The Protector

Lore & Background

The Protector is said to have been forged from the very essence of the cult's faith, a being of pure loyalty and strength. When the Lamb first established their following, the Old Faith sent assassins and beasts to destroy the fledgling cult. In response, the One Who Waits bestowed a fragment of divine power upon a devoted follower, transforming them into The Protector. Since then, this entity has stood watch at the cult's borders, repelling invaders and ensuring the safety of the faithful. Legends whisper that The Protector never sleeps, never speaks, and never falters—a living monument to the cult's resilience.

Reader's Guide

In the Arcadian myths, Poseidon is related to Demeter and Despoina and he was worshipped with the surname Hippios in many Arcadian cities. At Thelpusa and Phigalia there were sister worships which are very important for the study of primitive religions. In these cults Demeter and Poseidon were chthonic divinities of the underworld. Near Thelpusa the river Ladon descended to the sanctuary of Demeter Erinys (Demeter-Fury).

During her wandering in search of her daughter Demeter changed into a mare to avoid Poseidon. Poseidon took the form of a stallion and after their mating she gave birth to a daughter whose name was not allowed to be told to the uninitiated and a horse called Arion (very swift). Her daughter obviously had the shape of a mare too. At first Demeter became angry and she was given the surname Erinys (fury) by the Thelpusians.

The Erinyes were deities of vengeance, and Erinys had a similar function with the goddess Dike (Justice). In the very old myth of Thelpusa Demeter-Erinys and Poseidon are divinities of the underworld in a pre-mythic period. Poseidon appears as a horse. In Greek folklore the horses had chthonic associations and it was believed that they could create springs.

In European folklore the water-creatures or water-spirits appear with the shape of a horse or a bull. In Greece the river god Acheloos is represented like a bull or a man-bull. Many people when sacrificed to Demeter should make a premilinary sacrifice to Acheloos. At Phigalia Demeter had a sanctuary in a cavern and she was given the surname Melaina (black).

The goddess was related to the black underworld. In a similar myth Poseidon appears as a horse and Demeter gives birth to a daughter whose name was not allowed to be told to the unitiated (At Lycosura her daughter was called Despoina). Demeter, angry with Poseidon, put on a black dressing and shut herself in the cavern.

Did You Know?

• The Protector's armor is said to be made from the bones of defeated heretics, reforged by the Lamb's divine power.
• Despite its imposing size, The Protector moves with surprising speed when defending the cult's inner sanctum.
• Some followers claim to have seen The Protector weep tears of light when a devoted member of the cult passes away.
• The Protector never attacks first; it only retaliates against those who strike the cult or its members.
• In rare visions, the One Who Waits has shown the Lamb that The Protector was once a mortal who sacrificed their own life to save the cult from a catastrophic betrayal.