The Annuna (New Pantheon)

[dorkknight23]

Credit where credit is due: this (as well as the other pantheons) come from Demonchilde on the White Wolf forums. They can be options I might pull from for NPCs, and can be potential PC patrons for replacement or new characters.

[dorkknight23]

--History--
Many pantheons claim to be the oldest. The Pesedjet of Egypt make that claim. As do the Devas of India and the Celestial Bureaucracy of China. Even the Atzlanti and the Loa may argue that they are truly the eldest as their people worshiped them long ago as tribes and wanderers. All may in fact be right as there is little in the way of true history during those times to determine which of those pantheons sprang from their people first. While the gods of these first civilazations may bicker over which if them truly is the oldest, archeology has proven which civilization was the first to take shape. And it was none of them.

Human civilization began in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia and whether the gods there were the first pantheon or they came into being after other gods and simply attached themselves to the people is a matter of great debate. What IS true, however, is that the Annuna pantheon was made up of the gods of the very first cities of human kind. The Annuna were the first to gain organized worship with permanent temples built in their honor. They were the first to have their people gather in one place while the other pantheons were being worshiped by roaming tribes of hunters.

This mass flow of worship and Fatebinding, served to shape the Annuna far faster than any other pantheon had been shaped. And in the beginning, with humanity coming from harsh times and expecting harsh gods to watch over them, as they had during their wandering days, it comes as little surprise that the first of the Annuna were far from gracious. Enlil, original king of the gods, was known as a rapist, and tried on three different occasions to destroy humanity outright simply because they made too much noise. When the World finally was covered with water after Ymir's death, many of the Annuna suspected perhaps that Enlil was involved. He wasn't of course, but he still took much of the blame. Ishtar and Ereshkigal were known as beautiful but heartless entities, sowing death and discord in their wake. And Nergal was more feared than any of them, the bringer of pestilence, war and famine.

Still, there were some bright spots among this growing pantheon. Enki, the great protector, was responsible for ensuring the continued survival of the World each time his brother Enlil tried to destroy it. Ninhursag tutored the great kings to rule as benevolent leaders and Nusku taught them the great advancements and improvements that came with their growing society. And as the generations of more gods were born, they became more and more benevolent to their people. Shamash, Sin, Ninlil, all serve to better the World, rather than bring it strife. And Marduk, youngest of the ruling Annuna, sits as a benevolent king above all the other Mesopotamian gods.

The Annuna have gone from savage, primal roots and evolved into a pantheon led by reason and enlightenment. Still, they can never truly leave behind their primal roots as Enlil, Nergal, Ishtar and others are still dominant ruling powers among the Annuna. This dichotomy and internal strife between the gods of disorder and chaos against the gods of reason and enlightenment serves as perhaps the greatest dividing point and greatest weakness of the Annuna. The internal bickering and backstabbing within the Annuna would make even the Dodekatheon or Pesedjet boggle at the rapidness that the allegiances changes. And the savagry of their direct actions could make even the Atzlanti stand up and take notice.

During the Titan War, the elder Annuna did not rise up against their Titan forebears as the other pantheons did. Enki, Enlil, Ninhursag, all considered the Titans to be their parents and grandparents and were in agreement with them on many of the points of the war. Still, the younger generation of the Annuna rose up against them and the likes of Shamash, Nusku and Marduk all fought hard against their ancient proginators.

It wasn't until Tiamat made her move to conquer heaven to deal with the "upstarts" among the Annuna that the elders among the gods stood up to take notice. But they didn't wage war. Instead, the three eldest of the Annuna approached their father, Anu. Anu, who served as the dominant Avatar of the Greater Titan An, Titan of the Heavens, representing divine authority and the right to rule. The elders pleaded their case before the Titan Avatar. Tefnut, one of the other Avatars was sympathetic and sided with the gods. The other Avatar, Atlas chose instead to side with the Titans. Anu was undecided at first, but many of the Annuna were his children. And a plea from them decided it for him as he threw the power of An behind the gods.

Atlas remained in an alliance with the Titans during this time, and the division of power kept the full might of the Greater Titan from being brought to bear. Regardless, this decision was the turning point of the war for the Annuna, and with the divine right behind him, Marduk struck down Tiamat and seemingly destroyed her. The Annuna did not have a hand in imprisoning their Titans, but they did have a hand in defeating them and driving them back. Especially with two of the three Avatars from the Titanrealm of authority and rulership on their side.

The Annuna settled themselves to rule in peace after that. Well, as much peace as can be found with their pantheon full of constantly shifting alliances and betrayals.

While many of the pantheons have their arrogance, the Annuna chose this time to take their egotism to an extreme. They had the might of the Titan of the Heavens on their side. They had more of a divine right to rule than any. What did they need with the World or the other pantheons when they had authority over the heavens themselves? Of course, there were always the Annuna who disagreed with this idea. Nusku, Shamash and others who felt ties to the World argued against this policy. But when Marduk sided with the elders and their arrogance, it became the policy among the Annuna.

Other pantheons agreed not to interfere in the World directly. The Annuna chose to abandon the World, having decided it was useless. The World might have forgotten about the Annuna entirely, except for the fact that archeologists and anthropologists exploring the Fertile Crescent to learn of the World's most ancient history found tablets and carvings which depicted the Annuna and their worship. The Annuna's Legend was kept alive through history and research rather than active worship and direct interaction.

That's not to say that the Annuna did not visit the World. On the contrary, they still walked among the mortals just as the other gods did. But the Annuna never interfered and never bothered much with the insignificance of humanity. Other pantheons knew of their existance, but considered them antiquated, outdated and snobbish relics. No Scion of the Annuna had been Visited by the gods for centuries. Their relics and their magical wonders left in the World were lost and forgotten about in museums and historical societies and the Annuna adopted an attitude that they had grown beyond the World and no longer needed it for anything more than idle amusement with the mortals.

And the whole time, Anu and the other Avatars of An watched the Annuna squander the authority they had been granted.

But then, the other Titans were freed from their prison. The Annuna were baffled of course, having believed the Titans held in place by ancient bonds forged by the Arbiters themselves. The Annuna attempted to approach Anu to ask how this could have happened, but they were not allowed into the gates of his palace and were sent away. Word soon began to circulate among the Annuna that they had lost the favor of the Titan of the Heavens. They were no longer worthy of their seats and palaces in An.

When An was besieged from all sides by the forces of Aten and Anshar, a primal Avatar of Ehekatoyaatl, the Annuna went on the defensive. They battled the suicide bombers and the wind demons for hours, days, weeks, months. While other gods sent their Scions to enter the fray on the World, the Annuna battled the Titans in the Overworld. And when they called upon the forces of Anu and the other Avatars of An, they were ignored.

And then they lost. Aten and Anshar managed to drive the Annuna from An. Many of the forces of the Annuna were scattered. Minor gods and lesser immortals were driven from their palaces in the clouds and forced into the desert wastes of Akhetaten or the great storm realm of Ehekatoyaatl. The bulk of the Annuna, however, withdrew into the paradise garden of Dilmun, trying to create a staging ground to retake lost territory. But while other gods have found the Titans encroaching upon their territory and trying to take the godrealms, the Annuna have found just the opposite.

Thousands of years of contact have left Dilmun permanently linked with An. But the Annuna have found the gates to An to be barred. Hands of Aten and lilitu demons prowl the borders and keep the Annuna from stepping foot within the Titan Realm. In a war where other pantheons have been fighting to keep the Titans out of their homes, the Annuna have been cut off from the Titan they considered to BE their home.

It's only now that the Annuna turn their attention to the World once more. Though they have something of a late start compared to the pantheons who have been Visiting Scions since the early stages of the war, the Annuna are now walking the World to find their latent children and awaken their powers. They stalk museums and archeological digs to recover the relics and wonders that they once cast aside when leaving the World. The Annuna are trying to pick up the pieces of their pantheon in the hopes that by retaking An and driving the Titans back once more, they can prove their worth and reclaim their place in the heavens.



--Relations with Others--
For the most part, the Annuna do not have relationships with the other pantheons. They haven't for a long time anyway. The Annuna withdrew from the World, abandoned what was left of their worshipers and left behind the other pantheons to deal with their own petty skirmishes and conflicts. The other pantheons met their actions with similar reactions. They dismissed them. They forgot about them. Even when the Annuna were encountered in the World, the other pantheons ignored them.

The other pantheons felt that if the Annuna wanted nothing to do with them, then they would gladly return the favor. Though, that didn't stop the other pantheons from co-opting a few remaining relics and other Birthrights for their own Scions. The mushhushshu (Scion: Companion, pg. 60) is a prime example of this trend. The Annuna left it behind and the other pantheons had no qualms about using their remnants. And that was the attitude many held. The Annuna were simply remnants of a dead age.

Now, however, the Annuna have had their home invaded. After spending months under seige, they were kicked from what they considered to be their home and have been forced to seek out aid from their fellow pantheons once more. Old rivalries have resurfaced and new alliances have begun to be formed.

None are more affected by the return of the Annuna than the Pesedjet and the Dodekatheon. While the Pesedjet considered the Greek pantheon to be their sole rivals for cultural power, that was only because they thought the Annuna to be a non-entity now. The fact that they were wrong and the Mesopotamian gods have re-emerged means the Pesedjet have renewed their old competitions with the ancient gods. And yet, as much as the Pesedjet might begrudge the Annuna for their place in the ancient world, the Egyptian gods have also found kindred spirits among the returning Mesopotamians. These ancient gods can find common ground. Both have had the world move on without them. Both have found new roles to take on in their new situations. And both believe that the old ways work best. The two pantheons have found many reasons to work past their rivalries of old. Even if sometimes, it may take a lot of work.

The Dodekatheon are affected perhaps less so, but for many of the same reasons that the Pesedjet might feel threatened by their presence. The Dodekatheon were a fledgeling pantheon during the height of Annuna power. These gods are the gods which the Dodekatheon looked to for guidance and inspiration during their formative years. And many of the Dodekatheon have chosen to forget such matters. They are the embodiment of excellence and perfection. What need do they have to look to these ancient elders for assistance anymore? Yet many of the Dodekatheon harber secret thoughts of inadequacy that they would never make public when compared to the Annuna. Something which the Annuna do not make any better by treating the Dodekatheon as children, even today.

Their relationships with the Aesir, Atzlanti and Amatsukami are formative at the moment. Though these pantheons are ancient today by many standards, when the Annuna chose to withdraw from the world, the Aesir and Atzlanti were still young and coming into their own. And the Amatsukami were just beginning to take shape. The Annuna are unfamiliar with these pantheons and have begun to explore relations with them tentatively.

The Annuna are hesitant to get too close to the Aesir. The tales they have heard of their Ragnarok and its impending arrival have made the Annuna wary. For the time, they have chosen to keep their distance and watch how events play out. Still, they watch and see if this pantheon holds any potential for them. Their fatalistic attitudes and seeming devotion to bringing about their own end while trying to avoid it have done much to turn them off, however.

Among the Atzlanti, the Annuna have oddly found kindred spirits. Many of the more violent Annuna have all found much in common with the Aztec gods. While many of the pantheons may be put off by the Aztec's devotion to sacrifice and their bloodlust, the Annuna take it all in stride. They still remember times when their own worshipers made regular sacrifices upon the altars in their names. Rather than being disgusted, the Mesopotamian gods are impressed by the sheer scale of bloodshed which the Atzlanti were able to have done in their name. True, some of the gentler gods such as Ninlil, Shamash and Sin may cringe at such stories. But the older generation of Annuna look upon the Atzlanti and smile to themselves as they think back to their own beginnings.

Their most hopeful of new relationships, however, is with the Amatsukami. The Japanese devotion to their people and their insistance upon keeping to the laws of etiquette and propriety impress the Annuna. They remember times when matters were settled before ancient tribunals before Anu, Enlil or Marduk, much as the Amatsukami leave the decisions in the hands of Amaterasu. And their warrior's hearts endear them to many of the more violent of the Annuna who wish to take the battlefield once more. Still, they need to make sure that the Amatsukami will acknowledge the Annuna just as equally. And so far, the haughty attitude of Amaterasu and her court have left a sour taste in the mouths of the Annuna. It seems the Queen of Heaven believes the Mesopotamian gods are past their prime and she has little use for them, despite all the similarities they may share.

The Loa have left the Annuna baffled. The Annuna still remember Shango, Ogoun, Damballa and others from their time among the West African tribes. These new faces and identities they wear have confused the Annuna. And to be honest, have left the Mesopotamian gods scared. They look upon the Loa and see what they could have become had they not withdrawn from the World when they did. Though some have made tentative attempts to reconnect with their fellow ancient gods and found the Loa quite accepting and gracious, the Annuna as a whole are keeping their distance.

The Celtic gods of Ireland have done little to draw the attention of the Annuna as of yet. Their obsession with honor and self-worth have left the Annuna wondering just what their purpose is. It is almost as if they wish to prove their greatness and have it thrust upon them, whether than earn it and have it shine through naturally as the Annuna have learned to do. They bear some watching, but they seem to be backwards and going about life the wrong way.

The Celestial Bureaucracy is greeted with little respect from the Annuna. Though many of the most ancient of the Bureaucracy consider the Annuna to be their contemporaries, they have never gotten along. The Chinese gods see the Annuna as barbaric and uncivilized. While the Annuna see the Bureaucracy to be stagnant and too obsessed with protocol. Keeping a proper sense of etiquette is one thing. But allowing protocol and procedure to hinder the entire process is simply idiotic. And as modern ideas of paperwork and computerization have infiltrated the culture of the Chinese gods, the problem has only gotten worse in the eyes of the Annuna.

The Devas are perhaps given the most respect from the Annuna. Though their cultures and idealogies may clash, the Devas are almost as old as, if not older than the Annuna. And yet, the Devas have managed to maintain their ancient identities for the most part, without withdrawing from the world as the Annuna did. On some level, the Mesopotamian gods find they have to respect that. Now, if only the Devas would greet the Annuna with the same respect in return, they might forge alliances and aid each other. But the Devas insistance on treating the Annuna like failed gods of the past does nothing more than infuriate the ancients.

The Annuna consider the Rus to be an interesting novelty. They have looked into their history and were intrigued to learn that the entire pantheon used to not only be Titan Avatars like many of the other gods, but were literally split from those Avatars into their component parts. And the fact that the other pantheons have treated them with honor enough to bestow them a piece of another pantheon's Overworld has interested them. Still, they find the inner turmoil between the pantheon to be disheartening. The Annuna have had their own internal strife in the past, but nothing like the Rus seem to have. These Slavic gods seem intent on literally tearing each other apart and bringing their entire pantheon crashing down with them.

Finally, the Annuna are sad to see the current state of the Manitou. They remember the ancient Native American gods from their formative times. And they witnessed how during the Titan War, Raven organized them together. But now, they have returned to the World to find the pantheons have been bound together permanently and what once was many have now become one. The Annuna mourn the loss of their individuality. Still, they see much of the old identities have remained and the pantheon has found unity. The Mesopotamian gods have reached out to the Manitou to offer aid and support. So far, the Manitou have tried to keep their own problems internal and have not responded to the Annuna's offers.

[dorkknight23]

--The Pantheon - The Annuna--
Virtues: Duty, Endurance, Piety, Valor

-Enki
AKA: Ea

Brother to Enlil and god of the water and invention, Enki is one of the most active of the Annuna. He is a calm and impartial judge among a pantheon populated by volitile and irrational gods. Any who come to Enki for protection will recieve it, until such time that he finds those who beseech him are not worthy of his aid. He is the god of magic and the greatest sorcerer that the Annuna has to offer.

In past times, he has been one of the most outspoken of the gods in favor of continuing humanity's existance. Not out of any sense of altruism, however, but because long ago, the first men came to Enki to beg his protection. So far, the race as a whole has not yet proven unworthy. So while he may refuse to aid individuals for their crimes, he has not yet turned his back on humanity as a whole and will not allow the entire race to fall.

Once, Enki was also the protector of all the mes in existance. The tablets of creation and authority were under his control and he parcelled them out to gods as he saw fit and when he felt they had earned the right. That is until Ishtar tricked him into giving them over to her and she took them away from him and they passed into the hands of the Annuna as a whole.

Enki often takes the shape of a wild old man, still full of life and with a laughing smile, but clearly not in the prime of youth any longer. He wears his beard long and his clothes are made from the living bark of the trees he nurtures and water flows like a cape from his shoulders. In the World, Enki appears as the bodyguard, assigned to keep some celebrity famous for the right price. Or he walks the world as the farmer who supplies crops to a small desert village. He is the judge who sticks to the spirit of the law, if not the letter, to ensure that the guilty go to jail and the innocent remain free.

Many of Enki's Scions take their role as guardian very seriously. They see themselves as their Bands' protectors and they work harder than anyone to ensure that their companions and followers are kept safe. They are not afraid to do what needs to be done to stop the Titan threat, but they do their damnedest along the way to make sure everyone comes out in one piece at the end of the day.

