The Maw of Nihil
The Maw of Nihil is a cosmic force of endless consumption and emptiness, embodying pure annihilation and destruction. Known by names like The Devourer, The Endless Void, and The Unmaker, The Maw of Nihil stands as the antithesis of all creation, an insatiable void intent on reducing all of existence to nothingness. Unlike other Elder Evils, whose influence corrupts and twists, The Maw of Nihil embodies entropy in its purest form, a hunger that consumes all, leaving only silence and desolation in its wake.
Its presence is described as incomprehensibly vast and profoundly unsettling, exuding an aura of inevitable decay. Those who perceive The Maw sense an unshakable dread, as if every atom around them were being drawn toward an inevitable collapse. Legends say that gazing too long into The Maw is akin to staring into eternity itself, where light, matter, and time lose all meaning.
As an embodiment of nihilistic entropy, The Maw has waged countless battles against the gods, angels, and other divine beings who stand as protectors of existence. It is the ultimate force of undoing, its presence a direct challenge to the Divine Triad’s act of creation. Wherever The Maw passes, all creation—life, light, and structure—decomposes and fades, absorbed by its hunger and leaving behind only barren, lifeless landscapes.
During the Ruination, the era marked by the Elder Evils’ invasion, The Maw of Nihil posed the greatest threat to creation itself. The gods, mortals, and even angels found themselves stretched to their limits in containing its influence, as whole planes and worlds teetered on the edge of annihilation. Only through coordinated effort did the Divine Triad finally push The Maw and other Elder Evils back into the Void, sealing the rifts to prevent their return—though remnants of The Maw’s influence still haunt the universe in the form of dead magic zones and barren wastelands.
Consume and Destroy: The Maw’s followers actively seek to unmake what others create. They destroy for the sake of destruction, relishing the sensation of watching something disappear into oblivion.
Reject Growth and Life: Life, to The Maw’s followers, is a futile struggle against the inevitable. They view growth, creation, and preservation as illusions that go against the true nature of existence.
Spread Emptiness: The Maw’s followers seek to cultivate desolation wherever they go, leaving behind barren land and empty ruins as reminders of the Void’s power.
These beliefs form the foundation of The Maw’s grim teachings, encouraging its followers to revel in decay, reject growth, and seek to bring about the ultimate erasure of all things.
Wanderers of the Void: These followers live in isolation, embracing emptiness as a way of life. They typically avoid permanent settlements, seeing attachment as an illusion, and often carry out solitary acts of destruction.
Acolytes of Decay: Some druids and others with an affinity for natural cycles are drawn to The Maw’s philosophy, seeing decay as a higher purpose. They often work in secrecy, hastening the breakdown of nature and encouraging rot in the areas they inhabit.
Haunters of Dead Magic Zones: Followers who dwell in dead magic zones and other barren places feel closest to The Maw there, where the Weave itself has been stripped away. They serve as reminders of The Maw’s power, fostering desolation in areas abandoned by magic.
Followers of The Maw are feared and reviled, as they represent the rejection of everything creation stands for. They are often hunted by agents of the gods and others who seek to protect life, though this persecution only deepens their commitment to The Maw’s dark path.
The Maw of Nihil embodies pure, cosmic entropy, a force that consumes and erases all things. As its followers work to spread decay and desolation, they believe they are honoring the Void’s ultimate power, moving the universe closer to an inevitable return to nothingness. This cult of destruction remains a constant threat to the stability of creation, reminding all who oppose it of the inexorable pull of oblivion.
Physical Description
The Maw of Nihil is rarely depicted in solid form, as its nature is difficult to capture. When visualized, it is often portrayed as a vast, swirling black void, surrounded by fragments of stars, planets, and other remnants of matter it has consumed. The darkness within The Maw appears almost alive, shifting and writhing as if feeding off the energies around it. Some depictions show it as a mouth of endless shadow, filled with swirling, destructive energy that draws all it encounters into a devouring oblivion.Its presence is described as incomprehensibly vast and profoundly unsettling, exuding an aura of inevitable decay. Those who perceive The Maw sense an unshakable dread, as if every atom around them were being drawn toward an inevitable collapse. Legends say that gazing too long into The Maw is akin to staring into eternity itself, where light, matter, and time lose all meaning.
History
The Maw of Nihil emerged from The Void, a plane of pure destruction and anti-life, when the Divine Triad’s conflicts fractured the universe. With each tear in the cosmos, the Void seeped through, and the Elder Evils entered, bringing their cosmic destruction into the created world. The Maw, unlike other entities, did not simply corrupt or twist creation; it sought to consume it entirely, to erase it from existence.As an embodiment of nihilistic entropy, The Maw has waged countless battles against the gods, angels, and other divine beings who stand as protectors of existence. It is the ultimate force of undoing, its presence a direct challenge to the Divine Triad’s act of creation. Wherever The Maw passes, all creation—life, light, and structure—decomposes and fades, absorbed by its hunger and leaving behind only barren, lifeless landscapes.
During the Ruination, the era marked by the Elder Evils’ invasion, The Maw of Nihil posed the greatest threat to creation itself. The gods, mortals, and even angels found themselves stretched to their limits in containing its influence, as whole planes and worlds teetered on the edge of annihilation. Only through coordinated effort did the Divine Triad finally push The Maw and other Elder Evils back into the Void, sealing the rifts to prevent their return—though remnants of The Maw’s influence still haunt the universe in the form of dead magic zones and barren wastelands.
