Grenth (GW2)  

Guild Wars 2 Wikibase™

Necromancers learn early that the way to true power is by bowing down at the foot of the god of death and ice and pledging total, undying allegiance. Statues of Grenth depict the god with the body of a man and the skeletal head of a drawn-faced beast. Often, there are followers at his feet, grasping toward his open, clawed hands, clamoring for the powers the unforgiving deity may feel so inclined to heap upon his subjects.

Necromancers learn early that the way to true power is by bowing down at the foot of the god of death and ice to pledge total, undying allegiance. The Assassins of Cantha pay homage to Grenth, and rarely take on a job unless a priest of Grenth places a blessing upon the task. Ritualists, who speak to and control the darker forces of the underworld, also draw strength from Grenth's teachings. Statues of Grenth depict the god with the body of a man and the narrow, skeletal head of a beast; Canthan artists tend to add a draconic look to the skull. The Canthan version of Grenth stands astride a small mountain of the dead, but in Canthan art the faces of these corpses are always averted from the god of death, as if in shame, to distinguish these enslaved dead from the “living” ancestor spirits.

Necromancers revere Grenth, as do Water Elementalists, who often punish their enemies with chilling cold. When the world is at its darkest, fearful souls pray to him as a means of last resort. Worship of Grenth requires sacrifice. Any path to his hidden secrets tests the soul as much as it does the mind. His acolytes and cultists know that the veil between worlds is thin, but if they can pay a price of blood and souls, the bodies of the dead will rise up and wreak havoc in the world of the living. The faithful know that when they die, their souls will eventually pass on to the Mists…but they still pray to Grenth, so that he may ease their suffering along the way.

Monuments to Grenth portray him with the body of a man and the narrow skull of a beast. Throughout Elona, many of these statues have piles of bone and ivory beneath them, left as offerings by anonymous and fearful commoners. When life is difficult, zealous worshipers leave offerings of flesh and sinew, showing their devotion with fanatic displays of sacrifice. A Dervish assuming the Form of Grenth glares at the world through a bestial skull, measuring the worth of each fallen corpse.

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