The Trickster:
Portfolio: Change, Chaos, Jest,
Stealth, Deception, Mirth, Innovation, Theft, Information, Crossroads, Luck,
Opposition.
The Trickster is entropy incarnate, the inscrutable embodiment of change itself. By his hand, the established is swept away to make room for the unknown, leaving mortals to constantly adapt to the ever-fluid universe around them. Wherever stability unravels, one can be sure that the Trickster pulls upon the thread from some hidden place, laughing as the world turns upside down for the mortals affected. Yet he is no cousin to the Beast’s mindless destruction; Indeed the Trickster adores all mortals in the way a benevolent uncle favors his nieces and nephews from afar, but is always present when needed. The Trickster supports theft, stealth, guile, and deception for the sake of forcing men and women to understand that such facets of reality pervade the entire universe, and even the Gods cannot halt that change. Similarly, he promotes mirth, jest, laughter, and luck to show the faithful that change is never a wholly negative experience: For every action, there is a balancing reaction. He is an outsider God, his origins unknown to even the Sage when he was present, and whose presence in the pantheon never ceases to cause distrust and caution among the other divinities. Yet despite his often frustrating and dangerous jests and pranks, it is the Trickster who has consistently found the ultimate solution to the crises that the Gods have faced, opening up new avenues of thought that the other deities would never have seen. The Lord of Laughter cares little for the attention of the counted, viewing them merely as having made a wise decision in an otherwise pointless game of favoritism. Instead he chooses to divide his attention among all the peoples of the Empire equally, favoring his priests only insofar as they are his primary agents of disarray upon the world. The Trickster has no desire to head the pantheon that he has adopted, though he would not turn it down if offered to him; for him it would merely provide an easier means of keeping both mortals and Gods on their toes. To follow the Trickster’s path is to openly entrust one’s life to the court jester, in all his foolishness and foppery, an uncertain choice to say the least. However, the truly wise understand that, for all the absurdity, a fool is often the only one in the court that can see things as they really are, unhindered by the illusory constructions of societal order. Despite his penchant for lies and tall tales, the Trickster is often a more active agent of Truth than any other God.
Common Representations: The Trickster has as many representations as can be imagined by the entirety of mortal thought, but he has two primary forms that are favored by his followers. The first is of a young man in full jester’s motley, juggling the traditional three golden spheres of the Trickster, with a crescent moon reflected in both eyes. The second is of a heavily shadowed figure with golden eyes wearing a greatcloak that appears to contain all the stars of the night sky within its folds, and a single golden disk earring in his left ear.
Holy Sites/Areas: As the god of Change, the idea of any specific site being a sacred area for more than a very limited time is anathematic. The faithful of the Trickster carry their sacred sites with them, so to speak, favoring any location that bolsters their master’s portfolio. Frontier towns, playhouses, gambling houses, dark alleys, street corners, and houses of ill-repute are all favored locations for His Shadowy Majesty, being places that reinforce luck, mirth, lawlessness, and shady dealings by their very nature. Crossroads are the closest things to permanent holy sites for the Trickster, always being held sacred as a cornerstone for change. All of the great intersections of roads in the Empire have at least a small shrine dedicated to the Trickster, where men and women often leave offerings of money and other goods in the hopes that he will smile upon their journey. Even highwaymen and other thieves place donations in these shrines, requesting the assistance of the Lord of Luck in bringing them wealthy marks. Crossroads shrines are periodically maintained by wandering priests of the Trickster, who are expected to take whatever offerings are present to the nearest temple. If anyone else attempts to remove the contents of the offering bowl, or if a priest for some reason does not take the gifts to a temple, one can be certain that their luck is bound to take a terrible turn for the worse.
Common Livery/Trappings: The faithful of the Trickster, unlike the followers of the other gods, are just as likely to conceal their faith as they are to present it. Proselytical priests and temple clerics are the ones most commonly found with any very visible symbol of the Prince of Lies displayed, and generally favor green garments. Most other priests of the Trickster, while they always carry some form of holy symbol upon their person, generally keep these symbols concealed until such time as they feel it useful to reveal it. Considering that much of the time, priests of the Trickster are planning some form of either deception or prank, the concealment of their identity is often key to the success of their endeavors.
Omens: Omens of the Trickster are as many and varied as the faithful can think of. Any unforeseen change of fortune (for better or worse) is generally seen as the work of the Trickster, and therefore his name is often present in both cursing and prayers of thanks. Mockingbirds are particular favorites of the Laughing Lord, being representative of both the wrath and the pleasure of the God of Change. The nesting of a mockingbird near or upon one’s dwelling is considered to be a symbol of good fortune, while the shrill cries of the mockingbird are always viewed with fear by those guilty of transgressing against the Trickster: To be shrieked at by a mockingbird is to know that the Trickster now considers you the charge of the Keeper of Souls, and will not be content until you have been sent to him.
Strongholds of Worship: As with his holy sites, the Trickster finds no appeal in having any formal stronghold, preferring the fluidity of life to carry his followers where they will. Geographically, his strongest influence lies within the heavily mercantile Duchy of Koltus, where trade in all manner of things buoys his worship by both hopeful merchants and thieves. His most influential temple in the Empire is located in the city of Schattenwald, the former capital of Koltus prior to its relocation to Port Pluvrin after the Gnome Uprising. Here, the priests traffic in all manner of goods, supposedly including even information and less-than-savory services, though all investigations into this rumor have met naught but dead ends and legitimate trade records.
Festivals/Holy Days: The Church of the Trickster celebrates the day after the Summer Solstice with parades of jugglers, actors, and other performers for the entertainment of the masses, as the days begin to grow shorter and the shadows grow longer. Wise men and women also take note that while this festival is often the most enjoyable of any holiday in any faith, it is not a time to leave ones valuables unattended, as jesters and fools are not the only devoted of the Trickster at work throughout its duration. Aside from this, Saturdays are the day of the week that is set aside for formal services to the Trickster, though in truth, all know that He does not care one way or another what day prayers are offered to him.
Notable Noble Houses: The two noble houses most closely affiliated with the Trickster are House Rabengott and House Von Lyesmith of Koltus. These two houses have held control in Koltus for as long as anyone can remember, supporting one another in times of need, and competing against one another in times of plenty. While the Duchy has resided in the hands of House Von Lyesmith for several generations, both houses view this as an inevitably temporary position, certain to change hands to the other at some future point, as it has in the past. Both houses claim direct ancestry to the famed sibling scions of the Trickster: House Rabengott to Krasti, the Urchin of Schattenwald, and House Von Lyesmith to Minterasa, The Princess of Lies. As such, the two families consciously emulate the relationship of those siblings in both intense rivalry and tremendous affection. It is well-known that Duke Theodoric considers the entirety of House Rabengott as extensions of his own family when it comes to their safety and well-being, and on more than one occasion, opponents of one house have found that they faced the combined power of both families, a position few would choose to be in. © Copyright 2004
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