Diwata

The book's working god. Mordecai: a minor nature goddess, 'a low-rent Apito', vengeful, able to grow trees and summon animals, worshipped by some of the dryads, usually depicted as a moss-covered antlered squirrel, able to change form and sex (B5 ch. 36, B5 ch. 55). Carl collapses the roof of her temple at Alucarda and takes an Enemy of the Church tattoo that only her death or the loss of the arm removes (B5 ch. 35, B5 ch. 36); the dryads' spell calls her in, and Circe Took sponsors her (B5 ch. 55). She marks Carl for death (B5 ch. 61), is born out of a Crest hunter tricked into her temple as a birthing vessel, and runs to her daughter in five minutes: a male mantis to cure Vrah, then a female giving birth — which is the loophole, since a god mid-spell cannot leave (B5 ch. 62, B5 ch. 70). Samantha's account: one of Apito's brood but not a direct child, resented for making ordinary new life (B5 ch. 62). Mantises behead the security guards and Carl realises she is in the castle; she is knocked out by soul crystals, and in the pit Laundry Day strips her off the woman driving her: 'Diwata has returned to the Halls of Ascendency' (B5 ch. 73, B5 ch. 76).

A legendary De-Sleeving Box for what was done to her, and a platinum apostate box for not being killed by her, which holds a nipple ring with Black Nimbus (B6 ch. 2, B6 ch. 3); Carl's Enemy of the Church tattoo, the ball of snakes, is for smashing her shrine (B6 ch. 23).

(B7 ch. 55).