[hider=Paichnidi]
[B]Name/Titles:[/B] Paichnidi (PAICH-knee-dee), the Blind Advisor, Grandmaster of Games
[B]Sex/Gender:[/B] Naturally assumes a male form, but may present himself as female if it confers some advantage.
[B]Pantheon/Affiliation:[/B] Ex-deity (exiled many years ago to Sharzunates)
[B]Patronage:[/B]
[indent]Games (especially mental games of skill), puzzles and riddles, strategy, manipulation, advisors, and gambling/gamblers.[/indent]
[B]Appearance:[/B]
[hider=Image]
[img]http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/124/0/e/sage_by_jialu-d3fjnif.jpg[/img]
Image credit: [url]http://jialu.deviantart.com/[/url]
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[indent]Paichnidi's natural form appears as an old man clad in a loose, white robe made of a rough but supple material. His face is lined with a god's lifetime worth of wrinkles and pockmarks and bears evidence of frequent frowns, but equally frequent smiles. Many believe him to be blind as his eyes are almost always kept shut. In actuality, Paichinidi can see quite well. The truth behind his hidden eyes is their uncontrollable shifting of colors according to his mood and feelings. This is one of his most closely guarded secrets, as many of his plots and strategies rely on careful deception and misdirection. He prefers to go barefoot.

[b]Alternate Forms[/b]
Paichnidi will sometimes take the form of a young and attractive male or female to distract and unbalance his opponents (whether they be across the game or negotiating table). He has also been known to appear as a greying raven to gather information that is of interest to him without attracting undue attention. However, he does not enjoy leaving his natural form. Furthermore, any alternate shape he takes will share his eyes' quality of shifting colors, necessitating keeping them closed. This is one way of identifying him for those in the know.

[hider=Eye color/emotion list (adapted from V:TM by White Wolf):]
[list]
[*]Orange - Afraid
[*]Purple - Aggressive
[*]Red - Angry
[*]Brown - Bitter
[*]Light Blue - Calm
[*]Pink - Compassionate
[*]Lavender - Conservative
[*]Gray - Depressed
[*]Deep Red - Lustful
[*]Light Green - Distrustful
[*]Dark Green - Excited
[*]Rose - Generous
[*]Vermilion - Happy
[*]Black - Hateful
[*]Yellow - Idealistic
[*]White - Innocent
[*]Blue - Lovestruck
[*]Green - Obsessed 
[*]Silver - Sad
[*]Gold - Spiritual
[*]Dark Blue - Suspicious
[*]Mottled, Shifting colors - Confused 
[*]Sharp Flickering Colors - Daydreaming
[*]Rapid Rippling Colors - Frenzied
[*]Hypnotic, Swirling Colors - Psychotic
[/list]
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[/indent] 
[B]Parentage:[/B]
[indent]Paichnidi sprung from Ventu's mind in a moment of boredom and as a passing whim. Many view him as the weakest of his brothers.[/indent]
[B]Centres of Worship/Places of Power:[/B]
[indent]Paichnidi's ancient place of worship, called Iudicium, is now a lost ruin. It was once a great arena where mortals (and, rarely, demigods) tested themselves against each other in games of skill, hoping to impress Paichnidi and win his favor. The arena was built of stone, with many ingenious mechanisms, hidden traps, courts, fields, and rooms with tables and equipment for challenges of every kind. At its center was an altar tended by his followers. Those who demonstrated skill and ability were allowed to pray there for Paichnidi's blessing. His special favor fell upon geniuses in games of mental skill. The most famous of these games was the Teglon, a geometric puzzle of near-impossible difficulty created by Paichnidi himself (note: I borrow this from Neal Stephenson's highly recommended novel [i]Anathem[/i]. Read about it here: [url]http://anathem.wikia.com/wiki/Teglon[/url]). The Teglon has been solved by only three mortals, and even many less mentally-inclined deities find it baffling.[/indent] 
[B]Servants, Prominent Followers and Worship Base:[/B]
[indent]As he was exiled many thousands of years ago, few followers of Paichnidi remain. Present day, some mortal scholars may still know of Iudicium, and perhaps one or two even have an idea of where it is. Records exist of Paichnidi and his "temple" in the greatest of mortal libraries, though few would know or care to look upon them. An old saying exists among gamblers, "By the luck of Paichnidi." Some still use it, but none remember its true origin and meaning. Paichnidi employs a demigod servant to guide him around and perform some tasks for him. In reality, this is completely unnecessary and a ruse to maintain the impression of his blindness. However, it is a ruse he enjoys both because of the company and the excuse it gives him to be criminally lazy.[/indent]
[B]Psychology:[/B]
[indent]Paichnidi loves mental challenge, whether it be against an opponent or inherent within an activity (i.e. the Teglon). Therefore, he tends to view most things in the context of a game, especially the intrigue of the pantheon. This makes him an excellent manipulator and conspirator. However, he balks at the responsibilities and restraints of those who must actually hold positions of power. So, he assumes the role of advisor and confidant. He is calm, encouraging, and almost never fails to find the right words to assuage or inflame. Others find his advice valuable because of his strategic mind and ability to carefully plan, often thinking many "moves" in advance. He is usually very beneficial to the individual he becomes attached to, but he never becomes attached unless there is a benefit for himself as well. He prefers to stay in the background, with his partner unaware of his manipulation. Open confrontation must be avoided as much as possible. Paichnidi would much rather settle things with a game, riddle, or puzzle. His thing most feared and abhorred is boredom - thus, his time in Sharzunates took a significant toll on him both mentally and physically. Also, Paichnidi almost never loses a game if he does not wish to - doing so would likely drive him to temporary insanity.[/indent] 
[B]History:[/B] 
[indent]Before his lengthy exile to Sharzunates, Paichnidi was a generally trusted and well-liked member of the pantheon. In the eyes of most deities, he posed little to no threat to their power or holdings. He freely gave advice, and provided delightful pastimes for gods who had grown bored or disinterested with their responsibilities. However, Aroesus was ashamed of his brother's relative weakness to the rest of Ventu's sons. He was tolerated before the death of Ventu and Aroesus' rise to power, but soon after his ascension Aroesus grew more and more displeased with his younger brother. Furthermore, Paichnidi had refused to lend his support against the other contenders for Ventu's place, wishing to maintain neutral until there was a clear winner. Aroesus took this as disloyalty and Paichnidi lost further favor.