Associated Powers: Epic Intelligence, Epic Manipulation, Epic Wits, Animal (Fish, Goat), Fertility, Guardian, Health, Justice, Magic, Mystery, Melam, Water
Common Abilities: Academics, Craft, Integrity, Occult, Politics, Survival
Rivals: Enlil, Ishtar, Ninhursag; Isis, Set, Sobek, Poseidon, Frigg, Loki, Njord, Tyr, Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc, Susanno-o, Kalfu

-Enlil
AKA: Ellil

Born from the exhausted breath after sexual union, Enlil is one of the oldest of the gods of the Annuna. Many of the younger generation of the Annuna are his children and until Marduk rose to power, he was considered their king. Once he was cast out from Dilmun, the home of the gods, for raping a young goddess. This goddess however, Ninlil, then followed him and bore him three children before he was allowed back into Dilmun and he claimed the young woman as his wife. He has also sired children with many other of the Annuna, including Ereshkigal, goddess of the Underworld.

In his divine appearance, Enlil takes the form of a powerfully built man. Still strong with youth and vibrancy, Enlil is also matured since his younger years of raping virgin goddesses. Now the light of experience can be seen in his young eyes. A heavy beard has grown over his young cheeks, signifying his role as the father of the gods and their chief patriarch. When in the World, Enlil can be found playing the father figure to others. He is the school teacher who takes troubled children aside and offers them guidance. He is the psychiatrist there to offer advice.

Enlil's Scions are numerous. He may have matured past the time of raping young maidens, but that has not slaked his lusts in the least. It's just now he makes sure the women he sires his children with are at least moderately willing. His Scions are often as boistrous and full of vigor as their father. They take up roles as teachers and educators as well, serving as the pioneers of human invention and innovation. They are also rarely lacking a sex life and can be found on many a romantic tryst.

Associated Powers: Epic Appearance, Epic Stamina, Animal (Snake), Illusion, Melam, Sky
Common Abilities: Brawl, Command, Larceny, Occult, Presence, Survival
Rivals: Enki, Ereshkigal, Nergal, Ninlil, Sin; Horus, Set, Zeus, Odin, Thor, Quetzalcoatl, Raiden, Erzulie, Shango

-Ereshkigal
AKA: Irkalla, Allatu

Queen of Irkalla and sister of Ishtar, Ereshkigal is the one source of light in the deep, impenetrable darkness that is the Underworld. Once, she ruled the Underworld alone, but that was before Nergal arrived and claimed her as his bride, creating a situation that required her to share her role as ruler of the Underworld. Nergal presides over the dead themselves. Thus the people who populate the Underworld belong to Nergal. But the Underworld itself where those people, and Nergal himself, reside belongs to Ereshkigal, their queen.

As beautiful as Ishtar, though not quite as charming, Ereshkigal has not allowed the dreariness of the Underworld to sap her passions from her as some of the other goddesses of death have done. Though Ereshkigal can be as cold and calculating as any god of darkness and decay, she is also known to be an insatiable lover. In Nergal's first attempt to usurp power from her, he tried to seduce her and claim her as his wife. But after a full seven days and seven nights of passionate romance, Nergal tired while Ereshkigal was left wanting more. He was banished from her kingdom for disappointing her, but eventually returned and reconciled with her, taking his place in her kingdom. Theirs is not a happy marriage. But it is active.

Her temper is just as legendary. When her own sister, Ishtar, descended to the Underworld to mourn with her sister after the death of Gugalanna, Ereshkigal's first husband, at the hands of Gilgamesh, Ereshkigal gladly forced her sister to strip herself of her clothes and belongings, thus trapping her there in the lands of the dead as if she herself were a ghost. It wasn't until the other gods intervened that Isthar was allowed to return to the lands of the living, but even then, Ereshkigal demanded that a living person take Ishtar's place. Her vengeance against those who would take harm her is just as insatiable as her lust and it takes great sacrifice before she feels vindicated.

Though her passions never cool, she is rarely found in the World or Overworld. Though the Underworld of the Annuna has been empty for some time, she has little desire to walk among the living. However, when she does appear in the World, she is always memorable. She is the dominatrix who maybe goes too far with her customers but has never once had a complaint. She's the high priced prostitute who loses herself in the job and surprises customers with "freebies," and she's the attractive medical examiner who isn't afraid to cause a scandal with her co-workers on the examination table next to the dead bodies.

Her Scions are drawn to professions of death, from forensic analyst to coroner to mortician. Always, they do their job with a passion that borders on the obsessive. Any theat to their position is met with hostility. And any rivals are summarily dealt with. And yet they always make time for life's little daliances to intervene in their day to day schedules and savor every moment of their passions.

Associated Powers: Epic Appearance, Epic Manipulation, Epic Stamina, Darkness, Death, Earth, Melam
Common Abilities: Command, Fortitude, Integrity, Occult, Presence, Stealth
Rivals: Ishtar, Nergal; Osiris, Hades, Hel, Mictlantecuhtli, Izanami, Baron Samedi

-Ishtar
AKA: Innana, Astarte, Anat

The goddess of love and war, Ishtar is as beautiful and seductive as she is deadly. Of all the gods, Ishtar is perhaps the most feared and most sought after at the same time. Her beauty is only matched by that of her sister, Ereshkigal, but her charm and grace which her sister lacks makes her a far more alluring goddess. About the only goddess that Ishtar feels truly rivalled by is Aphrodite among the Dodekatheon, but Ishtar would never let it be public knowledge that the young, Greek upstart has the power to rankle her.

Next to her beauty and fearsomeness, most know Ishtar for her temper and the callous treatment of her lovers. When she sought to wed the great hero Gilgamesh, he rejected her, citing her history of lovers and the tragedies they had suffered in the past. In her rage, she sought for Enki to send the minor god, Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven and Ereshkigal's husband to strike vengeance against the hero and his companion, Enkidu. When he initially refused, she threatened to break down the gates of Irkalla and free the dead to walk among the living once more. With that threat hanging in the air, Enki sent Gugalanna to punish Gilgamesh and Enkidu. And when they defeated him Enkidu dismembered him and threw his thigh at Ishtar. And it was then Isthar who pleaded with the rest of the Annuna to punish the humans who had slain the Gugalanna. It was for this that Enkidu died.

When she sought to mourn with her sister after Gugalanna's death, she was tricked by her sister's guile and trapped there in the palace of Irkalla for punishment. When she was released, it was on the condition that she find someone to replace her in the lands of the dead. She travelled far and wide to find someone take her place and when she finally came upon her husband who was not mourning her loss, she would have casually chosen him to replace her had he not fled quickly. Instead, she took his sister in his place.

Ishtar can often be found in the World, mingling love and war among the human race. She is the Mafia mistress who causes a war between the family by sleeping with the head of the family's brother. She is the queen of violent pornography. No depravity is too exteme for Ishtar to partake in. She tries everything at least once. In romance, Ishtar is always the aggressor and many a man has been conquered by her. More often than not, this results in more Scions to serve her.

Ishtar's Scions are many and varied. Rarely is Ishtar the attentive mother and her Scions are honestly lucky if they even recieve some sort of personal attention during their Visitation. Many of them are Visited by divine messengers or other servants who are sent on Ishtar's behalf to do the deed. Scions of Ishtar do have a few things in common, however. Many of them tend to lead violent lives. But that violence is always mixed with unbridled passion, often with the Scions serving as the aggressors in both the violence and the love.

Associated Powers: Epic Appearance, Epic Charisma, Epic Manipulation, Chaos, Melam, War
Common Abilities: Athletics, Brawl, Fortitude, Melee, Presence, Thrown
Rivals: Enki, Ereshkigal, Marduk, Nergal, Ninlil, Shamash; Bastet, Horus, Isis, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis, Dionysus, Persephone, Freya, Loki, Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Tlazolteotl, Amaterasu, Hachiman, Erzulie, Ogoun

-Marduk
AKA: Merodach, Mardochaios, Bel

Most of Marduk's origins have been lost to the ages, even among his fellow Annuna. Mainly because most of the Annuna rarely pay too much attention to someone outside of themselves long enough to remember the past of someone viewed as "inconsequential." Marduk is connected to water, judgement, and magic. He is also the god who has taken Enlil's place as king of the Annuna.

He earned his power and rose to prominence when he battled and defeated the Avatar of the Drowned Road, Tiamat. This act proved both his dominance over the water and the right to rule the Annuna. Though Enlil put up a bit of a struggle over the fact, Enki was more than accepting and with his graceful acceptance, Marduk assumed the position. He is normally depicted as a regal young man, crowned with the symbol of a snake or dragon upon his head. His strong features and thick beard are worthy of the great king he is.

Marduk rarely appears in the World. He is the king of the Annuna and is too busy to leave the Overworld. However, when he does appear, he is always the strong and just leader. He has been a senator in Washington, a representative at the United Nations, and the leader of a biker gang. His Scions tend to follow similar roles, serving as poweful warriors for their particular cause, whether it be physical or social. They are strong leaders and charismatic figures of authority. Just like their father.

Associated Powers: Epic Charisma, Epic Stamina, Epic Strength, Guardian, Justice, Magic, Melam, Sky, Water
Common Abilities: Brawl, Command, Control, Integrity, Presence, Politics
Rivals: Enlil, Nergal; Horus, Zeus, Odin, Thor, Huitzilopochtli, Hachiman, Raiden, Damballa

-Namtar
AKA: Namtara, Namtaru

The son of Ereshkigal and Enlil, Namtar is a hellish deity. He is the god of death itself and is the messenger of the gods. He is responsible for drawing the souls of the dead to the Underworld where they belong and can often be found accompanying his step-father Nergal on the fields of battle. Nergal destroys the bodies and Namtar carries them to the land of the dead for him. Namtar, more than any other of the Annuna, knows the ultimate fate of man. He's a prophet with skills at knowing specifically how and when someone will die.

As the messenger for the gods, especially for Ereshkigal and Nergal, it is his task to travel between World, Overworld and Underworld to deliver the dictates of the Annuna and to serve as ambassador to the other pantheons. Few of the other pantheons appreciate Namtar's unique approach to serving as a psychopomp, finding the monstrously ugly bringer of death to be more disturbing than trustworthy as a diplomat.

Namtar in his true divine form, is truly horrible to look upon. Some say that he is the source of modern stories of the Grim Reaper. There is no flesh on his bones, he is simply a walking skeleton. Sometimes, he appears with a diaphanous black cloak surrounding him and shrouding him from view. Usually, however, he is simply a skeleton, showing off the true horror of death and decay. When he appears in the World, he still tends to be skeletally thin. He often dresses in black and plays roles associated with letting people know their time to die. His favorite role is that of a doctor for the terminally ill. Though he's kind and charming on the outside, on the inside he takes some secret glee in informing his patients of their impending demise.

Namtar's Scions are rare. It takes great effort for the god of death to find it in himself to create life. It's also rare that he adopt. Few living things last long and even the children of gods are not immune to death. Those that Namtar does sire, he does not always Visit. Perhaps his knowledge of a person's Fate tells him which would die as Scions and which have a better chance of surviving the rigors of divinity. Very few of the Scions that Namtar actually Visits or Adopts actually fall in combat against the Titans. The disproportionate number has made more than a few other gods take notice of Namtar's very picky habits.

Associated Powers: Epic Appearance, Epic Perception, Death, Melam, Prophecy, Psychopomp
Common Abilities: Athletics, Awareness, Investigation, Medicine, Occult, Stealth
Rivals: Nusku, Sin; Anubis, Hades, Hermes, Odin, Mictlantecuhtli, Quetzalcoatl, Izanami, Tsuki-yomi, Baron Samedi

-Nergal
AKA: Nirgal, Nirgali, Lugalgira, Sharrapu, Erra, Sibitti, Aplu

Nergal, god of the noonday sun, death in the throes of war and the plagues that grow from decay and pestilence is perhaps one of the most feared of the Annuna. He is the husband of Ereshkigal who he tried to seduce to gain control over her kingdom. After a week, however, his would-be wife was still unsatisfied and Nergal was exhausted. She banished him from her presence and he returned to the World to cause havoc in his outrage. The rest of the Annuna then punished him by exiling him to the Underworld.

There, Nergal and Ereshkigal reached an agreement. They married and he became the lord of the dead while Ereshkigal was the Queen of the Underworld itself. Since that time, Nergal has wandered the world, spreading plague and war across the land, so that he can claim the souls of the dead to be carried to the Underworld to serve him and the rest of the Annuna. He can often be found accompanied by his step-son, Namtar, who points out those who are about to fall and then takes their lives so Nergal can claim their souls.

In his divine form, Nergal appears as a fearsome warrior. His armor and weapons are bloodstained, though he rarely appears with the same kind of armor or weapons twice. He prefers to experiment with new looks and new toys. He's a strong, imposing figure and his eyes glow with an inner light. His matted hair hangs down from his head like a lion's mane and his sharpened teeth gnash almost constantly in his mouth. He's often found wreathed in living flames that dance along his body. When appearing in the World, he still appears as a strong and threatening figure. He's served as an arsonist, a gun runner, a front-line soldier and a doctor who breeds disease for war.

His Scions are often the ones who fear their father the most. They are more acquainted with his rages than anyone and they learn to avoid their father more often than not. And that's often the way Nergal prefers it anyway. He's far from the doting father and most of his children are lucky to recieve even the basics of Birthrights upon their Visitations. And when Nergal comes to meet his children and welcome them to their divine heritage, tragedy is often not far in his wake. Most of his Scions find themselves introduced to the Titan War with the sprays of blood and the rattling coughs of the dying.

Associated Powers: Epic Dexterity, Epic Strength, Epic Wits, Animal (Lion), Chaos, Death, Fire, Melam, Sun, War
Common Abilities: Brawl, Fortitude, Marksmanship, Melee, Medicine, Thrown
Rivals: Enlil, Ereshkigal, Namtar, Ninhursag, Ninlil, Nusku, Shamash; Horus, Set, Apollo, Ares, Hades, Hel, Odin, Vidar, Amaterasu, Hachiman, Baron Samedi, Legba, Ogoun

-Ninhursag
AKA: Ninmah, Nintu, Mama, Mami, Nin-ki, Aruru, Belet-lli, Ninzinak, Nindim, Nagarsagak, Ninbahar, Ninmag, Ninsigsig, Mudkesda, Amadugbad, Amaududa, Sagzudingirenak, Ninmenna, Antu, Ki

The goddess of the earth, Ninhursag is the mother of many of the Annuna. Indeed, many consider her to be the mother of the pantheon itself as it was with her that Enki bore many of the other deities. As one of the oldest of the pantheon and the great matriarch, she takes it upon herself to ensure that the children of the gods are well taken care of. In times past, she was a tutor of royalty, teaching the great kings (many of which were Scions) how to lead their people properly. She represents wisdom, learning and the enlightenment of mother earth.

In her divine form, Ninhursag typically wears a horned head dress with tiered skirts. She is not the most beautiful of goddesses. Her motherly presence tends to be thought of more as soothing and comforting than as sensual in any way. She is often found carrying a club or baton that is often topped by an omega motif of some sort. When she walks among the World she is the protective school teacher or the mother of a great politician or business man who turns to her for advice or guidance.

Her Scions often walk the world as great leaders in their own right. Their mother acts to offer them guidance and ensure their greatness, but it is the role of her Scions to go on and act as agents in the World. She ensures her children rise to power and that they are skilled enough to keep it. Her female Scions take a special role. Often they are called upon to follow in their mother's footsteps and shepherd in a new generation of children to take power in the World when their time comes. But not until those Scions have had their own adventures and are ready to settle down.

Associated Powers: Epic Charisma, Epic Manipulation, Epic Intelligence, Earth, Health, Magic, Melam
Common Abilities: Academics, Craft, Empathy, Medicine, Politics, Survival
Rivals: Enki, Ninlil; Geb, Isis, Hera, Freya, Freyr, Frigg, Quetzalcoatl, Tlazolteotl, Xipe Totec, Izanagi, Damballa

-Ninlil
AKA: Sud, Mullitu

Though not the mother of quite as many of the other gods as Ninhursag is, Ninlil is nevertheless the mother of many of the most powerful of the Annuna. Mainly because she is wife and consort of Enlil the father of many. In her youth, Enlil found Ninlil and raped her, impregnating her with Sin. Later, after Enlil was banished to the Underworld for this crime, Ninlil followed him there and dwelt with him for a time. There she gave birth to three more of his children, including the death god, Nergal. Finally, the two gods were married and Enlil was forgiven for his crime.

As a goddess of the winds, Ninlil is in many ways the counterpart to Enlil. Where Enlil can be cold, icy and callous, the beautiful Ninlil is gentle and nurturing, caring for her children and even forgiving Enlil for his heinous crime against her. She is a guardian of the weak and a traveller across the skies. Often, it is Ninlil who keeps her husband in check and ensures that his passions do not get him into further trouble as they once did with her. Finally, the warm caresses of her winds are known to aid in the growth of crops and Ninlil serves gladly as a goddess of grain and abundance.

When appearing in the world, the beautiful Ninlil often takes roles that keep her close to her husband to keep an eye on him. When he is a school teacher, she is the guidance counselor of the same school. When Enlil serves as a psychiatrist, she is often there as his secretary and assistant. When she takes to the world to take on roles of her own, she can often be found serving as a rape crisis counselor, helping young women deal with the trauma they've gone through.

Her Scions can often be found as explorers and adventurers. They travel the world to look out for those in need of their aid. They are also a comforting presence, soothing the pains of the world and helping to bring peace to the troubled World. More than anything, Scions of Ninlil are strong of will. They do not let life get them down, no matter what horrors may be thrown at them. Always, they push onward, trying to make the best of bad situations and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Associated Powers: Epic Appearance, Epic Stamina, Fertility, Guardian, Melam, Psychopomp, Sky
Common Abilities: Awareness, Empathy, Fortitude, Integrity, Presence, Stealth
Rivals: Enlil, Ishtar, Nergal; Bastet, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hel, Sif, Tlazolteotl, Amaterasu, Erzulie

-Nusku
AKA: Gibil, Girru

More than simply the god of fire, Nusku serves as the god of civilization and advancement for the Annuna and their worshipers. The moment humanity discovered the use of fire, Nusku has been there to guide them in their use and the advancement of their society. He is not however, quite as obsessive as certain Titans, like Prometheus. Nusku wishes to see fire and advancements in technology used for the betterment of the World, rather than to see it used simply for the sake of advancement itself.

Nusku is always the protector of families and a ward against sickness and disease. He is known as a great purifier, using his knowledge and his protective powers to keep plagues and pestilence from raging out of control. Finally, Nusku is responsible for connecting the gods of the Annuna with their human worshipers. Without Nusku, the sacrifices to the Annuna would never reach their destination in the Overworld. While many of the Annuna are distant with little regard for humanity beyond their usefulness, it is Nusku who walks among them and serves as the mediator between humans and the divine.

Nusku's divine form is rarely the same twice in a row. He appears how he needs to in order to achieve his goal and is ever-changing as the dancing flames themselves, often appearing more times than any as the flames themselves. When he appears in the world, he often serves as roles that connect people to others. He's been a telecommunications specialist and a computer engineer. He's designed highway systems and brokered peace treaties. He also takes a special interest in the medical field, working to further the advancement of modern medicine to cure illnesses and help the sick.

His Scions are many and varied. Not only are his Scions so varied simply by the mercurial nature of their father, but Nusku is also one of the Annuna most likely to Adopt the Scions of other gods and fill in the roles that are left unfilled by other divinities. Because of this, Scions of Nuski have very little that can be said about them as a whole. Many of them follow roles that allow them to connect two groups of people, but the options available under such a broad concept are too many to ever hope to pin down.

Associated Powers: Epic Dexterity, Epic Intelligence, Epic Perception, Fire, Guardian, Melam, Psychopomp
Common Abilities: Art, Awareness, Craft, Medicine, Politics, Science
Rivals: Namtar, Nergal; Ptah, Hephaestus, Hermes, Heimdall, Tyr, Quetzalcoatl, Hachiman, Damballa, Ogoun

-Shamash
AKA: Utu

Shamash, the representation of the sun itself among the Annuna, may not be quite as powerful as some of the other Annuna. But he is one of the most active hands in the World today, and bears the distinction of having some of the most devoted Scions known to the pantheon. Gilgamesh, himself, was a Scion of Shamash via his mother who conceived and bore him before her own ascension to godhood.

While many of the Annuna may branch out and seek power in many venues, Shamash has devoted himself to his pure and simple role: the dispenser and arbiter of justice among the gods. As the embodiment of the supreme light of the heavens, it is Shamash who illuminates the truth and brings crimes and illegalities to light. He has inspired the creation, collection and passing of countless laws through the centuries and has inspired leaders to root out the darkness within their domains.

Surrounded with the radiant halo of the sun at all times when in his divine form, he dresses in regal robes and his beard glows like the sun itself. When he walks among mortals, the great arbiter is always found in the halls of justice. He has been a paralegal, collecting and collating legal documents so that the legal staff of the law firm can properly find and use the information within. He has served as a lobbyist in congress to get legislation passed and as a police officer who arrests the criminals to take them before trial. Rarely does he serve as a judge directly, though it is not unheard of. Typically, the role of Shamash is with the laws and their enforcement, not with their enactment.

Scions of Shamash tend to take a direct role in the law and order of their environment. They are peace officers and soldiers against unjust regimes. They are not afraid to take the front lines or to do what needs to be done to deal with the threat of the Titans. They often serve to inspire their Bands to do what is right and serve as the voice of reason if their Band mates should stray from the "proper path."

Associated Powers: Epic Intelligence, Epic Perception, Justice, Melam, Sun
Common Abilities: Academics, Awareness, Empathy, Integrity, Investigation, Politics
Rivals: Enki, Ishtar, Marduk, Nergal; Atum-Re, Horus, Apollo, Athena, Zeus, Baldur, Loki, Tyr, Vidar, Huitzilopochtli, Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatilpoca, Amaterasu, Baron Samedi, Damballa, Kalfu, Legba

-Sin
AKA: Suen, Nanna

The child born from Enlil's rape of Ninlil, Sin is the god of the moon. More than that, he is also known as the greatest of prophets of the Annuna, mastering the tools of both astronomy and astrology to answer the questions of the stars and planets. Though not exactly known for his intellect like his son, Shamash, is, Sin is known to be quick thinking and perceptive, always ready with a solution to the visions and signs he sees in the stars.

Appearing as an old man with a flowing beard of lapis lazuli, Sin always wears the crecent symbol of the moon somewhere on his robes. When appearing in the world, Sin appears in roles that allow him to help others prepare for future events. He has been a meteorologist, predicting the weather from day to day. He has been a fortune teller at a carnival, reading the tarot and advising interested tourists. He goes through life always looking to the future and always thinking about the next step rather than focusing on the present.

His Scions are often similarly disposed. They are very good at capturing the big picture. They take in details and quickly piece them together into the overarching themes and plans. What his Scions often miss is the significance of the details themselves. A Scion of Sin may take in a room and determine who will likely die in the battle that is about to erupt, but rarely do they take the time to consider what those deaths mean or who the individual people are.

Associated Powers: Epic Perception, Epic Wits, Animal (Bull), Melam, Moon, Mystery, Prophecy
Common Abilities: Animal Ken, Awareness, Integrity, Occult, Politics, Science
Rivals: Enlil, Namtar, Ninlil, Shamash; Bastet, Isis, Apollo, Artemis, Frigg, Odin, Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, Tsuki-yomi, Kalfu

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--Scent the Divine--

When using the Perception Knack, Scent the Divine (Scion Companion, pgs. 56 to 57), the Annuna smell like cedar trees and sound like distant thunder.
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[dorkknight23]

--Pantheon Specific Purview - Melam--
The power of Melam roughly translates as "Awe" or "Radiance." Many of the witnesses of this Purview's Boons in use may have confused its effects with similar effects which come from the Sun Purview. But Melam does not manipulate the light of the sun or it's natural radiance. Rather, the radiance of Melam is an inner radiance which comes from the Scion's own greatness. Melam may be understood as "a strong presence," the idea of individuals who emenate a sense of power, who inspire awe either through authority, wealth, physical size, spiritual insight or beauty. All may be sources of Melam and the radiance of the Annuna's greatness need not come from a single source. When Gilgamesh stood upon the walls of Uruk as the armies of Kish rushed upon the city, the soldiers were forced to shield their eyes and turn away as Gilgamesh's melam was too strong to look upon. Many of the gods are associated with the planets and stars and their melam is the melam of the heavens themselves. Melam is both the name of this unique Purview, and the actual manifestation of it as the aura of brilliance is also called a Scion's "melam."

Perhaps the reason that many have mistaken the Purview of Melam for the Sun Purview is because sometimes, a Scion may manifest the ability to channel his inner radiance of greatness in such a way as to achieve an actual physical result. A Scion of sufficient Legend may learn to harness his Melam in such a way that the glow becomes a physical radiance and blinds his opponents. In game terms, Scions of the Annuna may purchase Boons from the Sun Purview as alternate choices for the Melam Boons. However, Sun Boons purchased in this manner are considered to be one level higher and cost twice as many experience points. So a Scion with Legend 3 could purchase Penetrating Glare as a level 2 Melam Boon at a cost of rating x 8 for the Pantheon Specific Purview. The typical Melam Boons are much more cost effective, however, that doesn't stop a Scion of the Annuna from attempting to get a trick or two up his sleeve. Scions may never purchase level 10 Sun Boons in this manner, nor may the Scion ever manifest the Avatar of the Purview. If a character wishes to be an actual Sun god like Shamash or Nergal, the Scion must actually purchase Sun Boons normally, which is cheaper than purchasing the Boons as Melam anyway, even if the character's parent isn't associated with the Purview. Annuna still need a Relic to learn Boons of the Sun Purview when learned in this way, only when learned at the more expensive cost as Melam Boons do they come naturally.

It should be noted that while these Boons may achieve the same effect as the Sun Boons, the Scion is not actually manipulating the radiance of the Sun. This is why the Scion needs a relic to learn Boons of the Sun Purview as otherwise, it isn't the Sun they are controlling. Rather, the Scion is still manipulating his internal radiance, or his melam, in such a way as to achieve a physical effect on the World which is similar to the physical effect achieved using the Sun Boons. For this reason, Scions outside the Annuna may not purchase Melam as Sun. The process does not reverse. Scions of other pantheons simply don't have the internal radiance born of greatness needed to learn the Boons of Melam. Some rumors say that Atum-Re may have used Heku and the power of a stolen True Name to force one of the Annuna to reveal the secrets of Melam to him so that he could learn some of these Boons as Sun Boons. To date, this is only a rumor, and not one that's given much credibility. However, it has made the Annuna wary of interaction with the Pesedjet.

At the beginning levels of Melam, a Hero starts by learning to harness and focus his inner glory. He may strengthen his resolve and hold strong where others may falter, empower his commands with divine authority born from his own great skill and allow his radiance to project outward and cause his enemies to hesitate in their actions. When the Annuna reaches the Demigod levels, he may feel his inner greatness swelling within him and empowering his actions in the name of his people, as well as witness his greatness taking on a legend of its own to guide his actions to greater heights. He may also begin to extend his glory to others, allowing his melam to act through others who have been inspired by his glory. Finally, as the chains of flesh fall away completely, a god learns the true power of the melam. A god is capable of reaping the rewards of his greatness, of empowering his command to truly divine levels and of channelling his greatness into a truly perfect act.

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--If It Translates to "Radiance," Where's the Glow?--

While Melam does indeed use terms like "radiant" and "shining," the Purview actually lacks visual effects for the most part. The radiance that's referred to in many of the Boons is a spiritual radiance. A radiance of the soul, rather than of the physical variety. Scions who use Melam powers do not literally glow. Yet they radiate such glory and splendor that mortals might be forced to look away from such perfection, much as the example of Gilgamesh above.

Still, as described above, the use of mimicked Sun Boons do generate an actual glow. The spiritual radiance is channeled to such a fine point that it actually manifests a physical effect in the form of flashes of light or burning heat. Additionally, if a Scion uses the Magic Spell, "Unlidded Eye," the user of the Spell does see the Melam user wreathed in a glowing aura of spiritual radiance. But to the untrained eye, the radiance of Melam is purely of the spiritual sort.
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-Indomitable Will (Melam O)
Dice Pool: None
Cost: None

The most basic application of the principles of Melam allows the Scion to strengthen his will and become better able to resist deception and the control of others. By letting the Scion's melam fill his mind and reinforce his place of power in the world, he ensures that none can easily displace that power. No roll or activation is necessary, the Scion simply adds the level of his highest rated Melam Boon to any Willpower + Integrity + Legend rolls, representing the iron wills and indomitable spirits of the Annuna.

-Divine Authority (Melam OO)
Dice Pool: Varies
Cost: 1 Legend

By spending at least a Speed 5, Miscellaneous action performing some action to represent the Scion's greatness, the Scion's melam flares within him, causing him to stand out in all his glory and be made greater for it.

This action may take many forms at the preference of the Scion. Some may impress others with an act of artistic expression, having prepared an artistic work in advance and using a Charisma + Art roll to show it off. A Charisma + Craft roll may also apply to unveil some new invention made in advance. In both these cases, the Storyteller must be satisfied that the work of art or invention in question are sufficient to impress the populace. Other Scions may choose to demonstrate their greatness using a Stamina + Fortitude test and surviving some threatening environmental hazard such as walking through fire or surviving a crumbling building. In this case, the act of survival is done with some flair or show of greatness such as erupting in triumph, unharmed from the crumbled building. Some Scions may even choose to simply pose and let others bask in their beauty using Appearance + Presence. However, this still requires an action as the Scion must perform some act of conscious effort to draw attention to herself. Finally, many Scions find themselves using various combat Abilities such as Brawl, Melee, Marksmanship or Thrown to impress their chosen audiences. If this is the case, the action is likely going to require taking multiple actions with the appropriate penalties in order to attack a target while making it look flashy and showy enough to inspire with the Scion's melam.

The Scion MUST possess a rating of at least 3 in the Ability chosen to represent the character's greatness. Anything less does not have the ability to empower the melam and inspire onlookers. Regardless of the method chosen, assuming the Scion possesses the Ability at the requisite level and performs the action successfully at a difficulty 5, the Scion may then spend a Legend. For the rest of the scene, the Scion may add his rating in the chosen Ability to his Command rating for purposes of leading and commanding others. The Scion's Command rating may not exceed 5 or the Scion's Legend rating, whichever is higher. A Scion with a Legend 3 may have a Command boosted to 5, while a Scion with Legend 7 may have a Command rating up to 7. A Scion's Command may only be enhanced by one Ability at a time. If this Boon is used again, the Scion's rating in Command becomes enhanced by the higher rated of the two Abilities and the previous use of the power is cancelled.

-Become the Glory (Melam OOO)
Dice Pool: None
Cost: 1 Legend per action

The Scion learns now to harness his melam to make himself so glorious that his enemies may not oppose him. This power must be maintained, however, at the cost of 1 Legend per action. Activating it is a reflexive action which may only be performed on a tick which the Scion acts. While this power is active, a would-be opponent must succeed in a Willpower + Integrity + Legend roll at a difficulty of the level of the Scion's highest rated Melam Boon in order to oppose the Scion in any way.

This includes but is not limited to attacking the Scion in combat, participating in a contested roll, speaking out against the Scion's actions and more. The Storyteller is the final arbiter of what constitutes opposition to the Scion. Once a would-be opponent has succeeded in the resistance roll, he is immune to the Scion's use of this Boon for the rest of the scene. He must re-roll his resistance in later scenes, however.

-Virtuous Glow (Melam OOOO)
Dice Pool: Appearance + Command
Cost: 2 Legend + 1 Willpower

At this level of power, the Scion learns to focus the power of his Melam so that for just a moment, he may extend that power into his divine upbringing and channel more Virtuous power than normally capable of handling. To activate this power, the Scion must first spend 2 Legend and 1 Willpower and then roll Appearance + Command. For each success (not counting Epic Attribute bonuses) the power remains active for one action.

For that duration, the Scion adds a number of dots equal to the level of his highest rated Melam Boon to his Virtues in any combination he wishes. No Virtue may rise above 5, however, and any excess points he may have are lost. Additionally, during this time, uses of the Scion's Virtues do not count toward his limit of the number of times the Virtues may be used per story. However, the Scion must still spend a Willpower to channel them. Once this power deactivates, the Scion's Virtues resume functioning as normal. This Boon may only be used once per scene.

-Strengthen the Devout (Melam OOOOO)
Dice Pool: Charisma + Command
Cost: 2 Legend per target

At this level of power, the Scion's melam becomes powerful enough to wash over and empower his allies. At this level, the Scion may extend the most basic of Melam powers to others who the Scion would afford the protection. By rolling Charisma + Command, the Scion may select a number of targets within line of sight equal to successes. The Scion then spends 2 Legend per target. For the duration of the scene, these targets may add the level of the Scion's highest rated Melam Boon to their Willpower + Integrity + Legend rolls to resist deception and control from sources other than the Scion (obviously it won't protect the targets from the Scion's own commanding presence).

This power also has an additional effect when the targets of the power are mortals. Any mortal targets who do not already posses Virtues, gain a number of Virtues, divided as the Scion sees fit but the same for all of the applicable targets, equal to the the level of the Scion's highest rated Melam Boon. These Virtues have the normal effects for Imposed Virtues (Scion: Demigod, pg. 97). Any targets who already have Virtues are immune to this effect, but may still have their Willpower + Integrity + Legend ratings modified. It's possible to target beings with Virtues and those without in the same use of this power, but only those without Virtues are granted them. Targets must remain within the Scion's line of sight to continue receiving this benefit.

-Radiance Unleashed (Melam OOOOO O)
Dice Pool: Varies
Cost: 3 Legend per Ability

By spending at least a Speed 5, Miscellaneous action using some other Ability, the Scion may empower that Ability to exceed its normal limitations. Additionally, the empowered Ability enhances the Scion's ability to lead and command his followers. The system for performing the initial Ability in question remains the same for Divine Authority. However, to perform this Boon successfully, the Scion must achieve 10 successes on the Ability use. This Boon may only be used with Abilities that are rated as 4 or higher. Should the Ability roll succeed with enough successes, the Scion may then spend 3 Legend and add the level of his highest rated Melam Boon to any dice pools made with that Ability for the remainder of the scene.

An Ability may only be enhanced in this manner once per scene, however, the Scion may continue performing other actions to enhance other Abilities if he is willing to spend the requisite 3 Legend per Ability. Finally, for each Ability enhanced in this manner, the Scion recieves a +1 to his effective Command rating for the duration of this power, which may exceed 5 in this manner, however it may not exceed the Scion's Legend rating. So a Scion who has Command 3, and chooses to enhance his Brawl, Melee and Presence with Radiance Unleashed over a period of 3 actions, has an effective Command 6 for the rest of the scene. This power does stack with Divine Authority, however, it should be noted that since Radiance Unleashed only serves as a dice adder to Abilities, those extra dice do not factor into the Command boost which the Scion recieves from Divine Authority.

