Pantheon of The Dark Ones



The pantheon consists of very powerful god-like beings known as the Dark Ones. Each Dark One represents an aspect and "force", sometimes abstract or rarely physical. While most would consider them to be malevolent, evil or sinister the Dark Ones rarely show themselves to possess these traits. Aside from a few excptions they do not make themselves known amongst the mortals often and most are content living a life of solitude. Despite having world changing, almost godly powers at their disposal they do not consider themselves true gods. Most scholars studying them believe that the Dark Ones follow a religion of their own.

Imperius
The Lord of Knowledge, and Fate's Master. A very powerful and very old Dark Ones of the past, present, and future. Residing in a realm of his creation (Fate's Nexus) he plans the events that take place in the mortal world. Most other Dark Ones considered him closer to the pantheon of the Ancient Ones than the Dark Ones because of his immense power. Despite being one of the most powerful he rarely if ever is involved directly with mortals, perfering to guide them from his realm. His current champion is Agaue, a prophet and spiritualist from Talhah, and through her has been involved in the tyrade against the desert elves.

Azmaal
The Harbinger of Hatred and Terror, Azmaal is the most active of the Dark Ones and truely the most evil. Vicious, powerful, and terrifying, Azmaal shows interest in those who hold a deep hatred towards others. Offering them great power to vanquish that which they hate he requires only one thing in return. Complete obediance. His ferocity and brutal nature has earned him some animosity with the other Dark Ones, especially Spirabila and Kun'Paetku. Whilst his brethren like to hide their trueselves in many disguises, Azmaal sees this trick as pointless and unworthy of a powerful being such as himself. He often appears in his true form as it is enough to instill fear in the hearts of mortals.

Like Imperius, He has his own realm seperate from the spirit world and the mortal realm. "The Dread Plains" are filled with those that seeked Azmaal's blessings and gifts, forced to serve Azmaal until his own mortal coil unwinds.

Spirabila
The Queen of Life and Lust. Youngest of the remaining Dark Ones and currently one of the most active, Spirabila is also one of the most devious Dark Ones. She often searches for unsuspecting travelers, offering them shelter from a storm or asking help from them. She seeks only to steal their life essence and keep their souls as one of her "play things". While she often steals life she can also return it, capable of striking bargains with the Blackened Sovereign to return a soul to a body. While most Dark Ones are too humble or too much of a realist to consider themselves gods, Spirabila has no issues calling herself a goddess.

Dohmin and Druga
The Lords of Pain and Pleasure. Dohmin and Druga are brothers, a single Dark One aspect split between two individuals. Dohmin represents pain while Druga is pleasure and together they rival the powers of any other Dark one. They, like Spirabila, consider the mortals to be toys for their amusement but instead offer them their deepest, darkest desires. Unlike her they do not meet these mortals directly, instead twisting the threads of fate so they may watch from a distance.

Victus
The Chaotic Darkness, and the patron deity of the velkari, Victus is as old as his brother, Imperius. He was considered the most ambitious of his brethren and the most vocal. He engaged with his worshippers many times, even going as far as giving the former overlord of the last Great March power to wipe out the giants. Vampires also worship Victus for special gifts and blessings only he can give them, granting them the power to fight the discrimination of the still-mortal peoples.

Victus was defeated at the hands of a group of wandering heroes, the first instance of a Dark One being slain by mortal hands. No Dark One absorbed his aspects however so it is believed he still lives, although in a broken form.

Kun'Paetku
Lord of Corruption, Master of Flesh, The Soul Eater. Ryukai legend states that a young blacksmith crafted a weapon of unequaled might, a blade that can slay a Dark One. His love was eaten by Ryasha the soul eater, a terrible Dark Spirit that enjoyed the taste of souls and human meat. The blacksmith challenged Ryasha to a duel and managed to slay Ryasha. The blacksmith absorbed Ryasha's terrible power. The blacksmith became Kun'paetku, Lord of Corruption, and the god worshipped by oklu and do'shun alike. He leads his loyal servants and often grants them powerful voodoo magics to the Oklu Shamans.

Hidiss
Father of Despair and Lord of Damnation. Hidiss is the brother of Azmaal. Much like Imperius and Victus they are both feared when they decide to join forces and often do when conflict arises. Hidiss is prefers to play a more political and psychological game on his enemies than his brother though. He seeks little more than damnation for his enemies and for his subjects to feel despair, what he believes is the greatest driving force for the mortals. He shares the Dread Planes with his brother, residing in an area called Tower of Sulfur. He acts as its warden, watching the countless souls he has taken with his words of desire and darkness.

He most often appears in a Snake-like form to those who seek him out. A cult of mages follow his teachings and ways, "The Suffering Acolytes" who believe that Hidiss can destroy the corruption of the mortal world and rule with a just hand. The acolytes are a symbol of his success against the mortals.

Ourog
Representing jealousy and greed, Master of Wishes, Ourog was a powerful Dark One. He sought to increase his power though through various arcane means, and while he had few followers amongst mortals Ourog still took in their strength. He struck at the other Dark Ones, slaying and absorbing the powers of several. He took on the aspects of magic and manipulation, becoming even stronger.

But the united Dark Ones are powerful enough to tear the mortal plane apart. As they closed in on Ourog he, in a moment of fear, split his form into many. As long as one survived, he believed, it could blossom into him once more with even greater power. He did not anticipate that these fragments were not powerful enough to support existence in his own realm and these fragments fell to the mortal realm. They became the Vile Tricksters, mortal gods to the desert elves.

Kathid'i
The embodiment of disaster and destruction, floods and forest fires alike are the work of Kathid'i. An active god whom every mortal has experienced to some degree or another, the smallest accidents to the greatest catastrophes are her responsibility. She is one of the few Dark Ones who has not been permanently bound to the mortal plane but prefers to dwell there, allowing full access to the binds of mortals. Kathid'i is also, arguably, the least intelligent of the Dark Ones, acting far more like a wrath wyrm than her bretheren. Some suggest that Kathid'i is simply a wrath wyrm and that her phantasm has been waiting in a deep slumber.

Aned-Jah
The Dark One of Pride, Pharaoh of the Wastes, his powers twisted until that pride becomes his own downfall. He is also the Dark One of decay. He was once a powerful Dark One who ruled in the old days, long before even the giants warred against the velkari. Aned-Jah was the patron god of many nations in these days, guiding the mortals to success. The other Dark Ones, jealous of success, tricked Aned-Jah by making him fall in love with a mortal woman. He was banished from the realm of the Dark Ones and imprisoned in the body of an infant with no memory of his power. Aned-Jah became the Ashen Prince.

He possesses no followers and now only strikes fear into the hearts of those who wander into the deserts to the east. The Prince's powers, while weak, are growing steadily by the day as his Dark One nature returns to him.

Het
The slothful Master of The End. Het is potentially the most powerful Dark One, even more so than Imperius, but he is in a constant state of slumber and rarely wakes. Many of of his brethren prefer him to slumber for his awakening is a signal that their end at the hands of the Pantheon of Order is close by. When he does influence the mortal world his is considered to still be slumbering, his actions made in a sleep-ridden haze.

"The Slumbering Order" is a cult devoted to Het, revering him as an almighty god. Sometimes they are known to converse with their god, even though they could only hear his slurred ramblings and snoring.