Worshippers, Clergy, Temples | Dogma | Appearance | Relationships & History | Related Images
While Basilisk herself claims to pre-date any other divine this is more of a technicality on her part than full truth. Of course, technicalities are most of what the Basilisk cares about. In truth, her full existance waits at the end of time, or at least some greatly distant time and place she will not reveal.
She was exhiled from the material plane by the ancient Zoman and only returned when her hiding place in the Faewild was destroied durring the plane's fall mid Irisian War. This event is often thought to be her orgin, but it cannot be for the simple reason that the Basilisk exists backwards through time. Her orgin is our end.
While ordenarily the sudden releace of a powerful evil god uppon a plane with no warning would be catastrophic, brining ultimant ruin is not in Basilisk's nature. Instead, she approched all sides as many fragments making countless pacts and deals; upholding them to the very letter of each word of those pacts. Such is her nature, a mercurial and beurocratic dealmaker. Delighting in tormenting those who fail to keep their end of a bargin in a prescripted way, detailed in legal terms for clarity. Likewise, she seems pleased when such bargins are kept, making any such contract she signs a "win" for the Basilisk.
Concequently, countless mortals offer her worship and respect, hoping to score a favorable contract. Most of whom do not quite understand the basic implication of said contractor existing backwards in time. From her prespective, she never signs a contract she hasn't allready seen the end of. While it is possible to break her expectations (as in some cases the future isn't set in stone), it behooves people to understand that she typicaly knows if you hold up your end of the deal when you sign on the dotted line.
"I coil, I wait, I bite. These things are in my nature. What is in yours?"
- Basilisk, atributed
Worshippers, Clergy, Temples
Vestments
Basilisk's demand from her clergy is that durring formal events, all members of the clergy are to wear sacks over their feet, or otherwise cover them with humble garments as she has a general distain for legs.
Hierarchy
Basilisk has demanded her Clergy make up a hiarchy by the time "I arrive". Wars have been fought over when the hell that even is. More have been fought over which ranking system to use. Presently, the clergy is still in general chaos and controvercy over this subject.
A powerful minority of her priests believes this state was her true goal.
Temples
There is no standard design for Basilisk's temples or shrines. Her worshipers are free to rever her as they please. Save one thing. Each temple must house one of Basilisk's shards.
Rituals
The vast majority of rituals preformened by Basilisk's churches involve her shards. The vast majority of those are formal notorizations of validity for mundane contracts, and other formalized paperwork. This is known as "Swearing Before the Serpent" and is concidered between buisness partners as being a level of comitment to said contract as one's marital vows.
Orders
The Fangs
Alegedly, a unified order of secrative mage-agents (notably consisting primarily of inquisitors) who have upheld the basic framework of contract law in Eyom through clandestine means. Often framing their actions as those of surviving inevetables through the use of ancidotal and circumstancial evidence.
Dogma
- The serpent always bites.
- Even if the univerce had been made prefectly fair, Basilisk simply existing tips the scales. By her will, there are no paths through life unmarked by misfortune. Such is life's nature under her dominion.
- Coil and wait.
- Most often the direct path to success requires few overt actions, and even those greatly spaced apart. If you are to move, move only when it is the right time.
- Do not betray your nature.
- Do not pervert yourself to fit the conformity/expectations of others. Never deny your needs. Be aware of the diffrence between your needs and your urges.
- You cannot escape Basilisk.
- What it says on the tin. Her existance at the end of time prevents any removal of her from your future, once she is invited in.
Appearance
Basilisk is a big snake. A simple discription, but entirly accurate and all encompassing.
Basilisk exists as many shards, small portions of herself given form and will, but working under her singular mind. Each shard is a snake of a diffrent species, size, and general coloration. As a rule of thumb, if a snake asks you if you would like to mark a bargin, it is Basilisk.
Howeaver, in some rare instances it might be another serpent which happens to speak and has a penchent for contractual dealings. This is not as uncommon as you mihgt think, given anyone skilled in transformation or illusion can use Basilisk's nature to pretend to be her. Often concequence free, as such acts typicaly ammuse the Basilisk.
Relationships & History
Basilisk is on very good standing with Hospitalar due to her willingness to bargin for lives. Conversly, her relationship with Kodek is so strained as to be nearly nonexistant becasue of her unwilllingness to contribute knots to his tapestery, despite provably and obviously knowing the finished pattern.
Due to her natuer, Basilisk is so throughly ingrained with every world government and even small communities that her shrines and temples can be found everywhere. Attempting to find events she has not interfeered with, started, or finished, is the task of several monastic orders who see the exercize as a grand expendature of a monk's life.