The Goat, The Exiled God.

[Image ID: The Goat, a giant deity that takes the form of a dall goat. They have several pairs of horns that fade from black to gold, and golden runes on their chest and legs. Their eyes glow yellow, a halo shines behind them, and their tail fades away into a black starry mist. Art by shadowsymphonies on TH. End ID]

The youngest of the five gods, the Goat was once known as the god of dreams and ambitions, of things larger than one’s self. As ruler over the times between the seasons, the Goat was also known as a god of change and transitions. The Colony of Mist would often send prayers to this god for good hunts, and those trying to adapt to sudden change would invoke the god to give them strength. As the god of all these things, the Goat embodied them as well- they were ambitious, constantly creating and changing their creations, wanting to make more and more and more.

The Goat had been known to disappear at times, coming out of hiding to introduce their latest creation or idea. The first creation they made was the realm of dreams, an elaborate world the living would visit while asleep. The other gods disliked the idea of giving the Goat a realm to rule all by themself, but were persuaded when the Goat suggested using the realm to contact mortals. The Goat was a curious and inventive god, and in the days of old, it was common to believe that those born with ‘oddities’ such as extra toes or miss-matched eyes had been blessed by the Goat.

The Goat’s ambitions and creativity reached its end, as jealousy took over. The colonies all chose to worship a god and dedicate themselves to their name- but only the Goat was without a colony to worship them. The Followers worked in their name, yes, but for the Goat, it was never enough. The Goat created something that would outlive the gods themselves, and in secret placed them into the world to spread. By the time the gods found out about these creatures, the ‘humans’, it was too late. They had cemented themselves as part of the world.

The gods were enraged. Unable to strike out at the humans themselves, the gods instead unleashed their anger upon their creator. They banished the Goat to the realm of dreams, robbing them of their power. They then stripped the Goat’s fragment from the mortal realm, leaving it with the Goat as a bitter reminder of what they had lost. Alone, the Goat wandered the realm they alone had created, damned to rot forever in mortal dreams.

Stories spread about the Goat, various superstitions surrounding the god and dreams. Cats who fell asleep and never woke again were said to have been taken by the Goat, falling too deep into their dreams to escape. Those who are challenging the Seasonal Trials claim they had met the Goat while asleep, the god trying to tempt them with leadership and power in exchange for their loyalty. Sometimes, rumors of a particular commander rise from the depths, whispering that they had taken this deal, swearing loyalty to the Exiled God. While no such claim could be verified, it raises the question; 

What would it take for someone to accept the deal?