#m_lore

[callibrin]

"O dear Goat,

This world rots from the Curse born of the Purple Crown’s gift. I would grant it my final mercy — peace.

Be my hand. Free these poor souls from the endless life I placed upon them. End their suffering. Let them rest in Eternal Sleep.

I entrust the Crown to you, knowing you will wield its power true.

Fulfill my wish, O God of Death"

🔮About Makhesa

[callibrin]

"Makhesa, the fifth bishop, the god of Life. His followers, blessed by him, never knew true death again. From the moment the Bearer of the Purple Crown appeared, the world was cursed to eternal existence. The other Bishops, oh, they thrived on this, binding their flock with trust and loyalty.

But eternal life came with a price. The longer beings dodged death, the closer the Curse came, poisoning mind and body. The cursed, they lost themselves, piece by piece — self-control, memories of loved ones, compassion... all replaced by an insatiable hunger and emptiness. The fight against the Curse was futile, with medicines and resources dwindling year after year.

Makhesa began to doubt. What is Life without an end? What is the purpose of his existence, to guard a suffering, decaying immortal world? Would it not be kinder to free the world from this curse he so loved?

The Bishops feared change, they feared finitude. But most of all, they feared losing their brother. So, they imprisoned the god of Life in limbo, where he could wield the Purple Crown's power no longer.

Ah, but the cards were dealt, and fate was sealed. The prophecy spoke of a new Bearer of the Purple Crown, destined to emerge. And all would come to know the god of Death, the deliverer from the Curse, the harbinger of the end of all things".

— Makhesa and The Goat get along well with each other; they have a trusting relationship. — Makhesa allows The Goat to come to Limbo at any time. — From Makhesa, one can get descriptions of items and small lore fragments. — Makhesa is a proponent of the idea that the world does not need either the Crowns or the bearers of the Crowns.

[callibrin]

🔮 🐿️ Squirrau, the previous vessel of Makhesa and the mentor of The Goat, was once cursed for defying the God of Life. Condemned to eternally rot from within by the Curse, akin to a restless living corpse. Despite his punishment, Squirrau retained his skills and sanity.

The Curse is a poison for every living being. However, Squirrau devoted much of his service to control it. He believed that daily intake of the poison would eventually weaken its effect. Yet, he never fully subdued the Curse.

Despite his suffering, Squirrau remained loyal to Makhesa. His blind love for the Bishop was stronger than his pain. To this day, he spends most of his time praying before the statue of the God of Life, hoping to hear Makhesa’s voice again.

In time, Makhesa gave Squirrau a chance to atone and tasked him with mentoring The Goat, their new vessel and the bearer of the Purple Crown. The Goat proved to be strong, fierce, ruthless, and unstoppable — even the Curse couldn’t hinder them.

The Beast… that’s what Squirrau called The Goat since he first beheld Makhesa’s chosen one.

— Squirrau sometimes feels jealous of Makhesa's attention to The Goat, much like a devoted follower is jealous of their God’s attention to another follower. — Squirrau's favorite weapon in the past was a dagger. — Squirrau performs the same functions as Ratau. — Most likely, while serving as a vessel, Squirrau killed his friends by Makhesa's will, without the possibility of resurrection.

[callibrin]

”ㅤYour kind got on my nervesss... Filthy fugitive goat. You ssshould have been lassst. I won't tolerate your disssobeyment.ㅤ” ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ— Veles, the Voice of Justice

Veles is the deity of order, the first bishop that Goat will encounter during their campaign. It was on his lands that all of Goat's kin were sentenced to execution - drowning in the lake of ichor. Veles was once a just and unshakable ruler of his lands; he created and enforced the laws and orders by which all followers of his lands and the lands of the other bishops lived. But after the Curse affected everyone’s lives, after Makhesa was sealed away, Veles began to slowly descend into madness – his orders and laws couldn’t undo the Curse. His attempts to destroy every single goat of these lands did nothing to improve his condition. "The closer the empire’s collapse, the madder its laws" — this became the embodiment of his new reign. Veles grew more paranoid, more vicious, and more irritable. Once-thriving forests are now filled with the blood of those condemned under insane orders, and with devoted executioners who, in blind madness, mutter the commandments and laws of their god. One such law states that any goat must be sentenced to death simply for existing. Not long before his final battle with the Goat, he will hex their cult by making all of the followers completely oblivious to Goat's orders and commands.

Oh, how fast does an order become chaos in the fase of death.

”ㅤYour disssobeyment is beginning to ANNOY me, fugitive goat. You do not underssstand what a lack of order doesss to one, do you? I'll make sssure, you and your sssubjects will ruin in chaosss.ㅤ”

— Veles' temple resembles a court or a tribunal. He is very proud of his work, always has been and always will be. — Veles is one of the younger Bishops, but he found his crown when he was already quite old. He is an old man. — Veles is easily irritated. Way back then he would keep his calm, but now one who dares to play with fire will be skinned alive. — Veles is a perfectionist, and really skeptical of anything that is not his work. And he is especially quick to judge any of Goat's work.

design, art and text by @zttqqq