Ignilith's are, with the exception of the weapons he forged, the most famous of Matelus' creations. They are widely regarded as the embodiments of Matelus' power, although to claim that is to simplify the god to a dangerous degree.
Igniliths are known as the protectors of Matelus' followers, a duty that is ingrained into their very being. They were born from fire and earth and blood, standing tall against a power even their master had difficulty controlling. The story -told more often in the desert regions- is that Matelus stood against the rage of the volcanoes surrounding their homes, and in overestimating his powers, nearly destroyed himself. As Matelus weakened, falling to his knees, his blood spilled into the lava and the combination of godly blood and the power of the earth itself gave birth to what became the Igniliths.
The Igniliths took to protecting Matelus, and those who followed him. Together, the first of the creatures took the lava as their own lifeblood, draining the volcanoes and ensuring the safety of the mortals who lay in danger. With the volcanoes no longer a danger to the mortal world, the Igniliths spread out, not waiting for thanks from neither god or mortal. To this day, Igniliths can be found in the desert regions of the world, as well as near active volcanoes. There have been no new stories of Igniliths standing together as they did in their birth, but they are held in high regard by those who follow Matelus nonetheless.
To find an Ignilith, one must keep a careful watch on their surroundings. The majority of the time, there is little difference between an Ignilith and the rocks nearby; by sight alone, there is precious little that can set them apart.
Fierce protectors of Matelus and his followers, they are also shy and frightened of strangers. This contradiction has earned them a reputation of dangerous, as Igniliths will lash out without restraint to protect what is theirs. Older Igniliths may bear scars and cracks from when unsuspecting mortals tried to break them -thinking them little more than rocks- while the younger may be smooth and clean from the earth's influence. Some may have crystals that grow from them, while others have particles that glow when exposed to the moon. It is widely accepted that their possible physical traits are directly related to the regions in which they grow, but the proof is impossible to gain.
Regardless of their reputation, Igniliths are considered holy, and they are still symbolic to Matelus in every way. As such, even those that don't consider Matelus their patron god respect the Igniliths, and few would dare to disrespect Matelus by knowingly hunting them.
(Below is a doodle of possible Ignilith appearances. Darker colors mean the rock body is thicker in those areas... all the lumps! The one on the left is younger, most likely to be found in desert regions. The one on the right is the elder, more likely to be found in caves by an active volcano. When their eyes and mouths are closed, they can be indistinguishable from natural rock around them.)
Character Board: Matelus, the God of War and Smiths
@pixel-letters @madmaxxieslibrary @theguildedtypewriter Here’s my War God! He’s a sweetheart really... way nicer than a certain goddess I can think of! (*cough*Eiris*cough*) If anyone would like to be tagged in things like this, let me know?
I was born from the heart of a volcano, forged by its fire and heat. All the earth’s flames, all the world’s fire... they are as much a part of me as your blood is a part of you.
It is a gift to be careful with, mortal. For fire has a mind of it’s own, and it will not be tamed or controlled. It seeks always to break free and continue on it’s own path, caring little for the destruction it leaves behind. It is a never-ending fight, to stop the flames of fury from breaking free, but it is a war that must be won.
No one ever thinks they can fight a war with themselves. But it is one all of us, including the gods, must fight every day.
Unless you’re me. Even in that situation, there is no war I cannot win... even when my opponent is as great as myself.
(OC ask thing) One of my characters is kinda a pyromaniac
Tell me a fact about your oc and I will respond with a semi-related fact about mine
Interesting!! What do you mean by kinda? Now I’m curious!
Matelus can control flames! You know the thing in the Disney Animated Hercules, where Hades flames over? He does the same thing when he’s really mad about something!
Okay, so I had an idea for Matelus for this and kind of rolled with it. May or may not be canon to my worldbuilding project! @pixel-letters @theguildedtypewriter @madmaxxieslibrary Here’s a little piece about my God of War and Smiths! ((If you’d like to be added to a tag list for anything, please let me know!)) Read More to keep things small!
Mortals were… interesting. He wasn’t fascinated by them as some of his siblings -he worried about Arione sometimes, although he would never tell her; she’d only use that fact against him at every opportunity. But mortals, especially in times of peace, were interesting.
Even at the best of times, mortals were never completely at peace… with each other or with themselves.
