Aftioch, Mother of Monsters
Aftioch was one of the first gods to come to Palboria, and represented herself as a god of physical pleasure, but later, as the mortal_races spread, absorbed all concepts of lust and passion. She found little favor among the Sylvan, who shun such things, and some acknowledgment in the Druvoy, who find pleasure in hard, physical labor. Perhaps it was this lack of purpose in the early days of Palboria that made her such a prime target for Kakia's deceptions. After Kakia had convinced her to grant the beasts of Dentros' the desire to rut, he convinced Aftioch to debase herself and rut with them. The union of Aftioch and the beasts of the woodlands produced many children.
Domain
Aftioch's primary domain is that of lust and physical pleasure. However, in her role as Mother of Monsters, she also carries weight in the domain of bestial behavior and is considered the god, or at least the god-protector, of monsters.
Symbol
Aftioch's blue lily
Aftioch's followers among the mortal_races are few. However, a small, hedonistic cult of Aftioch uses a blue lily to identify their priests. Those who worship the Mother of Monsters have been known to carry her tri-claw, a pendant made out of the first bone of the three middle fingers of a human hand.
Appearance
In her form as a god of lust and passion, Aftioch's avatar appears as a tall, curvy woman, her face and hair covered by the hood of the deep red dress she wears. The only descriptions of her avatar in her Mother of Monsters are vague, alternating between a giant spider with a woman's head and a woman's face on a black, roiling storm cloud.
Worship
There are no known churches dedicated entirely to the worship of Aftioch.
However, where there are communal altars dedicated to many gods, it's not uncommon to find one dedicated to the god of Passion. Supplicants who offer prayers to Aftioch are usually looking to either quell a dangerous lust in themselves or a loved one, or to have an unrequited lust become requited, and small, edible treats are usually left at the altar as tribute.