User:Arcanuse

Sandbox testing. Move along, not ready to see yet.

Origin	God-from-Blood
Names	The Maw Consuming
Aspects
Date of arrival	Unknown
Owner(s)	Arcanuse

"In it's dominion, the Maw's law is the only law. It emanates from the bones of primordial jungles, and enforced with every shedding of blood. It is fulfilled through the killing and incorporation of something greater. To leave it unfulfilled is to break the law, and that is it's own punishment."

The Maw has only entered the Mansus once, during the war of hungers. It's loss was swift, more to internal strife than the challenges of assault. that it was shown mercy for its transgressions surprised the Maw most of all, though it was no less grateful for the chance.*

• consider more before using in full article. a good piece only works in the right puzzle.

The Maw was first found in the forest amongst a jungle grove. It's date of arrival is unknown, but it's strong ties to the forest suggest it came with the forest. The Maw has only left the forest for the mansus once, and only to forge its pact.

Its tarot card is The Hermit.

Principles

Blood and thunder! Hunter and Prey! Killer and Killed! The Maw Consuming embodies these, and demands the world takes heed.* It lives in the jungle, but its true home is in the heart of thieves, murderers, brigands. Every killer is welcome in the Maw's dominion, but only those truly dedicated Hunters will ever eat from the Maw's table. All else

• (FnordNote: Alternative phrasing: takes note? remembers?)

Worship

The battle-roars of the lion, the hungry howls of wolves! These and more are the only praise needed, gratitude offered in subconcious thanks to the great hunger! The Maw needs no "real" worshipers, no simpering sycophants begging for scraps. The Maw finds such beings distasteful at best, or committers of a most grave offense at worst. How could this not be so when the Maw's law is one followed by most every beast under the sun?

Cults

• The Fang-Gild Club.
  • FNORD/"Not really serious about serving the Maw. Mostly in it for the longevity, really. Doesn't hurt that hunting others in the Forest makes for fine sport, either."
• The Clawblunters
  • FNORD/"Somewhere between trying to cheat the Maw's "system" and taking the Maw just serious enough. Have I said FNORD already? This one is especially FNORD and likely won't be in the article proper. Probably not a Bureau front."
• Young Teeth Club/Sparkling Ivory Club/FNORD
  • FNORD/"A club of backstabbers, murderers, and all manner of violent individual. Less a club and more a bar serving a proper rogues gallery. Probably has a score-board to tally victims, not to mention the stories they trade here."

Mark

The Maw's marks recognize ones dedication to the hunt, a notch on an arm or leg. Focus of sight and strength of bone. A straightness of posture and sharpness of teeth. So long as your dedication to the survival of the fittest remains true, you will never dull. Falter in your faith, and you will find yourself on another Hunter's menu.

• First Mark: “First Blood”
  • “I have claimed my first kill, and with it my place at the grounds is earned.”

• Second Mark: “Well-Seasoned Veteran”
  • “I have hunted my betters, and joined their numbers. Humid atmospheres have ceased bothering me.”

• Third Mark: “Poacher”
  • “I have hunted my betters, and joined their numbers. My teeth are sharper, my nails hardened.”

• Fourth Mark: “FNORD"
  • “I have hunted my betters, and joined their numbers. The urge to consume has taken root.”

• Fifth Mark: “Seasoned Veteran
  • FNORD

• Sixth Mark: “FNORD"
  • FNORD

• Seventh Mark: “By Maw Consumed”
  • “My hungers have reached a glimmering peak, I can see the Maw itself on the horizon. My knives were prepared for this moment.”

Servants

The Bottlesmiths

Locations

The Fansus

• The Forest
  • The Halls of Skin
    • The Maw neither partakes of taxidermy nor approves. Bested foes are to be summarily consumed, not stuffed and mounted as trophies. Nevertheless, even a devoured foe leaves traces. These are gathered, bottled, labeled, and neatly placed on shelves in unlit rooms. A select few are used as molds for flesh, to create a physical replica to fight and learn from time and time again.
  • The Mawsoleum
    • Here lay the remnants of former Maw’s, indexed and true. The remnants interred here are done so with the highest respect, and the greatest care. This is not the Halls of Skin, where predator and prey is placed for all manner of being to gawk at, but the closest thing the Maw’s have to “sacred”. It is the duty of each and every Maw, present and future, to maintain the Mawsoleum and ensure its contents safekeeping. This is not an eccentricity of the Maw Consuming, but rather a pragmatic decision. Each remnant stores the life and death of its former self, ready to be witnessed and studied time and time again. Thus, each new Maw might garner all the experience of old to fortify themselves against their predecessors downfalls.

Items

Influences

• Ivory Tablet
  • As hours go, the Maw is incredibly lenient on allowing entrance to the forest. This tablet is given to those dreamers who meet the Maw's few requirements... But it is just as easily reclaimed should the dreamer fail to renew their bargain.

Books

• Wildlings: Vak
  • Text1: "Here are my children, numbered thirty-nine. Thieves, Warriors, Slaves and Saints. They strived for their place at my table, and at my table they dine."
  • Text2: "Each of them were once a lowly beast, but clawed and strived and ripped fire from the hands of man. In doing so they proved themselves my children."

Relationships

• [[]]:
• The Spirarch: Neutral. The Spirarch oversaw the Maw's pact, and for that the Spirarch has the Maw's closest equivalent to gratitude it can muster.
• [[]]:
• [[]]:
• The Hunter/The Worm's Foundations:
• [[]]:
• The Bright Tapestry:
• The Die Cutter:
• The Mother Bear: Neutral, hesitant acquaintance. As part of the Maw Consuming's pact, the Maw ensures none of its murderers or other ruffians it brought to the forest enters the Mansus proper. As the Mother Bear guards the Mansus entrance proper, it was inevitable the two would meet. Has something of the Maw's Nature versus the Mother Bear's nurture going on.
• [[]]:
• The Maw Consuming: The Maw isn't one for much introspection. Still, the Maw has yet to wholly dismiss the lingering gnaw of why they seek to perpetuate the cycle of hunter and prey. Perhaps the answer might be just around the bend, another perpetuation of the cycle away...
• The Succulent Glow:
• [[]]:
• The Shambling Dawn:
• The Red Lady:
• [[]]:
• The Fell-Feaster:
• The Monument:
• The Cub:
• The Seraph:
• [[]]:
• [[]]:
• The Worm Funktastic: Befuddled annoyance. The Maw is a primitive hour, and has little understanding of music or any variety of art. What it does understand is that not all of its murderers die in the forest, that some vanish to the tune of a saxophone in the night.
• [[]]:
• The Rotted Ox: Revulsion. The Maw understands the value of endings, but sees them as the foundation for new beginnings. A pause in song, a rest between hunts. The Rotted Ox's dedication to the end is a repulsive aberration to be denied.
• [[]]:
• [[]]:
• [[]]:
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• The Unending Worm: Neutral. The Maw has little reason to be involved with the Unending Worm directly,
• [[]]: