Sgrios Shambler

There was once a valiant warrior; the pride of his village. By the strength of his arm and the steel of his courage the town was saved from many a horrid fate. Each time he was able to stave off disaster, his ego would swell. The elders brought him gifts of gold, the priests brought him powerful amulets and rings, the maidens gave of their bodies what a man values more than gold and power. The village leaned heavily on this boy, and, while he was happy to lend his particular talents to the preservation of his village, each wave of terror corrupted his kind heart bit by bit. Each gold coin he earned in the employ of the elders set a monetary expectation; he began visiting the church after his exploits and asking for his reward. When the young women soured on his demeanor, he began to take by force what they would not give. Appreciation turned to ask; ask turned to demand and demand gave way to force. Within years the village savior had become the evil he had sworn to protect agains...

It is comforting for us to know that the gods watch over us, that they walk among us, that we are cared for by something larger than ourselves. Here, in this forsaken place, we are shrouded in the eternal protection of Lord Sgrios; he who knows death as a subordinate. When I see a felled tree pitted by worms, when I see the dead of yesterday’s hunt nurture the land with their festering bodies, when those I love fail to take another breath I know he lives, and when I am spared from such a grisly fate, my faith in Him is rewarded. His presence is strong and pervasive in our world, and rarely am I ever far from a reminder of His great gifts. But faith is a currency spent in more institutions than this holy shrine, and it is one that accumulates at a glacial pace and diminishes as water in the desert. What do we do, then, when our faith is lost? We, followers of Sgrios, are blessed to dedicate ourselves to such a powerful god, yet there were others -- gods who predate those of our curr...