Teshub

Origin:

His creation a bizarre event, Teshub is an immortal. While both of his fathers are Anunnaki, he is not regarded as such, at least by either of them. Nonetheless, despite his position as an outsider, he has carved a place of authority in numerous pantheons of gods.

Known Powers:

Immortality: possessing a legendary origin, Teshub is a divine entity. He can be reduced to zero Health and Fortitude, but will eventually return to plague his foes no matter how terribly they harm him. His immortality also grants these related, divine powers:

* Awe: though not considered one of the Anunnaki, both of Teshub's parents ruled that pantheon of gods for a time. As such, he may have the ability to expose his divine life force, or melammu, overwhelming mortals who fail a Willpower ACTION against rank value 75.

* Boon: Teshub readily shares his power, whether related to snakes or storms. He can do so with rank value 75 ability, bolstering spells with an applicable focus or nature, and directly fuels Bashmu, Body Armor, Detoxification, and Weather Control entreaty spells.

* Faith: the ruler of numerous divine pantheons, albeit relatively small ones, Teshub wields this power as a general matter of course. He can use it to produce virtually any effect, assuming he has the energy of faith with which to fuel it, with rank value 75 ability.

Animal Control / Reptiles: the Master of Dragons, Teshub may command them, and similar creatures, as he sees fit. He possesses this power at rank value 50, and while not as potent as Ninazu's control of scaly things, Teshub does pretty well with his bashmu.

Body Armor: his skin taking on a green, scaly aspect upon earning some command over the power of the Serpent's Mount, Teshub now possesses some inherent protection from injury. This rank value 20 power provides him defense against assault as follows:

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Detoxification: associated with dragons and serpents, Teshub is often implored to spare others the ill effects of their venom. He can in fact provide such relief with rank value 40 ability, removing poisons and contaminants of all types from the bodies of others.

Weather Control: a god of the storm, Teshub possesses complete command of the weather. And, while having rank value 100 mastery of meteorological concerns, Teshub primarily uses this power to cast thunderbolts at his many enemies, monstrous or otherwise.

Limitations / Enhancements:

(none)

Equipment:

Bashmu: while Tiamat was the original creator of bashmu, Teshub has used the power of the Serpent's Mount to breed more of these creatures. Horned, crested, and winged snakes with the forelegs of a lion, bashmu are dangerous monsters, as described in their own entry.

Bow: often used to slay foes at a staggering range, Teshub can fire arrows from this weapon that inflict up to his Brawn value in Piercing damage. Unless his arrows are of a sufficient material value, however, they are generally somewhat less effective.

Helmet: a warrior god, Teshub doesn't mess around. While he does not resort to wearing armor, he nonetheless possesses a horned helm that he utilizes in battle. This implement bolsters the body armor his cranium benefits from against all damage types by +1 RS.

Mace: when it's time to get up close and personal, Teshub will readily bash foes with his mace. Made from magical, MV 100 materials, Teshub can use this weapon to inflict his Brawn +1 RS in Bashing damage, a devastating blow with his physical power.

Quirks:

Abnormal Attribute: barring the use of faith to change his appearance, Teshub is clearly somewhat serpentine in aspect. The green, scaly skin is hard to miss, after all. Looking reptilian in nature, Teshub cannot readily pass as normal - not that he usually cares to.

Skills:

Bows: the weapon which ultimately earned him the title Master of Dragons, Teshub is a competent bowman. Whether long or short, or even a crossbow, Teshub may strike his targets wielding such weapons as though his Coordination was +1 RS in value.

Animal Handling: despite his own, impossible origins, Teshub has learned the ins and out of animal breeding and care, particularly where his precious bashmu are concerned. He may resolve ACTIONs applicable to such matters as if his Intellect was +1 RS in value.

Skill / Maces: when foes are too close to smite with an arrow or a thunderbolt, or when he just wishes to bash a body into paste, Teshub will bring his mighty mace to bear. He may strike with such weapons as if his Melee was +1 RS higher than is listed above.

Contacts:

Teshub has saved numerous peoples, and their associated deities, from mighty monsters - sometimes with aid, but often by himself. As such, he is on excellent terms with most Mesopotamian gods and mortals - save, of course, for the one who despises him: Enlil.

Costume:

A master of the weather, Teshub wore minimal clothing, for he could be as hot or as cold as he wished. He generally relied upon a split, fringed skirt, a sash instead of a belt, leather sandals, a brilliant white tunic, a horned helm, and various ornamental jewels.

Personality:

Created as a direct result of a feud between two powerful deities, Teshub was born with conflict in his heart. A powerful storm god, Teshub is also a mighty warrior, and can readily defeat most foes even without the use of his lighting bolts or bashmu dragons.

Similarly, being resident in over a half dozen pantheons, each of which viewed him differently, Teshub is conflicted in both demeanor and behavior. His many worshipers expect a lot of different things from him, so one never quite knows which Teshub they will encounter.

Real Name: Teshub
Occupation: god of storms, Master of Dragons
Legal Status: deity associated with numerous pantheons, leading some and simply hiding out in others
Marital Status: married
Alias(es), if any: Taru (Hattian), Tarkhunz (Luwian), Tarkhunna (Hittite), Teisheba (Urartu), Tishpak (Babylonian)
Group Affiliation: the Hattian deities, the Luwian deities, the Hittite deities, the Hurrian deities, the Urartian deities, the deities of Babylon (though not officially as a member of either the Anunnaki or the Igigi).

