dark.
Aphrodite
Her name is derived from the Greek word aphros, which means foam. She was said to have been born from the ocean waves, already a fully formed adult. The golden daughter of Zeus, she presides over all things beautiful in the world. However, she has a malevolent destructive side and seems to delight in the power her beauty allows her to wield over men.
Aphrodite also has the power to drive away storms and calm the winds. Some say she is the wife of Hephaestus, the blacksmith of the gods. It is strange that the ugliest of the Old Gods should win for his bride one of the most beautiful. Or perhaps she used her allure to bind him to her in order to gain some as yet unknown advantage.
Artemis/Hecate
Another goddess who originated in Greece, Artemis is a cruel huntress, a lover of woods and wild places.
Hecate
Beautiful and athletic, she draws the admiration of all men but also takes on a different, hideous shape—that of Hecate, sometimes called the Queen of the Witches. She rules over gloomy places and is especially to be feared on the darkest of nights, when there is no moon.
She is also said to linger near crossroads, taking the souls of those who pass by. Although supposed to be the protector of the young, she sometimes demands blood sacrifices, and many maidens have been put to death in order to placate her. Hecate is another dangerous female to beware of.
The Bane
The Bane was originally one of the Old Gods, worshipped by an ancient people called the Segantii (sometimes also called the Little People). He lived in the long barrows at Heysham but was free to roam the whole County.
The Bane’s physical form was hideous, his squat, muscular body vaguely human in shape but covered in scales, with long, sharp talons sprouting from fingers and toes. His face was ugly indeed, with a long chin that curved upward almost as far as his nose and large ears that resembled those of a wolf.
The Bane terrorized everybody, including the king of the Segantii, King Heys. The Bane demanded a yearly tribute, and King Heys was even forced to sacrifice his own sons. One son died each year, starting with the eldest, but the last and seventh son, Naze, managed to bind the Bane.
He died in doing so, but the Bane was now trapped in the catacombs under Priestown Cathedral behind a silver gate, his strength diminished so that he was no longer a god. The only way he could ever get free was for someone to open that gate.
Over time, despite his imprisonment and initially weakened state, the Bane slowly grew in power.
The Bane
Eventually, whisperings could be heard in some of the cellars of the houses facing the cathedral. These voices gradually became deeper and more disturbing, and the floors and walls would shake and vibrate under the influence of the Bane’s rumbling bass voice.
In recent times the Bane has grown even more powerful and is trying to regain the physical form he possessed so long ago. He can also shift his shape, read minds, and even look out through the eyes of others. Slowly he is starting to control the priests in the cathedral above the catacombs. A great danger now lies in wait for anyone who goes down into the catacombs: the press. The Bane can exert a tremendous pressure, crush bones, and smear the unfortunate victim into the cobbles that line the tunnels.
He has a few weaknesses, however. He needs blood, and will take that of animals if humans aren’t available. But humans must give their blood freely— though when faced with the terror of the press, most will do so eventually. If he has to make do with rats and mice, the Bane grows weaker. He can also be hurt by silver—especially a silver blade. Women make him nervous, and he will often flee from their presence.1 Hence his victims are usually male.
MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO DEAL WITH THE BANE
When I was in my prime, five years after first becoming a spook, I attempted to deal with the Bane. Although bound behind the silver gate under Priestown Cathedral, he was slowly growing in power and needed to be slain.
I entered the town under cover of darkness and went directly to the shop of my brother, Andrew, who was a master locksmith. He feared that I would not survive an encounter with the Bane, but reluctantly agreed to fashion me a key to the silver gate.
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