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Pantheon of Lornon "Dark Gods"
The
pantheon of Lornon is considered “evil” or “dark” and
consists almost exclusively of Arkati that work towards
the betterment of themselves. Those Arkati considered
“of Lornon” viewed the other races as playthings, food,
or worse, and considered Elanthia a stage for their
own desires.
Eorgina,
Queen of the Dark
Goddess
of Darkness, Domination and Tyranny
Eorgina
is the Goddess of darkness and ruler of the dark gods.
She bestows upon herself the title of Queen of the Gods
and works toward the end of taking the places of Koar
and Lumnis, or at the least replacing Lumnis at Koar’s
side. It is incomprehensible to her that Lumnis does
not claim the title of Queen of the Gods, as the thought
of not taking power where it is offered is beyond Eorgina’s
understanding.
The
Queen of Darkness personifies the unrestrained power
of tyranny and draws strength wherever one being dominates
another, be it a despot with no regard for justice or
a stepmother with no love for her husband’s children.
Ironically, her worshippers often include those who
have been wronged by tyranny and seek the revenge of
returning the favor.
Eorgina’s
preferred humanoid manifestation is that of a beautiful
queen wearing the richest and most beautiful of velvet
robes and weighed down with lavish jewelry. In manner,
she is cruel and destructive with a veneer of royal
bearing. Her symbol is red, stylized flames on a field
of grey.
Ivas,
the Seductress
Goddess
of Desire, Lust and Passion
Ivas
is the Goddess of seduction. Possessing a pair of tentacles
where most humanoid beings have arms, and with full,
sensuous lips hiding a maw filled with shark’s teeth,
Ivas cloaks herself in illusion. She appears to the
unwary as a woman of unearthly beauty.
Preying
on those willing to be seduced, Ivas thrives on the
jealousy, distrust, and hatred that results. Often times
marked by rotting diseases that defy all cures, her
adherents form cults which revel in perverted carnal
pleasures. However, their primary goal is the seduction
of unwary outsiders.
Ivas’
preferred humanoid manifestation is that of a beautiful
woman with tentacles in place of arms. In manner, she
is sensual and insatiable. Her symbol is a stylized,
green wisp of smoke on a field of red.
Fash’lo’nae,
the Grandfather
God
of Magic, Forbidden Knowledge and Libraries
Fash’lo’nae,
is the master of magic and arcane knowledge for its
own sake. He regards the pursuit of esoteric knowledge
as an end in itself, and the societal or other impacts
of that pursuit are of no consequence. Even the gaining
of knowledge for personal gain is not a goal, other
than as it may make further inquiries, investigations,
and experiments possible. Theft, dishonesty, and even
murder are acceptable if they further the acquiring
of knowledge, particularly arcane or mystical knowledge.
While
Fash’lo’nae is certainly frowned upon by many, most
do not consider him strictly "evil." In fact, he is
credited in several legends with spreading beneficial
knowledge that others (such as the Drakes and the other
Arkati) would have suppressed. It is generally agreed
that Fash’lo’nae brought fire to the mortal races, suffering
the wrath of the Great Drakes, although there is dispute
as to his motive in doing so. Many call Fash’lo’nae
“The Grandfather,” and his followers contend that he
is the eldest of the Arkati, even older than Koar himself.
Followers
of Fash’lo’nae are a hazard to all about them, since
they consider the risks of demon summoning as a paltry
price to pay for the potential of increased knowledge.
Fash’lo’nae’s
preferred humanoid manifestation is that of an ancient
man or woman of scholarly bent. In manner, he is cool
and calculating. His symbol is yellow, slit-pupilled
eye on a field of grey.
Andelas,
the Cat
God
of Felines and Hunting
Andelas
is the lord of cats, and so is different to some degree
from the rest of the dark gods. In fact, were it not
for his decidedly sadistic nature, it could be argued
that Andelas is not really ‘evil’.
Followers
of Andelas form cat cults, and idolize felines to the
point of reenacting the stalk, the hunt, and the kill
(complete with costuming, fangs, and claws). Andelas’
influence is revealed in that the quarry in the reenactments
are most often members of one of the humanoid races.
Unfortunately, they are rarely as enthused about their
own participation as the members of the cult are.
It
is rumored that Andelas has an avatar that walks the
land known as The Claw of Andelas.
Andelas
generally appears as a great cat. In human form, however,
he retains his catlike quality, from his eyes to his
unusually sharp fingernails. In manner he is much like
a cat, either playful, sadistic or completely indifferent.
His symbol is a black cat’s head on a field of red.
V’tull,
the Berserker
God
of Combat and Bloodlust
V’tull
is the champion of the dark gods Almost single-minded
in his goal of bloodletting for its own sake, the sight
of the life’s blood of any creature seems to fill V’tull
with ecstasy. Given his nature, he has spent all of
his efforts in perfecting his fighting abilities and
in using them at every opportunity.
