Areas of Concern assassins, divine punishments, and the Red Mantis
Alignment LE (LN, LE, NE)
Divine Font
Divine Ability Strength or Dexterity
Divine Skill Stealth
Domains death, might, trickery, zeal
Cleric Spells 1st:
2nd: , 4th:Edicts conduct assassinations, spread the Red Mantis’s infamy, wield sawtooth sabers in combat
Anathema kill a rightful ruler, become fixated on petty matters such as others’ gender or ancestry, abandon an assassination contract you agreed to pursue
Favored Weapon
While Achaekek’s divine genesis is heavily debated among scholars, it is believed that he was created—either by the power of a singular deity or a group of them—to eradicate those who would steal a god’s divinity, and he has since become the enforcer of divine punishment. Known as He Who Walks in Blood, he slumbers in the blood of heretics and worshippers alike in an immense cleft carved into the base of the Boneyard’s spire, a realm known as the Blood Vale. He keeps no formal relationships with any other deities, even his sister, Grandmother Spider, who repeatedly coaxes Achaekek to rebel against the gods and abandon his duties. In response, even though some gods disapprove of Achaekek’s methods, few openly defy him.
Many of Achaekek’s faithful attribute the Mantis God with a masculine identity, though Achaekek holds himself beyond the mortal conventions of gender just as he eschews ancestry and most mortal affairs. He does not actively seek worshippers, though the Red Mantis assassins’ guild devotes itself to tenets curated around his persona and tactics. Red Mantises believe their assassinations are a sacred rite: just as their deity stays his hand against rightful gods, the assassins refuse to strike against rightful rulers—but all others are fair game. Some ferocious druids and rangers worship Achaekek to emulate the god’s efficiency in killing their targets.
The deity’s faith is also known to attract mortals who kill for coin, whether from a hope of someday joining the Red Mantis or at the direction of their own cults or guilds. Regardless of any association with the Red Mantis, priests of Achaekek are expected to act as assassins of some kind when the opportunity arises, whatever their skill or training. This may manifest in an obvious opportunity presaged by an omen from Achaekek, such as a mantis resting on the shoulder of a public speaker, or a more direct message from Red Mantis agents. Achaekek’s followers believe assassination for the sake of self defense or vengeance does not require any sort of payment. However, assassins who kill for reasons that do not involve any personal interest or personal advancement deserve appropriate compensation, at least in the eyes of Achaekek’s faithful.
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When casting the
spell, a worshipper of Achaekek gains the following additional abilities.Achaekek Speed 70 feet, climb Speed 50 feet, ignore difficult terrain and greater difficult terrain; Melee mantis claw (agile, backswing, finesse, reach 15 feet, versatile P), Damage 6d8+6 slashing; Ranged spine volley (range 60 feet), Damage 6d6+3 piercing