#tutelary deity

[careful-disorder]

Icon of a guardian angel

"A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide... Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity."

#angels #icons #tutelary deity

[coinandcandle]

Spirits of Place - Genius Loci

Ever since I was young I always felt that the world around me was full of energy, of spirit. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized that what I was feeling exists, and there's a name for it. I’m talking about the spirits of place called Genius Loci.

This is going to be a brief guide to Genius Loci. I’ll put links throughout the post so that you can read more if you’re interested!

What does it mean?

Genius Loci is the term used most often and it is essentially a spirit of a place, often cities or towns but can be anywhere.

The name is Roman, the plural being Genii Loci, and they were sometimes depicted in art as human-like beings holding a cornucopia, a patera (libation bowl) or a snake. There would be altars set up for these Genius Loci all throughout the western Roman Empire.

The idea of a spirit of a place exists in so many cultures. In some places like Thailand there are Lak mueang (Thai: หลักเมือง)--or city pillars erected and often placed in shrines dedicated to the city's deity (or deities).

In other places, like in Southeast Asia, spirit houses are created and placed in or near businesses, shrines, and sometimes houses.

The Romans also had household spirits or deities called Di Penates as well as Lares–guardian spirits/deities.

The term Genius Loci is sometimes used in a more modern way to indicate a nonliteral version of “spirit of a place”, similar to the “vibe” or feel of a certain architecture, design, or environment of the place.

How is it different from Animism?

The short explanation of animism is that everything, animal, plant, object, the ground, etc. has a spirit or spiritual essence. The difference lies in that Genii Loci are the spiritual embodiment of a place, meaning they embody all of its vibes and don't represent only one aspect of it.

How is it different from a Tutelary deity?

As mentioned before, a Genius Loci embodies the place, whereas a Tutelary deity/spirit is the guardian or protector of that place. Tutelary deities/spirits can be Genii Loci and vice versa, but they aren’t always one in the same.

Does every place have one?

Yes! Every place can (and probably does) have a Genius Loci, some places may even have more than one. They may have different names for them depending on the culture and lore they come from, though. If you plan on interacting with them make sure to ask what they prefer to be referred to as. (See Types of Household Deities at the bottom)

How do I interact with them?

First of all: you never have to interact with them if you don’t want to. 

If you would like to interact with them, though, there are a few ways that you can achieve this:

First spend some time with them. Hang out in the area that you'd like to interact with the Genii Loci. Get to know them.

Make sure you're being respectful!

Set up a spirit house or shrine.

Leave offerings out (but make sure they are safe to leave outside and are biodegradable OR that you come retrieve the offerings later) and let them know that it's there for them specifically.

Clean up the area. No one likes when their space is dirty!

Listen. What do you hear? The spirits may just reach out to you after you've shown your willingness to hear what they have to say.

You don't have to literally hear voices, there are several different ways that you can talk with spirits and metaphysical beings. You can use divination methods like tarot, runes, oracle cards, or you can meditate and see if you get any visions/information that come to you.

Also, you don't have to wait for them to reach out, chances are they won't try and contact you first. Feel free to let them know that you'd like to speak with them and that you're open to communicating with them.

Ps: A Genius Loci likely isn't going to tell you to hurt yourself or others. If it seems like the spirit you're speaking to is being very hateful and/or aggressive it's probably best to back off. Even if it is a Genius Loci (a really mad one) you should leave them be if they are being aggressive towards you. Especially if you're pretty new with spirit work.

If you’re interested in this, you may want to check out:

Genius Loci: The Ancient Worship of Spirits of Place or Land Spirits

Animism - The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Anthropology

Tutelary Deity - Academic 

Lares and Penates - Encyclopedia.com 

Types of Household Deities by culture (not a complete list)List of Tutelary Deities

Edit: When first posted I wrongly wrote that the plural of Genius Loci was Genius Locorum. Since I have changed it to the true plural form Genii Loci.

Genius Locorum is a spirit that presides over multiple places.

Enjoy my posts? Consider leaving me a tip on my ko-fi!~

#genius locorum #roman mythology #tutelary deities #spirit work #paganism #pagan #witchcraft #witch #grimoire #witchblr #guardian spirit #lares #di penates #animism #genii loci #genius loci

[witchcraftingboop]

The "consent in magic is law" practitioners on here aren't going to like this one, but I think I'll try my hand at adding "marriage remediation" to my current workings with Hera. If She's open to it, I have just the marriage that I'd want to experiment with nudging or expediting through its current situation/standing. Of course, I'm a rather fair minded person I like to think, so I'll wait until I'm not leaning towards one outcome over another and try not to otherwise influence their trajectory with my own personal feelings/perspective, but once a good planetary placement comes along, I'll try introducing the topic to Her

#tutelary spirits #deity work #hera deity #boop's rambles

[penmeetspage]

I do want to emphasize that I'm not talking about an anthropomorphic personification here. Or any sort of genius loci.

Your basic allegory lady doesn’t represent anybody in particular, historical or mythical, or the people of the city or the personality of the city or anything. She was built by human hands and good craftsmanship to stand at the city gate, or possibly in a fountain near the gate, and announce: this city is defended by walls, both literal (see crown) and metaphorical (shield resting against knee in some versions), and also frequently a big damn spear (sheaf of grain in opposite hand optional); think twice before attacking here.

