Sapre, Goddess of War

Sapre
[Female, Lawful]
Sapre, the goddess of War and Destruction, believes in meticulous strategy and tactical dominance over glory in battle and chaotic conflict. Her demeanor is one of calm calculation and stoic observation. Sapre always has a plan before she acts, and several backup plans, one for every possible contingency. When her plans come to fruition, however, she can be just as merciless and violent as any god of evil or chaos. She seeks victory for her followers, and rewards bravery and mettle above all other things. Even an army who lost its battle will gain her favor if they fought to the best of their ability. She most often appears as a tall human female with long, brown, wavy waist-length hair neatly secured in a flattering but efficient braid. She favors military breeches and black boots, along with a thick quilted coat worn underneath a black iron breastplate. She is always equipped with a one-handed weapon of some kind, such as a Longsword or Warhammer, but seems to favor no weapon in particular.
Portfolio: Leaders, Armies, and Battles
Cleric Training:
Clerics of Sapre are indoctrinated through one of her many military compounds that also serve as places of worship. There are academies in almost every single one of these installations, designed to condition the body and the mind. The student is first taught the Laws of Battle, a Manifesto of Sapre’s guidelines for success in battle. These Laws are also recited as a prayer before and after any conflict the student may encounter, teaching them to view all struggles as a smaller war to be won. After understanding of these principles and the depth of their meaning is absorbed, the student is simultaneously taught overwhelming amounts of war history, theory, and strategy in the evenings, and subjected to rigorous physical training every following morning just before the sun rises. Senior students are taken on short campaigns to test their knowledge against lesser threats, as well as to practice channeling divine energy in the heat of battle. Those who show that they can consistently remain calm and collected under fire while formulating effective, crushing strategies in combat are soon promoted to the rank of War Priest or Cleric of Sapre. War Priests are expected to aid in leading from the front, assisting warriors with magic while battling enemies. Clerics of Sapre are valued more for their healing and strategy, advising on strategy from the back lines while tending the wounded. Sapre teaches that much about the nature of battle can be learned from its casualties.
Quests:
The Tide of Conquest
This mission is a general term given to a successful campaign that managed to sweep over a string of countries or large, well defended cities with minimal casualties so as to appear as a wave of destruction washing over the land. Many participants in the Tide of Conquest are not even aware that they have participated in such an event until their goal is complete, while others seek this accolade with an unquenchable thirst. The leaders of the latter campaign are considered to be generals of the most dangerous sort, as their desire for glory can often lead to critical mistakes on the field of battle. Still, a successful Tide of Conquest commanded by such an individual receives the same rewards and celebrity as one completed devoid of personal pride. The true honor is always given to Sapre, since without her blessing, the power of the crashing waves could not be so well imitated by mere mortals. The mark it leaves upon those who have suffered under the Tide of Conquest is considered less important, as Sapre is primarily concerned with destruction and powerful execution more than morality. Whether the victims of the Tide are good or evil makes no difference to Sapre and her followers.
Prayers:
The Laws of Battle
Observe the enemy
Learn their weaknesses
Weaken their position
Strengthen your forces
Ensure no escape
Close the trap
Prayer of the Thundering Ocean
Draw in the tide, gather up your forces. Let them hear the rumble of our feet on the ground not one moment before our arrival. Crash down upon them with the sudden fury of the breaking wave.
Temples:
Sapre has several institutions, some as temples within major warlike cities, others as self-sufficient military installations that serve as church, school, and army all in one. Many of these locations are located near the ocean or large bodies of water, as her naval forces within Nexxen are considerable.
Ocean's Fist
Sapre has a facility located within the city of Icecrest on the shores of Lower Oblian known as Ocean’s Fist. Icecrest is controlled by a powerful militaristic family known as The Grimm. So commonly is their family name associated with the conquests of their armies that the military force and family name are considered one in the same. The structure itself resembles a massive barracks, and in fact serves as such. In addition to this, the fortified building is made of stone and strips of adamantine, with multiple wings shooting off from the main structure into armories, chapels, and one primary church, all contained within the building. A great deal of The Grimm’s new recruits are stationed here so that even in their off-time they are forced to listen to the teachings of Sapre. With the constant influence of military culture surrounding these young minds, it is not long before they find their way into career service to either the Grimm military or Sapre herself. Both such paths are considered acceptable to Icecrest’s ruling family.
