Praxidike

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Praxidike (pronounced prax-ih-DEE-kay) was a Halakran hero-goddess who lived in the ninety seventh century. A patron of vigilantes across Hellea, Praxidike lived a violent life until her equally violent death.

Edicts and anathema

Edicts
None (hero-god deceased)
Anathema
None (hero-god deceased)

Description

Born in northwestern Halakros sometime around Y9650*, Praxidike rose to hero-godhood in her early twenties. In her youth marauding bandits attacked her village in the Hellean hinterlands, killing most of her family in the process, and after repeated pleas to the local barons fell on deaf ears she decided to take matters into her own hands. After several years of hunting leads as to the bandits whereabouts, Praxidike learned the truth - in reality, they were in the employ of the despot of Asetta, who used them as a personal army against his non-compliant vassals. Enraged, she stormed his castle alone, killing not only those who had raided her community but the despot and his council as well.

News of her deeds quickly spread, and it was not long before she began to attract a small following of vengeful vigilantes. Befitting her new status and notoriety, Praxidike adopted the mononym by which she is now known, letting her old name fall away and be forgotten.

Ultimately, however, Praxidike's time as a hero-goddess was short, as in Y9682* she was herself killed by assassins from Dur Untash after only six years as a living deity. Evidence is scarce, but it is widely believed that the assassins acted on the behalf of a wronged benefactor whose loved one was killed in the midst of her spree. Regardless of the details, Praxidike remains one of the hero-gods to have the shortest periods of worship.

Location of worship

During her life, Praxidike had small underground followings across Hellea, especially in Halakros, Iaramnae, and Ephardia. A small temple to the goddess once existed in Taras, near where she was born, but it was razed soon after her death.