Verine

“To the Family”

Colors: purple, bronze, red, black

Symbols: an amethyst studded brass circlet, a bottle of poison, a bloody dagger, a mirror, a cow, roses, a chalice of wine, a black dragon

Verine was an ancient Goddess and the paternal aunt of both Beodhen and Nepheris. Verine died at the hands of the Minor God, known in his Mortal life as Theron of Gift. Now known as the God of Games, the Deity owes his ascension, at least in part, to the Divine Blood he took from Verine.

In her youth, Verine was the goddess of secrets, magic, and love–ironic given her later penchant for unwavering jealousy and punitive cruelty. She gracefully removed herself from the Pantheon just prior to the Blood War. Many wonder if she had something to do with stoking the fires of the War itself, though it is difficult to discern. Of course, many said she was only welcome in the first place as she was the aunt of Beodhen and Nepheris.

When Verine served as a Minor God, she was surprisingly vocal. Nevertheless, she conceded that she had no real power and, instead, committed herself to the importance of family.

Followers of Verine

Note: You may no longer play a Devout of Verine. She is dead, and her power has vanished from the world. This information is left online for game history.

Verine’s position as the aunt of Beodhen and Nepheris rendered her worship acceptable and surprisingly normative. This was particularly true of Nobles who held fast to their lineage and the importance of legacy.

Of course, followers of Verine were often unsavory folk. Master criminals, unscrupulous politicians, and black widow/ers found happy company in Verine’s ranks.

Of the Noble households ardent in their worship of Verine, only two were with the Goddess when she died: members of House Ambrosa and House Beausejour. It is said these two households, above all others, were able to balance loyalty to their Goddess with dedication to the Pantheon and Circadia.

Verine and the Layfolk

While most Layfolk were aware of Verine, for most of her tenure as a Fallen God, she was of no real consequence to them and vice versa. Small pockets of Layfolk observed her, but such observance was exceptionally uncommon. This changed, however, when Verine made an attempt on the Goddess Steramestei’s life. This made Verine unpopular with many Layfolk and ultimately may have led to support for her demise.

Costuming and Appearance

Suggesting her lineage, Verine’s followers favored sumptuous and elegant clothing. They wore purple, red, and black finery accessorized with bronze jewelry. Many followers wore amethyst studded circlets to acknowledge their God’s lasting importance. Today, after her death, some former Devout still wear such objects to memorialize her. Many others have found new Devotions.

The Blessed

The Blessed of Verine took on an unusual appearance: they frequently developed curling ram or goat horns and small fangs. Even after her death, some of Verine’s Devout maintain these.