Nisaba
| Strength 6x |
Agility 6x |
Intellect 14d |
Willpower 9d |
| Hand Size: Edge: |
4 (25) 2 |
Origin:
The child of Anu and Antu, Nisaba is one of the Anunnaki. A fifth generation goddess from this family of deities, Nisaba is emblematic of the process of writing, the growing of grain, and the hard work of scribes - whether utilizing cuneiform or more modern scripts.
Powers:
Immortality (s): a fifth generation Anunnaki, Nisaba is an immortal being. She can be brought to zero Health or cards, but will eventually recover no matter how severe the damage that caused such a turn of events. She also possesses these related abilities:
* Awe (w): bolstered by the faith of her followers, both intentional and otherwise, Nisaba can expose the spectral glow of her immortal life force to the world. This intensity 15 power overwhelms those within near missile distance on a successful, easy difficulty Awe (willpower) action.
* Boon (i): having been venerated in some form or another for almost seven thousand years, Nisaba readily grants power requests. She may do this with intensity 16 ability, bolstering magic or fueling Homogenization, Inspiration, Linguistics, or Plant Control entreaty spells.
Inspiration (w): Nisaba is often prayed to for inspiration, particularly by those versed in the written arts, and she is generally happy to indulge those who do. She wields this ability at intensity 15, allowing a bonus Intellect action at this intensity or +1, whichever is higher.
Linguistics (i): though Nabu has managed to steal some of her thunder, Nisaba is often credited with giving mere mortals the gift of writing. She is generally associated with the written form of every language, and as such, she can wield this ability at intensity 16.
Plant Control (w): before she was associated with the work of scribes, Nisaba was initially a goddess of grains. Though rarely thought of in agricultural terms these days, she can induce growth in plant life, or otherwise manipulate it, with intensity 10 ability.
Hindrances / Augmentations:
(none)
Equipment:
(none)
Skills:
Artist 3 (w): while she originally was a goddess of grains, Nisaba grew to represent writing as the practice developed in ancient Sumer. One work of written art takes a card's draw in weeks to complete, and is invariably compelling to even the most discerning of readers.
Mathematics 2 (i): an additional area of expertise of Nisaba's is accounting. She may reduce the difficulty on card play required when performing mathematical operations by one level, particularly where accounting and inventory is concerned, trumping with Intellect or Willpower.
Contacts:
Nisaba is a fifth generation Anunnkai, and can readily rely upon her fellow descendants of Abzu and Tiamat for assistance should she but ask. Furthermore, she is beloved by most of those who venerate these deities, not to mention writers and farmers of various stripes.
Calling:
Mentor: while she has on rare occasions indulged requests by worshipers to curse their enemies, Nisaba is for the most part a fine example of this calling. She strived to lift humanity out of the Stone Age, and works to advance civilization to this very day.
Costume:
The exact clothing Nisaba utilizes depends on what role she is currently filling, generally wearing ornate yet sensible ensembles whether farming or acting as the scribe of the gods. One common component of her outfits is the horned cap common to most Anunnaki and Igigi.
Personality:
Nisaba embodies various aspects of civilization, and as such comes across as quintessentially cosmopolitan. She is a creative soul who enjoys the process of writing, and is happy to offer inspiration to those who need it in their literary endeavors, regardless of their intent.
Real Name: Nisaba
Occupation: goddess of grains, writing, and scribes
Legal Status: the citizen of no mortal land, Nisaba can be considered one of the people of extraplanar Ubshukkina.
Marital Status: married
Alias(es), if any: Nidaba, Nanibgal
Group Affiliation: the Anunnaki
Height: 5' 6"
Hair: black, possibly with gray streaks
Eyes: brown
Weight: 130 lbs.
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: she is known to carry a golden stylus, with which she documents all that she oversees.
Story:
One of the older members of the Anunnaki, Nisaba is arguably the most popular of Anu and Antu's many daughters. Worshiped since the very dawn of civilization, Nisaba was initially thought of in relation to farming, and was represented in ancient art as a single grain stalk.
As trade and agriculture developed during civilization's dawn, so did primitive writing systems. Nisaba is generally credited as the deity who devised cuneiform, the original script mankind performed accounting with, which eventually evolved to convey linguistic information.
For thousands of years, Nisaba was properly venerated as a goddess of writing, and eventually became the scribe of the Anunnaki. She documented facts both major and minor for those gods, crafted maps of the various territories held by gods and men, and a whole lot more.
In this capacity, Nisaba worked closely with Haia, the deity of doorways and warehouses, and in time the two were wed. They had at least one child, Sud, who ultimately married Enlil himself! Upon doing so, Sud changed her name, becoming known as Ninlil.
In time, Nisaba's place as the divine scribe was usurped by Nabu, but the people never stopped thinking of her as the goddess of writing. Even after the rest of the Babylonians fell by the wayside, Nisaba thrives, for the art of writing persists long after the rise of newer faiths.
While she herself may have been almost forgotten by history, Nisaba continues to draw power from humanity to this very day. This is because the very act of writing is considered veneration of her person, helping her, and by proxy her pantheon, to persist in the modern age!
Legal Hoopajoob:
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