The Mare-Night (Also revered as The Assassin-Queen, The Arrow-Mare and The Hunter-Moon), is a Edge - Moth - Winter Hour created by Nephilim. The Mare presides over acts of slaughter and violence by the hand of Man and Beast- The beautiful, timeless act of murder. An artificial form of ending. She is considered a patron of assassins, hunters, mercenaries and serial killers. She is also known for being an extremely kind and loving soul to other Hours, in an odd contrast to her theme.
| The Mare-Night | |
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| "We call upon the Mare, who exterminates our foes by the hand of Man..." | |
| Origin | Nowhere |
| Titles | Assassin-Queen, Arrow-Mare, Hunter-Moon |
| Names |
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| Aspects |
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| Date of arrival | {{{arrival}}} |
| Owner(s) | Nephilim |
Contents
History
Appearance
The Mare has taken on many different appearances, with few universal characteristics among them. Mostly horse-like. Her appearance inside the Mansus, however, is -mostly- consistent.
She is an eight-legged centaur, of noble drafter build. Her tail is a centipede, which sometimes holds a mind of its own. Her human side has four arms, and two of them hold her bow. Her skin is grey as the steel of her knife, with freckles and spots in silver, bronze and moss. Her claws are long, thin and straight, sharp like Alastor's needles. Despite looking mostly feminine, she either manifests as both sexes at once, or none. Her hoof-steps never make a noise, even with her imposing weight and muscle. Her coat is spotted as her skin, especially around her back legs.
Nobody has ever seen her face. Some traits are visible- Her long, elfin ears which droop to the sides, her mane, colourful as withered copper,which grows from her head to her lower back. Her antlers, resembling those of a moose, permanently tangled in vines and ropes, and her third eye, which is a shard of faintly glowing amethyst and is quite sensitive. A few say they have seen her true eyes, and claim her irises are the colour of oak-wood- But there's no way to verify, as anybody who removes her mask in a dream ends their journey then and there. Only a bit of her face can be seen, when she tips her mask upwards to reveal her beastly teeth. She is also occasionally depicted as having a halo made of cutting implements and blood-stained, unopened letters.
Her mask is covered in gems- Moonstones, moss agates and catseye. Engraved with markings of flowers and moths. She doesn't like people touching it.
Outside the Mansus- in mythological depictions and the early dreams of her future worshippers, her appearance is extremely varying- And usually lacking in a lot of aspects. She tends to keep her centaurine or equine shape, and her physical gender-ambiguity, but everything else varies. She has been everything from a humanoid hunter to a literal war-mount of the Gods in old myths.
Principles
The Mare is, as previously mentioned, an incarnation of murder born of Nowhere from the crimes of Man. Despite her (usually) friendly and bubbly personality, she is still an extremely violent Hour of delightful sacrifice, appeased by violence and death of the innocent.
Worship
The Mare's worshippers are a particularly secretive bunch. Understandable, since she demands plenty of love and sacrifice in ways that only few can convey. She calls for blood quite often.
Perception of her varies,and is often decided by cult rank. The new cultists aren't told much, and usually see her as an one-dimensional, bloodthirsty deity, but that is not the case- Most higher-ups will argue that, anyway, while wearing the cozy scarves She knitted for them in their time of ascension. They prefer to see her as a kind and loving (yet strict and occasionally irrational), guardian.
She is also known for her many ascension trials- She personally judges her every follower, testing them individually on their strengths and weaknesses, weeding out the fragile and unworthy.
Cults
Worshipping the Mare-Night is often done within assassin groups that double as cults, as well as hunting groups, and the occasional lone serial killer and lone forest person on their own.
Due to their secretive nature, there might be anywhere from 3 to 100 standing cults of the Mare, but only somebody initiated in those circles and sufficiently high-ranking could tell you the exact number. (and that information most certainly has a steep price.) But for now, there are two "Semi-open" groups that relatively plenty of men and women who know of the Secret Arts know about:
- 1:Society Of The Blessed Arrows: A small group of forest cultists who subsist on what the chaos of nature grants them every day,and do some shady business on the side...
- 2:The Nightmare Company A secretive squad which has aided many politically motivated murderers in the past. They are thought to be gone, and they are not- They're just known to have some... Unusual demands for their deeds nowadays.
Mark
- Temptation: The Hunt: I have seen the signs through my dreams. Daggers, beasts, horses and dark alleyways...
- Dedication: The Hunt: She has acknowledged me as one of her own! I must get ready, for i don't know what will come.
- Ascension: The Walk: The forest beyond is cold and unforgiving. But she has hidden something here for me- Yet i must take it without her eyes on me. If i fail, her claws will be upon me. I must learn the art of Stealth.
- Ascension: The Call: The Mare demands sacrifice. She demands the blood and flesh of what - or who - i love the most. And i must not shed a single tear in the process. I must learn the art of Slaughter.
- Ascension: The Thirst: The heartbeats of wonderful prey sing to my heightened senses. I cannot go in public anymore. Not with these hands, Not with these eyes. I must learn the art of Self-Restraint.
- Ascension: The Predator: The mirror fears my silhouette. The dark corners of the city whisper my name in hushed tones with trembling lips. She looks to me with hope, and a beastly smile. Now, i must learn the art of Sewing- her last, most innocent gift to me. Soon, we ride into the sunset.
Servants
The Mare uses her servants as personal bodyguards. Assassin-Queen as she is, most of her deeds aren't done by her. All but one (which is W.I.P.) are her most prized men, ones who excel at the arts of breaking bodies and minds. And yet, she babies them and knits them scarves...
Names
1: Donovan, The Warlord - An once-mortal, now under the servitude of the Mare. A cunning strategist who seeds discord and conflict among his targets, selectively antagonizing and seducing the men and women he needs to his cause, and witnesses it evolve into large-scale murderplotting as he simply stands there and takes his pay with not a stain of blood in his uniform. 
2:Tanata, The Vigilante - An once-mortal, now under the servitude of the Mare. A justiciera who commits to dark deeds in silence in the dead of night, when the Hunter-Moon shines brightest. She takes only during times of necessity. Her own necessity applies just as well in this case, of course.
3:Alastor, The Blight-Father - An once-mortal, now under the servitude of the Mare. An elegant, clever, scientific nobleman with an unusual knowledge of the venomous, the bizarre, the unnatural and the incomprehensible. Take no sip of any teas he offers you, or you may find yourself awake in an alleyway with a searing fever and only rags for clothing.
4:Vladimir, The Flagellant - An once-mortal, now under the servitude of the Mare. A particularly sadistic executioner of the old times, with a particular penchant for cannibalism and starvation. Deeply religious, he would starve heretics by feeding them only their own flesh and blood- And would feast on his own skin when he dared to stray from his path. Inquestionably insane, questionably effective. But the Mare holds his leash with pride anyway. 
5:Mabel, The Fox - An once-mortal, now under the servitude of the Mare. A so-called "Assassin" who has never had to kill a soul. Instead, her silver tongue conquers the mind of all those who stand in her way, and find no more appealing choice than to follow her into enlightenment. Those who fall into her traps are never heard from again, surrendering their lives as cultists. Of course, she could shatter your psyche if she wanted. She just prefers to have you in on her cause. 
Locations
The Fansus
The Histories
Items
Tools
Ingredients
Influences
Books
Rites
About the Wassail
How They Feel
Who They Blame
What They Hide
Only a fool would trust the testimony of the two-faced, literal incarnation of murder and extermination.