(Pictures: x, x, x)

#ignore the fact that like half of these are actually various tutelary deities #they have better/more intact crowns so #same look different job #... #gonna make a mural crown

[reverseoforah]

His "tutelary deity"

#damirae #sketch

[allmythologies]

finnish mythology: pihatonttu

pihatonttu are tutelary, which are spirits or deities of particular locations, people, nation, or culture, of the yard. they are generally described as being short, having a long white beard, and wearing a conical or knit cap in gray, red or some other bright colour. they often have an appearance somewhat similar to that of a garden gnome.

#finnish mythology #pihatonttu #finish myth #mythologyedit #mythedit #*mine* #creatures

[lailoken]

Inducing the Aid of the Oak Tree Lord

I had to run some errands that took me a ways away from home today, and while I was there, I realized I was actually fairly close to a butte that I occasioanlly visit in order to propititate a great, hollow-bearing Oak Tree which grows there. Since I've done some potent and highly effective magic with the help of the Oak Tree Lord recently, I thought I would go to him again with another request. Specifically, my stores of Hollow Water have begun to run low, and I've been needing to replenish it. We had some very wet weather not long ago, which made me think I would be easily able to retrieve the water I needed from another tree hollow I've drawn from before, but following a sudden spell of hot and dry weather, I was chagrined to discover a hollow that was very wet, but not full enough to retrieve water from. I was worried I might have missed my chance to get more for a while, but given that the Oak Tree Lord helped me find the last source of Hollow Water I drew from, it seemed worth going to him again.

Being an unplanned visit, I didn't have any of the normal tools I would have with me for such an endeavor—such as a flask for collecting water, a lance for drawing blood, or anything on hand for me to offer the Oak Tree Lord—but a mage must frequently make do. In the end, I collected 13 Galls from other Oaks around the butte, each of which I painted with my blood (thanks to the help of a nearby Hawthorn copse) and then fed to the Oaken Mouth of the tree I came to propititate. I also gave a wreath that I wove from dandelion flowers.

Literally minutes later, I was overjoyed (and a little astonished) to stumble upon exactly what I was looking for. The natural font was deep and pungent, and what's more, the tree which bore it was an old Oak itself. I carried out the necessary ritual actions and gathered the water using my emptied water bottle (which I will be cleaning very thoroughly after this.)

What I gathered has since been transferred into an old glass vessel that I found once I was done, being sold for only $6 at a nearby junk shop I'd never noticed before. This should definitely last me a good while.

The Grove Elders—an assembly of tutelary tree deities possessing immense wisdom and power—are a truly amazing group of entities to work with.

#hollow water #oak #oak tree lord #grove elders #tutelary spirits #spirit work #offerings #tree magic #tree worship

[ianitos]

not to hype my patron god up but i think he deserves more recognition within polytheistic and pagan spaces so i'm highlighting him

Janus

god/patron of doorways, change, beginnings, transitions, time, prophecy, history, omens, all dualities (ex. war/peace, but also things like beginning/end, life/death, barbarism/civilization, urban/rural, youth/adulthood, the list goes on)

his name derives from ianua which means door or doorway, Janus was an Etruscan and Roman tutelary and domestic deity. but his myths and level of importance varied: some viewed him as the initiator of life, others as a mortal king and son of Apollo, even, who then ascended to godhood, and his commonly accepted role of gatekeeper between our realm and the realm of the gods.

some fun facts:

janus' image was carved on coins! this is because he is legended to be the first to mint coins!

janus has two heads, this is because one faces the future while the other faces the past

janus has many wives! (jana, juturna, camese and sometimes venilia)

one of his most famous temples/holy grounds would signify eras of peace and war depending on if the doors were opened/closed

#janus 🗝️ #devotee #pagan #paganism #roman pagan #paganblr #pagan community #spiritual #pagans of tumblr #spirituality #religion #deity worship #deity devotion

[digitalagepulao]

An-kong, Huaguoshan Tudi

All land has its tutelary deity, and Huaguoshan is no different. Elusive and hard to reach, he's still called An-kong by all the creatures in the mountain. After centuries of being bullied and pushed around by local Yao, he's renounced dealing with other beings as much as possible. However, A-ma Longan's arrival changed things. She established an altar for him deep in the mountain's forest, and made a habit of making offerings and prayers for the sake of the mountain and her troop. Over time, they grew close and though their exact relationship is murky at the best of times, quite a few local animals and demons address her as Tudipo when trying to gain her favor. He's still rather prickly and standoffish, but Longan's Little Pebble and his unstoppable force of a cheerful and friendly disposition tend to slip under the cracks. He's prone to indulging in the little monkey's requests for cuddles and attention, but only when no one's looking. Can't let the animals of the forest start trying to get too chummy with him after all.

back at A-ma's post, I said that she was close to the mountain's Dijizhu, but that was incorrect. those are landlord deities, a type of tutelary god but not the same as a Tudi. that was my bad xvx

#jttw #journey to the west #jttw fanart #xiyouji #jttw au #sun wukong #monkey king #bell dragon art #Sun clan au

[mangotalkies]

this week -

the mornings have been cloudy with the sun occasionally peeking out.

i visited a partially crowded waterfall river that had a small temple perched in it’s centre - the waterfall is named after the goddess in the temple, an ancestral tutelary deity. watching the water cascade and splash within the space they’ve created among the rocks was insanely therapeutic.

reading has been chaotic:

began ruined by design by mike monteiro; it’s a required reading for my upcoming semester and i have so many questions. definitely setting the tone for the semester though.

making good progress on we the drowned by jensten carsen - again, lots of thoughts. it’s agonisingly slow and it’s not a book i can binge-read; still get excited to continue it everyday.

kept things fall apart and flight of deities on hold because i figured they need more attention and focus than i can give right now.

i started taking illustration seriously again (due to a trivial instagram story where i posted stuff i previously made and the consequent encouraging messages i received).

