker. He also represents shadows, the night, whispers, and the distortion of light.

## Appearance

Piran is that of dark ocean waves and the creatures that linger underneath, only seen as shadows. He is often depicted as a prismatic fish that creates shafts of colorful but murky light in the sea. It's difficult to find any other depictions of Piran in modern times, but in deep caves and ancient books he is also depicted as a large man with milky white skin, curly black hair, a sculpted nose and black eyes and lips. He has two long horns coming out of his forehead, and the only thing he's seen as wearing are two spiral earrings, like that of ancient shells.

## Worship

There are no currently known worshippers of Piran, and little is known of how people used to worship him due to the banishment of his worship aside from the firstborn children of the De Paor family until the Creed arrived, and the family burned every record of his worship. Only cave drawings and writings remain, as well as a few alters and other worship sites scattered in Liath, usually in caves and grottos carved out hundreds of years ago. It's said that sacrifice was common, though rumors range greatly.

One poem depicts a priest of Piran sitting in his tower as his city washes away, while his old friend, a fisherman begs him to come away from the city with his family. The priest refuses, stating that when he and everyone else is washed away, Piran will grant them new life under the sea.

It's also said that fishermen would often hire priests on their ship to cut their own hands and give the sea some drops of blood. It's still common practice to toss a person's belongings to the sea as a sacrifice to Piran, and as a guide to show the person who died the way to the afterlife. People injured in battle also toss their lost limbs into the sea for the same reason, as it's supposed to be a greater, brighter path there. Legend states that it's Prolix who gathers these things and creates the paths.

## Cultural Touchstones

Piran is heavily inspired by N'Zoth from World of Warcraft and his method of gaining power by deceit and hefty promises to Queen Azhara, appearing to her deep underwater as a Simple Fish, as well as being the cause of Zin-Azshari being swept into the ocean. He's also inspired by most other trickster gods.