The third way divine magik manifested on Sangrar was through the existence of demi-gods, beings that were the product of a union between god and mortal. In the Elder Days, when the Elehu and Ealer lived amongst the Elder Races, gods and mortals shared many dalliances, just read the account of Celetran the Lady of Esel if you have doubts, but these none of these affairs ever produced offspring.
In the Age of Man, the Vanara could take to the world, albeit often disguised, just as the Elder Gods had done in yesteryear, but unlike their predecessors, the Vanara left evidence of their visits in the form of partly divine offspring.
Glorianna, the only female Vanara, had more than her fair share of affairs. She was, after all, the goddess of love and passion, so you should have expected as much. But, as a goddess, she also had complete control over her ability to conceive and she wasn’t eager to endure pregnancy. In fact, she only gave birth once that we know of, to Shalia Daysong, a fair lass who stole the heart of an ancient king of Jeheris. Shalia’s father, a hunter hailing from the region known in my time as the kingdom of Loris, is said to have bested the goddess in a wild boar hunt. Shalia, whom the hunter raised, was his reward.
Beldar, Pugnar and Vitale each fathered a handful or two of demi-gods upon mortal woman helpless before their godly ardor. Even disguised, the Vanara oozed confidence and charisma, and when they visited the world, they tended to act like freshmen on spring break. They were out and about, men about town, and digging it. I don’t think they could have stopped themselves even if they wanted to, which they didn’t. Was it their godly nature or their manly nature? Who knows and it doesn’t really matter. I won’t bother to list all demi-gods recorded in the Sangrar’s chronicles. Without the stories behind the names, such as accounts of the breathless (or at least heavy breathing) love affairs between god and mortal, or a glorious telling of the legendary deeds accomplished by the gods’ offspring, such a list would hold no meaning. Your eyes would glaze over. Unfortunately, I have neither neither time nor space to share these illustrious details, so I shall dispense with the list for now. Perhaps the time will come when I have abundant time on my hands and I can delve into these matters further.
Bangal was different than his brothers. It must have been all that time he spent in the Halls of the Dead, judging the souls who came before him. Being around the dead all the time, it can’t have been great for putting him in the mood. At any rate, he didn’t visit Sangrar nearly as often as his three brothers, and when he did, it was more often than not to snoop upon some mortal doomed to die in the not too distant future. Sure, he could have spied from his throne in the Hall of the Dead, but it’s good to get out once in a while. And before you ask, yes, he could sense the worth of a man’s deeds by gazing into his soul, but felt that logging some firsthand observation of his future supplicant might prove helpful to rending a just and fair decision.
The best examples of demi-gods, and the most well-known are, of course, are Gwynna and Averanda, the twin daughters of Thar who was Umbar and holy Raena. Thar’s true godhood remained hidden throughout his marriage to Raena and the girls were raised ignorant of their divine heritage, though it was obvious to all that they inherited from their miraculous father. When Sudnar the Lucky, disguised as the stranger Arcanicles, restored Umbar’s lost memories, the Lord of Sea and Storm rode a tidal wave through the Firmament to the Outermost Heavens with holy Raena, leaving the kingdom in the hands of his daughter, Averanda, and the people’s spiritual well-being in the care of Gwynna.
With their father’s awakening, his daughters came into full inheritance of their birthright. The divine blood coursing through their veins gave them power far outstripping that of mere mortals. For Averanda, that power manifested as god-fire. The halo of blue flame first appeared above her head while she fashioned the Pearl Throne from the lost pearl of mad Rabyn. Gwynna, steeped in the Maiden’s lore after training in mystical Ardilun, raised the Stones on the summit of Tar-Numerath.
Averanda passed the god-fire to her daughter, Evyrene, and Evyrene passed the god-fire to her daughter, Avara. Avara died on the battlefield before passing the god-fire on to her son, Ardyval, who was lost on that same battlefield and presumed dead. With the end of Averanda’s line, people feared god-fire gone forever, and, because this was centuries before shadow tainted god-fire, this was a cause for despair.
All was not lost, however. Dynrael, a priest of the Maiden and Gwynna’s grandson, became the first Priest-King when he ascended the Pearl Throne and god-fire crowned his head in acknowledgement. God-fire is the divine birthright of Thar who was Umbar’s descendants, and its power makes these descendants demi-gods. Dynrael, the Priest-Kings who followed, and the God-Emperors that followed them, all the rulers of the Pearl Throne, were demi-gods, imbued with the godly essence of their forebear Thar who was Umbar.
This godly inheritance is unique in Sangrarian lore. Though there were many demi-gods attributed to the Vanara, none of them could pass their godly gifts to their offspring. Only those descended from Thar who was Umbar could wield the divine birthright across the generations. It is curious that the rulers of the Pearl Throne were the only demi-gods descended from the Elder Gods. Perhaps that’s for the best. If more Elder Gods had somehow managed to circumvent the Primal’s Ban and visited Sangrar for purposes of procreation … I shudder to think! You’ve read for yourself how great the peril posed by tainted god-fire. Imagine a dozen or two supernova power figures on par with the God-Emperors. Talk about a powder keg!
