Kan Zul
"Justice is merely the revenge of the righteous."Kan Zul
Kan Zul is the god of revenge and curses. He claimed a plot of land in what is generally held to have been the Saij Desert, where he used the sand to create huge and beautiful formations of stone. Once he caused a sandstorm which buried a group of nomads passing by the peripheries of the desert. Lomé came some time later to claim these bodies and destroyed one of Kan Zul's creations in the process. Kan Zul, who had not even known of the nomads, arrived in time to witness Lomé in the act, and spoke a curse into being. Lomé raised his arm to shield himself, and so it took the brunt of Kan Zul's magic, becoming ravaged by the concentrated heat of the desert. Lomé fled and later mostly cured himself of this curse with his own magic, but a cosmetic effect remained, and Lomé's entire arm was crimson for the rest of his life. From here Kan Zul began to travel around the continent to refine his magic covertly, and stories began to spread which frightened the other Meydra. Brell attempted to slow or halt Kan Zul's progress by battering him with storms, and he retaliated with a new curse, one which remains in effect to this day: once every century, there is a terrible and devastating storm caused by her powers bursting completely out of her control. It is said that this was a prototype of lycanthropy, which some believe Kan Zul also went on to create. Later, when a group of powerful hunter-gatherers ambushed Kan Zul and pelted him with stones, Kan Zul petrified them all, catching the attention of Lesh, who began to hunt him. After multiple confrontations, Kan Zul called upon his sister Lesta-Yen and his follower Japhet to imprison Lesh and his companion Elessri deep within the earth.
The remainder of the Age of the Meydra was a tenuous battle to find a truce with Kan Zul, who responded decently well to attempts at diplomacy but was merciless and brutal when he felt he had been slighted.
Kan Zul is generally depicted as a tattooed man with jewelry of bones. He is sometimes called the father of witchcraft.
Relationships
Kan Zul's parents were Fierel and Illethar. He had close relationships with his siblings, Dzuzce and Lesta-Yen. He made many enemies and there is no evidence that he had any powerful allies outside of his family, though he was willing to negotiate and work with humanoids for reasons of mutual benefit on multiple occasions. Some stories hint that there was a modicum of distant respect between him and Uapri.
Followers
Kan Zul's aid is invoked by those who set out on missions of revenge. Some of these people devote themselves to his teachings and become clerics. In most areas this devotion is considered taboo, but there exist certain sects that believe in righteous vengeance, and small temples here and there across the world where his clerics pray for justice. He has a significant following among battle smiths as well. His followers often prefer to cast their magic unseen when possible, as he did.
Kan Zul is often painted as an aggressor and antagonist, but, as his devotees point out, all stories consistently hold that he acted only in retaliation, never striking the first blow. Many stories even hold that mortals who slighted him were let off with scarcely a warning, as most of them posed no threat at all to him.
Associated Customs
"Imprecator spare me": A mild oath used to express annoyance, distaste, or consternation.
Vial of sand: Many devotees of Kan Zul believe that wearing a small vial of blessed sand around their necks functions as a safeguard against any wrath they may accidentally incur from Kan Zul or his servants. If a slight is committed, they may accept the sand as recompense, rather than inflicting any curse.
Due retaliation: If an antagonistic entity of some kind does intentional and undue harm against a follower of Kan Zul or a group of which they are a part, particularly any church or group of other devotees, the follower is obligated to enact revenge by some appropriate means. If there is an appropriate moment to do so, the following words may be spoken: "As a mortal proxy of the Great Retaliator, I must requite your wrongdoing." Once done, depending on the magnitude of the deed, it is traditional for the follower to create some token, to be left on the scene or carried with them, in thanks to Kan Zul for his guidance.
Divine Domains
Revenge, curses, sculptors
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