#booklr #studyblr #desiblr #light academia #dark academia #book blog #books #indian academia #studyinspo #designblr #design study #design stuff #bookish #booksbooksbooks #books and reading #study aesthetic

[careful-disorder]

Bronze statuette of Cybele

"A tutelary… is a deity or a spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector…" - Tutelary deity

#tutelary deity

[czortofbaldmountain]

Grounding with Hekate

I've always found grounding a useful and meaningful practice. However, as a practicioner of the spirit model of magic, I've never felt purely energy-based techniques work for me as well as for energy workers. This new technique I've devised employs the help of my tutelary deity, Hekate, and proved much more effective for me. As I chose to explain things thoroughly, the instructions are long but don't fret - the rite itself is very simple. While I initially wanted to note that the practice relies on an established relationship with Hekate, she protested and told me she is willing to give that help to anyone who needs it. So - here we go.

Learn more in my new Wordpress post:

#czortposting #wordpress posts #hekate #hekate deity #grounding #witchraft #witchblr #hekatean witchcraft #hekatean witch #earth magic #earth witch #magic #hekatean #witches of tumblr #witch #hellenic deities #deity work #chthonic deities #witch goddess

[possessable]

i think the tutelary deities and their favored little guys should have a playdate

#espialposting #characterdeatais #charactervernon #doodle #shitpost #sorry homer for drawing my ocs with characters from the odysse I Will Do It Again

[stellae-de-baphometis]

Hello!! I am extremely new to demonolatry as I have very recently discovered it and I would like to know if you have any resources for beginners to read/watch that are helpful. Don’t worry about it if you don’t or if you simply don’t feel like it, I don’t mind!! Ty and have a nice day!!!!

Hey there! Terribly sorry for answering this so late. Xx So I've only been into Daemonolatry for about a year now, though I have learnt a lot thus far and I'd be more than happy to share some really important pointers to aid you in walking this path. ^.^

⭒☆·━━━━━━━•( 🌑 )•━━━━━━━·☆⭒

So first and foremost before I get into the main blogpost, I really cannot stress this enough...

Please educate yourself on closed practices and steer clear of cultural appropriation in your personal practises. There are a group of people in the Daemonolatry community who appropriate the heck out of Jewish daemons, especially Lilith. Judaism is a closed practise and therefore it's only respectful to not incorporate Judaism into your personal practises. Appropriating Judaism is actually a form of anti-Semitism, so please be mindful and respectful of these things! 🖤

I'm ashamed to admit this but I actually used to think it was completely fine to appropriate Jewish daemons last year, thanks to subreddits like r/DemonlatryPractices who would constantly try to push propaganda about Lilith being a "Mesopotamian Pagan Goddess" and other excuses for appropriating her. That same subreddit decided to attack me when I merely mentioned (on a completely different subreddit, mind you) that I disagreed with them appropriating Lilith, and in turn I got witch-hunted so that's great lmao. 🤡

Please avoid that subreddit at all costs, it's an absolute cesspit of cultural appropriation and passive anti-Semitism, and honestly they exhibit cult-like behaviour if you do so much as simply disagree with the appropriation of Jewish daemons. It's pretty disturbing... But yeah anyways sorry for rambling lol.

I'd also recommend avoiding people and organisations such as S. Connolly, V.K. Jehannum, Satan & Suns/Sons, BlackWitchCoven, The BecomeALivingGod Forum, The Satanic Temple, Joy Of Satan Ministries, The Order Of Nine Angles, scarletarosa (a user that literally exists here on Tumblr... yikes), etc. They engage in Jewish appropriation, and some of them even have ties to Nazism, racism, and other forms of bigotry too.

Some other Jewish daemons/spirits that you should avoid appropriating alongside Lilith are; Naamah, Agrat Bat Mahalath, Eisheth Zenunim, Samael, Abyzou, and the Grigori / Watcher Angels.

There are many other closed practices too, but if you'd like to do further research I can leave that up to you. ^.^

Okay sorry about that huge ramble lmao, just thought I would get that out of the way before getting into the main post because I think it's an important point to make and I don't want you to fall down a cultural appropriation apologist pipeline like I did at the beginning of my practise lol. Xx

Anyways, let's talk about The Infernal Divine!

+: GIF Credit :+

⭒☆·━━━━━━━•( 🌑 )•━━━━━━━·☆⭒

So we'll start with some really basic stuff. What exactly are daemons?