Example: A Scion with Brawl 5, Melee 4 and Presence 4 spends three actions enhancing those Abilities using Radiance Unleashed. After performing the actions flawlessly and achieving success, the level of his highest rated Melam Boon, which is 6, is added to all rolls made with those actions and his Command 3 becomes a Command of 6. Additionally, the Scion chooses to employ Divine Authority using Presence. After another successful use of Appearance + Presence (or perhaps as a multiple action) using Divine Authority this time, the Scion may add his unmodified Presence rating of 4 to his Command rating for the rest of the scene. This could give the Scion an effective Command rating of 10 for the scene. However, since his Legend is only 8, his Command rises no higher than 8. The use of the power still adds 6 dice to all Brawl, Melee and Presence rolls even if his Command rises no higher.

-Imitation of Perfection (Melam OOOOO OO)
Dice Pool: Charisma + Command
Cost: 3 Legend per target

Similar to Strengthen the Devout, this power allows the Scion's melam to wash over his allies and empower them to greater heights of glory in the name of the Scion. The Scion rolls Charisma + Command and may select one target within line of sight per success on the roll. For each target, the Scion spends 3 Legend. For the rest of the scene, these targets may add the level of the Scion's highest rated Melam Boon to all actions attempted using Abilities that the Scion possesses at ratings of 4 or higher. This benefit does not apply if the target does not possess the Ability he is attempting to use, however all other actions, from combat to research to baking a cake are fair game so long as the Scion who uses this power possesses sufficient skill with that Ability. Targets must remain within line of sight of the Scion to continue recieving these benefits.

-Supreme Command (Melam OOOOO OOO)
Dice Pool: None
Cost: 15 Legend + 1 Willpower

For the duration of the scene, the god is the pure embodiment of perfect command. During this time, the god's Command rating, including any bonuses applied by prior uses of Melam Boons, is considered to be doubled. This may exceed the god's Legend rating. So if a god of Legend 9 has boosted his Command to level 9 using previous Melam powers, the use of this power would raise him to a Command rating of 18.

Furthermore, while this power is activated, Command dice are not rolled. Rather, treat the character's Command rating as automatic successes on all appropriate rolls. So if a character has a Charisma of 9 and a Command of 18, the character would roll 9 dice and have 18 automatic successes, in addition to any automatic successes gained via Epic Charisma. This includes the use of Boons or other supernatural uses of Command.

Finally, while this power is active, all commands from the user are considered to be supernatural. Targets of commands given with this power may spend a point of Willpower to roll Willpower + Integrity + Legend in a resisted roll against the successes of the user. Failure means the target is compelled to carry out the command.

-Leadership Rewarded (Melam OOOOO OOOO)
Dice: Legend + Command
Cost: None

Given their penchant for command and leadership, the Annuna often gather followers to their banner. Such followers require leadership and oversight as well as guidance. And such things take time. Luckily for the Annuna, they are rewarded for their efforts in guiding their followers. By taking a dramatic action (Scion: Hero, pg. 180) to maintain their followers in some way (training soldiers, leading their cult in worship, taking gallu demons hunting for wandering souls, etc.) the god may harvest Legend from his followers.

When doing such a dramatic action, roll the god's Legend + Command, with a number of automatic successes equal to the number of individual followers the god possesses. A god with 50 mortal cultists, 15 experienced soldiers and 5 gallu demons at his disposal would gain 60 automatic successes, for example. Obviously, losses of followers during game play will result in less automatic successes. If your 50 cultists have been reduced to 42, your experienced soldiers reduced to 12 and your gallu demons reduced to 2, you only recieve 56 automatic successes. Players are encouraged, as always, to keep track of just how many followers their character possesses.

This power may also benefit from the use of Supreme Command to increase the character's Command rating and use it as automatic successes as well.

Regardless, at the end of the dramatic action, the character gains a number of Legend points equal to the number of successes on the roll and regains one Willpower point. Each of these may be in excess of the character's normal Legend and Willpower maximums, however, the character can only benefit from the use of this power once a week. Since it requires a dramatic action, the character will not be able to recieve this benefit via combat or other tense situations and it is best used during downtime or "off camera" with the Storyteller's permission (so it doesn't derail a plot).

-Blinding Perfection (Melam OOOOO OOOOO)
Dice Pool: None
Cost: 20 Legend + 1 Willpower per action

Once per story, a god of the Annuna may cause their Melam to flare with such intensity, that any task is accomplished at the peak of its proficiency. When the god performs an action which involves an Ability the god possesses at least a rating of 5 in, he may choose to spend 20 Legend a point of Willpower, allowing him to perform the action at his completely optimal capability. The Scion converts all dice in his dice pool, including modifiers from lower Melam Boons and other sources, into automatic successes. This Boon may only be used once per story and may not be used on multiple actions. The god may only perform one action at a time when doing it perfectly.

[dorkknight23]

--Birthrights--
Scions of the Annuna find themselves in a very precarious situation in regards to their Birthrights. Long ago, when the Annuna withdrew from the World, many of their Birthrights were left behind. And it has been ages since the Annuna have gone out of their way to sire Scions to fight in their name. As such, many of their great wonders have been forgotten. Some, like the Mushhushshu, have even become cast-off items given by gods of other pantheons to their own children. The uncaring attitude of the Annuna has allowed many items to fall into obscurity. Some relics were reclaimed during the recent looting of the National Museum of Iraq as the Annuna scramble to arm their children. However, after centuries of unuse, the pickings are looking rather slim.

Followers:
-Anausa (Followers OOO to OOOOO)
(See Scion Companion, pg. 61 to 62. While they hold no special allegiance to the Annuna since the fall of the Persian pantheon, the Anausa are very thematically appropriate for the Scions of the Mesopotamian gods.)

-Gallu (Followers OOOOO)
Servants of Ereshkigal, Nergal and Namtar, the gallu are responsible for grabbing the souls of the recently departed and dragging them bodily to the Underworld. The gallu are fearsome to behold. While their appearances are varied and no two appear exactly alike, the gallu represent some form of death. Some appear thin, emaciated and frail, their hair falling out in white clumps and their bodis shrivelled despite the fact that they are still vibrant and active. These represent death by old age. Others appear to be rotted and diseased. They smell of chemicals and fungal growth and represent death by plague or pestilence. Others still have gaping, bloody holes in their body, or missing limbs which still don't seem to hinder them in any way. They are death by violence.

Regardless of the form the gallu takes, their stats remain identical and they never seem hindered by any limitation which might logically be imposed on them from their visual state. Gallu have the stats of experienced soldiers (Scion: Hero, pg. 283) save that many of them possess natural claws which add +1L Damage onto all Unarmed attacks. In addition, they each have the Virtues of Duty 3, Endurance 3, Malice 4 and Piety 2. They fact that their dominant Virtue is a Dark Virtue should cause most gods and Scions to look twice at trusting these creatures to any useful tasks. Yet the death gods of the Annuna do just that, directing their hatred and temper toward those who would resist being brought to the Underworld. Gallu possess Legend scores of 2.

In addition to the added Virtues, gallu have a few extra abilities as well. For one, they are all capable of percieving and interacting with the dead, as per the Death's Sense and Mother's Touch Boons. For another, as beings of death, the gallu can spend a Legend to travel instantly to Irkalla regardless of their location or the availability of a Passage. Any ghost they have in a Clinch at that time instantly travels with them. For the cost of an additional Legend per target, the gallu may also carry any living being they wish to the Underworld with them, so long as the target is making physical contact with the gallu. This instant passage only works to Irkalla and will not allow entry to any other Underworld in this manner.

Gallu consider all who travel with them to be their victims, regardless of the willingness of the traveller. Dead mortals who must be dragged down by gallu demons are ripped apart in their desire for carnage. Living travellers fare little better and even a Scion who the gallu may serve as Followers risks being attacked. In the case of gallu who serve heroic Scions (Legend 4 or less) the gallu must fail at a Malice roll or spend a Willpower point to avoid attacking the Scion. If the gallu succeeds in this roll or does not spend the Willpower, then the Scion must contend with his own Followers who wish to rip him apart. Scions of the demigod or better level (Legend 5+) need not worry as their divine power cows the gallu into service without risk of attack.

A group of five gallu is worth a rating of 5 in the Followers Birthright.

Creatures:
-Mushhushshu (Creature OO)
(See Scion Companion, pg. 60 to 61. The Mushhushshu as described is derived from Sumerian myth and as such is more than appropriate for a Scion of the Annuna. While the entry says the Sumerian gods are gone, the truth is that the Mushhushshu were simply abandoned and ignored when the Annuna left. Now that they are returning, the Mushhushshu is among the creatures they are attempting to re-collect for their own Scions.)

-Ahzu (Creature OOOOO)
(See Scion Companion, pg. 61 for the description of the Thunderbird. The Ahzu is the ancient Sumerian name for the same creature and would fit admirably as a Creature for a Scion of the Annuna.)

Guides:
-Utnapishtim (Guide OOO, Relic O - 1 Birthright Connection)
Utnapishtim is the oldest living human alive today. When Enlil flooded the World in ancient times because the mortals were making too much noise, Enki came to Utnapishtim and told him to build a boat so that he and his wife may survive. When the flood came, Utnapishtim was the sole survivor among his people. Soon after his survival, the gods took Utnapishtim and his wife to Dilmun and granted them immortality so that they might live forever in peace.

And so, they have. Utnapishtim, is an older man, already getting on in years when he was granted immortality. He still maintains the vitality he had when he was granted eternal life, though of late he's allowed his beard to grow long to the ground at his feet and the stress of living for a few ten thousand years has turned much of his hair white and given him worry lines in the place of the wrinkles of old age. His wife has fared about the same, though she doesn't come out much any more. Some suspect that she did not take so well mentally to the stress of living so long.

It should be noted that though Utnapishtim has lived for so very long, he is still simply mortal. He possesses no Legend score and no Virtues. His value as a Guide comes from the fact that he has lived for so very long among the gods of the Annuna and knows a VAST number of things that he can pass on. However, Utnapishtim's immortality only lasts so long as he remains in Dilmun. Should he leave, his real age would catch up with him and he would crumble to dust in the blink of an eye.

Anyone who wishes to possess Utnapishtim as a Guide but cannot travel to the Overworld, MUST possess a Relic to contact him in order to gain any benefit. The relic will only allow the user to speak with Utnapishtim, never summon him.

Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2
Charisma 4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2
Perception 3, Intelligence 5, Wits 4

Academics 5, Animal Ken 3, Art 5 (many), Awareness 4, Command 4, Control 5 (many), Craft 5 (many), Empathy 4, Integrity 5, Investigation 5, Larceny 3, Medicine 5, Occult 5, Politics 5, Presence 3, Science 5 (many), Survival 2

Supernatural Powers:
Immortality - Utnapishtim does not age naturally. So long as he remains within Dilmun, he will never die, never grow old and never suffer disease. Should he ever leave Dilmun, his normal age will re-assert itself which would cause him to instantly crumble to dust.

Join Battle: 8

Attacks:
Utnapishtim will not resort to violence. He does not fight and will not fight against anyone who tries to kill him. At his age, death does not scare him.

Soak: 0L/2B
Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-4/Incap

Dodge DV: 1
Willpower: 9

-Sebittu
(For the generic griffon-demon, see Scion: god, pg. 204 and 205 for Rashid, Last of the Apkallu. His Sun Boons, however, should be changed to Boons of the Melam Purview of the appropriate levels, unless the Storyteller feels that the griffon-demon in question would have gone out of his way to learn Sun Boons in place of Melam Boons. Griffon-demons like Rashid count as 4-dot Guides.)

As described in Scion: god, Mesopotamian mythology is rife with guardian spirits and lesser immortals charged with protection. Collectively the beings are called the Apkallu, though that name is also shared by a certain breed of the creatures as well. This breed, of which there are seven, also give the beings their other collective name: the Sebittu, or the "Seven." Though none of the other breeds of guardians are limited in number, in the same way, the fact that the most prominent members of this race are has made the name synonimous with the beings themselves.

Many of these creatures possess wings of some sort and are capable of flight. It's possible that their interaction with humanity has led to many of the myths surrounding angels of various sorts. The same myths which led Thoth to use the concepts and classifications of angels to give the Hands of Aten their shape and definition. So in some way, the Hands of Aten may be considered to be unintentionally modelled on the various Sebittu of Mesopotamian myth.

As stated in Scion: god, there are at least a dozen such types of creatures in Mesopotamian myth. It would be impossible to list and describe them all, but in addition to the griffon-demons as presented with Rashid as an example, there are some other major types which are popular among Scions of the Annuna.

Apkallu (Guide OOOOO)
The original Sebittu and the ones from which the creatures get their collected name, the Apkallu are appear mainly in the shape of bearded men who wear oversized skins of fish in order to travel throgh the sea. The fish skins hang on their bodies like ceremonial robes. The Apkallu are known to be wise and to have crafted the original mes at Enki's behest for him to distribute among the gods.

There are seven of the Apkallu. The head of the Apkallu is called Adapa and of the seven of them he is the only one with wings growing from beneath his fish-skin clothes. The other six of the Apkallu are U-an-dugga, En-me-duga, En-me-galanna, En-me-buluga, An-enlilda and Utu-abzu.

The stats presented here are for Adapa. For one of the other Apkallu, lower the Legend to 7 and adjust all other appropriate stats accordingly. Additionally, other Apkallu do not possess wings and do not have the power of flight that Adapa has.

Virtues: Duty 3, Endurance 3, Piety 5, Valor 2

Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3
Charisma 5, Manipulation 5, Appearance 3
Perception 6, Intelligence 8, Wits 6

Academics 5, Athletics 3, Awareness 4, Brawl 2, Command 4, Empathy 3, Fortitude 3, Integrity 4, Marksmanship 1, Melee 2, Occult 5, Presence 3, Survival 2, Thrown 2

Supernatural Powers:
Boons - Aegis, Become the Glory, Changing States, Come Running, Confer Immunity, Confer Knack, Create Water, Dessicate, Divine Authority, Drown, I Say Thee Nay..., Imitation of Perfection, Indomitable Will, Radiance Unleashed, Strengthen the Devout, Unseen Shield, Vigil Brand, Virtuous Glow, Water Breathing, Water Control, Water Mastery, Water Vortex

Epic Attributes - Epic Intelligence 7 (all Knacks listed in Scion: Hero and Scion: Demigod), Epic Wits 6 (all Knacks listed in Scion: Hero), Epic Manipulation 5 (Takes One to Know One, Stench of Guilt, Knowing Glance, Advantageous Circumstances, Overt Order), Epic Charisma 5 (Benefit of the Doubt, Charmer, Crowd Control, Paragon of Virtue, Instant Seminar)

Fish-Skin Armor - As silly as it may appear, the fish skins worn by Adapa actually functions like the Impenetrable Knack in Scion: god, pg. 66, granting an additional bashing and lethal soak equal to Adapa's Legend and half that rating to Adapa's aggravated soak. This armor negates the piercing quality.

Flight - Adapa can fly at five times his ground movement rate, applying the normal DV penalties for Move and Dash actions in combat. Out of combat, Adapa can fly about 40 miles per hour.

Forge Birthright - All Apkallu are master craftsmen of Birthrights. Adapa can fashion any sort of relic after a few days of work provided that he has some amount of legendary material with which to work. Forging a Birthright requires the expenditure of a Legend point.

Join Battle: 10

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 5, Damage 4B, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 4, Damage 7B, Parry DV 2, Speed 5
Unarmed, LIght - Accuracy 6, Damage 4B, Parry DV 3, Speed 4

Soak: 4A/10L/11B
Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-4/Incap

Dodge DV: 7
Willpower: 7
Legend: 8, Legend Points: 64

Other Notes: In addition to serving as armor that protects them from harm, the fish skins that the Adapa wears also provides access to the Guardian and Water Purviews. As a spirit who was never truly mortal, Adapa does not need this relic but gains a minor bonus for wearing it, as if he were a true god. Adapa is known for his wisdom and would rather reason his way out of a fight than get into a conflict. If pressed, he is more likely to run away than confront his attacker.

Girtablilu (Guide OOOO)
Not officially lesser immortals, the girtablilu are actually titanspawn. They were created by Tiamat to serve as soldiers against the Annuna after Apsu was defeated and sealed away. These scorpion men were fierce warriors and served without the will to resist under Tiamat until she, too, was defeated.

Never beings to simply ignore a resource, the Annuna then offered the girtablilu a place among the Sebettu to serve as guardians and protectors of the sacred places of the Annuna. For the first time the girtablilu had free will and had been offered a choice to do something rather than commanded to do so. They chose then to side with the Annuna and have served them faithfully ever since as guardians, protectors and soldiers in their battles.

While the girtablilu make excellent warriors and defenders, they do not serve individual Scions. Never will you find the girtablilu serving as Followers to a child of the gods. The girtablilu serve the Annuna as a whole, not the individuals. However, more than one of the girtablilu has served to pass on knowledge to the younger generation. They have taught Scions to fight and educated them on what it means to be Scions. Occasionally, one of the girtablilu may enter the fray alongside a Scion, but generally only when necessary or when the site the girtablilu is protecting falls under attack.