Height: 6' 6"
Hair: brown
Eyes: green
Weight: 250 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: as his sphere of influence acquired a serpentine bent, while assuming the name of Tishpak, Teshub acquired green, scaly skin. He wore his hair, beard, and moustache quite long, as was the style of the time.

Story:

As they lost power, the Anunnaki's former leaders set up shop running new pantheons. Anshar, under the alias of Alulu, attempted to found a new legacy when Anu took over the family domain. In time, however, Anu was in turn supplanted in rulership by his son, Enlil (Kumarbi).

Ambitious like his father, Anu deposed him anew, consigning him to the depths, in Nungal's underworld prison. When Enlil's original rule was disrupted by Tiamat's assault on the gods, and the subsequent ascension of Marduk, Enlil decided to steal Anu's second throne.

Anu refused to go down without a fight, though when things ultimately turned against him, he attempted to flee. Not having that, Enlil pursued his father, and in the resultant knock-down, drag-out battle, Enlil viciously bit off his father's genitals - and swallowed them whole!

While defeated, Anu had the last laugh, as his severed genitals were still functional! Gloating that Enlil was now pregnant, Anu chuckled as his son attempted to disgorge both his father's bits and his divine seed, and while he expelled two deities, Enlil was too late for one.

The problem was that Enlil is ill-equipped to give birth to anything, much less another deity! As such, holy surgeons debated from where to extract his and Anu's child, and upon deciding upon the least humiliating place to do so, the mighty Teshub, god of the storm, was born!

While Enlil demanded his son be presented to him, so he might consume the abomination, Teshub was protected by those who birthed him. Swaddling a stone and giving it to Enlil, they thus saved the son he himself had given birth to, and helped him to grow up in relative safety.

Meanwhile, Enlil had once again decided to destroy humanity, tiring of their endless, raucus ruckus, and plotted their untimely end once more. Since his flood failed to destroy mankind, no thanks to a meddling Enki, he tried something different this time: he would use monsters!

Drawing forth one of sundered Tiamat's creatures, the bashmu known as Labbu, Enlil cast it into the sky, and enlarged it to an irrational degree. Now fifty leagues in length, Labbu began its homicidal onslaught, rampaging throughout the domains of humanity.

Dreading a repeat of Tiamat's war against the gods, the Anunnaki all gathered at the feet of Sin, the moon god and Enlil's first-born son, begging for aid. They implored Sin to find a champion who could end this threat, before all of their mortal servants were slain.

Having journeyed to Babylon during his formative years, Teshub was acting under the name Tishpak, primarily to avoid conflict with his father, Enlil. But Enki, the crafty god, knew Teshub's true identity - and knew that he was the perfect god to go about slaying dragons.

Once again subverting his brother's efforts, Enki whispered secrets in Teshub's ear, letting him know what he knew, and how he could use his abilities to defeat Labbu. Brandishing his power over the storm, Teshub then seized Labbu in mid-air, and felled it with a single arrow!

Falling to the ground near Eshunna, Labbu's corpse bled for three years, three months, and a day. In thanks for his heroic action, the gods allowed Teshub (as Tishpak) rulership of that city, displacing Ninazu by making him its king as well as the Master of Dragons.

Inheriting a portion of the power intrinsic to the Serpent's Mount as he took some of Ninazu's domain, Teshub seized some of that deity's mushkhusshu for his own. While they were perfectly fine beasts, however, Teshub knew that Marduk would eventually claim them for his own.

As such, while the getting was good, Teshub journeyed to the Serpent's Mount, deep within Irkalla, and used what power he held over that magical location to breed a fresh brood of bashmu. And these dragons, they were under the command of him and him alone.

Teshub remained in Eshunna until it vanished into the sands of time. He then returned home, and confronted Enlil much as he, himself, had Anu. Having the assistance of his grand/father Anu, who wished vengeance upon Enlil for unmanning him, Teshub ultimately proved victorious!

Now lord of the Hurrian deities, Teshub was charged with their protection. Though mighty, defending his subjects proved difficult, for Enlil was intent on destroying him and seizing his second kingship once more. And Enlil waged his war with terrible monsters!

Against Khedammu, Teshub proved victorious with the aid of Ishtar, goddess of love and war. Against Illuyanka, Teshub won after an initial defeat, thanks to the aid of his son, Sharruma. And against Ullikummi, Teshub ultimately prevailed with the assistance of mighty Enki.

His feats legendary, Teshub grew to be a part of several other pantheons of gods, much as his fathers have. The Hattians knew him as Taru, the Luwians called him Tarkhunz, the Hittites worshipped him as Tarkhunna, and the Urartians identified him as Teisheba.

In time, Enlil abandoned his grudge, or at least left to knock over an easier kingdom: Assyria. As it turned out, Enlil was wise in this decision, as the Hurrian people and their gods were soon lost, scattered to the winds, and absorbed by other lands.

How Teshub fared after this, much less his ultimate fate, is as of yet unrevealed.

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