The Monster Gods
Fluid and strange, the energy of the monster gods is integral to the summoning process. They are ancient beings that influence the form of creatures everywhere. Each phyree is born under the blessing of one of the three primary gods, and I note this with the color and pattern on the background of the informational card. Red is for Maim, green is for Wretched, and blue is for Agony. The monster gods may seem terrifying to the uninformed, but much like our own natural world, they are full of as much (or more) potential for wonder as they are for terror. Hopefully, learning a bit more about them from my notes will help you learn more about your phyree.
Maim: The Red Beast
Maim is a god defined by his strength and his prowess as a great hunter. He is the domination of enemies, the brutality of claws, and the shining of teeth. His sphere is that of pure determination and destruction. But with destruction also comes the potential for new creation, leading many to call Maim “The Herald of Ages” as it is sometimes believed that the influence of Maim is at its greatest during times of unrest that lead to new eras. Others depict Maim as a great serpent which must be warded away at all costs lest disaster strike. Maim is perhaps the youngest of the monster gods, as he is tied to the realm of the great beasts which came after the influence of Agony and Wretched.
Agony: The Restless Spirit
Agony is perhaps the most difficult of the gods to comprehend. She is composed of a warping ether, a being of pure mind and spirit. If Maim is the god of outer destruction, Agony is the goddess of inner turmoil. She is believed by some to be a plague which whips through the world of the mind, but she exists beyond such a mortal view. She is the longing of the un-created, and the spiral of desire that leads to manifestation. Philosophers and poets will sometimes commune with her dark essence in an attempt to broaden their perspective into the unknown. It is sometimes debated whether Agony predates Wretched or visa versa. It seems that her realm of the turning aether is somehow directly parallel to the realm of Wretched, so they may in fact be more akin to twins or lovers.
Wretched: The Sodden Earth
Wretched is the lord of growth and rotting, the intersection of plant, fungus, insect and bacteria. Some call Wretched “The God of the Low” since he is often associated with undesirable influences and pests. However, Wretched is the god of uninhibited growth and undeath, so many see him instead as a kind of primal spirit of nature’s bounty. Like Maim, his influence has a distinctive element of freedom, though Wretched is decidedly more subtle. Wretched has no need for battle, as he merely spreads himself in secret, like mold under a wet log. Wretched is a trickster of the natural order, letting die the ancient, and prolonging the vermin. Some say there is a group of his followers who have lived on for millennia, while his sphere of the living wound is as old as nature itself.