It's not commonly known outside of Daemonolatry that daemons themselves actually predate Christianity. The term 'demon' (alternatively spelled 'daemon') comes from the word 'daimon' which originates way back in Greek mythology. Daimons were a type of tutelary deity as well as guiding spirit whose divine nature was that of both mortals and deities. They were also sometimes regarded as bringers of knowledge, wisdom, and destiny. In this sense, they could be considered deities in their own right.

Contrary to popular belief, daemons are not evil and never were to begin with. It was only until the coming of Christianity that daemons as well as other gods were vilified and ostracised due to the cultish, radical, monotheistic mindset a lot of Christian extremists held back in the day. Lucifer himself was a "demonized" Roman god also known as Phosphorus, associated with light and the planet Venus. From that description alone, I don't really get evil vibes lol.

In my opinion, our world cannot simply be split up into just black or white, and daemons are no exception. Daemons aren't evil, but they aren't completely love and light either; They're neutral. Much like humans as well as the universe itself, the Infernal Divine are various shades of grey, and all daemons are unique and differ in personality.

⭒☆·━━━━━━━•( 🌑 )•━━━━━━━·☆⭒

So with all this in mind, what are some good resources that don't endorse and/or engage in appropriation of closed practices?

The YouTube channels ESOTERICA and ReligionForBreakfast have great information on the history of various religions and practises!

~ Book Recommendations ~

Livre des Esperitz

Dictionnaire Infernal

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum

Pandemonium: A Discordant Concordance Of Diverse Spirit Catalogues

I personally am working towards being a daemonolatry resource myself, but I haven't been able to post much lately due to my mental health issues. I also took an active break last year, as it was pointed out by a friend of mine that my belief of thinking it was fine to appropriate closed practises was obviously problematic, and so I took time off from posting in order to educate myself and delete any problematic blog posts I had made endorsing that in the past.

But nonetheless, I hope that what I was able to provide in this post was helpful! I wish you well on your spiritual path. 🖤

❀ ~ Many Blessings ~ ❀

-Korv

#asks #daemonolatry info posts #demonolatry #daemonolatry #demonology #daemonology #paganism #pagan #witchblr #theistic satanism #satanism #spiritual satanism #theistic luciferianism #luciferian #daemons #demons #infernal gods #infernal divine

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Legendary tree deities (20)

Leshy – ‘Forest guardian’, the lord of the forests

The Leshy is a tutelary deity of the forests in pagan Slavic mythology. He is the spirit who rules the forest and the hunt, and the master of the forest animals.

Leshy had well developed polymorphic skills. Mostly, he was appearing as an anthropoid creature, old  man with a beard, sometimes a one eyed cyclops. He could change his sizes due to the height of the forest. Moreover, he could take the form of animals such as wolf, bear, eagle-owl, or even transform into wind. Leshy’s helpers were  various small demons, ghosts and forest imps, such as auk (the ghost of echo), puszczewik, Mochowiks, (guardians of mosses) Lugowoj and Polewoj. There were also caring creatures, for example grybicz (mushrooms), jagodynicz (blueberries), pczelicz (bees), whose names clearly show what kinds of forest “inhabitants” they were taking care of.

Towards people, his behaviour was changing, from neutral to hostile. It depended mostly on how people treated the forest and its creatures. Leshy was especially unfriendly to hunters and lumberjacks, who were clearly violating his inhabited lands. Depending on his attitude, he could either misguide people, or help them to find a way out from the forest, play pranks by, such as scattering forest undergrowth from the basket, or protect them from wild animals attacks. Formerly, the place, where Leshy’s presence, or signs of his activity, were observed, was considered as a sanctuary. It was forbidden to come in to that part of the forest, but more importantly, to cause damage such as cutting down trees, hunt, or collect fruits of the undergrowth like nature reserves.

If you are walking through a deep, overgrown forest and feel someone looking at you or following you, it could be a Lshey. If you turn around to look at him, you cannot see him as he’s much quicker than you.

He may try to misorientates travellers entering the forest and lure them deeper into the forest, but if they wear their shoes backwards and their clothes backwards and forwards, the Laceys will be confused and their magic will be easily broken.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

伝説の樹木の神々 (20)

レーシー 〜「森の番人」、森の主

レーシーは、異教徒のスラブ神話の森の守護神である。彼は森と狩りを支配する精霊であり、森の動物たちの主でもある。

真っ白な頭髪と長い髭を持ち、足まで届く頭髪と髭で体が隠れている。 森の中では樹木と同じように大きくなり、森の外では木の葉に隠れられるほど小さくなるともいわれる。

レーシーはよく発達した多形能力を持っていた。最も一般的なのは、人間型生物、髭を生やした老人、時には一つ目のサイクロプス、不自然なほど白い顔の人間として現れることである。また、森の高さによって大きさを変えることができる。さらに、狼や熊、鷲のような動物の姿になったり、風に変身したりすることもある。レーシーの助っ人は、アウク (木霊)、プシュチェヴィク、モホヴィク、ルゴウォジュ（苔の守護者）、ポレウォジュなど、さまざまな小悪魔や幽霊、森の妖怪たちである。また、グリビッチ (キノコ)、ヤゴディ��ッチ (ブルーベリー)、プ��ェリッチ (ミツバチ)など、世話好きな生き物もいた。その名前は、彼がどんな森の「住人」の世話をしていたかを明確に示している。