While
all of the gods rarely manifest themselves among mortals,
V’tull does so more often than most. He regularly enters
into the bodies of warriors, whose eyes are said to
turn black as night when this happens, and turns them
into killing machines. His willingness to divinely inspire
assures that his devotees among the martial classes
are many, even where his worship is prohibited by those
who fear their warriors will turn against them.
V’tull’s
preferred humanoid manifestation is that of a man with
marble white skin and coal black eyes who towers over
everyone he meets. He is always dressed in armor so
stained with blood that its true color cannot be known.
In manner, he is determined, righteous, obsessive and
vengeful. His symbol is a black scimitar on a field
of red.
Sheru,
Bringer of Terror
God
of Night, Nightmares, Insanity and Terror
Sheru
is the god of night and nightmares. Truly the god of
terror, and of unbridled fear, Sheru thrives on these
emotions in lesser creatures. Only experiencing satisfaction
when his efforts unseat a being’s sanity, Sheru will
use any means to achieve this end.
Because
Luukos’ undead minions tend to cause more terror than
most of the other creatures of darkness, Sheru and Luukos
are allied more often than any of the other Dark Gods.
The
insane are often said to have received Sheru’s Gift.
Strangely, Sheru and Zelia cannot stand each other,
despite serving each other’s ends quite nicely.
Sheru’s
preferred humanoid manifestation is that of a large
man with a black furred jackal’s head. In manner, he
is cold, emotionless, and cruel. His symbol is a black
jackal’s head on a field of gold, or alternately, a
black jackal’s head on a field of crimson and gold.
Mularos,
the Suffering God of Suffering and Torture
Known
as “He who is the Sorrow of the World,” Mularos is the
god of suffering, both physical and emotional. He draws
the most strength from pain inflicted by others.
While
Mularos is not worshipped by any formal church, cults
to him have surfaced from time to time. These are most
often collections of sadomasochists, often led by a
charismatic but twisted leader. These cults seduce young
followers with a decadent and reassuring lifestyle,
then bend their minds to dependent love and strict obedience.
While the usual end result is mass suicide, it is rumored
that such cults have lasted for centuries.
At
times Mularos seems to revel in causing pain, but he
feels the pain of mortals at the same time as he draws
strength from it. In a sense, he is a victim of mortals
as much as they are victims of him.
Mularos’
preferred humanoid manifestation is that of a young
man of delicate features dressed in simple silk robes.
Often a glimpse of the scars left by manacles can be
seen at the hem and sleeves of his robe, or the bloody
mark of a lash below the collar. In manner, he is charming,
alternately dominant and submissive, sadomasochistic
and sad. His symbol is a heart with a dagger piercing
it on a field of white.
Luukos,
Eater of Souls
God
of Death, Lies and Undeath
Luukos
is the god of unending death. Unlike Lorminstra, Luukos
shows no reverence for the souls of those who have died.
To him they have two uses, either to animate one of
his undead minions in his efforts to extend his power,
or as sustenance for himself. Luukos’ primary foods
are the blood of the dead and the souls of the recently
fallen.
Luukos’
form of choice is that of a large green serpent. It
is not unusual for survivors of a large battle to report
the sighting of such a creature slithering from corpse
to corpse on the recently abandoned field of combat.
Luukos
is able to claim the souls not only of those he takes
by force through his undead minions, but also of those
who have sullied themselves in life. Thus, Luukos is
also the Lord of Lies, and his minions always seek to
spread misinformation among mortals. Legend holds that
Luukos can snatch the soul of one who has died with
a lie on their lips even from Lorminstra, and that the
only way to be free from his hideous jaws is to renounce
the lie.
Luukos’
preferred humanoid manifestation is that of a dark-complected
man with faintly reptilian features and a forked tongue.
In manner, he is persuasive, treacherous and sadistic.
His symbol is a green serpent on a brown field.
Marlu,
the Destroyer
God
of Demonic Summoning, Destruction and Power
Often
mistaken for one of the greater demons and frequently
called the Demon Lord, Marlu delights in death, destruction,
and the devouring of still-living prey. Tales tell of
Marlu being seen around ancient ruins, prying open old
chambers and delving into all manner of spaces. Common
legend has it that he seeks others of his kind to loose
upon the innocents of Elanthia.
Just
as some believe Koar is actually the last Drake, there
are those who hold that Marlu is a true Ur-Daemon who
sought asylum with the Arkati when the rest of his kind
were killed or driven out of this realm of existence.
Marlu
derives power from the summoning of demons, one reason
that such practices are frowned upon by many worshippers
of the Light Gods. Whether his power comes in the same
manner as other Arkati, or from the loosening of the
portals between dimensions, is unknown. Marlu is also
drawn to all manners of destruction. More than any other
of the Dark Gods, Marlu seems bent on destruction of
a scale so massive that it might actually eliminate
the world and all his worshippers with it. While Eorgina
personifies power over others, Marlu is the embodiment
of personal destructive power.
Marlu’s
preferred manifestation is that of a gruesome creature
with glistening black skin, leathery wings and barbed
tentacles. In manner, he is demonic. His symbol is a
black six tentacled “star” on a field of grey.
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