Beliefs
The Maw of Nihil does not promote ideals in the traditional sense; it represents the concept of ultimate nothingness. Its followers, however, have adopted a grim philosophy based on entropy, destruction, and the futility of life. They believe that all things are destined to be consumed by The Maw, that life and creation are illusions that only delay the inevitable return to the Void.Core Tenets of The Maw’s Doctrine:
Embrace Entropy: Followers of The Maw see decay and collapse as the natural order. They accept that all things are destined to return to nothingness and believe that speeding this process along is a form of enlightenment.Consume and Destroy: The Maw’s followers actively seek to unmake what others create. They destroy for the sake of destruction, relishing the sensation of watching something disappear into oblivion.
Reject Growth and Life: Life, to The Maw’s followers, is a futile struggle against the inevitable. They view growth, creation, and preservation as illusions that go against the true nature of existence.
Spread Emptiness: The Maw’s followers seek to cultivate desolation wherever they go, leaving behind barren land and empty ruins as reminders of the Void’s power.
These beliefs form the foundation of The Maw’s grim teachings, encouraging its followers to revel in decay, reject growth, and seek to bring about the ultimate erasure of all things.
Followers
The followers of The Maw of Nihil are often twisted individuals who see life as a meaningless cycle that can only end in oblivion. They are nihilists, destroyers, and desolate wanderers who act as conduits for The Maw’s influence, bringing decay and emptiness wherever they go. Some are driven by deep despair, having turned to the Void after witnessing the destruction wrought by other Elder Evils or feeling abandoned by creation. Others are consumed by a strange zeal for annihilation, almost reverent in their quest to dismantle the universe’s structures and ideals.Types of Followers:
Cultists of Oblivion: These individuals dedicate their lives to spreading The Maw’s influence, sabotaging settlements, corrupting ecosystems, and fostering despair. They revel in the sensation of reducing structures and communities to ruin.Wanderers of the Void: These followers live in isolation, embracing emptiness as a way of life. They typically avoid permanent settlements, seeing attachment as an illusion, and often carry out solitary acts of destruction.
Acolytes of Decay: Some druids and others with an affinity for natural cycles are drawn to The Maw’s philosophy, seeing decay as a higher purpose. They often work in secrecy, hastening the breakdown of nature and encouraging rot in the areas they inhabit.
Haunters of Dead Magic Zones: Followers who dwell in dead magic zones and other barren places feel closest to The Maw there, where the Weave itself has been stripped away. They serve as reminders of The Maw’s power, fostering desolation in areas abandoned by magic.
Followers of The Maw are feared and reviled, as they represent the rejection of everything creation stands for. They are often hunted by agents of the gods and others who seek to protect life, though this persecution only deepens their commitment to The Maw’s dark path.
The Maw of Nihil embodies pure, cosmic entropy, a force that consumes and erases all things. As its followers work to spread decay and desolation, they believe they are honoring the Void’s ultimate power, moving the universe closer to an inevitable return to nothingness. This cult of destruction remains a constant threat to the stability of creation, reminding all who oppose it of the inexorable pull of oblivion.
Type
Elder EvilTitle(s)
The Endless VoidThe Devourer
The Unmaker
Alignment
Neutral EvilSymbol
A black, spiraling void consuming starsEdicts
embrace entropy and seek to return matter to nothingness; consume or destroy excess, reducing all things to emptiness; accept and spread the inevitability of decay, teaching others of life’s futility.Anathema
preserve or protect life or creation unnecessarily, promote growth or assist in acts of creation, show compassion or mercy toward those who seek to stop entropy.Areas of Concern
consumption, emptiness, entropy, destructionD&D Domains
Death, NightP2 DEVOTEE BENEFITS
Divine Ability
Strength or ConstitutionDivine Font
harmDivine Sanctification
must choose unholyDivine Skill
IntimidationFavored Weapon
flailDomains
darkness, death, decay, destructionAlternate Domains
nightmares, voidCleric Spells
1st: ill omen, 3rd: nondetection, 5th: crushing despairDivine Intercession
The Maw of Nihil rewards those who embrace entropy and embrace consumption and decay while cursing those who seek to preserve or protect life.Minor Boon: Touch of Emptiness
Once per day, you can cast disrupt undead as an innate divine spell, representing the decaying touch of the Maw. This ability can also affect constructs, weakening their form with a glimpse of the Void.Moderate Boon: Devouring Presence
Once per day, you can cast enervation as an innate divine spell, allowing you to drain energy from a foe, leaving them weakened and vulnerable to further entropy. Additionally, you gain a +1 bonus to Intimidation checks against those who fear death or destruction.Major Boon: Void’s Embrace
Once per day, you can cast finger of death as an innate divine spell, embodying The Maw’s ultimate goal of reducing life to emptiness. Furthermore, your presence causes others within 30 feet to feel an unnatural chill, giving you a +2 circumstance bonus on all checks to demoralize foes in this area.Minor Curse: Fading Vitality
If you resist the Maw’s edicts, you find yourself drained of life. You take a -1 penalty to Constitution-based checks and saving throws until you embrace or assist in an act of entropy.Moderate Curse: Withering Touch
The Maw begins sapping your own life force. Any time you receive magical healing, you must succeed at a DC 15 flat check or reduce the healing amount by half. This curse can only be lifted by causing significant decay or destruction in the Maw’s name.Major Curse: Eternal Devouring
The Maw consumes your life force, leaving you a hollow shell. Your maximum HP is reduced by half, and you become vulnerable to necrotic damage. This curse can only be lifted by devoting yourself to an extreme act of destruction or entropy that leaves a lasting scar on the world.
Children
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