Attis

This is an entry for Jürgen's Mythological Creatures Contest.


Basic Information
Agdistis was born with both male and female traits which frightened the Olympian gods. They cut off the male traits and cast them away- from which grew an almond tree. The nymph Nana took one of the ripe almonds and laid it on her bosom. The almond vanished and she became pregnant. After the baby was born she abandoned it where a goat took care of the child. He grew to be a youth of supernatural beauty and Agdistis now called Cybele fell in love with him. Here the trouble started. Attis was to marry the daughter of a king. Cybele showed up at the wedding party leading to Attis emasculating himself and bleeding to death under a pine tree. Attis became the eunuch love of Cybele and her chariot driver. Every spring he is reborn as a pine tree and a pine tree is taken into the temple and decorated in his honor. Members of the cult of Attis are primarily eunuchs’s who have castrated themselves. They had a reputation for frenzy much as the followers of Dionysus. They would also travel through the streets dressed in women’s clothing.


Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attis
http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Attis.html


Game and Story Use

• This could be used to add flavor to a campaign.
• They could be used as an alien other for any kind of campaign. Maybe they are fine, maybe they are trouble. No one will know until the PCs finish their investigation.
• As always there is also the possibility that the Gods are interfearing with the lives of mortals again.
• Perhaps it is happening again and they characters want to attempt to stop it.