The Hand of Azrai

The Hand serves the Gorgon for mysterious reasons all her own; she views him as perhaps the purest successor to Azrai, even above the new gods, and she draws her strength from her worship of the long-dead god of Evil.

The Hand is said to have come from the utmost east, some believe that the comment means she is from Vosgaard (possibly even the dire realm of the Raven), others whisper that she comes from whatever far off lands the Magian originates in, most assume however that the cryptic comment spoken once long ago by the Gorgon refers simply to Djapar. Whatever the truth nothing more is known of the Hand - she has no known family or confidants and vanishingly few have even seen her face and lived for she ever wears robes with a deep cowl and some veil or suchlike to conceal her features.

The Hand is known to be quite cultured, drinking fine wines and collecting Khinasi crystal sculptures, Brecht jewellry and the like. A few of the intruders brought before her to face judgment have even won their freedom by a fine display of wit, although to rely on her mercy would be an act of utmost folly - the Hand has been known to thank a bard for a great performance and slit the bard's throat without pausing for breath and rumors of her torture chambers beneath Kal-Saitharak are whispered amongst the goblins.

The Hand runs a small church throughout the Gorgon's Crown that reveres Azrai, and sees the Gorgon as Azrai's mortal form and worships him as a god in his own right. The Hand herself is believed by Anuirean sages to be unblooded, but to have a number of blooded under-priests who collect regency from the temples under her command. It is rumored that those priests that grow too strong are summoned for a personal meeting with their god - and none have returned from such a visit, for the Gorgon knows all too well the power of a priesthood to undermine a ruler - the success of his brother's fledgling church in opposing him in the years after Deismaar has never been forgotten and sages say that the Gorgon would no more trust a blooded priest than cut off an arm.