[hider=Lares, God of Houses]
[center][h1]LARES[/h1][sup]The Divine Chamberlain, House Papa, Hearth Breather, The Ever-Welcomed Architect[/sup]

[b][u]Houses[/u][/b]
In a turbulent world there is nothing more comforting than that of ones’ house. Lares is the God of Houses, of Hearths, and the Home; in practice, he is the divine builder and protector of any domicile made by sentient beings. A house is simply defined in the eyes of Lares; it is any place where at least one person resides, either built by their own hand, adopted into their heart from moving there, or occasionally forced upon them. A house cannot simply occur naturally and requires the presence and long-term occupation of at least one individual. Furthermore, a house is refined through the process of living in it, adding to it, and making it one's own; to simply sleep in a cave for a night, for instance, does not make it a home. Over time, through repeated returning to the cave, the addition of a crackling hearth, of soft material for bedding, or even the presence of food scraps left over from many meals, a place will gain status as a home and thus the favor of Lares.

In his capacity as the God of Houses, Lares plays several roles; first, as that of an architect. He is a constructor of houses, for he has a great love for creatures feeling comfortable. Although they cannot exist in a home, even the holes dug by rodents or nests made by birds provide a pleased smile onto the visage of the Divine Chamberlain. With this status as an Architect of the Gods, Lares is a master at erecting complex structures, though most notably domiciles. Whether the blessing of his attentions is given to a mortal or a divine, it does not matter; their home will be constructed to perfecting specifications, made ideal for them in their own way of life, and ultimately refreshing in ways no single other place can be for a soul wary and overworked. 

Additionally, Lares holds the dubious function as the Divine Chamberlain, or the House Papa. A man’s home is his castle, as the old adage goes, and Lares will provide his protection over homes and those who would defend them. Although no great fighter or master-at-arms, Lares fights like a hundred lions when his back is to his domicile and those who pray to him in such times of need are no different. A home, more than anything, should be an unassailable bastion, protected from the woes of an external world. As such, those who have the blessing of Lares within their own home will feel driven to greater acts of heroism in its defense, finding the will to last one day longer, make the fires burn just a little brighter, and defend their home to the last. 

Finally, the Hearth Breather holds sway over the little things within the house that makes such a place a home. He is an incorrigible layabout when all the work of the home is completed for the day, but before such time as his coat can be removed there is much effort needed doing. As such, he presides over mothers in the hearth cooking a hearty meal, of children doing their chores, or fathers chopping wood for the fires. Basic things, like planter boxes filled with little goodies behind the house, are beloved by Lares and thus receive his attention, wanted or otherwise. This passion can be evoked to bring small benefits, like making a garden grow well for a season, or make easy work of tree-cutting to give your window a better view or provide firewood for your hearth. All these fall within the domain of Houses, for all are intrinsic in making one a Home.


[b][u]Persona[/u][/b]
Lares is, at his heart, a lover of the simple things in life. From the very moment of his cosmic birth to the day the stars wink out, the House Papa believes there is nothing more perfect then a cozy house, kept well-maintained and treated with love, filled with welcoming smells, beloved views, and warmth that just wants to embrace you. When such things have been achieved, Lares is kindly, amiable, and even jovial. In his own home, so long as he’s not being assailed or otherwise bothered, he is notably generous and will dote on guests. Similarly, when within homes that have been treated well he will be respectful, honor the keeper of the house, and ultimately will be the kind of guest one would want for their home.

Outside of these ideal conditions, Lares differs; considerably, at times. Out and about in the world Lares can be curious, always on the lookout for new places to places houses and inspired by the landscape around him to ever greater feats of architectural genius. It is in the world where he gets to see the works of others and marvel at their effort, and equally still feel disgust at the darker things there. Most of all, of course, is the failure to maintain ones home or, even worse, the destruction of another’s prized domicile. In times like those Lares is a ball of tooth and claw, ferocious, blustering, and impossible to calm. Although not particularly dangerous among the gods, to mortals who shirk their duties a divine furball is still divine.

Finally, within homes that have been mistreated or otherwise ill kempt, Lares can be obsessive in rectifying these problems. If the mortal or God who failed in their duties is repentant, Lares will direct his anger at working out stains, fixing drywall, cleaning carpets and scouring tiles rather than doing all those things to the offender. Like a grandmother scorned, Lares is bossy, demanding, and quick-tempered during such periods. Furthermore, Lares will do everything in his power to not only revert the home to proper order but make sure those who sinned against the cozy nature of the home are thoroughly educated on their failures so as never to do it again. 

[b][u]Base Form[/u][/b]
Ever a God of creature comforts, Lares fittingly spends the vast majority of his time appearing as loosely-anthropomorphized animals. Above all else, his preferred appearance is as mustelids, and he will regularly present as what appears to be some sort of otter-wolverine hybrid. In these forms Lares will adopt all manner of clothing that is comfortable and fitting for the place he is currently residing, and will generally walk on two legs when applicable. Occasionally, and particularly when he is at the far ends of the spectrum of his personality, Lares will adopt more animalistic and simplistic behavior as he either gets exceedingly relaxed or considerably enraged. 

[b][u]True Form[/u][/b]
In his truest form, the God of Houses is fittingly less a figure and more a feeling. During such times where Lares is moved to fulfilling such a powerful role, he takes on a wind of change that rolls into homes and warps them. Any house he enters will change to become the idealized place of residence for its owner, shifting and creaking until every nook and cranny is shaped to perfection. When within such a divinely-occupied home, sentient creatures feel an overwhelming sense of comfort, safety, and security. It is when Lares leaves a home as this wandering spirit of hearths that he becomes more visible, appearing as a cloud of potential architecture. Like an apparition, a constantly changing home can be seen warping across the ground, shifting in architecture, paint color, and even construction material based on slight differences of position that demand different changes to a would-be home. 

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2aBafpXRIw][b][u]Musical theme[/u][/b][/url][/center]
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