Cyperitum (Sigh-Pair-uh-Tum)
The Watcher & The Betrayer
Cyperitum known to the Holy Church as 'The Betrayer' is a deity that was once considered a God of Order but due to Their actions in the First Age, they are no longer counted among the pantheon's number.
It is said that The Betrayer stood with the Gods of Order when it came to shaping and structuring the Great Disc at the dawn of time. However, at some point early in the First Age, They created a barrier known as 'The Veil' that surrounded the Great Disc in its entirety. The Gods of Order and Chaos could no longer reach the Great Disc directly. For this act of betrayal, Cyperitum earned Their title as Betrayer.
However, not everyone agrees with the Holy Church's teachings about Cyperitum. Others know the enigmatic god as 'The Watcher' instead. These cults teach that Cyperitum created The Veil not as way to separate the Gods from their creation but to protect their creation from the Gods. As the old maxim that power corrupts, and there is nothing in the universe more powerful than the Gods. For this reason, Cyperitum sought to keep the Gods from meddling in their creation once the groundwork had been laid. This viewpoint is considered heretical by the Holy Church.
One such cult that worships The Watcher is the Order of the Watcher, sometimes shortened to 'The Order', who act as a peacekeeping force in the Borderlands where the Holy Church's paladin orders have less strength.
Though rare, cults such as the Order of the Watcher do still make offerings to the God in the form of a tall stick or staff (usually around 6 feet) planted in the soil on a nearby hill or other high ground.
Other Cultures
The Southern Wilds
There isn't any common worship of any figure resembling The Betrayer in the various faiths of the Beastkin of the Southern Wilds. While it is not impossible that smaller cults to a figure similar to Cyperitum, one has never been discovered.Arkhosia
The Dragonborn similarly do not appear to worship the Betrayer. Unlike the Beastkin, there isn't a lot of room for mystery about what the Dragonborn do or do not worship. They are a relatively civilization in comparison and while outsiders are not welcome, relics and outside observances have been documented. At least more thoroughly than the Beastkin.Dwarven Faith
The Old Ways of the Dwarves does have a figure that is similar to Cyperitum known as the 'Tomb Builder' or sometimes the 'Grave Digger'. The belief is based on the idea that the world was sealed off from the divine like leaving the people of the Great Disc locked away in a tomb, forever separated from the divine world outside. The Tomb Builder is symbolized by the Dwarven rune for 'Wall'.The Path of Udira'ja
The worship of the Crystal of Light on the continent of Udi'ra across the sea also has a lesser deity based on the concept of Cyperitum called Dito'dane the Envious Eye. Much like in the teachings of the Holy Church, Dito'dane also serves the role of betrayal. Dito'dane was envious of the positions given to their brothers and sisters by the great Goddess when she departed the world and left behind her heart for the children of the world. From that envy, Dito'dane tried to destroy any chance of the Goddess returning to her beloved world. When Dito'dane's actions were discovered, the Envious Eye was killed by the other lesser gods. However, in some versions of the legend, it was Dito'dane who killed the Goddess after becoming envious of her ability to create the world and its inhabitants. Dito'dane is also destroyed by the lesser gods in this incarnation, though it's unclear if Dito'dane was a lesser god or some other kind of being on the same level as the Great Goddess Udira.Other Information
Divine Domains
Order, Trickery, Peace
Artifacts
The Rod of Seven Parts
Holy Books & Codes
Holy Tome of the Church
Divine Symbols & Sigils
A cylinder in a sphere, or a line dividing a circle
Holidays
While there is no accepted holiday for the Betrayer on the Holy Church's Ordained Calendar, the month of Low Night is referred to as The Betrayer's Sentence and is meant to meditate on the Betrayer's crimes against the world.
In the cult of The Order of the Watcher, the 1st of Low Night is known as the Long Vigil and is celebrated as a renewal of their vows to the god.