人間に対しては、人々が森とその生き物をどのように扱うかに大きく左右された。特に、ハンターや木こりなど、明らかに自分の生態系を侵害するものに対しては、レーシーは非友好的であった。彼の出方次第で、人を迷わせたり、森からの脱出を手助けしたり、バスケットから森の下草を撒くなどのイタズラをしたり、野生動物の攻撃から守ったりすることができる。以前は、レーシーの存在や活動の痕跡が確認された場所は、聖域とされていた。自然保護区のように、その場所に立ち入ることはもちろん、木を切り倒すなどの被害を与えること、狩りをすること、下草の実を採取することも禁じられていた。

深く生い茂った森の中を歩いているとき、誰かの視線を感じたり後をつけられている感じがすれば、それがレーシーである可能性がある。 姿を見ようとして振り向いても彼の方が素早いので姿を見ることはできない。

森に入る旅人の方向感覚を狂わせ、森の奥に誘い込もうとすることもあるが、靴を逆に履いたり、服を前後逆に着たりすると、レーシーは混乱し、魔法は簡単に解けてしまう。

#trees #tree legend #tree myth #slavic mythology #leshy #forest guardin #master of wildlife #polymorphic skills #magical spirit #forest spirit #legend #mythology #folklore #mushroom #blueberry #bee #nature #art #forest #paganism

[niicevibe]

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 | 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 -> kunikuzushi x fem!reader

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 ✦ it's finally here!! i'm so excited to finally share this story with you. as a reminder before we begin, unfortunately, updates won't be regular, but i'll do my best to keep you all updated on progress. you're welcome to check out/follow the official 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 tag (★・・・heartstrings) to see if anything new has come up :) ✦ at the end of each chapter, should any be used, you'll find a glossary of terms & definitions. you'll also likely see information answering any questions for the canon lore and the non-canon story lore. if there's something unanswered, don't hesitate to ask about it! :)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ✦ not beta'ed (i'm a coward); kunikuzushi is not mentioned in this chapter; canon & non-canon lore pertaining to kannazuka island & inazuma (see end notes); mentions of blood & death, mild description of corpses; implied (but not explicitly mentioned) reader death.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ✦ baal (mikoto), beelzebub (ei), murata, orobashi

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 ✦ 3.8k words

taglist | playlist

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Your lungs empty, the sight before you horrid enough to steal your breath away in an instant. You're not usually this swayed-- after all that you've seen over the past few months, it's rare for even the cruelest of scenes to get such an expressive reaction out of you, the numerous horrors personally faced quick to numb you in such a short time. Somehow, you manage to surprise yourself today.

Because you've never seen so much red in one place before.

You manage to stumble, the scent of iron overwhelming enough to dizzy you into tripping over a piece of the upturned landscape. What you stand on used to be a shrine for one of the gods, not one so prominent that their presence or the construction of said shrine would impact the people of Inazuma, but the disrespect in its destruction is obvious. Whatever former glory it might've held existed as a memory to those who crossed its path-- now, crumbled and decaying megaliths sit scattered about Kannazuka's highest hill, mingling with the carnage.

Something wet squelches beneath your waraji. You freeze, and allow your gaze to flit down to your feet, lips parting in abject horror as more red appears, soaking into the white cloth of your tabi. You knew the liquid hadn't been from the absurd amount of rain that often plagued the island; the clouds above you were not weather clouds, after all. Your head snaps back up, and as hard as you try, it's almost too difficult now to convince yourself it's anything other than blood. So, you begin to collect the facts rather than collect yourself.

What happened here, exactly? This temple of the gods, likely abandoned before its desecration, had always been quiet, according to the rumours. You'd forgotten who its patron was; which tutelary deity was it again, who had taken up the mantle of being Kannazuka's protector, a fealty pledged to the Electro Archon, herself, in exchange for a place to call one's own? For some reason, despite of your learned nature of Inazuma's recorded history, you can't seem to recall it. A lesser god of little importance, you'd supposed, though you wouldn't dare say this aloud.

If this god was tasked with protecting one of Inazuma's islands and its people, why in Teyvat were their corpses scattered at its highest peak? Why is it so difficult for you to find a foothold on this bloodstained terrain that doesn't already have a disfigured body, nor a severed limb, in its place? Where is this patron god?

You press forward. As much as you wish it weren't necessary, the only way for you to reach the fragmented shrine is to step on the fallen. You swallow, your throat suddenly tightening when your heel meets a smaller object. You don't have to look down to know what it is. Eventually, you reach a safe place to pause, though the earth still pools with red when you step down onto it. You look up at the shrine of this forgotten god, your frown only deepening when you realize that only the front porch and entryway are what remain. The rest of it, by some extreme means, had been blown away.

Care killed the cat, you think as you round the shrine's mantle, tiptoeing toward the edge of the hill. With one leg extended to safety, you peer over the edge to find the rest of the shrine far at the base of the hill, hundreds of meters away from its original home.

"Be careful," a voice suddenly calls. You nearly leap out of your chilled skin, fear lighting a fire beneath you to move you away from the edge as fast as possible and whirl you around to face who spoke. Perched on the top of one of the large stone monoliths sits a skinny, bloodied man, dark-skinned and red-haired, knees tucked up into his chest with his cheek resting against them. He blinks at you. "You might've fallen."

"A..." Your voice catches in your throat; you quickly clear it. "Are you the one that did all of this?"

