Ere

Unlike the other island gods, Ere is not seen as a single presence. All of the Ere host a small part of her power, which is returned to her upon their death. The more spirits a person owns, the closer they are to wielding her true power. People who gather a legion have a place on the council of Ere d'la Mer and represent different aspects of the goddess. The types of spirits that people bond to vary from person to person, so even among a large gathering, the will of the legions can be very different. The spirits will usually stick together when swapping hosts, but if they don't find a suitable person that can connect with them all, they may disperse. The host retains their identity, but when speaking as a legion assumes the will of their spirits, and typically adopts she/her pronouns during this. These hosts can be killed like any mortal, and if they are outside of Ere d’la Mer’s boundaries, the legion will disperse entirely. As long as Ere inhabit the island, it is possible for a new legion to form and replace the one that was lost.

Ere is capable of some incredibly frightening feats. She can possess not just one but many living people at once. Along with that, she’s capable of reading the minds of others. The only people outside of her control are ones actively protected by Tsotska. She also has no command over simple animals or dragons beyond the ones her hosts bond to. Among the ‘living’ gods, she is undoubtedly the strongest, and she isn’t afraid to wield this power to intimidate her enemies. She is visible to those who can see the dead, sense spirits, or the highly magically inclined. The appearance of her spirits ranges from wispy tendrils to dainty butterflies to terrifying amalgations--all depending on the perception of the one viewing her.

Even more impressive than her strength is her incredible generational knowledge. She values knowledge above all else and dedicates much of her island to learning and education. Libraries and specialty schools abound, making it the intellectual capital of the planet. Though not specifically her magic, she can impart the knowledge of ancient witches to her followers and allow them to cast classical sorts of spells. As a god associated with death, she is surprisingly adept at healing, and imparts that wisdom to her hosts. Just as she despises ignorance, she despises wasted life--studies on illnesses, diseases, plagues, and the sort are all major fields of research in the place thanks to her influence.