Cyric

The Prince of Lies, the Dark Sun

The worship of Cyric derives directly from the story of his ascension to godhood. Cyric was a mortal during the Time of Troubles and the key to how that chaotic period resolved, but he was also a selfish traitor and a murderer. When he became a god, Cyric continued to work various plots of deceit and murder - the most famous of which is that, according to legend, Cyric murdered Mystra and thus caused the Spellplague over a century ago. Those who don't worship Cyric see him as a god of madness, strife, and deceit, although his priests consider such claims to be heresy. Their Prince of Lies isn't a twisted madman, but a god of dark majesty who proves that, ultimately, all bonds between folk corrupt and wither away.

Cyric's church works openly in Amn, where the citizens espouse the principles of ambition, self-reliance, and "buyer beware." Those who take Cyric as their patron tend to be sadists, con artists, power-mad connivers, and worse. Other folk pray to Cyric when they want to do wrong but don't want others to find out about it.

"The Dark Sun," originally one of Cyric's epithets, has become a metaphor for strife in the Realms. "A Dark Sun has risen o'er this court" might be spoken as a warning that intrigues and infighting have gotten out of hand in a noble household; and married couples know to seek advice from others if "a Dark Sun shines through the window" in their relationship.

The Faith

Cyric has no defined holy days on the calendar. The date of his ascension to godhood isn’t celebrated, as church canon insists that Cyric has always been a deity, despite other canonical stories about him, including his mortal deeds.

Day of the Dark Sun. This is a general term for any day declared holy by a powerful follower of Cyric. It is marked by a valuable blood sacrifice to the deity, which allows worshippers to make pleas to Cyric for guidance or power.

Temples and Shrines. Cyricism has few friends on the Sword Coast, and as a result, permanent temples aren’t common. More than this, the constant, intentional contradictions that Cyric introduces to the beliefs of his followers make any permanent house of worship difficult to maintain without the clergy tearing each other apart.

Symbol of Cyric

---

Alignment:

Chaotic evil

Symbol

White jawless skull on black or purple sunburst

Portfolio

Lies

Domains:

Trickery

Worshippers:

Former worshipers of Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul

Worshipper Alias:

Cyricists