Kerska

Kerska, Lord of Fire and Darkness, The Shapeshifter, Hunter of the Sun and Moon

Played By: Falconer

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Domains: Desire (Covetousness), Darkness (Secrets)

Description:

Kerska is much like a fire: moody, temperamental, and dangerous, yet, when approached with care, helpful and even benevolent. Kerska is the god of unfulfilled longings and desires--the secret, primal wants and yearnings that haunt the dreams of every soul. Everything from greed to revenge to ambition to true love falls under his purview. His flame is the secret desire in all people that inspires both greatness and glory as well as all-consuming selfishness in equal measure.

Kerska has no organized clergy. His clerics are instead often wandering wise-men, shamans, and sorcerers, who have come to an understanding with the god and honed their wills to more perfectly serve their desires. Kerska makes few demands of them, save for their willingness to live by his example, and in fact encourages them to follow their own agendas and ends, even (especially) when they are at cross-purposes. Clerics often eventually take on a handful of apprentices, to whom they pass on their power and wisdom.

His worshippers, on the other hand, are many and varied, but they all share one trait in common: they want something. He has few exclusive devotees outside of his clerics, but nearly everyone has whispered a secret prayer to him at some point. To the average layperson, Kerska is a god wishes, who makes dreams a reality if the tribute be great enough. Kerska’s greed never sleeps, and those who seek his favor leave gold and silver coins at his shrines. There are many tales of heroes and villains who use Kerska’s great greed against him, tricking him into granting them their heart’s desire.

Kerska is fond of shapeshifting, and he often takes the form of black animals--wolves, crows, dragons, and snakes are personal favorites of his. When traveling among mortals, he will take the form of a darkly handsome youth in the garb of a traveller.

Kerska’s holy symbol is a stylized eye, representing the sleepless desire with which he looks out on the world.

Goals: 

Kerska is desire itself, and as such he wants….well,  everything. He wants everything life, divinity, the multiverse has to offer, and even all that would not be enough. His own desires constantly change and dance like the flames he personifies, and whatever his goal is, he seeks unceasingly until it is his, before he moves on to something else. He is constantly on the move, wandering the planes in search of power, magic, treasure, love, even just out of plain hunger, as well as a million other things.

As a player, I’d personally kind of like to see Kerska work as a Coyote or even Loki-like figure, incorporating elements of both culture hero and folk devil as he follows his desires wherever they lead.