Rites: Clerics of Sapre perform their rites and rituals mostly just before joining a battle. The common practice involves a thin circle of iron chain, roughly 10 feet in diameter when fully spread on the ground. The Cleric stands within this circle, anointing every warrior who wishes for Sapre’s blessing as a part of the crashing wave that will soon smash through the lives of the unprepared. Holy Water infused with flecks of more iron is placed upon the forehead of each soldier, along with a short prayer to Sapre. Magical Rituals are performed in much the same way, except that the Cleric will typically perform them alone, placing the iron water on their own head to increase their connection to their deity. The majority of these rituals are designed to increase the morale of warriors, enhance the strength of their body, and provide a tactical edge either through magical enhancement or deific insight. Sapre rarely leaves such requests unanswered, as she revels in seeing her power influence a well-implemented strategy.
Burial Rites: The followers of Sapre are almost always buried within a well made, but inexpensive coffin. A distinction is made between civilians and military, and this distinction is so strict that not even the families of a soldier are allowed to be buried in a military site. To join the Crashing Wave is to give yourself over fully to Sapre, and the families of such individuals have not made such a sacrifice. However, all who knew the deceased are allowed to attend the funeral services and these events are not altogether different from most human practices. There is a focus on the listing of achievements in life, lands that were visited, and the battles they had fought. Particularly illustrious individuals, such as Generals and powerful Warlords, are often visited by other great military commanders, sometimes even by enemies who have held a healthy respect for their abilities. The latter are welcomed as equals in this event and treated with the utmost respect for their courage in choosing to visit the homeland of a nemesis. This is even more remarkable in the event that the one attending was responsible for their deaths. However, Sapre places great pride in the training of her worshippers and recognizes that anyone capable of besting one of her own is also a mortal worthy of respect.
Tithe: Common worshippers of Sapre are expected to tithe 5% of their monthly income. Those who serve in her armies, however, are only required to allow her clerics the first pick of the spoils of any successful battle to take as tribute. This form of tithing is taken very seriously and any soldier attempting to steal from Sapre, as well as any cleric seeking to use her wealth for personal gain, will soon find themselves on an interrogator’s table, or worse. Higher ranking members of her church are not expected to participate in this process, but they are required to manage the logs of all returning military forces to ensure that the resources gained are being distributed fairly, and to track any potential theft of profit. The large amount of time sacrificed in maintaining these logs, as her campaigns are massive and numerous, is considered to be adequate tithing for High Priests of Sapre.
Benefits: The Prayers and Spheres of Sapre grant mortals an almost supernatural ability to resist the effects of Fear, as well as inspire comrades by boosting their morale and raising the tide of battle from a ripple into a tidal wave of unstoppable momentum. Sapre recognizes that fortifying the spirit is not enough, however, and enhances the bodies of her Clerics as well, preparing them for the trials of war. Lastly, she aids them in the shattering of their obstacles, imparting upon them divine powers that aid them in the destruction of structures and living creatures alike. Worshippers of Sapre often have the protection of well trained soldiers, as those who follow her are most often found living in one of her cities or serving in an army. All of her followers are trained in military combat and strategy to some degree, and so often have access to the skills and resources necessary to protect themselves. Food and lodging are also available to any who worship the goddess of war, but only so long as they are willing to contribute to the continued success of her forces in some way. This could be in the form of donated labor, money, equipment or simply joining her army.
Herald and Allies:
Task [Herald]
Task, The Enforcer, serves as Sapre’s Herald. Task was once a Titan, but was saved by Sapre for his exceptional bearing in the face of danger during an ancient cataclysm that wiped out over half of his race. Responsible for leading the armies of his people, they were faced with an overwhelming scourge of aberrant invaders and found themselves unprepared for the supernatural onslaught they faced. Unwilling to accept defeat, he devised a brilliant, self-sacrificing strategy that saved the lives of many of his people, while simultaneously crushing the secondary waves of the monstrous threat.