Matelus used to wander the world, training smiths and warriors alike, spreading his knowledge of weaponry as far as he could. And sometimes, he just wandered, fighting those who challenged him and seeking entertainment in any way that he could.
On one of these journeys, shortly after one of the mortal battles -not important enough for him to take too much notice-he stumbled across farmland, ravaged and burned by passing troops. Curious, because there was absurdly signs of life in this desolate area, he knelt by the road, examining the tracks there.
His brother would know better, but it definitely appeared that someone was still living here… a fact confirmed by an arrow flying dangerously close to his face.
“Is this how you welcome travelers?” The sun, irritating in the same way his father had been when he was on this earth, was blinding him. If he could see his attacker, he’d know exactly what to do. No one could ever best him in a fight. “Shooting at them?”
“Traveler? Scavenger more like!” That voice sounded suspiciously higher-pitched. “You’re not welcome here, so just… just go, or I’ll actually hit you!”
Young, or female… or both. And admirable, whoever this archer was, for standing their ground, although Matelus could sense their aim was nowhere near as sure as they’d like it to be. “I have business on this road. Unless you claim to own it?”
Matelus stood, ignoring the voice as he brushed the dirt of his hands. “If you want to go this way, you’ll… you’ll have to fight me, you… you attractive stranger?”
Definitely female; he could see her now, the long strands of hair escaping from their hiding place under the cap, struggling to handle a bow too large for her. And flustered, which was flattering; at least he’d never had any complaints about the form he chose when travelling the mortal world… the only complaints he had were from his sister, groaning that too many mortals found him attractive and asked for her help in that direction.
Matelus grinned, suddenly feeling that entertainment found him instead of the other way around. “I will take that as a compliment.”
“It wasn’t meant as one!” The bow was dangerously aimed at a crucial part of him; even if she didn’t hit, it was not a comfortable idea that a weapon was being aimed at him. “I swear, I’ll shoot you if you don’t leave!”
He cocked his head to the side, his grin never fading. She would never hit him, not now that he was aware of the threat… the minor one that she posed. “I’m not a threat,” he promised, just a touch of his power behind his words to relax her guard and influence trust. “Just a humble smith, looking for a place to use his skills.”
She was strong, a testament to her will that her eyes were still wary and suspicious, although she did lower the bow carefully. “A smith?”
“Aye.”
“…Can you fix farm tools?”
()~~()~~()~~()~~()
Matelus spent a few months in that area, helping to fix the tools that had been smashed and broken by passing soldiers, and in her attempts to fix the farm. He was never intimate with the girl, not romantically, but he was quite fond of her. She had strength, something he always respected, and once he made her a bow that suited her, was a dangerous shot as well. It was with pride that he felt ready to leave the mortal world and return to his own activities in his own, and he revealed himself to her the last night.
She was rightfully scared -a god had been living with her and doing manual labor after all- and respectful in a way she hadn’t been before. But still spirited, hadn’t quite lost the familiarity they’d built.
He was intent on making sure she was taken care of, this strong country girl with the heart of his warrior. So he left a mark of his power, a protection for her and all her descendants, as well as a dagger he forged in secrecy, his own power and blood giving it extra strength. Not every battle could be fought from a distance, and she could protect herself with that.
With her thanks, her respect, her laughter and glee in his mind, he returned home and set himself into the task of forging weapons and protections for his siblings, in case they were ever needed again.
()~~()~~()~~()~~()
The girl had been dead for generations, so long ago that no mortal alive would remember her name. He remembered, because he remembered all those that earned his blessing, but the mortal world… they rarely remembered those who were gone.
But Matelus did, and he recognized the mark of his own power in the young man kneeling in his temple.
Give me the strength to do what I must; I cannot allow this to happen. Not again.
The battles had returned, but there were battles everywhere, and Matelus could not be everywhere. He had missed something, but he was here now. And he had every reason to offer his assistance.
The young man’s eyes were wide with shock, but determined and familiar… it was like looking in the past, into the eyes of an archer determined to protect what was theirs. The look in his eyes, the dagger on his belt… all so familiar…
Matelus reached a hand down, resting a hand on the young man’s shoulder with a reckless grin.
“I will give you all the strength you need. But first, you will need a better weapon than a dagger and an old bow. Come, and everything you want will be yours.”