The girtablilu appear as humans from the waist up. The men usually bearded and both sexes dark of skin, they live a natural life cycle (albeit an extended one) and thus can appear technically at any age. From the waist down, however, the skin of the girtablilu becomes covered in a carapace like that of a scorpion. The feet of the girtablilu are taloned and scaled like those of a bird of prey. And naturally, the scorpion men have large, scorpion tails growing from their lower backs and arch up over their shoulders. Typically the girtablilu are armed with bows for fighting at range. Though some have been sighted using swords and other melee weapons, typically their best close-combat weapon is their poisonous tail.

Virtues: Duty 4, Endurance 3, Piety 2, Valor 3

Strength 6, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5
Charsima 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2
Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 5

Academics 1, Athletics 4, Awareness 4, Brawl 5, Empathy 3, Fortitude 4, Integrity 4, Marksmanship 5, Melee 3, Occult 1, Presence 4, Survival 3, Thrown 4

Supernatural Powers:
Boons - Aegis, Battle Cry, Battle Map, Become the Glory, Blessing of Bravery, Come Running, Divine Authority, Fury of War, I Say Thee Nay..., Indomitable Will, Morale Failure, Mortal Stroke, Strengthen the Devout, Unseen Shield, Vigil Brand, Virtuous Glow, Ward, Warding Line, Watcher at the Threshold, Warrior Ideal (Unquestioning Sentinel)

Epic Attributes - Epic Strength 4 (Crushing Grip, Divine Wrath, Disfiguring Attack, Armor Crusher) Epic Dexterity 2 (Trick Shooter, Shot to the Heart), Epic Stamina 4 (Body Armor, Impenetrable, Damage Conversion, Divine Damage Conversion), Epic Perception 1 (Telescopic Senses)

Venemous Tail - The tail of the girtablilu allows them to perform a tail strike attack which does +2 Accuracy, +3L Damage, Defense --, Speed 4. This attack is also poisonous with effects equal to Titanspawn Venom (Scion: Hero, pg. 182).

Join Battle: 9

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 11, Damage 7L, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 8, Damage 10L, Parry DV 6, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 10, Damage 7L, Parry DV 7, Speed 4
Tail Strike - Accuracy 11, Damage 10L, Parry DV --, Speed 4
Daikyu - Accuracy 9, Damage 10L, Range 10, Clip --, Speed 6
Spatha - Accuracy 8, Damage 11L, Parry DV 6, Speed 4

Soak: 4A/10L/12B
Health Levels: -0x13/Incap

Dodge DV: 9
Willpower: 7
Legend: 6, Legend Points: 36

Notes: Unlike other members of the Sebittu, the girtablilu gain no benefit from weilding Birthright items when using their Boons. All Boons function naturally at their full potential due to their titanspawn nature.

Djinn (Guide OOOO)
Djinn, or simply genies, are perhaps the most basic of protective spirits which make up the Sebittu. They are spirits of luck and fortune, both good and bad, and many times have been known to interact with the World and humanity in the form of "granting wishes." In reality, all they are simply doing is using their mastery of Magic to toy with the luck of the person.

Skilled djinn may grant wishes of companionship by forging a Fatebond between two people and strengthening it to bring them closer together. They may grant wishes for wealth by using Bona Fortuna in such a way as to provide the person with good luck when gambling or in other potentially lucrative ventures. A djinn who wishes to bring harm to someone may do just the opposite, claiming to be blessing the person, while in reality cursing them with bad luck, or creating relationships which are harmful to the person. They do not grant wishes directly, but djinn are skilled in weaving Fate in such a way as to aid (or harm) those around them.

In appearance, djinn look like normal, every day people. They interact with the world on an almost regular basis and manipulate fate and luck for those who catch their eye or who know to come to them. The only thing which might make a djinn stand out is that each and every djinn possesses a pair of bird's wings which grow from their back. Most djinn also possess the Appearance Knack "My Eyes Are Up Here" which let them hide the wings and appear as mortals, as well.

In addition to the stats listed below, some more experienced djinn have mastered various elemental magics. For these, add Boons from the Earth, Fire, Sky or Water Purviews to the basic djinn write-up. This is usually the mark of an experienced and senior djinn, however, and few djinn ever fully master those Purviews, prefering to pick and choose the Boons that are most useful to them instead.

Virtues: Duty 2, Endurance 3, Piety 3, Valor 2

Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2
Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 5
Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3

Academics 4, Art 3, Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 1, Command 3, Craft 2, Empathy 4, Fortitude 2, Integrity 3, Investigation 4, Larceny 2, Occult 4, Presence 3

Supernatural Powers:
Boons - Aegis, Become the Glory, Divine Authority, Indomitable Will, Magic 4, Unseen Shield, Vigil Brand, Virtuous Glow, Ward, Warding Line

Epic Attributes - Epic Appearance 3 (Lasting Impression, My Eyes Are Up Here, Serpent's Gaze), Epic Perception 2 (Scent the Divine, Unfailing Recognition), Epic Wits 2 (Instant Assessment, Psychic Profiler)

Spells - All listed in Scion: Hero, plus Measured Foe, Legendary Surge, Tugging Heartrings, Bound Spirit and Fateful Connection

Flight - Djinn can fly at five times his ground movement rate, applying the normal DV penalties for Move and Dash actions in combat. Out of combat, djinn can fly about 40 miles per hour.

Radiant Nature - In addition to their other powers, djinn have each been blessed by the Titan of the Heavens and possess the Radiant Template. (see An, Titan of the Heavens, below)

Join Battle: 6

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 4, Damage 3B, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 3, Damage 6B, Parry DV 1, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 5, Damage 3B, Parry DV 3, Speed 4

Soak: 1L/2B
Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-4/Incap

Dodge DV: 5
Willpower: 6
Legend: 5, Legend Points: 25

Notes: Djinn often carry precious stones on their person. Many times these are crafted into pendants or other forms of jewelry which they wear. Many people believe that these jewels are the source of the djinn's power. They're only half right. Though the djinn is able to channel their Guardian and Magic Purviews without the aid of Birthrights due to their divine nature, they still gain the same benefits of acting as full gods (that is full Legend rankings) when using these stones. Without them, the djinn is weaker. Many will go to great lengths to get these stones back, such as blessing their holders with good luck using the Magic they still have access to. Some might be more vindictive and curse their would-be masters under the guise of doing their bidding in the same manner.

Relics:
-The Mes (Relic O to OOOOO - Varies)
The mes represent the divine right of the Annuna to rule. Once they were all controlled by Enki and distributed out among the gods. At least until Ishtar talked Enki into sharing the mes and then took many of them with her back to her kingdom of Uruk. Since then, the mes have been lost and scattered to the ages, and like many of the Mesopotamian Birthrights, the Annuna have had little need to gather them up again. However, they have begun to search for them again now. Whoever possesses a me gains divine authority and control over whatever aspect of reality that the me represents.

The mes themselves take the form of stone tablets with intricately detailed symbols and pictograms carved into them and cuniform writing which gives authority to the weilder over something symbolicaly pictured. Some of these are small enough to fit into the palm of someone's hand, no larger than a modern day PDA. Many of them are two feet in height and maybe half that in width, having to be carried under someone's arm. The most powerful of mes were said to make up entire walls of temples or even be carved into the sides of monuments or as stelae in the centers of town.

No me does the same thing that another me does. There exists a single me for each aspect of reality. Some, such as the "the flood", "the battle-standard" or the me of "law" simply give access to divine Purviews such as Water, War or Justice respectively. Others such as the me of "music" or the me of "smithing" may give the user the power to add their Legend rating to rolls related to Art (Music) or Craft (Smithing). The me which symbolizes "descent into the underworld" may provide allow a user the ability to find an entrance to the Underworld in a manner similar to the Psychopomp Boon, Terra Incognita (Scion: Demigod, pg. 85), while the me which symbolizes "ascent out of the underworld" may allow the user to bring someone back from the dead, much like the Book of Going Forth By Day (Scion: Hero, pg. 164 to 165). Technically, almost anything is possible for the mes to achieve as there technically exists a me for every law of reality.

There used to even exist certain mes which may constitute as "Star Level" relics. Much like Mjolnir or other divine items, these mes surpass the standard level of most mes. One example would be the me of "godhood" which is said to bestow upon the user instant apotheosis. Another might be the me for "destruction of cities" which was said to be able to level entire civilizations in a single stroke, much like an Avatar level ability. Obviously, mes of this level would be Storyteller devices and not for the use of players unless they earn them in game (assuming these mes haven't been destroyed since then).

The only limit to the mes is that each one can hold one and ONLY one power. A me which provides access to the Fire Purview will ONLY provide access to the Fire Purview, it can contain no other powers. Having access to the Fire Purview and being able to add the user's Legend rating to all rolls made with the Crafts (Forging) Ability would require two separate relic mes at levels 1 and 2 respectively rather than a single level 3 relic. A me which constitutes a level 5 relic, does so because it contains a level 5 power of some sort. The mes were designed to be singular in their purpose.

-Cedar Ax (Relic OOO - 1 Purview [War], 2 Item Enhancement)
Few relic weapons survive among the Annuna. Those that do are usually collected and given out to Scions regardless of the origins of the weapon or the god that it's most associated with. Remember, the gods are making due with that they have as many of their ancient relics have been lost over the years. One such example of a relic weapon would be the relic pruning saw held by Sahar as depicted on pg. 205 of Scion: god.

However, another, more well known example, would be the axes which were carried by Gilgamesh and Enkidu when they journeyed to the great Cedar Forest and battled the giant Humbaba. While both Gilgamesh and Enkidu were known to fight with their bare hands (in fact, according to the epic, Gilgamesh fell Humbaba with a single, powerful punch to his stomach), both also went armed with axes to cut down the trees and to defend themselves with if need be. In fact, after Humbaba was brough to his knees, Gilgamesh and Enkidu both used their axes together to decapitate the fallen giant.

No one knows which of the warriors the ax that the Annuna have in their possession belonged to, Gilgamesh or his companion, Enkidu. They do know for a fact that the blood of Humbaba still stains the blade and that one of the two of them used it when killing the giant. Regardless, that legendary act has empowered the ax to serve as a channel for the War Purview, as well as doing an additional +2L Damage on top of the standard skeggox template.

-Cylinder Seals (Relic O to OOOOO - 1 to 5 Purviews [Varies])
Similar in effect to the Reginnaglar (Scion: Ragnarok, pg 46) of the Aesir pantheon, the cylinder seals of the Annuna serve as direct connections to the gods themselves. Each cylinder seal is engraved with pictures depicting the worship and veneration of the various gods of the Annuna. When rolled in fresh clay, these seals actually form the picture crafted on them. Each god has their own seals and through use of these cylinder seals, the Annuna Scions may gain access to the Purviews that god is known for. A cylinder seal for Shamash, for instance, may grant access to the Justice or Sun Purviews. While a cylinder seal for Sin may grant access to the Moon, Prophecy, Mystery or Animal (Bull) Purviews. Rarely do these seals do anything more than grant access to Purviews and each seal need not be empowered with a god's full range of Purviews.

[dorkknight23]

--Cosmology--
Underworld - Irkalla:
AKA: Arali, Kigal, Gizal

For the Mesopotamians, the Underworld was not a happy place. Much like Hades or Duat, Irkalla was the final destination for all the dead, sinner, hero and average person alike. All the dead were taken to Irkalla. Those who resisted were dragged their by the gallu demons and suffered pain and agony from the gallu as punishment for their resistance.

What's more, Irkalla was not entirely for the dead. Sure, the dead souls were drawn there and given to Nergal to rule over. But the purpose of the dead there was simply to serve the gods after their life had passed. And as the dead continued to rot away, they would eventually pass beyond even the Underworld and simply cease to be.

But the Underworld also served as a place of exile. Members of the Annuna who had wronged another of the gods were banished to the Underworld and deprived of the luxuries to be found in Dilmun and An. Here, in the dark land of the dead, the gods were forced to live out a dreary and uncomfortable life until such time as they were permitted to return to the heavens. This was the punishment which befell Enlil after he raped Ninlil, though she followed him here to give birth to more children here. This was also the punishment given to Nergal for causing enough chaos for even the gods to find him distasteful.

The landscape of Irkalla looks like a vast expanse of desert on all sides. It is dark and the sky is black and bleak. Some suspect that the Underworld lies in a great cavern like many of the other Underworlds do, though if that is the case, the top of the cavern lies so far above that it is beyond sight. Only empty blackness can be seen above. This casts the sands of the desert in perpetual gloom, making them various shades of grey and black beneath the feet of the traveller. The only path is the one made of gleaming white bone that winds its way through the desert sands ahead of the traveller.

Travellers do not have to walk far, however. Looming ahead of them once they enter the desert is the first of the great gates of Irkalla. A great city wall stretches around the city and there is only the single gate that allows passage. Two guards stand at the gates, one on each side. They have the stats for normal experienced soldiers, except they ignore all damage dealt to them should they enter combat. The guards will demand that the travellers each give up an article of clothing or a possession at the gate. For mortals or beings with a Legend less than 5, this is a requirement.

If the beings try to pass without donating their clothing or some item, then they will immediately emerge from the same gate facing the desert again. Only by giving up an article of clothing or a personal possession may the travellers pass the gate. For Scions, the guards almost always demand they be given their relics first, with assurances in the name of Ereshkigal herself that the relics will be returned to them when they leave.

For beings with a Legend rating of 5 or higher (demigods and gods) this donation is optional. The guards will still demand it, but if the demigod walks on and pays the guards no mind, then they may walk through the gate without hinderance. Inside the first wall is another wall exactly like it, again, with a single gate and two guards. The process is repeated here, and again, beings with demigod levels of Legend are immune to the guards demands while those of lesser Legend must again donate an article of clothing or a personal possession.

This process goes on for a total of seven walls and seven gates. At the seventh gate, if the travellers have donated clothing or items at all seven of the gates, then once they pass through they are stripped of all clothing and items, rendered naked and vulnerable. Scions and other divine beings lose all Birthrights they brought with them. In the case of heroes, this leaves them with no access to Boons. Demigods and gods are weakened accordingly by the loss.

Even gods may be subject to this restriction if they donated their clothing or items at the gates. Ishtar did so when she visited the Underworld since her sister requested it of her. Believing her sister meant her no harm, Ishtar gave the guards her things and found herself stripped naked and without her Birthrights once past the last gate, and thus at her sister's mercy. Demigods and gods who call the guards' bluffs and simply walk on, however, face no such restrictions or loss of power. That is how Nergal entered the city and was able to challenge Ereshkigal for the right to rule over the dead.

Once past the great gates, the travellers enter the city if Irkalla. Small homes and other buildings line the intricately laid out streets and roads through the town. However, it has all fallen into disuse and begun crumbling. In Irkalla, the dead continue to rot once they pass the seven gates. However, unlike in Guinee, this process does not stop at a certain point. The process continues until the dead crumble to dust and are gone. There were always new dead to take their place. In this case, Irkalla has been protected from overcrowding among the dead.

In the past, the dead here served the gods, acting as handmaidens, masons, maids and other menial tasks in service to Ereshkigal, Nergal, Namtar and other gods who visited or were banished to the Undeworld until such time as they crumbled away. Nergal's great armies were also composed of the dead who were under his command.

But no new dead have arrived in Irkalla for centuries. And the last of the dead crumbled away to dust long, long ago. The buildings have begun to crumble with no dead to keep them in working order. The streets have become dusty and are almost taken back by the desert sand that finds its way into the city. Nergal's army has long been non-existant and the war god broods with no soldiers to lead. And perhaps most annoying of all to the Annuna, the gods have had to tend to their own needs and not send their dead servants to take care of it.

On the plus side, that also means that any spectres who might have resided here are also long gone. And so there is no danger of assault or attack when wandering through the city. Only the sheer desolation of a city long abandoned.

In the center of the city rests the ancient palace of Ereshkigal. Her throne sits upon a central dias at the front of the palace, where she can sit in all her glory and greet the dead upon their arrival. Often, Nergal can be found standing at her side, ready to take charge and issue orders to the dead and assign them tasks within the city. For even though Ereshkigal is queen of the realm, it is Nergal who rules over the dead themselves.

However, neither god may be found there these days. The dead have not come to Irkalla in so long that the two of them have given up their vigil. They may be found now residing within the palace, tending to their own affairs. They long ago learned to be self-sufficient and take care of their own needs within the lands of the dead. Not to mention Ereshkigal's lusts have still not cooled, even after all her centuries. And with no dead to distract her, she and her husband Nergal have found many ways to entertain themselves in their great palace.

Namtar may also be found, wandering the desolate city and walking the halls of the palace. His is perhaps the only constant presence here now. As Ereshkigal and Nergal may entertain themselves in their private realms or wander the World in boredom, Namtar, the psychopomp of the Annuna, keeps a constant, silent presence in Irkalla.

Few people come to Irkalla. Few people ever need to, really. There is nothing there save for an empty city where the rulers have grown bored and complacent and the only person you are likely to meet is Death itself. Those who come below usually come only to bring business to Ereshkigal or Nergal. Even Namtar may be summoned elsewhere and need not be sought out in this wasteland.

There is one little caveat to leaving, however. If the traveller to Irkalla was a demigod or god who simply walked through, then leaving is no more difficult than other Underworlds (not that it's easy, per se, but not exceptionally hard). If, however, the traveller was not of sufficient Legend or stopped to hand over the articles of clothing or items on the way in, then he may not leave unless he finds a replacement.