Not wishing for his talents to go to waste, Sapre intervened, wiping out the remainder of Task’s enemies before they could consume him. He was granted true immortality in exchange for his fealty. He appears as an exceptionally handsome, muscular human male with tanned skin and platinum-blue hair. Standing nearly 26 feet tall, he always wears half plate armor bearing Sapre’s symbol, a great wave about to crash down upon the earth. The armor, along with the small armory of weapons he keeps on his person, are fantastically ornate and appear to be made of mithral.

Task, as his name implies, often joins the more important battles of Sapre’s followers in response to a large threat that mortals are not designed to deal with. He has appeared leaping from the ocean to smash down upon forces of Giants, a Dragon, families of Purple Worms and even the avatar of the Goddess, Sythe, at one point. His service to Sapre has proved invaluable to her mortal followers and he represents the great equalizer among her people. Should the enemy bring an unfair advantage into an otherwise well planned conquest, the titan named Task will likely make an appearance to even the odds.
House Grimm [Ally]
House Grimm are counted amongst Sapre’s greatest of mortal allies. Their work, while not always aligned with her goals, represents the spirit of her divine purpose. Were the goddess to make a request of them personally, they would most certainly aid her in whatever she asked. Not out of any sense of altruism or faith, but understanding that it is both wise and useful to have the favor of a god of war.
Pierre Resade Lemonte [{{{Type}}}]
Outside of Icecrest, Sapre has a great many followers, including those who are completely unaware that they serve her at all. One such individual is a former lieutenant in the army of the Grimm, one Pierre Resade Lemonte, a Half-Elf warrior of low intestinal fortitude but exceptional tactical genius. Unable to reconcile the excessively ruthless and often overtly cruel tactics of his former employers, Pierre set out with a band of adventurers to find a military force he felt was worthy of his talents. Considered a coward by many, and dead by the Grimm, his pursuits have left him with little accolades to add to his short lived military career and he desperately seeks to prove his worth in battle ...so long as he does not need to do any of the fighting. Sapre has begun maneuvering him into the path of a great war soon to be fought between mortals and giants capable of decimating an entire continent. Of course, she has kept this design a secret, as she understands that this unlikely champion would of course turn the other way at the first sight of such a struggle.
Relationships with other Gods: Sythe, a fire Goddess of Chaos and Destruction, hates Sapre almost as much as Sapre distains her. Whereas Sapre favors victory through strategy and order, Sythe revels in senseless destruction, rage, and chaos. Were it not for their respective alignments, the two might in fact find that they have a great deal in common. Unfortunately, their refusal to stand to one side while the other performs their work on Nexxen has resulted in more than a few conflicts between the two and their worshippers. Kohorin, the god of weaponry and the forge, unsurprisingly, counts himself as an ally to Sapre. Despite his hot temper, he is quick to cool and often sends aid her way, having seen time again that her followers are among the best in the world at putting his fine weaponry to use. Since Kohorin cares even less for the plight of mortals than Sapre does, it is no surprise that he has been known to assist her at almost every opportunity.
Factions:
Specific branches of the Grimm have been known to host their own unique services in Sapre’s name, although the purpose has largely been to trick those with unflinching loyalty into their service. A large clan of Duergar or Grey Dwarves known as Hammerfist exist in the mid-tunnels between the surface and the Everdeep. They perform raids on both surface elves and the drow below them with equal enthusiasm. Favoring tactics and ruthless cunning, followed by a brutal crushing of their ensnared prey, it was not long before the Hammerfist clan discovered Sapre. The goddess was at first shocked to find that the unlikely dwarven warmongers had taken to worshipping her, but upon seeing the effective and resourceful use of their strange environment to destroy their enemies, she wasted little time in lending them her strength. While they are content to continue their war from the confines of their deep cavern homes, the time is fast approaching when Sapre will call upon them for more than just simple worship.
Relics:
Elixir of King’s Blood
This rare and powerful potion is bestowed upon one of worthy talent, but insufficient bloodline to rule a kingdom. Sapre believes that the laws of mortals regarding rulership are absurd and that dominance belongs to those with the skills for the job. It is contained in a glass bottle of exquisite craftsmanship, surrounded by gold ornamentation depicting a king (or queen) on a chariot riding across the backs of his enemies. The elixir itself appears as a bubbling fluid of changing colors, fluctuating between purple, red, and gold. When the Elixir is drank by an individual with exceptional Charisma, Intelligence and Strength, their very blood is changed to that of regal heritage. This transformation imparts upon them the wisdom of a true leader, and also causes them to detect as if they were of royal birth when viewed through magical spells designed to find such information.
War Cast
Appearing as a beaten and rusted suit of chainmail armor, the War Cast reveals its true purpose when donned. The wearer gains the memories of all the armor’s previous wearers in regards to combat. They are gifted with the understanding of all of their mistakes and successes, and can call upon this knowledge in an instant to utilize in their own struggles.

In addition to this, the War Cast is heavy and fortifies the wearer’s body, increasing both their their strength and physical prowess to ensure they will be well suited to wearing it in combat.

Many grasping, unfit rulers have sought this item over the centuries, but it somehow finds itself forever from the clutches of those who would be ill-suited to benefiting from its gifts. The War Cast, much like a loyal soldier, only serves a wearer who can achieve victory with skill and composure. To all others, it merely functions as a cumbersome, beaten piece of armor.