The Void Callers
Within the Outlands the Void is an ever present force that plays a role in every aspect of survival. Most of the denizens of these harsh places seek to avoid the dangers of it, and do what they can to lessen the effects it has on them as generations live and die in its shadow. The Void Callers, led by the enigmatic Volrishtad exile, Sybell Vithmokai, seek instead to embrace it, viewing it as a step in the evolution of life on Cairne. It is a dark force that rebirths those that do not fear it into something greater than before. A purging and cleansing by the cold fires of shadow that dance within the blackened depths of the Blighted Lands. They believe that the Seanachaisians were not attacked, but chosen, and at the center of the Blight, they revel in the power and glory of the Void, changed forever into some form of new creature that is both timeless and deathless, free to weave songs from dreams and paint reality as they see fit. In their eyes, the Blight Born are evolved and whenever a person is taken, it is a great honor, for through the darkness, they have ascended into the light of pure being. They hold most high, the great ancient creature rumored to live within the deepest parts of the Blighted Lands, Synchordia Demonda, the great formless entity that devours the blessed faithful and dances to the songs of the Void Callers.
Mythology & Lore
The followers believe, due to the teachings of Sybell Vithmokai, that by embracing the void and the powers therein, they are ascending to a more enlightened and purposeful existence, joining with and empowering the creeping. black evolution of their world.
Divine Origins
The belief that the events of the Blight were a preordained vehicle of change brought down upon the world was the only possible sense Sybell could make of the situation she found herself in. Watching numerous people taken and the lives spent fighting it made her wonder why and to question the forces behind the Blight and the dreaded void.
Tenets of Faith
- To embrace the void through exposure to its influence.
- To seek out and embrace the new forms of "life" that have sprung from it.
- To honor and give offering to Syncordia Demonda.
- Forced evolution.
Ethics
- The Callers care little for human life, expecting there will be many losses.
- They view this as a needed culling of the weak and unworthy.
Priesthood
While Sybelle remains the sole and only holy figure in the cult, there are a number of lesser adepts that attend her and hold the title of Son or Daughter of the Void. They have endured repeated exposure to the energies of the Void, and in all but a few cases are Volristad, a fact that is slowly becoming more and more relevant with other followers.
Granted Divine Powers
- Call the Void - A minor ability, much lesser in the other adepts than in Sybelle itself, this allows the learned to call out to the creatures of the void and pull them in like a somber siren's song. They must maintain the song and the focus, which is taxing, requiring an escalating Constitution DC check that starts at 10 and goes up by one every round it is maintained. Failure causes whatever creatures under the thrall to no longer ignore the caster, and in most cases, lead them to attack the one that summoned them.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Public Opinion This is a small but dangerous sect of true believers. The Void Callers are left unhindered to practice their faith in the lawless areas closest to the Blighted Lands, and as such have been known to enforce their ways on any unlucky enough to fall into their path without protection. In the Outlands they are feared and hated by the majority of the populace, but there are still those that respect them for their fervor and see some small degree of sense in attempting to embrace the Void rather than living in fear of it. Sybell is despised by the Volrishtad, however, as she was exiled many years ago and has continually brought shame upon the reputation of their culture ever since.
The Lie Sybell is a Volrishtad, and as such privy to more intuitive information than most of her followers, mostly that the changes she enjoys from her people's proximity to the Void, have taken place over generations, not a single lifetime. Knowing this she encourages her acolytes to endure as much of the negative energy as possible as often as possible with the promise of the changes coming sooner. She is a sociopath and utterly unfeeling about the suffering of others, and in fact believes that only she will be granted ascension, seeing the followers and captives she feeds to the Void as sacrifices assuring her path to glory.
The Truth The songs Sybell uses and has taught her followers by which they "Call the Void", are actual powerful manipulations of Void energy, and do have a visible, noticeable effect on the creatures that dwell there. Her acolytes have indeed grown more powerful over time, but in the process have become physically scarred and even crippled by forcing themselves to endure exposure to the negative energy of the Blighted Lands. Synchordia Demonda has indeed noticed her efforts, and watches hungrily from the depths awaiting the right moment to reveal himself to the Callers.
Type
Religious, Cult
Alternative Names
The Void Dancers
Demonym
The Callers
Leader
Deities
Divines
Notable Members
Comments