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- Brian

Laaelum, the One Behind the Veil

"You would seek to make a deal? With me? Fine then. Take my hand and see the forces that control the very stars. We can discuss payment later."

God of spacetime, secrets, greed, and lies, Laaelum understands all that should not be understood. She is the patron of dark sorcerers and those who seek to know what should never be known. Her grasp of the foundational truths of the multiverse rivals even Alindr's, and her followers claim that only the One Behind the Veil understands the primordial energies and laws that govern all creation, and it is only through her that mortals can gain the ability to pull those threads. Magicks unrivalled can be marshalled through Laaelum, but not without dire costs, for the One Behind the Veil seeks to know and understand all, and she finds the minds of mortals exceptionally interesting.  

Depictions, Symbols, and Names

Laaelum's depictions vary. Some show her as a lithe humanoid woman, nude, formed of the very void of the stars, while others show her as a deeply robed woman, her face obscured by a deep veil that betrays only her purple eyes, which radiate like dark stars. The only truth about Laaelum's form is that there is no truth; she takes whatever form is needed. She is often portrayed wielding unknown magicks or floating amongst the void of the universe, basking in all there is to know.   Laaelum's symbol is the Star of Understanding. It is orbited by the Moon of Secrets and the Ring of Obfuscation, which embody the veils behind which the truth of the universe is kept. In simpler renditions, this symbol is reduced to simply a star, but those renditions are rare and never found in the lairs of those truly blessed by Laaelum. Some of Laaelum's followers focus instead on the Moon of Secrets, believing it to be Lysithea.   Laaelum's names are infinite, for she takes many forms to those who seek her out. She does have certain common, "true" names, including: Laaelum, the One Behind the Veil, Veilkeeper, Mother of Lies, Mother of Truth, and She Who Knows.  

Ancient Home

Laaelum called Ipacia her home, where she resided within a City of Veils, constructed of star stuff, void, and other dark magics. From within, she sought evermore to push the boundaries of even her limitless understanding of the multiverse and magic, and built infinite libraries of arcane knowledge, mortal and immortal secrets, and foundational truths. Where that city may be now is anyone's guess.  

Worship Distribution

Laaelum is the least worshipped of the Lords, but not for lack of trying on behalf of her followers. A great many wanna-be scholars and arcanists petition Laaelum for secret deals and entreaties of knowledge. Their folly is believing she would ever aid someone not powerful in their own right.   So, to clarify, true worship of Laaelum is rare, for rare are the mortals Laaelum deems worthy of her blessings, for rare are the mortals Laaelum believes she can gain anything from.  

Champions of Laaelum

Laaelum's champions are known as Veilwatchers. They are often arcanists empowered by Laaelum to wield near-divine powers of magic and creation, often with a steep price to their body, soul, and mind. If those Laaelum even deems worthy of worship are rare, those worthy of being Veilwatchers are one-in-a-billion. Only one Veilwatcher has ever been recorded.
  • Enndolynn, Lady of the Veil. Believed to have been the leader of the Veil at the dawn of the Reckoning, some records credit Enndolynn with unleashing such a powerful spell that it broke a single landmass into the Cleolinere Islands of today.

Divine Domains

Laaelum is god of spacetime, secrets, greed, and lies. She seeks to consolidate the knowledge of everything, as do her followers.  

COMMANDMENTS OF LAAELUM

  • Never presume to know everything. There is always more, and you must find the knowledge you seek by any means necessary.
  • Secrets are a potent currency. Do not give them away freely.
  • To lie is to keep a secret. To keep a secret is to create power.
Laaelum's Holy Symbol

Methods of Worship

Laaelum doesn't demand worship like any other god. She believes in faith through action. The more secrets, the more knowledge and power that her chosen few acquire, the more blessings they receive. To fail in the pursuit of knowledge is to fail before Laaelum herself.

Mother of Truth, Mother of Lies

Laaelum is known as the Mother of Truth to her more trusting followers---rare as they are---and the Mother of Lies to her more cynical ones. That is the paradox of the One Behind the Veil: she sees beyond the Veil of reality and understands the truths of the universe, but she covets any and all knowledge she has and is loath to part with it or share it. She is the god of secrets and lies, yet also the god of spacetime. She can reveal the truth to those who earn it, yet even then, it is so often hidden behind veils that the truth within the truth is obfuscated.

Ancient Foes and Allies

Alindr was Laaelum's greatest enemy, for she saw him as a pretender who knew only the surface of the truth. Their battles were some of the greatest, for the magics they wielded against one another far eclipsed anything that has ever or likely will ever be seen in the history of the multiverse. Luckily for Emaxus, these battles often took place among the Sea of Stars, where the two gods nearly rent apart even the resilient boundaries between Ipacia and Xeccamund. She also holds a great deal of contempt for Lythaelos, for she holds fate and destiny as tragic misunderstandings of the tidings of creation.   Laaelum had no friends and no enemies among the Obsidian Lords, and her followers rarely do today. Like their patron, Laaelum's followers are often secretive, deceptive, and above all, powerful. They are viewed with weary eyes by even Narvox's chosen.

Laaelum's Pathfinder 2e Stat Block

Laaelum

The One Behind the Veil
God of spacetime, secrets, greed, and lies; she/her

Divinity

  • Realm The City of Veils (Ipacia)
  • Allies The Obsidian Lords (when opportune)
  • Enemies The Ten
  • Divine Attribute Intelligence or Charisma

Religion

  • Edicts seek knowledge, keep secrets, lie and deceive
  • Anathemas worship the Ten, give secrets away, reject knowledge
  • Symbol a star orbited by a moon
  • Temples libraries, hidden conclaves, mage towers
  • Sacred Colors purple, black, and red
  • Holy Days Laaelum's Rebirth (day of dedication to Laaelum, knowledge-seeking, and secret-keeping)
  • The Faithful

  • Cleric Spells 1st: disguise magic or illusory disguise, 2nd: umbral mindtheft, 3rd: day's weight, excise lexicon, or mind reading 4th: read omens or rewrite memory, 5th: mind probe, 6th: scrying, teleport, or word of revision 7th: planar palace or reverse gravity, 8th: antimagic field or hidden mind, 9th: falling stars, 10th: freeze time
  • Divine Font harm
  • Divine Sanctification can choose unholy
  • Divine Skill Arcana, Deception, or Occultism
  • Domains Ambition, Change, Confidence, Darkness, Destruction, Dreams, Fate, Introspection, Knowledge, Magic, Moon, Perfection, Secrecy, Star, Time, Trickery, Truth, Void
  • Favored Weapon exquisite sword cane

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