While appearing impassive, his tone is hesitant. "Not directly." With an unnoticeable twitch of your finger, a dark metaled sphere rises from your hip and joins you to float at your side. The man's head lifts. "Wait. Stop. I am not a threat."

"We live in a time where knowing who is a friend and who is a foe matters not," you argue, approaching him slowly. "Having had to raise my hand to people I have called "family", I have no qualms over doing so against a stranger. Explain yourself, or let your crypticity be your final act."

The man's eyebrows turn down, not in anger, but in displeasure; exhaustion.

"... please," he murmurs, placing his chin back between his knees, seemingly hugging his legs even closer to him. "No more fighting."

No more fighting? your thoughts echo. This man is covered in blood that clearly does not belong to him, and yet he does not wish to fight?

"Who are you," you demand, and while your catalyst no longer spins in battle anticipation, it awaits your command from next to your elbow. "Speak, or there will be a fight whether you wish for one or not."

Eyes lidded, he glances at you from his lap.

"I am a god," he says. He huffs dryly. "Was a god. This was my temple. My shrine. My home."

"You are the deity who was supposed to protect this place?"

"Hm. I did good, didn't I." Your lips part at him, but no words leave you. "All of these people... trusted in me to protect them. I swore to them that I would. "Join me in the shrine," I told them. I made them gather here... so I could protect them all together."

"You corralled them into their deaths," you surmise.

"I suppose that I did." He turns to you once more. "You are of Inazuma, are you not?"

"... I am," you admit.

"Yet you do not know who I am, or rather, you have forgotten me, yes?"

"If I had to ask of you your identity, then I suppose that could be correct."

"Or maybe it is that you do not believe in the gods," he assumes. His dark eyes narrow toward the bright red Vision hanging off of your belt. "And yet, you wield the potential to become one, dearest allogene."

"... how is it you came to the conclusion that I am a non-believer?" you ask. "That's rather blasphemous to suggest considering what kind of land we now live in."

"Potentially, yes." He makes an expression of amusement, but it is stale. Half-hearted. "But we have given humanity little reason to keep believing, haven't we. We've failed your kind too many times."

"People still revere the Archons," you point out.

"Revery is only steps away from fear. Did the history of the Archon War teach you nothing?"

"Well, clearly you survived it, when it had been said gods were being slaughtered left and right. Is that fealty you pledged still serving you? Or are you only able to cower while on the shores of this island? Of Inazuma?"

"... I don't dare travel to Liyue nor Fontaine, if this is what you are asking of me." You refrain from laughing. Not the time, not the place. "And I cannot return to Natlan, either. Though, I think I may dare to make a request to return to Celestia before the day's end."

"Since you have bothered to mention this to me, dare I assume I can ask why?"

"For repentance. Or punishment. Nowadays, they are one in the same. I welcome either. After all, aside from you and from I, there is no one left on Kannazuka to defend. I don't dare trespass onto Yashiori or Watatsumi. That Orobashi and I... never got along."

An unnameable sensation passes through your chest, a trigger for you to send your catalyst back to your hip. The nameless god notices this and sighs.

"Have I been deemed non-threatening enough that I no longer warrant you having your weapon drawn?" he inquires.

"... that's not the word I would use," you mumble. "For a god, well, speaking candidly, you are quite pathetic."

"You are a brave one, dearest allogene. No wonder you received Murata's Vision. I suppose this is how you have survived this long."

"No. I only received this Vision a fortnight ago. It would have spared me from a great injury if it arrived a day prior to that, and a great headache two months before then."

He hadn't noticed it before, the bandages crawling up from the tips of your fingers and up and into your shirtsleeve. Under his fiery gaze, you begin to feel unsettled, and so, the subject is changed.

"How did this happen?" The nameless god returns his gaze to his own person. "And why are you covered in blood?"

He swallows thickly. "Have you been made aware, the cause of this sudden calamity?" You shake your head.

"No one in Inazuma knows much of anything anymore, other than how to pick up a weapon and fight."

"That certainly is going around Teyvat in plentiful supply, I am afraid to inform you. Inazuma is not the only nation under attack by these strange beings." Once more, the breath from your lungs is quickly filtered out.

"These strange creatures are all over the continent? It isn't just attacking us?" For the nameless god, it is difficult to tell whether you are relieved or in despair at this news. "Where did they come from?"

"The godless nation of Khaenri'ah," he answers before falling silent. You wait for him to continue, until it becomes clear that these had been his final words on the topic.

"Why are you covered in blood, nameless god?"

From his perch atop the shattered stone, he extends his thin legs in a stretch on his way to the ground. He doesn't land in a normal fashion, either, instead appearing to have floated onto the blood-soaked hill, his first step feather-light. Perhaps this explains his bird-like features, you allow yourself to muse.

"Unlike the Archons of Teyvat, lesser gods such as I or Orobashi often rely on reverence and the faith of you humans to draw on our power. I cannot speak for that slithering beast; however, I tend to require more than average. I do not normally possess the physical strength necessary to protect my people. That is not where my true powers lie."

He moves from the entrance of his former temple, feet wading through the puddles of red, the grass beneath him flicking specks of blood onto the hemming of his white hakama.

