|
So I'm in the middle of getting my list of prominent deities and demigods for my homebrew frontier game and realized how perfectly the archdevil Barbatos would fit into the setting. The problem I have is that I want an evocative moniker or alternate title that his cults refer to him as rather then by his given name that fits to him but I cannot for the life of me pull one that I like.
Right now I'm looking for a name that focuses on his aspects as a lord of magic, witchcraft, and perverted natural order; something a dark druidic, cult degraded witch cult, or fearful and desperate townfolk would invoke to protect themselves from nature or harness it's dark and Darwinian power. Second I would really love it to play up his elderly and humble facade so that it creates that juxtaposition between a harmless elder and horrible elder thing prophet.
The current new names I've been toying around with are
Father Willow
Father Mistletoe
The Witchworm
Any ideas or critiques would be greatly appreciated as well as your own ideas.
|
I'd up it to Grandfather Willow. 'Father' sounds more like a title a naturalistic fertility patron like Cernunnos or Herne might end up with, while 'Grandfather' sounds even kindlier and more harmless, IMO.
If you want to keep it sinister, and play with the juxtaposition of 'harmless' and 'creepy,' you could go with 'Grandfather Wormwood,' and he present as a kindly old keeper of ancient lore and 'the old ways,' allowing his followers to tap into natural cycles of the world (including sometimes unpleasant natural ways, like the cruelty of the predator or the decay of autumn or the cold, white death that comes with winter).
|
|
I'd up it to Grandfather Willow. 'Father' sounds more like a title a naturalistic fertility patron like Cernunnos or Herne might end up with, while 'Grandfather' sounds even kindlier and more harmless, IMO.
If you want to keep it sinister, and play with the juxtaposition of 'harmless' and 'creepy,' you could go with 'Grandfather Wormwood,' and he present as a kindly old keeper of ancient lore and 'the old ways,' allowing his followers to tap into natural cycles of the world (including sometimes unpleasant natural ways, like the cruelty of the predator or the decay of autumn or the cold, white death that comes with winter).
I like that man, it also plays into all the worm themes that seem to come up with his bio. Problem is part of me still wants to find some way to keep the willow references in there somehow especially considering their cultural connection to death, how iconic it is to barbatos, and how well they just gel together.
That being said the idea of associating him as well with one of the key ingredients in absinthe also entices the hell out of me...
God this archdevil has too many fun ways to use him!
|
|
His holy symbol could include a willow tree, with something tangled up in the roots (representing the dark and buried secrets that nature and 'the old ways' hides from modern folk).
That way, without 'willow' in the name, you still get to keep some willow iconography, and secrets buried in the dirt add another 'worm' association.
|
|
His holy symbol could include a willow tree, with something tangled up in the roots (representing the dark and buried secrets that nature and 'the old ways' hides from modern folk).
That way, without 'willow' in the name, you still get to keep some willow iconography, and secrets buried in the dirt add another 'worm' association.
Hmmm, maybe though I really do like the standard Barbatos symbol. Hmmm maybe the 3 eyes glowing out from amongst the roots.