Ziztarr, God of death

"Probably the most misunderstood of the gods but when your are in control of death, I guess that makes sense. I'm just glad he isn't following me anymore."
Taryn Wanderfoot

Ziztarr is the God of death. He is responsible for ushering the souls of the dead to where they belong.

History

As the Time of Gods began while the other Gods were creating their people, or learning their place and their divinity, Ziztarr was bored. His role as guide and enforcer of death was seldom needed or even allowed by the others. He began to experiment. The world was new, and sparks of creation were still easily found. His few followers sought them out for him and Ziztarr imagined and then created. He first created the three sisters of death. A simple effort in his likeness and he took great joy in his first creations. He gave them parts of his job so he could create further. Soon these sparks we not enough and he had to venture out into the space beyond the places where his brethren reigned for more energy and he found it. He was a little mouse in the court of the Great Celestials stealing bits of energy. He took these bits and let his imagination run wild. Occasionally he would create something that would descend to Eglorix and take its place as one of the lesser deities or something more base. More often it was a monstrosity and it was caged in the Menagerie of Ziztarr. This continued for sometime each attempt became a bit more extreme than the last. The Great Celestials began to notice and set traps for him. One such trap is the reason for his limp, this did not stop him, he just got more careful and clever.

Outsiders

Sometime in the early days of the Time of Gods, the Menagerie failed and the creations of Ziztarr were released on an unprepared world. No one is quite certain of the cause and how they escaped, theories include one of the creations becoming too strong, or the Great Celestials released them as a form of payback. Released these creatures grew in strength, multiplied, and adapted they were made of things from beyond and were given the name Outsiders. These outsiders proved extremely difficult to kill or contain and after some deliberations Kentaz, Master of the Void created The Void, a great expanse of nothing that formed a barrier around Eglorix and its planes. With the help of the Gods and their heroes, the outsiders were banished beyond the Void and Kentaz was responsible for maintaining it.

The Accords

Ziztarr was greatly punished for what his creations did and shackled by his brethren. Bound to do only his task and vilified by all who walked Eglorix he bore his burden. He was only allowed to keep one of his creations, one of the sisters that guided those that fell in battle to the afterlife. While judgment was cast upon him, the other Gods began to fight amongst themselves. The War of the Gods began and Ziztarr watched it all. Seeing more death than he ever caused and Eglorix paid the price. He knew his mistakes and rallied those of his brethren that would see reason and created The Accords. With some masterful maneuvering Iien, Goddess Of The Dark and Z'tal God of the deeps managed to get the Gods in one place and trapped them until The Accords were signed and everyone was bound to them. A minor addendum to The Accords released any signer from any previous judgment, freeing Ziztarr from his previous judgment. He wears the shackles without their chains to remind him of his duties.

Followers

The followers of Ziztarr are seldom organized and often follow false doctrine. Prophets of Ziztarr have only appeared in rare situations over the course of the ages. The Huer Empire claims to worship him and he is the founder of their inspired way of life. Other theologians and sects disagree. Rumors have escaped the Huer Empire that a heretical sect grew in their midst in 1152 3E led by a prophet named Morrius Tarlor. The Huer put the sect to the sword and their corpses are bound to maintain the Grand Cathedral of St. Fildaerae, however, one of the books of Tarlor's teachings, Sanguine Lexicon, has escaped the Empire.