"I gathered them atop this hill to pray for me so I might save them from the calamity of Khaenri'ah. I knew that this plan could turn on its head; I only made it easier for those beasts to harm them, and... I... could do nothing."

"Did their prayers not reach you?" you ask, while already sure of that impossibility.

"... no, they were received. I simply became... complacent. What is that new age term you humans use? ... ah. I "let myself go". This vessel of mine could not control the power they blessed me with, and along with the devils from Khaenri'ah, I destroyed my own people." He crouches down to shut the eyes of a young woman lying at his feet. "Perhaps I... am a calamity all on my own."

You open your mouth to speak, but only a broken sigh escapes you. At the very least, you had hoped it had been the creatures who were solely at fault. What are you to do with this knowledge? It's not like a human can punish a god. Can the Electro Archon judge him? Or does Celestia take care of godly affairs? Who is to absolve and avenge these poor humans who put their faith in some... false deity?

"... I think you're right," you say lowly. "All of you gods are just... one great, big, calamitous force. Somehow, we allowed you to rule over us in exchange for a half-hearted promise of protection and a bit of your power. Case and point, a majority of you have yet to deliver or have failed to deliver on that promise. I also think that if not for this grave mistake that Khaenri'ah allowed to happen, they would be right in not relying on the gods to take care of them, or, at the very least, smart."

The nameless god releases a dry, humourless laugh.

"The salt you rub in these wounds of mine are coarse, dearest allogene."

"Of yours?" A laugh of your own escapes you, choked and disbelieving. "That's not the blood of a god I see soaked into your hakama, you nameless fool."

He rises, onto his feet, and above the grass line on his way to you. Your chest heaves, a heavy breath passing through your lungs, but you stand your ground.

"Forget bravery," he says. "Your misplaced bravado, or whichever delusion fuels your cruel ejaculate, might have been the death of you should those creatures have any sentience. But I, a god, have indulged your insults twice over now." He looms over you by an easy two feet, and by looking up at him and seeing him as up close as you do, you realize, perhaps, he isn't as herbivorous nor bird-like as you once thought. "I am not so benevolent as one might think. Would you care to try for a third insult?"

No, the sharp teeth lining the entirety of his melancholy grimace suggest something far more vicious.

"By all means," you hiss at him. "Allow Celestia and the Electro Archon, herself, to judge you once more. One more death shouldn't matter."

"Death?" he repeats, sounding almost amused now. "No, no, what I would elect to do to you is far more harsh. Death would be only too easy for such a smart aleck human. And I warned you... that this "nameless god" is tired of fighting, dearest allogene."

Before the sudden movement can register, the man has plucked you off the ground with his hand curled around your chin. A sharp gasp escapes you, the pain of his grip and the dead weight dangling beneath you causing a fiery ache to spread everywhere above your jaw. Your arms raise in your defence, fingers grabbing at his immortal flesh, nails fruitlessly digging away at his wrists-- he's a god! He's a god! He's a god! your thoughts, quick to race through your mind, scream at you. Nothing you do will harm him, after all.

Something behind him flickers, and you just barely catch it through watering eyes. Orange, almost like a flame, and it flaps like a wing, startling you in your state of hyperarousal. Much of your air gone from your lungs, filtering in bubbles of oxygen that only barely keep your consciousness afloat, you fear delirium.

The nameless god's eyes narrow at you, in the same moment an uncomfortable heat swirls around your body. It has you go limp, your fingers slipping from prying at his knuckles, the intensity of it too much to withstand on sheer willpower alone.

"You are the first human to have expressed such blatant disrespect to not only me, but to the Archons and Celestia, itself," he murmurs. "How arrogant. Being so battled-hardened has turned dissolved all common sense in these humans. A grand reset for Teyvat would not be such a bad venture-- maybe Khaenri'ah is correct, as you so deludedly suggested."

A grand... reset?

"Death really would be much too easy for you, little genshin, but, I will offer you one chance to escape my hand."

His grip on you falters enough that you're dropped several feet back down to the blood-soaked grass, the hilltop squelching beneath your weight. If the lack of air hadn't been awful enough, the smell of iron makes the space beneath your tongue tingle and the back of your throat burn. In your discomfort, you squint up at him, massaging your rapidly bruising jawline, to find that he scarcely looks as he had before.

The strange orange object you had seen only moments ago belongs to a great, big pair of wings, each pennon the length of a fully grown man, if not wider when they preen outward and away from him. Their colour shifts along a spectrum of flames, orange to red to yellow, and cast almost a sickening glow upon your fast-paling skin,

"If you can answer my next question, I will allow you to leave this place unharmed, and with the blessing of a god. Refuse to answer, against my better judgment, your life will end by my hand. But answer incorrectly, and you'll find that your life will have just begun."

"You're mad," you wheeze, your chest tight with fear. "You are insane!! Spare me your cryptic words, I already said! Just be done with me already!"

"And I said it would be too easy. You are at my mercy. You do not get to make demands." You let out a seething breath, his sudden willingness for a purposeless murder sending wave after wave of nausea rippling across your blood-soaked body. "Simply answer... one question." You swallow something sharp. "What is my name?"

Your lips part in the same moment your heart sinks into your stomach.

"Y-You already full well know that I do not know your name!" you cry. "How in the world is this a fair question to ask?!"