With Ereshkigal's permission, a small pack of five gallu demons will appear from the shadows of the abandoned city and be assigned to the traveller. He will then be sent back through the gates and have his items returned to him. He will have 24 hours to find a repalcement for himself among the living of the World. Once a replacement is found, the gallu demons seize him and carry him bodily to the Underworld where they begin to tear him apart and kill him. If a replacement is not found within that time, the gallu demons seize the traveller and bear him back to the Underworld and attack him, intent on making him a permanent resident.

-Passages:
Tombs and Funeray Architecture - Many of the ancient burial sites of the Mesopotamian people have been lost to us. Either eroded away and destroyed by time and weather or dug up by archeaologists and dismantled for study. Such sites are simply impossible to find. If a Scion did find himself an ancient Mesopotamian tomb in which to seal himself in, then it would only take a simple expenditure of Legend to find himself walking the desert outside Irkalla.

Natural Features - While Irkalla was considered to be underground, it was also considered to be underwater. That is, it was beneath the ocean's floor. Access through natural features is a hazardous venture. A Scion has to dive down beneath the waves of any ocean until the water grows dark and little light reaches the Scion. This generally also runs the risk of pressure hazards. The Scion must reach the ocean's floor, though the floor at any depth will do. Just so long as it's dark enough to qualify. There, the Scion must find either a natural cave formation beneath the water, or (if none exist there) must dig his way into the ground until he can cover himself with dirt. Once either in the cave or beneath the ocean floor's dirt, the Scion may spend a point of Legend and emerges, dry and most certainly not underwater, in one of the many caves at the edge of Irkalla.

Rituals - These have been forgotten to the ages. A Scion would have to do research with the gods to learn these ancient practices and recreate them. They would also likely involve a priest or true believer in the Mesopotamian gods in order to have the ritual done properly.

Times - Perhaps the easiest way for a Scion to access the Underworld on his own is using a certain time of year. The Spring Equinox, a time when the constellation Taurus is blocked from the sky by the sun, symbolizes the death of Ereshkigal's first husband, Gugalanna. This time also marks when Ishtar descended to the Underworld. This is the time when the roads to Irkalla are most clear and Scions may spend a point of Legend to find themselves at the gates of Irkalla on this night.

Gallu Demons - As discussed above in the Birthright section, gallu demons may provide a quick and easy way to access the Underworld if the Scion is "lucky" enough to have been given such creatures as Followers. However, these demons are not to be used by the weak. Those who are powerful enough will cow the gallu with their presence. But those who are foolish and have not yet grown to enough power to impress the gallu risk being attacked upon the end of their travel and must deal with their own Followers. Gallu will not do this for just anyone and only Scions which they are bound to by Fate may call upon them for such services. Gallu will also carry other members of that Scion's Band, but only at the orders of the Scion their bound to, not at the behest of the Bandmate. Otherwise gallu demons serve Ereshkigal, Nergal and Namtar and are not a taxi service. Those few who try to use them as such often find themselves attacked on sight. If the would-be traveller is lucky, the gallu will at least take them to the Underworld before attacking them, at least giving them a chance of being where they wish to be.

Overworld - Dilmun:
AKA: Telmun

The gods have not resided in Dilmun regularly for some time. In the most ancient of days, Dilmun represented the seat of power for the Annuna. As the gods of the Fertile Crescent, Dilmun was the heart of that fertility.

-Axis Mundi - Connection Lost
Once, reaching Dilmun was easy. Every temple to the Mesopotamian gods served as a gateway to reach Dilmun. And any of the great cedar forests which dotted the land could allow passage to the great forest of the gods. There was even once a city named Dilmun, which served itself as a city-sized Axis Mundus to any who walked its busy streets.

All of that is gone, however. Dilmun, the city, has been lost to the desert and any records of where it once rested are contradictory at best. Even if its ruins were to be found, the Axis Mundi connection point would be lost as it was tied to the city which is now gone.

The great cedar forests have also been all but lost as deforestation and overuse of the trees have reduced their number to a mere handful. Only on the mountain slopes of Lebanon do the cedars still thrive. But only the oldest of trees will do. Only four such trees in the forests of Lebanon fit this description, having grown to over 35 meters tall in their age. These most ancient of trees are under government protection now and the forests are closed off to the public, but only those four trees will provide access to Dilmun. Rather than climb them as most sacred trees, however, the user of the Axis Mundi places his hand upon the tree, closes his eyes and breathes in the scent of cedar as he spends a point of Legend. When he opens his eyes, he will find himself within the great forest.

There are other sacred items and temple locations which may yet serve as connection points to the palaces of the individual gods in the borderlans of An, but such connections are rare and many of them lost to the ages. But archeologists may yet have discovered an ancient link to the Annuna, if a Scion looks hard enough to find it. How to use these ancient links to the palaces of the gods would vary just as much as the gods do, naturally.

-The Great Forest
Dilmun consists of a vast stretch of cedar forest that spreads out to cover the ground almost entirely. The trees grow close together and the land is broken by two rivers which spread through the forest, divine reflections of the Tigris and the Euphrates. The rivers originate from the mountain peaks which surround the forest, turning it into a vibrant valley. All manner of beast live here, both domesticated and otherwise, most notably the sacred animals of the Annuna such as lions, goats, bulls and snakes of all varieties. These animals are spiritual reflections of their mundane counterparts, typically larger and more powerful. Some may even be found of the Nemean variety, though those are a rarity in Dilmun.

The trees stretch all the way from the valley down to the sandy shores of a beach. Here, the ocean waves lap against the shore, indicating that the Overworld may in fact be an island. It is talked about as such in some myths, especially that of Gilgamesh. It is here that one finds the ONLY building in Dilmun, where Utnapishtim and his wife make their home in the small hut on the shore. They are the only mortals allowed in Dilmun, as this is a place for the gods and only the gods otherwise. The two humans rarely venture from the beach as they do not wish to incur the god's wrath by exploring their sacred forests.

There are no buildings anywhere else in the forest. No great cities, no walls to marr the forest's perfection and no structures to break the great sea of trees. The gods who reside here do not build structures. Rather, they allow the forest to provide for them. The sun always shines here, the radiance of An affixed above the forest to provide eternal radiance, but when the residents wish to sleep, there is the shade of trees and embankments on the river that may be found to provide darkness. Beds can be found in the soft grass of clearings and the clinging lichens on the wet rocks of the river. Both are surprisingly comfortable for such things. Food is found naturally from the fruit trees that grow among the cedars and from the many animals which roam the area and can always be caught for food so long as the hunter does so when hungry.

The forest here exists to serve the residents and so long as the forest is respected, those who visit or live here will always be taken care of.

The true splendor of the forest, however, is to be found in the skies above it. Nestled in the clouds are the great golden palaces, temples and ziggurats of the Annuna. Each of the gods has their own palace. From the halls of justice where Shamash resides to the ancient ziggurats to either side of the central palace where Enki and Enlil both reside. Each can be found here among the clouds above Dilmun. They are not truly a part of Dilmun, however. Rather, they exist in the border reaches between Dilmun and An. The clouds above Dilmun are the clouds which make up the Titanrealm of An, Titan of the Heavens. The palaces of the gods are placed in the lower reaches of An, bordering on Dilmun so that the Annuna can look down upon the splendor of their perfect forest while living within the Titan of divine authority itself at the same time.

The bridge between the forest of Dilmun and the clouds of An is the great cedar tree to the north of the forest on the mountain's slopes. Where the two rivers come together at their origin points there stands a great tree, taller than any of the others in the forest. It's branches reach high above the canopy of the forest and mingle with the clouds. Should someone in Dilmun climb the cedar tree and reach out to step upon the clouds, he would find that the clouds will actually support his weight. From there, the journey to the palaces is easy, and it's even possible to journey deeper into the cloud realm to the palaces of the Titans such as Anu.

There are a few gods who do not possess palaces of their own, of course. Ereshkigal, Nergal and Namtar are all at home within the city of Irkalla in the Underworld. Ninlil and Ninhursag both feel more comfortable making their homes in the forest paradise of Dilmun and living among the animals and the vegetation. Though Ninlil, of course, also has her own place in the palace of her husband, Enlil, when she is not within the forest.

The most splendid palace in the border of An is also the once in the center, standing proud and majestic above the very center of Dilmun. This is the palace of the king and it is Marduk who sits upon the throne now. The halls and corridors of the great palace are littered with lesser immortals at all times, going about the business of tending to the king's needs. There are rooms within the great palace for all of the Annuna when they wish to partake of Marduk's hospitality, especially for those who do not keep permanent residence within An or Dilmun.

It is the great council chamber which serves as the central point of the palace, however. Here, Marduk's throne rests upon a dias above the floor of the palace. It is in this great hall where all the Annuna gather when there is business that must be brought before the gods. It is in this hall where the fate of Gilgamesh and Enkidu was once discussed after they slew the Bull of Heaven (though Enlil was still king of the gods at that time). It was also here where the gods made their decision to depart from the World and leave the humans and the other pantheons entirely on their own. Any of the Annuna are welcome to speak in this hall and may bring any matter they feel to be of import before Marduk or other reigning gods. They do so at their own risk, however, as the Annuna have been known to punish those who they feel have wasted their time with ridiculous pleas.

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--Since the Siege: Evicted--
Most of the gods are clamouring to keep the Titans out of their homes and have found themselves surrounded on all sides by the Titans. But not the Annuna.

When the siege first started, the Annuna were beset from all sides. Aten had a contingent of his Hands performing suicide attacks while Anshar sent his lilitu to fly among the clouds and harry the palaces of the gods. Attacked thus and already cut off due to their self-imposed exile, the Annuna didn't stand a chance against the forces of the two Titans combined.

The Annuna have been driven from their palaces and forced to reside in Dilmun now. Dark storm clouds now cover the skies and blot out the glow of An, as well as cutting off access to the great palaces. Lightning strikes from above struck the great cedar tree which formed the bridge between the two realms and it now lies blackened and broken upon the ground at the foot of the mountains.

And then the Annuna were dismissed as pointless by the Titans. They had claimed An and the Annuna had been removed and cut off. Such archaic gods were viewed as no longer a threat. Rasap Warriors, Hands of Aten and lilitu now make regular patrols of the cloud borders should any of the gods try to fly into the realm. But overall, the Annuna have not been seen as a threat.

Now, the Annuna fight to retake the Titan realm and gain a foothold in An again. They search the world for the Axis Mundi which lead directly to their former palaces in the hopes of being able to enter "behind enemy lines." And they test the defenses almost daily to find some passage through the storm clouds and patrols.
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[dorkknight23]

--Antagonists--
-Gilgamesh - The First Scion (Guide OOOOO)
Gilgamesh was once the great king of Uruk. At least until he found a mortal friend he was willing to give his life for and he journeyed far and wide to try and bring that friend back from the dead when his companion was killed by the gods. He failed in that journey, but ultimately he found divinity and immortality of his own as his legend and fame as the great kind grew.

But that was a long time ago. Long before Heracles. Long before Imhotep. Centuries before even Guan Yu or other gods. He was a Scion of Shamash via his mother, a demigod Scion of Shamash herself. Born to her before she achieved godhood, his divine nature comes from his grandfather. In this way, he had three "parents," one a demigod, one her divine father and the other his mortal father. In this way, he was "two-thirds god and one third mortal." Gilgamesh is known by many as the first hero and the first Scion. While that's an exaggeration (there were obviously other Scions before him just as there were those after him) Gilgamesh is the oldest of the Scions who is remembered by humanity.

In his age, however, he has grown bitter. He blames the gods for the loss of Enkidu. It was Ishtar that came to him to seduce him. And though he was the one to rebuke her, that did not justify her sending Gugalanna to seek her revenge. What's more, Gugalanna's death was an act of self-defense and an act to protect his city. And yet, for that heroic deed, his friend Enkidu was killed while Gilgamesh was spared and went on to achieve godhood and immortality. It was not fair. It still isn't fair.

Even though he achieved the peak of godhood centuries ago, Gilgamesh has never once set foot in Dilmun since his visit with Utnapishtim all those years ago. Nor has he ventured to An to see the hall of the gods where the judgement of his friend was passed. He has no desire to associate with the Annuna on a friendly level. Nor does he wish to be one of them. Rather, he wishes to see them crushed beneath his heel. He has grown to hate the pettiness and vindictiveness of the gods and for centuries has acted against the plans of the gods, intervening and sabotaging whatever he can find of the gods machinations.

Since the release of the Titans, Gilgamesh has taken a more active role in the World at least. He has begun to build himself a "private protection" company. He feels that's an adequate enough phrase to use for the group of mercenaries he's gathering into his employ and hiring out around the world. He may no longer be king, but he still has what it takes to lead men. His soldiers are some of the most well trained and experienced military men on the planet. And they'll work for anyone for the right price.

Gilgamesh has no sympathy for the gods and their Scions. He wishes to see the Annuna punished for what was done to him and to his friend Enkidu. Though he was approached by Imhotep and the other Keepers of the World for this reason, he turned them down, choosing to fight the gods on his terms and no one else's. Whether he will be successful or not is anyone's guess.

Gilgamesh looks to be a man in his mid- to late-50's. His strong beard is streaked with grey and his hair is often found pulled back and cut short around his neck. Regardless of his age, he still looks the part of a bodybuilder or professional athlete. Often found in business suits these days, his clothes can be found bulging with muscle beneath the fabrics. Gilgamesh carries no weapon, having long preferred to deal with his foes using his bare hands.

Though Gilgamesh will sire Scions of his own, they are often simply there to get caught up in his own plans and schemes, or used to sabotage the efforts of the other gods from the inside. Storytellers should use caution when allowing someone to play a Scion of Gilgamesh as it can lead to potential conflict in the game. If a player of such a character wishes to work with his Band and aid the gods, then he needs to be prepared to eventually come into conflict with his angry father, Gilgamesh.

Associated Powers: Epic Charisma, Epic Stamina, Epic Strength, Justice, Melam, War
Common Abilities: Athletics, Brawl, Command, Presence, Survival, Thrown
Rivals: Enki, Enlil, Ishtar, Ereshkigal, Marduk, Namtar, Nergal, Shamash; Horus, Vidar, Hachiman

Virtues: Duty 4, Endurance 5, Piety 1, Valor 5

Strength 12, Dexterity 9, Stamina 11
Charisma 11, Manipulation 7, Appearance 7
Perception 6, Intelligence 5, Wits 7

Academics 2, Animal Ken 1, Athletics 5, Awareness 4, Brawl 5, Command 5, Control 2, Fortitude 5, Integrity 3, Investigation 3, Marksmanship 4, Melee 4, Occult 1, Politics 3, Presence 5, Stealth 2, Survival 5, Thrown 5

Birthrights:
Avatar 5, Followers 5 (15 Experienced Soldiers), Followers 5 (20 Grunt Soldiers), Relic 1 (Seal of Shamash - Justice), Relic 3 (Bracers of Strength - 2 Unique 1-dot Powers, War)

Supernatural Powers:
Avatars - The Arbiter, The General

Boons - Army of One, Battle Cry, Battle Map, Become the Glory, Blessing of Ammunition, Blessing of Bravery, Blinding Perfection, Colossus Armor, Decree of Worship, Divine Authority, Divine Enforcement, Dream Wrack, Follower Army, Fury of War, Guilt Apparitions, Guilt of the Damned, Imitation of Perfection, Indomitable Will, Inexorable Gravity, Judgement, Life-Giving Rays, Morale Failure, Mortal Stroke, Penetrating Glare, Psychic Prison, Overworld Judgement, Radiance Unleashed, Sanctify Oath, Scarlet Letter, Shield of Righteousness, Siege Juggernaut, Star Chamber, Strengthen the Devout, Surreal Draft, Sympathy Pains, Triat, Virtuous Glow, Warrior Ideal (Savage Brute)

Epic Attributes - Epic Strength 10 (All Knacks), Epic Dexterity 5 (All Knacks from Scion: Hero, And the Crowd Goes Wild and Roll With It), Epic Stamina 10 (All Knacks), Epic Charisma 10 (All Knacks), Epic Manipulation 2 (Overt Order, Hard Sell), Epic Appearance 4 (Game Face, Center of Attention, My Eyes are Up Here, Doin' Fine), Epic Perception 2 (Subliminal Warning, In Your Dreams), Epic Intelligence 1 (Language Mastery), Epic Wits 3 (Opening Gambit, Between the Ticks, Monkey in the Middle, Cobra Reflexes, Rabbit Reflexes)

Ultimate Attribues - Ultimate Charisma, Ultimate Stamina, Ultimate Strength

Join Battle: 11

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 14, Damage 13L, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 13, Damage 16L, Parry DV 17, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 15, Damage 13L, Parry DV 19, Speed 4

Soak: 10A/52/57
Health Levels: -0x52/Incap

Dodge DV: 24
Willpower: 10
Legend: 12, Legend Points: 24

Notes: Though Gilgamesh has a number of weapons at his disposal given his new line of work, he still prefers to do battle with his bare hands. His Bracers of Strength make him all the more dangerous for this, granting him the ability to activate Disfiguring Attack for the cost of only 2 Legend instead of 5. He may also activate Divine Wrath for no cost. This is in addition to giving him access to War.

-Manticore
The manticore is a breed of fierced and feared chimera. Though many gods of the now defunct Persian pantheon once faced off against these creatures, the manticore has spread all over the Middle East, and indeed, all over the World. They have often come into contact with the Scions of the Annuna, as well as Scions of many other pantheons, especially the Dodekatheon and the Pesedjet.

