Ethyrion - The Nameless One, The Chained God

The legends say Ethyrion was a stranger who appeared in unrecorded times and brought knowledge and magic to the primitive peoples of Gwelith. The legends tell how he fell in love with the sentient races and sought to liberate them from their fear and hardships by teaching them how to work with nature and master the use of herbs, subjugate the animal kingdom and teach them methods in magic and the use of their own inner magical strengths.

For this Ethyrion was punished by the other gods, Gwrien, Phaedra and Orloth. His acts were, and in these Churches sometimes still are, seen as a heretical. Undermining of the all knowing power of the core pantheon and turning believers away from the true faiths. The punishment for Ethyrion was terrible. He was cast down into the deepest voids in Gwelith and tormented eternally by the foul creatures, grubs and worms to remind him of his powerlessness against the lowliest of creatures which he sought to master.

By worshippers he is seen as one wronged and one whom would return some way, at some time to wreak his revenge on the established faiths and lead the faithful into a new glorious and prosperous era. Ethyrion is known for his rebellious and irreverent behaviour. Followers of Ethyrion believe in man's right to rule themselves and not to be subservient to the gods.

Ethyrion, with Balor and Zaw, are the Lost Gods, sealed beyond the Chaos Rift by Gwrien. Ethyrion and Zaw were set free from the rift by Hesburr when she stole the Archus Ring from Nyssa. Hesburr originally wished Ethyrion as an ally in her confrontations with Phaedra but Ethyrion turned against her, stole the Archus Ring for himself and fled to Gwelith. Ethyrion gave the ring to Tammerlin, the first human mage. Phaedra, Nyssa and Orloth hunted him down and after capturing him, Ethyrion was sealed deep beneath the earth.

Worship.

His worship varies from place to place, by its nature it has a certain lack of formalism and structure. Rather, events celebrate the coming of the nameless one, look toward his eventual return and are occasions to celebrate the abilities and strengths of the followers, whom try to excel in their chosen fields. In rural areas this may be a celebration of the communities struggle and successes in working with and combating the harsh conditions of the natural world. In urban areas this may be a celebration of intellectual, magical, even political aptitude. In other areas the darker, vengeful aspects of Ethyrion are stressed and small groups may attempt to undermine the workings of the established faiths to bring about his return. This latter aspect is becoming more and more stressed in the worship of Ethyrion as hard times cause people to lose faith in the supremacy of the established orders.

Reputation.

Rarely mentioned in the other faiths, Ethyrion is depicted as a heretical and destructive influence. The Nameless one (extremely rare outside the faith for Ethyrion to be named) is depicted as a wicked vengeful, force seeking to destroy the worship of Gwrien, Phaedra and Orloth and instigate a time of darkness and evil.

Avatars.

The tripod symbol represents these three aspects with a longer central shaft pointing down to the void below where Ethyrion awaits his return.

  • The scholar/farmer An aged, wise stranger who inspires and aids those in the face of adversity or guide the faithful to better themselves and the faith.
  • The tortured man A disgusting, rotting, tortured soul appearing in the midst of places which have encountered pain and suffering a plea for help and a guide away from danger.
  • The vengeful demon A dark, wicked, monstrous entity, full of rage and hate seeking to destroy the enemies of the faith and lead the faithful to their holy war against the established churches and/or the ignorant masses.

Ethyrion Ceremonies.

Daily Prayers.

Moonrise Prayer As the sun sets, so the moons rise. With the setting of the sun so the power of Phaedra wanes in the world. To celebrate the undoing of her power, the followers of Ethyrion offer up a prayer to him each evening. The time and location is variable due to the underground nature of the religion.

Important Ceremonies.

Full Moons Followers of Ethyrion have few important events to remember and fewer still to celebrate. But twice a year, when all three of Gwelith's moons are full, followers of the Nameless One gather together beneath the moons to offer him praise.
Remembrance This is a somber ceremony. Ethyrion's followers remember the day when he was imprisoned by the other Elder Gods. During this night-time ceremony followers pray for his return, the day when the people will be set free from the Phaedran heresy.

d20 Specific Rules.

Type:
Intermediate Deity
Symbol:
The Tripod
Home Plane:
Unknown
Alignment:
Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio:
 
Worshippers:
 
Cleric Alignments:
Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil, Neutral
Domains:
Chaos, Corruption, Liberation, Trickery
Favored Weapon:
Short Sword
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