War God: Difference between revisions

[[File:God_of_War_by_SteveArgyle_9595God of War by SteveArgyle 9595.jpg|link=Dungeons and Dragons|frame|[[Bling of War|They're]] [[Nothing but Skulls|kind of]] [[Blood Knight|like that]].]]

This character is regarded as a deity or manifestation of war (or battle, murder, conflict, etc.). They're most likely a member of the setting's ruling pantheon, but could be any character (including a mortal) who is regarded by other characters as a god(dess) of war. The [['''War God]]''' in question often exemplifies either the physical or strategic aspects of war, although they can embody both.

They're often the only god that [[Blood Knight|Blood Knights]]s would bother to worship, [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|if they don't want to fight it themselves]].

There's also a tendency in various works of fiction to pair a [['''War God]]''' and [[Love Goddess]] together in something of an [[Opposites Attract]] manner, either as [[Odd Friendship|unlikely friends]] or [[God Couple|romantic partners]]. Considering [[Classical Mythology|Ares and Aphrodite]] were lovers, this makes this aspect [[Older Than Feudalism]]. Also, some of these figures (usually goddesses) were [[Interplay of Sex and Violence|gods of both fertility/love and war]].

** God is believed by some scholars to be a [[Composite Character]] of the [[Top God]] El of Canaanite religion, and the actual Semitic [[War God]] Yahweh. This may explain some of his more... Morally ambiguous acts.

* ''[[Pathfinder]]'' has several deities associated with war. The first is Gorum, the actual god of war and battle. He's [[Chaotic Neutral]] and cares nothing for the causes that people fight for; as long as there is war, Gorum will be there to aid the good and the evil alike. He is chiefly concerned with the physical aspects of battle, and is worshipped by frontline soldiers in particular. Torag is the Dwarven god of [[The Strategist|strategy]]; where Gorum is the footsoldiers' god, Torag is the generals' god. [[Lawful Good|Iomedae]], [[Church Militant|militaristic]] [[Lady of War|goddess]] of [[The Paladin|honour and justice]] is often worshipped as the patron of just wars, though she herself would prefer to lose that title. [[The Brute|Moloch]], [[Demon Lords and Archdevils|archdevil]] of war, fires, and [[Lawful Evil|obedience]] is the [[Four-Star Badass|general]] in charge of [[The Legions of Hell]], and is concerned with the regimented nature of the army itself, while [[Chaotic Evil|Demon Lord]] Nurgal governs senseless wars that should not have been fought in the first place. Finally, there is [[Fallen Angel|Szuriel]], [[Neutral Evil|archdaemon]], and [[Horsemen of the Apocalypse|Horseman of War]]. Essentially what happens when a divinity adopts the mentality of a [[Psycho for Hire]], Szuriel represents war's [[War Is Hell|most negative aspects]]--societal—societal breakdown, [[Obligatory War Crime Scene|war crimes]], [[Rape, Pillage and Burn|rape and looting]], and [[Final Solution|genocide]]. Essentially the personification of [[War Is Hell]], her few followers are inevitably [[Sociopathic Soldier|Sociopathic Soldiers]]s, [[General Ripper|General Rippers]]s, or fellow [[Psycho for Hire|Psychos For Hire]].