The manticore is a large beast with the body of a lion, albeit one twice the size of a normal lion. Its tail is either that of a scropion or that of a spiny dragon. Both have been sighted among manticores and most gods who know such things typically identify them as two different breeds of the creatures. The true ferociousness of the manticore comes from its mouth, however.

Though the head of the manticore is shaped to look like that of a human's, it is human in shape only. Inside the mouth of the manticore is three rows of jagged shark's teeth, razor sharp and capable of biting through steel. Though the manticore's head appears human, it lacks humanoid intelligence, acting more like a cunning animal than anything.

Virtues: Ambition 1, Malice 4, Rapacity 3, Zealotry 1

Strength 12, Dexterity 6, Stamina 10
Charisma 0, Manipulation 0, Appearance 2
Perception 3, Intelligence 1, Wits 3

Athletics 4, Awareness 3, Brawl 3, Integrity 2, Investigation 2, Presence 3, Fortitude 3, Stealth 4, Survival 3

Supernatural Powers:
Epic Attributes - Epic Strength 3 (Holy Bound, Holy Rampage, Armor Crusher), Epic Dexterity 1 (Lightning Sprinter), Epic Stamina 2 (Damage Conversion, Self-Healing)

Thundering Voice - Manticores are known for their thunderous voices in addition to their assortment of natural weaponry and poisons. This thunderous voice may be focused at targets to knock them from their feet. The manticore rolls Strength + Presence. If the target possesses a Stamina + Fortitude less than the number of threshold successes, he must check for Knockdown and Knockback as usual (treat threshold successes as "damage" for purposes of determining the distance of the Knockback). Even if the target is not knocked down or back, he is still deafened for a number of turns equal to the number of successes minus the target's Stamina + Fortitude. This is a Speed 5 action with a DV penalty of -2 and may only be used against a single target at a time as the sound forms a tight beam that emanates from the manticore and strikes a single target.

Join Battle: 6

Attacks:
Bite - Accuracy 12, Damage 16L, Parry DV --, Speed 5
Claw - Accuracy 10, Damage 12L, Parry DV --, Speed 4
Tail - Accuracy 10, Damage 13L/16L*, Parry DV --, Speed 6
*If the manticore is of the scorpion-tailed breed, this attack additionally poisons the victim on a successful strike that does damage (treat as Titanspawn Venom, Scion: Hero, pg 182). If the manticore is of the dragon-tailed breed, add +3L Damage to the roll from sharp spines.

Soak: 2A/7L/12B
Health Levels: -0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/-4/Incap

Dodge DV: 9
Willpower: 7
Legend: 4, Legend Points: 16

Trophy: The trophy of the manticore comes form its tail. In the case of the scorpion-tailed breed, taking the poisoned barb at the end and incorporating it into a weapon (using either Arete [Craft] or some other appropriate means of creating divine items) grants the weapon the ability to poison targets as per Titanspawn Venom. In the case of the dragon-tailed breed of manticore incorporating the spiny barbs grants the weapon a +3L Damage on top of its normal damage rating.

-Lilitu
Servants of Anshar, the lilitu are more than simply demons of wind. They are lustful creatures who prey like vampires up on the sexual urges of their victims. However, while they are indeed titanspawn, it is not Anshar that spawned them. The first of the lilitu, indeed their queen, was a spawn of the great Titan of the Heavens, Anu.

Originally, before any alliance with the Annuna, Anu made Lamashtu and gave her authority over evil in the world. From her are spawned the race of demons known as the lilitu. They are mainly human in appearance, though their feet end in wickedly sharp talons like those of a bird of prey. Their hair, male and female alike, is long and untamed like the mane of a great lion. The lilitu are all capable of flight despite the lack of wings.

The lilitu exist simply as creatures of hunger and lust. They will slake their hungers for human flesh upon the elderly who are too old to breed with, the young who have not yet gone through puberty and anyone of the same sex as the lilitu. Sharp claws rend flesh and the beasts consume the meat to feed their hungers. Their other hungers are only slaked by members of the opposite sex. Male lilitu will seduce women, while female lilitu will lure men to their bed. Though freakish in appearance, both genders of lilitu have the capability to use illusion to make themselves appear normal and attractive.

This is both the way the lilitu replenish their Legend, and the way by which lilitu reproduce. Each time a lilitu couples with a being of the appropriate gender, the lilitu rolls its Legend rating. For each success, the victim takes one, unsoakable lethal damage and the lilitu regains one point of Legend. This process leaves the victims drained of life and exhausted, while it replenishes the lilitu.

If a being takes enough damage to die in this manner, then he rises again the next night, transformed into a lilitu himself and suffering all the normal restrictions and hungers that the lilitu suffer. It should be noted that while the lilitu are not the brightest of creatures, they are capable of speech and exhibit an animal cunning when seducing their prey or luring their victims to secluded spots.

The stats below, represent an average lilitu. They may certainly come more powerful, however, especially if of great age.

Virtues: Ambition 2, Malice 3, Rapacity 3, Zealotry 1

Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4
Charisma 4, Manipulation 5, Appearance 5
Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 4

Athletics 4, Awareness 3, Brawl 4, Empathy 4, Fortitude 5, Integrity 3, Investigation 2, Larceny 3, Presence 5, Stealth 3, Survival 4

Supernatural Powers:
Epic Attributes - Epic Strength 2 (Crushing Grip, Holy Bound), Epic Dexterity 3 (Perfect Partner, And the Crowd Goes Wild, Omnidexterity), Epic Stamina 2 (Holy Fortitude, Inner Furnace), Epic Manipulation 4 (god's Honest, Takes One to Know One, Stench of Guilt, Knowing Glance), Epic Appearance 4 (Come Hither, Meet Me Backstage, Lasting Impression, Dreadful Mien)

Flight - Despite a lack of wings, lilitu are creatures of the sky and the winds, capable of flying at 40 miles an hour outside of combat. In combat, lilitu multiply their normal movement rate by 5.

Illusion - Lilitu possess the ability to appear as perfectly normal and attractive humans. While appearing in this manner, their beauty may be used for attracting members of the opposite sex and their Epic Appearance is considered to be beauty. When NOT using this form, their Appearance represents their ability to intimidate and scare onlookers and their Epic Appearance is considered negative. While lilitu may learn Knacks of both types of Epic Appearance, their appearance at the time determines which Knacks are available. Lilitu possess only a single alternate face, choosing to appear either in their true forms, or in their attractive human form, but may not mimic any other faces.

Seduction - Lilitu may use their supernatural allure to seduce members of the opposite gender. While their Epic Manipulation and Epic Appearance serves nicely to lure their prey to them, lilitu also possess a natural charm which allows them to drive their targets into giving into their lusts so that the lilitu may take advantage of them. Lilitu use this power by making an Appearance + Presence roll and targets resist by rolling Willpower + Integrity + Legend. If the target fails to resist, he is overcome by his desires and will not resist the lilitu's advances.

Join Battle: 7

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 7, Damage 4B, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 7, Damage 9L, Parry DV 7, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 9, Damage 6L, Parry DV 8, Speed 4

Soak: 2A/4L/6B
Health Levels: -0x9/-2/Incap

Dodge DV: 10
Willpower: 6
Legend: 5, Legend Points: 25

Notes: Lilitu possess sharp talons on their feet and their fingertips which add a +1 Accuracy and a +2L Damage to unarmed attacks.

Trophy: The trophy for the lilitu is found in their hearts. Once the lilitu is killed, the heart turns to black stone within the cold chest. A Scion who possesses the heart of the lilitu is resistant to the tricks and deceptions of others, gaining a number of automatic successes on any Willpower + Integrity + Legend roll equal to the lilitu's Legend rating.

Lamashtu, Queen of the Lilitu
The lilitu are titanspawn, though not spawn of Anshar whom they serve now. The lilitu are the spawn of Lamashtu, their queen, who is in turn the daughter of Anu, head Avatar of the Titan of the Heavens. She was created to serve as the handmaiden of her sister, Ishtar, who had become one of the gods by then.

But Lamashtu did not wish to serve. Though under her human guise she seemed to serve Ishtar faithfully, she adopted a different form, more befitting her desired purpose, and went out into the nights to seduce her victims and slay those she had no interest in seducing. From these couplings were spawned the lilitu and eventually the Annuna discovered Lamashtu's secret activities.

They tried to command her to stop, but she would not obey. They tried to destroy her and she fled. They tried to forget about her, but she remembered. Eventually, driven from Dilmun and from the sight of the gods, Lamashtu came to serve Anshar, the fury of the raging winds. For Anshar, Lamashtu spread her creatures, her lilitu across the globe. When the Titans were locked away, Lamashtu went into hiding, but she continued to wander and fulfill her desires. Soon, she came to be known by another name: Lilith.

Now, with the Titans freed once more, Lamashtu has taken up her role in Anshar's plans. It was she who led the attack on An and drove the Annuna from their palaces and into Dilmun. With an army of lilitu at her back and squadrons of Hands of Aten coordinating with her, she was able to reclaim An in the name of the Titans.

So wishes now to see her father, Anu, once more and show him what she has done. So far, she has not been allowed admittance to the halls of Anu's palace.

In her true form, Lamashtu is a withered hag, wild hair framing her wrinkled face like an old lion's mane. Her skin is shrivelled like old leather and her flesh sags on her skin. Her feet are tipped in bird-like talons and her fingertips are jagged with claws. Unlike normal lilitu, however, Lamashtu is not stupid. She is actually rather intelligent and conniving. She considers herself in many ways to be an equal to the likes of Sinmore or Angrboda. Also, she is not limited to just a single face. With her mastery of Epic Appearance shapeshifting Knacks and Illusion, Lamashtu can appear as anyone she wishes to.

Virtues: Ambition 4, Malice 5, Rapacity 4, Zealotry 3

Strength 5, Dexterity 6, Stamina 6
Charisma 9, Manipulation 9, Appearance 10
Perception 6, Intelligence 8, Wits 6

Academics 4, Art 5 (many), Athletics 5, Awareness 4, Brawl 5, Command 5, Control 3 (automobile), Craft 4 (many), Empathy 5, Fortitude 5, Integrity 5, Investigation 3, Larceny 4, Marksmanship 3, Medicine 4, Melee 3, Occult 5, Politics 3, Presence 5, Science 1 (many), Stealth 3, Survival 4, Thrown 2

Supernatural Powers:
Boons - Anditote, Assess Health, Blessing of Health/Curse of Frailty, Bolster, Cradlesong, Control Aging, Dreamcraft, Dreamworld, Fantastic Vista, Fool's Gold, Heal/Infect, Hidden Name, Holy Font/Epidemic, Human Clay, Loaned Identity, Magic 8, Restore/Wither, Stolen Face, Subtle Knife, Virility/Muliebrity

Epic Attributes - Epic Strength 7 (All Knacks in Scion: Hero and Demigod), Epic Dexterity 8 (All Knacks in Scion: Hero and Demigod), Epic Stamina 7 (All Knacks in Scion: Hero and Demigod), Epic Manipulation 8 (All appropriate Knacks), Epic Appearance 9 (All Knacks)

Flight - Despite a lack of wings, Lamashtu is blessed by Anshar and is capable of flying at 40 miles an hour outside of combat. In combat, Lamashtu multiplies her normal movement rate by 5.

Seduction - Lamashtu may use her supernatural allure to seduce her targets. While her Epic Manipulation and Epic Appearance serves nicely to lure her prey to her, Lamashtu also possess a natural charm which allows her to drive her targets into giving into their lusts so that the Lamashtu may take advantage of them. Lamashtu uses this power by making an Appearance + Presence roll and targets resist by rolling Willpower + Integrity + Legend. If the target fails to resist, he is overcome by his desires and will not resist the Lamasthu's advances.

Soul Sucking - Lamashtu possesses the same ability as lilitu to drain her partners of life and Legend. Each night which she spends coupling with her target, male or female (and with her Epic Appearance shapeshifting Knacks, either are perfectly acceptable for her), she rolls her Legend rating. Each success causes one, unsoakable lethal damage to her targets while granting her one Legend point. Should her victims die in this manner, they rise the next night as lilitu.

Spells - All spells up to the level 8 level appropriate to her as well as any others the Storyteller may wish her to have.

Join Battle: 10

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 11, Damage 6L, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 12, Damage 13L, Parry DV 34, Speed 5, P
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 14, Damage 10L, Parry DV 35, Speed 4, P

Soak: 7A/25L/28B
Health Levels: -0x32/Incap

Dodge DV: 39
Willpower: 9
Legend: 9, Legend Points: 81

Notes: Lamashtu's claws are more dangerous than the claws of a simple lilitu. Her claws have Accuracy +2 and Damage +4L added to her unarmed attacks.

Trophy: Like a lilitu, the trophy for Lamashtu lies in her heart. Upon her death, her heart transforms into a blackened stone and can be removed to aid the user from resisting temptation and deception. Possession of the heart allows the user to add 9 automatic successes to all Willpower + Integrity + Legend rolls. Additionally, as a powerful general in Anshar's army, she is likely to possess a number of relics which Scions may make use of.

[dorkknight23]

--An - Titan of the Heavens--
The Titan of the Heavens represents authority and rulership in all its forms. When the full might of An is brought to bear, all enemies of the Titan submit to the rulership of An. Not even Aten can stand proud before the full might of the Greater Titan. However, since the original Titan War, it is rare that the three Avatars of the Greater Titan actually work together.

Before the original Titan War, it was An who ensured the submission of the gods to their Titan parents. There was rebellion, sure. But if the Titans could not put it down on their own, then the Greater Titan was brought to bear and supressed the uprising. Until Tiamat decided to destroy the entire Annuna pantheon. Then the Annuna approached Anu, convincing him to side with them. Tefnut chose as well to side with them. Only Atlas stood resolute in favor of the Titans.

But this division was all the gods needed. To say that the gods won the war because the Annuna brought the power of An to their side is a bit of an exaggeration (one the Annuna often make when talked to about the issue). What is true, however, is that if the Annuna had not divided the Avatars of An over the issue then the original war would never have happened. Once the war was going on, Anu and Tefnut actually did very little, but it kept the powers of the Greater Titan from snuffing out the rebellion.

Since the war, the Titanrealm of An has all but merged with the Annuna's realm of Dilmun. Since An and Tefnut sided with the gods, the Greater Titan was not imprisoned like the others. Atlas was imprisoned, bound in chains and forced to support the world within the heavens. But they were not cast into Tartarus with the others. The Annuna took it as their right to move into An and make their homes in its great cloud palaces. Anu, the dominant Avatar, allowed this.

Now that the Titans have returned from Tartarus, however, allegiences have changed. As tied as the Greater Titan is with the Annuna, many gods feel that the failures of the Annuna have left the Avatars of An hesitant to side with the gods once more. Regardless of their reasons, most of the Avatars of An have refused to take sides this time around. The exception is, of course, Atlas, who has once again sided with the Titans. Though without the full support of the other two Avatars, the Greater Titan's power still cannot be brought to bear.

Associated Powers: Guardian, Justice, Psychopomp, Sky, War
Banned Purviews: Chaos, Darkness

Prominent Features:
The outer reaches of An merge with Dilmun and serve as the cloud palaces of the Annuna. They are described in the discussion of Dilmun. Since the fall of An into the hands of Aten and Anshar, the clouds have grown thick around the Annuna's palaces, keeping the gods from entering and making passage through this area of An practically impossible.

Deeper within the Titan realm, the cloud palaces are more elaborate and detailed. There are only three palaces here, but they spire taller, grander and more expansive than any the gods might hold in the edges of the realm. Here in great fields of clouds rest three great palaces. The smallest of the three looks much like a Greek temple. It is a sprawling, lush creation. Plants and intricate architecture spread out among the vast palace halls. The central palace of this temple is composed of two great pillars which stand where once the imprisoned Avatar Atlas was held in place. Those pillars represent Atlas' freedom and allow him to roam once more, no longer bound to hold the heavens upon his shoulders.

On the far side of the inner reaches of An, distant from Atlas' palace, is the great Egyptian palace of Tefnut. Here, palm trees and reeds grow from the cloud ground. The ancient stone structure houses intricate paintings and architecture which date back to the most ancient days of Egypt. In the central chamber of the palace is where Tefnut holds court, sitting upon the throne with crown upon her head as she hears disputes before her.

Between the two temples, rising high above the others, is the great ziggurat palace of Anu. This one is by far the oldest and most intricate of the temple-palaces in An. Rising high above the cloud ground is the stepped pyramid, towering above it all. A broad, flat surface rests on top of it all, large enough to encompass an entire city on the peak of the temple.

Buildings and structures of various sorts abound on top of the pyramid. Rising above them all are three thrones. Two of them can often be found unoccupied, as those thrones are there for Tefnut and Atlas to sit upon when the three Avatars must deal with matters together. The third throne, rising high above the others, is never empty. For there Anu sits, towering above it all as he surveys everything before him. His beared face looks tired and ragged. And his sparkling eyes have seen happier days. Still, he sits with a regal nobility and treats all matters brought before him with wisdom.

Other, smaller structures can be found spread out through the vast cloud reaches of An. Titanspawn of An take up space here, as well as the resident guests from Akhetaten and Ehekatoyaatl.

While many Greater Titans may possess aspects which make them naturally inhospital to the gods, An is not one of those antagonistic realms. There are no burning flames and choking lack of oxygen here. No storms to ravage the body or burning desert sands to blind the eyes. An exists purely as a splendid realm with solid clouds and the palaces of Titans.