The breaking point came when a young deity named Proditus began visiting Paichnidi at his estate on Lake Miphas more and more frequently. He would come, and they would play games, exchange stories and riddles, and speak of the happenings of the court. Eventually, Proditus came to lean heavily on Paichnidi's advice, and gained much valuable information from him. One day, the rage of Aroesus could be felt and heard all across Hevas. Sileon was summoned from the bowels of his mountain, and the gods gathered to witness Proditus' utter destruction. A conspiracy to overthrow Aroesus had been uncovered, and Proditus sat at it's heart. It was known that Proditus spoke often with Paichnidi. In a rage, Aroesus flew to Paichnidi's estate, intending murder. Paichnidi threw himself at Aroesus' feet, pleading for mercy and insisting of his ignorance of Proditus' plot. At the behest of Mysia, with whom Paichnidi was a fast friend, Aroesus stayed his hand and instead exiled Paichnidi permanently to Sharzunates, knowing it to be a fate much worse than death for the Grandmaster of Games. And so there has Paichnidi remained, imprisoned before many of the current Pantheon were even sired.

Now, Aroesus is dead and the guards of Sharzunates are gone. Many who knew of the quiet Paichnidi are either dead or have forgotten, and the time is ripe for a new King or Queen to take their place on the throne of Krona. Paichnidi is ready to play the game again, with new pieces and a new strategy. His unassuming advice is offered to all who seek it, as he reinstates himself in his long abandoned estate.[/indent]
[B]Relationships:[/B] 
[list]
[*]Aroesus: Paichnidi was ecstatic to hear of his death and the opening of Sharzunates.
[*]Mysia: Paichnidi has always held a fondness for the queen (perhaps a jealous love?). He seeks to comfort her and would readily support her in a bid for power.
[*]Dihira: Paichnidi has a love/hate relationship with the Dark Librarian. He envies her access to such great knowledge, but respects her position and power. He is also aware of that access to information possibly contributing to his downfall to Sharzunates at the hand of Aroesus. It worries him that she is one of the few beings who would remember his involvements from that time period. He also worries that she may uncover his most carefully guarded secret, his treacherous eyes. If she found out, he would do anything to prevent the dissemination of that information. Therefore, his present plans are to stay within her good graces, or at least out of her thoughts.
[/list]
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