"It is not," the nameless god sneers, "but I never claimed it would be." A choked sob escapes you, and in your sorrow, you collapse your face into your bloodied hands, numb to the strong scent of iron. After everything you've endured, after this distance you travelled in an attempt to achieve solace through all of your losses, and through your achievements, and this is the way it's going to end for-- "You would be wise to answer quickly, dearest allogene. All this fighting... truly drains away one's benevolence."

"I-I..."

Your head pounds with each incessant tap of his foot into the wet grass, every squelch into the earth sending your stomach reeling. Red rain, not blood, you attempt to delude yourself; not blood. Of course, when you open your eyes to try and glare at the painfully ethereal man hovering over you, it is all you see.

You were blessed with having parents who thought it important to have a learned daughter, and in turn, you swore to them to learn all you possibly could from them. Arithmetic, the arts, the languages of Teyvat, Inazuma's grand history of war and of the gods-- your land was rich with knowledge and beauty; you never stopped learning, never desired to stop learning.

Most of the gods you studied died off long ago during the events of the Archon War, but the few that remained were quick to align themselves with those who took the throne of each nation. It would appear that this cruel god pledged himself loyal to the Electro Archon of Inazuma, though by his appearance, you could only suppose that he originated from Natlan prior to his ascension. Naturally, this is less than helpful for you. There have been so many gods that have come and gone from Natlan, not only by means of the war, but by its ruler's own fiery temper, a indication to her being the Pyro Archon.

It is not that you do not believe in the gods. Of course they exist. The Archon War hadn't been the only proof of this, naturally. But you do not believe in them. There is no faith to be held in their regard; no honour in praying to them nor worshipping them from the earth they scarcely walk on. Why bother, when they have never answered your cries? Why, when all they could do in spite of their great powers, was deliver you an ornament of flame with the message, "Go. Fight."

What even is there to revere if you are doing their job and protecting humanity?

It's how you arrived on Kannazuka, after all. Knowing it to be mainly desolate with the exception of a small Inazuman tribe and the one misplaced god who should have never settled there to begin with, and thinking it relatively small enough that not many of those creatures would bother to linger. The god would protect his small population, and you, when you arrived. You wouldn't have to fight for your life... not anymore.

"Y... You useless, nameless god," you seethe into your lap. He does not speak, he does not laugh; there is no noise between you besides the distant lapping of waves against the shores of the island and the shudder of leaves on barren, decaying trees.

"I have no possible or fathomable clue of what your name could be. So, before my death, or my life, I shall name you "Devil", for that is what you are. All of your glory as a god-- what could even you do for your people besides mercifully suiciding them to guard them from those horrors? Let me join them in their freedom-- finally. I refuse to remain on the same land as you a minute longer."

The winged god peruses you for the entirety of that minute.

""Devil" is a fitting alternative," he says. "Beel and Beelzebub would approve of such a moniker. I have not been well-liked nor received warmly by many in over a millennia, even by my adoptive progenitors. Yes, "Devil" is a good guess. But it is not a correct one."

Your muscles give out, and your spine suddenly lacks the strength to keep you sitting upright. There is that heat again, you dare to whine. I am... truly about to die.

When the nameless god crouches before you, his wings curl over your form, shielding you from the unnatural violet light swirling in the skies over Kannazuka. It's dark beneath them, the only light coming from the dim glow of his feathers, and it makes you tremble. Being so close to such a being frightens you more than any of those beasts from Khaenri'ah did.

"It is ironic, me coming to this land," he suddenly muses. Looking up at him, you realize this is the first expression other than melancholy that he has worn since meeting him. You wish he hadn't smiled just now. Somehow, the pain in your chest worsens. "Godless before, and it will be godless again. Upon my return to Celestia, perhaps I will inquire as to why they thought it fitting to have granted you a Vision, you weak little genshin."

His hand lowers slowly to hover in front your face. Your heavy breathing, loud and filled with whimpers, is the first to come in contact with it before each of the pads of his fingers press like a five-pointed star against you, and almost instantaneously, you fall silent, and your Pyro Vision fades to black.

The nameless god draws his hand away, collapsing back off of his haunches when your lifeless body collides against his, sighing deeply.

"Do not be so foolish in your next life, little genshin. It is as you say... we are useless gods."

𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐍𝐎��𝐄𝐒

According to the lore surrounding Kannazuka Island, the prefix "Kan" can translate to "no gods". In this story, consider the island to have been named long ago, prior to this nameless god presiding over it. As this nameless god ends up forgotten when the only people to have ever worshipped him were killed, this is why he mentions the "irony" of his situation. Raiden Mikoto and Raiden Ei were called "Baal" and "Beelzebub", respectively, as a reference to the Ars Goetia, of whom a majority of the gods in Genshin Impact are inspired from. When y/n called the nameless god "Devil", this is in homage to his origin. Try and guess which one the nameless god might be!

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐘

waraji -> japanese bamboo sandals tabi -> the socks worn with waraji; fends off blisters and chafing fortnight -> fourteen days ago. hakama -> a ceremonial garment, but is also worn by nobility. in modern times, those who practice kendo wear them as part of the official uniform. hyperarousal -> a term for the "fight-flight-or-freeze" response. allogene/genshin -> vision-bearers.

© niicevibe 2022 please don’t repost! reblogs appreciated 💜

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