Passages:
Once, getting to An was perhaps the easiest of trips. Simply find one of the few Axis Mundi which remain tied to Dilmun, such as the ancient cedar trees in Lebanon, and then travel through the cloud plains from Dilmun and deeper into An. That passage is currently closed, however. If it were still open then the Annuna would not have the issues they have today.

Now, the best way to access An is to travel through other Greater Titans. Akhetaten provides the best access. Aten would have nothing without the power of absolute authority. Some have even speculated that An exists as a sub-realm of Akhetaten, though nothing of the sort has been proven. Regardless, one must travel up within the Greater Titan of Light. Whether it's a sub-realm or not, Aten has a vested interest in maintaining power over it now. By finding the pillar of light at the top of Rashith ha-Gilgalim and following it into the sky (requiring flight of some sort), clouds swirl around the traveller, and soon, he will find himself able to set foot on those clouds as if they were solid ground. From there, he can simply walk deeper into An and reach the palaces of the Avatars.

Additionally, the realm of Ehekatoyaatl provides access to An. By travelling through the clouds and storms to the edge of the realm where the storms grow tame and the clouds get stable, the order and harmony of the realm allows the traveller to find entrance into An. Here, the clouds become solid enough to walk on, and with enough travel one can find the palaces of the Avatars of An.

Other Greater Titans are rumored to provide access via other means, though none are more closely connected to the ideas of the heavens and authority than the Titans of Light and Sky.

Finally, various mountain regions in the World may provide access to An. Not sealed away as the other Titans were, An still bears some connection to the World itself. Climbing to the peak of the tallest mountain in a great range of mountians allows the traveller to peer into the heavens. Up there, surrounded by clouds, the traveller can spend a point of Legend and step out onto those clouds to find them solid, letting him walk deeper into the Titanrealm. In this way, Heracles was able to meet Atlas and convince him to retrieve the apples from the Hesperides for him without having to travel through Dilmun while the other Titans were imprisoned.

-Anu
The father of many of the Annuna, glorious, bearded Anu represents the power of authority itself. He is every king, every tyrant, every emporer, every president who has ever led humanity. He represents the ruler, the power of the one to rule over others. It is no coincidence that the great authorities among the Titans and gods bear similarities to Anu. Ouranos. Aten. Zeus. Odin. Quetzalcoatl. All the regal, bearded figure who rule over others and all bearing echoes of the ultimate authority: Anu.

During the original war, Anu sided with his children in the Annuna and turned against the other Titans. While this kept the Titans from being able to call upon the Greater Titan of the Heavens for aid, it did not do too much else. Anu's personal power only goes so far with Atlas turned against him and other Titans standing in his way.

Since then, however, he has watched his children withdraw, turn inward and ultimately forsake the land and people he had chosen them to rule over. They have forsaken the gifts that his allegiance to them once bestowed upon them. Still, he hasn't completely given up on them yet. He has allowed the forces of Aten and Anshar to sweep into An and drive the Annuna out. But he has not officially chosen sides. He sits now, watching and waiting to see what the gods can make of themselves now.

Anu has a dice pool of 24 for all actions and he favors Social Attributes above all others, prefering to rule over his enemies and subjugate them to his divine authority.

Virtues: Ambition 5, Malice 2, Rapacity 1, Zealotry 5

Supernatural Powers:
Avatars - The Arbiter, The General, The Storm
Boons - Every one- to eight-dot Boon from every Purview except Chaos and Darkness, which are forbidden to him. Anu has all Boons from the Justice, Melam, Sky and War Purviews.
Epic Attributes - Epic Social Attributes at the 10-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks). All other Epic Attributes at the eight-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks).

Join Battle: 24

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 24, Damage 13L, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 23, Damage 16L, Parry DV 40, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 25, Damage 13L, Parry DV 42, Speed 4

Soak: 8A/34L/39B
Health Levels: -0x40/Incap

Dodge DV: 47
Willpower: 10
Legend: 12, Legend Points: 144

Other Notes: None

-Tefnut
Lioness-headed Tefnut, wife of Shu, once served to separate Geb from his lover, Nut. She made way for Shu, the air, to flow between heaven and earth. Later, when she sided with the gods in the Titan War, she fled from her husband Shu. Though he eventually caught him, the two have been estranged ever since, especially with Shu locked away in Tartarus with the rest of Ehekatoyaatl. With Shu's return, his relationship with Tefnut remains cold and distant.

If Anu represents the ruler himself, then Tefnut represents the division between the ruler and the ruled. She represents the fact that though rulers exist, there are also those to be ruled. With the rulers and the ruled in place, Tefnut represents the fact that the two classes are different and not to be confused.

In the new War, Tefnut has sided with the Titans this time. Like Anu, she feels betrayed by the actions of the Annuna, and with her own family, the Pesedjet. She sees the gods as having blurred the line between ruler and ruled. And with Atlas' urging, she has thrown in her lot with the Titans this time around. She does not wish to destroy the gods, however, only to see that they are once again subjugated and return to where they belong.

Tefnut has a dice pool of 20 for all actions and favors Mental Attributes, using her vast knowledge of philosophy and ethics to justify her position in the metaphysical hierarchy.

Virtues: Ambition 3, Malice 2, Rapacity 1, Zealotry 4

Supernatural Powers:
Avatars - The Arbiter, The Beast, The Way
Boons - Every one- to eight-dot Boon in every Purview except Chaos and Darkness which are denied her. Additionally, Tefnut possesses every Boon to the 10-dot level in Animal (Lion), Justice and Psychopomp.
Epic Attributes - Tefnut possesses Mental Attributes to the 10-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks). Additionally, she possesses all other Epic Attributes to the eight-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks).

Join Battle: 20

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 20, Damage 11L, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 19, Damage 14L, Parry DV 38, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 21, Damage 11L, Parry DV 40, Speed 4
Rod of Separation - Accuracy 22, Damage 14B, Parry DV 40, Speed 6

Soak: 8A/34L/39B
Health Levels: -0x38/Incap

Dodge DV: 44
Willpower: 9
Legend: 10, Legend Points: 100

Other Notes: Though she does not prefer physical action, her Rod of Separation uses the typical stats for a bo if used in combat.

-Atlas
Known by many humans as the Titan who holds the World on his shoulders, that description isn't quite accurate. During the original Titan War, it was Atlas who sided with the Titans and prevented the gods from being able to bring the power of the Titans to bear. When the gods won the war, Atlas could not be confined to Tartarus with the other Titans since An was to be left free. Instead, Atlas was bound and forced to hold up the heavens for all eternity.

Eventually, Heracles journeyed through a mountain entrance to An and encountered Atlas. After Atlas aided him, though he tried to trick Heracles into taking on his role, Heracles still felt pity for him. Looping Atlas' chains through two pillars that were erected in his place, Atlas was set free once more. Free at last, Atlas set about spreading dissent among An. He pointed out every fault of the gods, every injustice they committed against their followers. Eventually, he won over Tefnut and once again ensured a division in An.

If Tefnut represents the division between the ruler and the ruled, then Atlas represents the link they still share. The ruler cannot exist without the ruled. Without he support of those beneath, authority means nothing. And that is where Atlas comes in. He is the support of the masses. He is the power which upholds the authority of heaven and the might of the assembled. Without the support of Atlas, authority means nothing.

Atlas has a dice pool of 20 for all actions and favors Physical Attributes. He prefers to use brute force and raw power to accomplish his goals.

Virtues: Ambition 3, Malice 4, Rapacity 1, Zealotry 3

Supernatural Powers:
Avatars - The General, The Sentinel, The Shaper
Boons - Atlas possesses every one- to eight-dot Boon in every Purview except Chaos and Darkness. Additionally, Atlas possesses every Boon to the 10-dot level for the Earth, Guardian and War Purviews.
Epic Attributes - Atlas possesses Epic Physical Attributes to the 10-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks). He also possesses every other Epic Attribute to the eight-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks).

Join Battle: 20

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 20, Damage 11L, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 19, Damage 14L, Parry DV 55, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 21, Damage 11L, Parry DV 57, Speed 4

Soak: 10A/51L/56B
Health Levels: -0x55/Incap

Dodge DV: 61
Willpower: 9
Legend: 10, Legend Points: 100

Other Notes: None



--Lesser Servants of An--
An possesses very little in the way of unique creatures. Mainly because the creatures of An now serve the Annuna in the capacity as lesser immortals. The Apkallu or Sebittu used to be known as the servants of An. But in their centuries of service to the Annuna, many of them have left behind their titanspawn roots and gone on to serve the gods instead.

However, there are still plenty of Sebittu who serve the Avatars of An instead. Apkallu, griffin-demons and djinn may all be found within the realm of An. The girtablilu are the only ones not to be found within An as they were created by Tiamat, not An, and all remaining girtablilu serve the Annuna exclusively.

To represent these immortals loyal to An, use the same stats as the Guides above, but they do not actually have access to the Melam Purview. Instead, they possess the Radiant Template which manifests similar powers in a more limited fashion. Until recently, there was little difference between these Titan-loyal Sebittu and the god-loyal ones. The gods and the residents of An lived in near harmony.

Since the siege and the removal of the Annuna from An, the division has become more pronounced as the two factions ally against each other in the war. The Titan-loyal Sebittu now ally themselves side-by-side with the Hands of Aten and lilitu who patrol the borders of An to keep the Annuna and other gods out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Radiant Template--

The power of An represents by making those touched by the Greater Titan more commanding and imposing. Those who possess the Radiant Template, by their very nature, encourage others to submit. In order to oppose a being with the Radiant Template in any way, another being with Legend must roll Willpower + Integrity + Legend at a difficutly of the Radiant being's Legend. If the would-be attacker fails, he cannot attack the Radiant being that action. Once the attacker succeeds, he is free to act against the Radiant being for the rest of the scene.

Additionally, when a Radiant being gives a command, he may choose to spend a point of Legend to empower that command with divine authority. The Radiant being rolls Charisma + Command to give the order and those commanded must roll Willpower + Integrity + Legend to resist. If the resistance roll is successful, then targets may spend a Willpower to ignore the given command. Finally, the Radiant being does not roll dots in Command. Rather, a Radiant's level of the Command Ability is treated as automatic successes.

Radiant creatures are especially susceptible to Boons from the Chaos Purview, for chaos defies all authority. Chaos-related Boons, effects and the like gain an additional bonus to their dice pool equal to the number of dots of their power. For example, a three dot Chaos Boon gains three extra dice to its roll, as does a four dot Creature who uses a chaos-based attack on the Radiant titanspawn.

However, creatures using Justice or War Boons against the Radiant suffer the opposite effect, losing dice from their pool equal to that particular power's number of dots. Both the power of justice and the authority of the general represent the power of An. Using these powers against the Radiant creatures is practically moot.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



--Other Titans--
-Tiamat
The most ancient of Avatars belongs to the Drowned Road. Older than even many of the other Titans, Tiamat is the power of the seas. She does not represent drowning, or predators or dangerous allure. Tiamat is pure power. She is the tsunami, the water spout and the whirlpool. She is the crushing might of moving water.

Long ago, in the battle with Marduk, she was presumed to have been destroyed. And that's exactly what her husband Apsu wished for the Annuna to believe. As Tiamat represented the power of the sea, her husband Apsu was the slow, dissolving erosion of the river. Apsu had already been defeated and bound in chains by the Annuna. Tiamat's efforts to destroy them redoubled under their affront. But as Marduk struck the killing blow, Apsu broke free, and assumed the Flood to sweep his wife to safety. The unleashing of the Avatar led everyone to believe that it had been Tiamat's death throes. It wasn't until much later, after the Titans were imprisoned, that the Annuna realized Tiamat still lived and that Apsu had sacrificed his existance to save her.

Tiamat does not have a single shape. She manifests as an amorphous being of flowing water that assumes a humanoid shape. Occasionally, human features may be recognizable, such as a neck and a head showing itself, or a ribbed torso becoming visible. Sometimes lips may form into a cruel smile or a leg or arm emerge from the water. Rarely does she take a solid form often. Tiamat has a dice pool of 22 for all actions and favors Physical Attributes, loving to crush and destroy her victims.

Virtues: Ambition 2, Malice 5, Rapacity 4, Zealotry 3

Supernatural Powers:
Avatars - The Beast, The Flood
Boons - Tiamat possesses every one- to eight-dot Boon in all Purviews except Earth and Fire which are denied her. Additionally, she possesses every Boon to the 10-dot level in the Animal (Serpent) and Water Purviews.
Epic Attributes - Tiamat possesses Epic Physical Attributes to the 10-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks). She possesses all other Epic Attributes to the eight-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks).
Watery Form - Tiamat maintains a constant watery body. Consider her to be using the Water Boon, Liquid Form, at all times. Tiamat is literally unable to turn this Boon off and must maintain her watery form, with all the benefits and limitations thereof.

Join Battle: 22

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 22, Damage 12L, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 21, Damage 15L, Parry DV 56, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 23, Damage 12L, Parry DV 58, Speed 4

Soak: 10A/52L/57B
Health Levels: -0x52/Incap

Dodge DV: 63
Willpower: 9
Legend: 11, Legend Points: 121

Other Notes: None

-Anshar
Anshar, primal Avatar of the raging winds, is a devoted follower of the more powerful Huracan. He is ancient and powerful, father of Anu who in turn fathered most of the Annuna. He is the first wind that moved through the air at the beginning of it all. He represents the "sky axle," or the very principle of the weather. While many Titans represent certain facets of the sky and the weather, Anshar represents their capacity to interact.

Anshar is devoutly loyal to Huracan and wishes only to see Ehekatoyaatl victorious over the Atzlanti and the rest of the gods. In an effort to accomplish Huracan's wishes, Anshar led the assault upon An, wishing to regain something that was lost during the original Titan War: The Authority for the Titans to rule. To this end, he conscripted the power of the titanspawn Lamashtu and her children the lilitu to aid him.

Anshar manifests as a powerful Middle Eastern man, with beard and clothes composed of he clouds and wind. His eyes flash with lightning and cunning. He has a dice pool of 22 dice and prefers to use Mental Attributes to out-think and out-plan his opponents.

Virtues: Ambition 3, Malice 3, Rapacity 2, Zealotry 5

Supernatural Powers:
Avatars - The Storm, The Void, The Way
Boons - Anshar possesses every Boon to the eight-dot level in all Purviews except Darkness and Earth which are forbidden him. Additionally, he possesses all Boons to the 10-dot level in the Chaos, Psychopomp and Sky Boons.
Epic Attributes - Anshar has all Epic Mental Attributes to the 10-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks). Additionally, he possesses all other Epic Attributes to the eight-dot level (with all appropriate Knacks).

Join Battle: 22

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 22, Damage 12L, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 21, Damage 15L, Parry DV 39, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 23, Damage 12L, Parry DV 41, Speed 4

Soak: 8A/35L/40B
Health Levels: -0x35/Incap

Dodge DV: 46
Willpower: 8
Legend: 11, Legend Points: 121

Other Notes: None

-Kishar
Wife of Anshar, Kishar is an ancient Avatar of Terra. She represents the protective aspects of motherhood. Most of the Avatars represent the act of birthing and reproduction itself. But Kishar represents what comes after. She is the reason that Gaia is so protective of her children the Gigantes and Hekatonkheire.

However, as the protective mother, and mother of the Annuna pantheon, she has also sided with the gods both in their previous war and in the new one. For that, she was imprisoned, deep within the earthly bowels of Terra, locked away in chains of earth and stone. Which may have been for the best with the gods, since while she represents protection, she can, in fact, be overprotective. The gods would never have been freed of her womb and allowed to fight their war if Gaia had not bound her.

Were Kishar ever to be freed, she might form a unique ally to the gods. Though how she could aid them without being imprisoned again herself is a bit of a Catch 22. For Kishar does not wish to be imprisoned within Tartarus once more. She wishes to be free to watch over her children who would have her locked away again.

Kishar is a motherly woman, almost grandmotherly even. She is old enough to have kids who have grown and young enough to still protect them with the strength and vibrancy of youth. She appears as a Middle Eastern woman of exceptional beauty despite her age. Kishar has a dice pool of 20 and prefers Social Attributes, using her charm and motherly grace to inspire loyalty in others.

Virtues: Ambition 3, Malice 2, Rapacity 1, Zealotry 5

Supernatural Powers:
Avatars - The Green, The Scourge/The Savior, The Shaper
Boons - Every one- to eight-dot Boon in all Purviews except for the Death and Sky Purviews which are denied her. Additionally, Kishar possesses all Boons to the 10-dot level in the Earth, Fertility and Health Purviews.
Epic Attributes - Kishar possesses Epic Social Attributes to the 10-dot level with all appropriate Knacks. She possesses all other Epic Attributes at the eight-dot level with all appropriate Knacks.

Join Battle: 20

Attacks:
Clinch - Accuracy 20, Damage 11L, Parry DV --, Speed 6, P
Unarmed, Heavy - Accuracy 19, Damage 14L, Parry DV 38, Speed 5
Unarmed, Light - Accuracy 21, Damage 11L, Parry DV 40, Speed 4

Soak: 8A/34L/39B
Health Levels: -0x35/Incap

Dodge DV: 44
Willpower: 7
Legend: 10, Legend Points: 100

Other Notes: None