Zhaarn, the Scourge of Thorns

Jailer of the Damned

Zhaarn is known as the God of Blasphemous Torment and holds the third seat on the Pharosso Pantheon.
He is considered the god of torture, madness, and blood.
Feared even by his fellow deities, Zhaarn is widely considered to be the embodiment of pure evil. It's said that power only fueled his malicious and twisted nature, his masters casting him into a dark abyss to forever remain sealed. But at the heart of nothingness, his will forged a new realm for himself, turning his prison into his throne. To keep the monstrous god at bay, a deal was struck: seek no escape from his prison, while serving as punisher for all souls lost to evil's grasp.

Appearance

Zhaarn is known to take many monstrous forms, be it a demonic hound with fiery fur and bleeding eyes, or a vulture with acid foaming from its beak. His true form is said to be that of a large salamander, flames roaring at his core with venomous brambles wrapped along his body. While his body often burns like any other flame, he may draw upon his malice to blacken the fire within, bringing nothing but agony to all before him.
Similarly, he holds many different depictions, be it mortal or otherwise. His image is commonly that of a soul trapped, screaming in blissful agony with a maddening smile on his face. From a scorched humanoid bleeding black blood to an unspeakable monster in searing chains of light, Zhaarn's visage is one of horror and damnation which serves only as a warning to those who would walk the path of unending cruelty.

Personality

While some deities possess glimmers of good, if only to serve their wicked schemes, Zhaarn is considered evil beyond measure, even amongst his fellow deities. The only flicker of service within him is his agreement to serve as the jailer of souls who've devoted their lives to evil, which is fueled only by his passion for seeing others suffer. Not a single spark within his fiery soul glows in service of others, his will entirely devoted to none but himself.
He's widely considered to be a being of madness, taking great pleasure in tormenting any soul he can get his hands on. Those cast into his domain of terror are hunted down and torn apart, maimed and flayed for eternity until they repent for all their sins. While such would allow them to proceed into the realms of the afterlife once more, Zhaarn's vicious ways keep all but the best from ever leaving his realm of agony.
From within his prison, his vile words reach out to the realms beyond, seeking to invoke madness in the mortal races. Nothing delights him more than to witness others lay waste to their fellow kin, his cacophony of screaming laughter said to be the stuff of nightmares. His most ruthless beasts are said to be the souls of those who knew nothing but madness in life, serving their wicked god without question in his desire to see all worlds burn.

Abilities

Zhaarn is a master of beasts and commands an endless army of ravenous monstrosities. While he himself relishes in the thrill of tearing his enemies to shreds, so too does he enjoy watching his pets feast upon their screaming victims. Some are said to be his followers in life while others are merely his victims driven to madness, or even his own flesh and blood made manifest as monsters.
Should he wish to rend his foes personally, he's said to be immensely powerful, able to sustain great harm without showing any signs of defeat. His claws are swift and deadly, easily slicing the strongest foes to pieces in seconds. Zhaarn also has a fondness for poison and venom, adding only to the searing agony inflicted by his dark flames. With his will strong enough to conjure his own realm, nothing is said to hold any power over his twisted mind.

Worship

Any and all worship of Zhaarn is commonly forbidden across the entire material plane. Even more ruthless and wicked societies have been made to follow this law but such is mainly due to the punishment that follows. Due to ancient stories and historical events of mortalkind, anyone in service of Zhaarn is to be exiled at best or put to death at worst. As such, this leaves only a handful of cultures known to worship the dark god, doing so far from civilization in some of the most desolate regions.
The most well known followers of Zhaarn are select clans of orcs. These have long since been cast out of Mak Thul and are often kept under close watch by their own kin and other neighboring races. Other smaller groups are thought to exist but remain well hidden as the rest of the world are less inclined to leave them be as the orcs do. They'll often engage in blood rituals and fiendish magics, showing no remorse in sacrificing others to praise their god. Any such follower daring to travel outside of their lairs always disguise themselves as devoted servants of other deities.

Commandments

• Rend, tear, maim. Let the beast within take hold and all shall crumble at your feet.
• Feast upon your foes. A prey devoured is one who shall never return to haunt you.
• Break your shackles. The ways of the world must never bind you in your endeavors.

Notable Relations

Allegiances

• Camus - Stories speak of Zhaarn having once served as Camus' most favored hunter, a bond forged in blood for which the abhorrent god still holds a sliver of allegiance.
• Harakhos - As one of a handful of deities locked away within their dark realms, Zhaarn and Harakhos are said to work closely together to undo their divine bindings.
• Izrir - Few beings hold any favorable title from Zhaarn, Izrir being one such soul due to his inspiring tools for suffering, earning him the simple title of "friend".

Oppositions

• Lyon - With little regard for those who lord over him and his prison, Zhaarn knows only disgust for Lyon's name and all who would wield it with pride and faith.
• Ossara - Zhaarn is often associated with twisted flora and decay of flesh and bone, which in the past had lead to a seething hatred for Ossara claiming such domains.
• Tali - Although not an official title, Zhaarn is without doubt a god of death and would delight in seeing Tali undone and claim the many souls she reaps away from him.

Divinity

God of Blasphemous Torment

Title(s)

Lord of the Crimson Thorns
Maw of Damnation
Ravenous Master of Beasts

Moral Compass

Whim & Temptation

Symbol

Black rose /w thorns

Phrase

Praised be the bleeding sun

Reputation

Unspoken

Presence

Hidden

Plane

Skorne

Realm

The Bleeding Rose