Hecate

Name	Hecate
Race	Goddess
Type	Dark Goddess
Faction	Independent
Premiere	Desideratum: Blood Bonds
Relative(s)	None Applicable

Hecate

"I am Hecate, the goddess of the moon, and I sense the dark one within you."

Biography

Hecate or Hekate (/ˈhɛk.ə.ti/; Ancient Greek: Ἑκάτη, Hekátē) is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches or a key, and in later periods, depicted in triple form. She is variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, night, light, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, ghosts, necromancy, and sorcery. Her earliest appearance in literature was in Hesiod's Theogony in the last third part of the 8th century BCE as a Titan goddess of great honor with domains in sky, earth, and sea. Her place of origin is debated by scholars, but she had popular followings amongst the witches of Thessaly and an important sanctuary among the Carians of Asia Minor in Lagina.

Hecate was one of several deities worshiped in ancient Athens as a protector of the oikos (household), alongside Zeus, Hestia, Hermes, and Apollo. In the post-Christian writings of the Chaldean Oracles (2nd–3rd century CE) she was also regarded with (some) rulership over earth, sea, and sky, as well as a more universal role as Savior (Soteira), Mother of Angels and the Cosmic World Soul. Regarding the nature of her cult, it has been remarked, “she is more at home on the fringes than in the center of Greek polytheism. Intrinsically ambivalent and polymorphous, she straddles conventional boundaries and eludes definition.” This sums up the dark goddess well. In truth, she is a goddess of the moon, of witches, and of nature itself. When Absinthe Van Gothen came into Oregon’s Forest National Park, she found a battle taking place between the plague witches and Baba Yaga as they fought against the nature spirits and the dryad, Draeope.

Abby had followed the Night Stalkers, Sani Lightfoot and Katerina Mordova, and while searching for them, she found her way barred by wisps. She then eventually found a moonstone that had been carved by the local group of nature witches known as druids. This stone was for the worship of and communication with the goddess Hecate. When Absinthe approached the stone, moonlight shone brightly through a hole atop it, and Hecate’s voice filled her head. She bid Absinthe to prove that even though she wore the Blood Suit, forged from the cursed blood of Vlad Țepeș, that she was stronger than the evil that surrounded her body. If Abby could restore balance to the area, gain the blessing of the fairy queen, and return, then she would be blessed by Hecate and the wisps would allow her passage. The monster hunter set out and managed to complete all these tasks, gaining the blessings of the goddess. Eventually, she managed to defeat Baba Yaga and return balance to the woods.

Abilities

• Powerful Shadow Magic
• Dark Blessings