Erythnul (eh-RITH-nul)
Intermediate Powers
(The Many), CE (CN) intermediate god of Hate, Envy, Malice, Panic, Ugliness, and Slaughter
Erythnul, know as "The Many," is the deity of capricious malice, hate, envy and panic. His followers include humans and humanoids as well, for Erythnul is said to greatly reward his faithful servants for their fickleness and wicked deeds. Erythnul stalks all battlefields in order to strike fear and rout whenever possible.
This deity appears as a seven-foot-tall, brutal-looking man. He is rubicund of complexion, hirsute, and muscular. Erythnul has mad, darting eyes of dull green color which are horrible to behold. He is typically clad in red fur garments and russet-dyed leather. He carries a huge stone-headed mace. The head of this weapon is pierced so that when Erythnul swings it the mace gives off a shrieking whistle. The keening from Erythnul's stone-headed mace has been known to send those hearing it fleeing and screaming in fright, until they pass out from exhaustion.
When Erythnul engages in combat, his visage mutates, flowing in form from human to gnoll to bugbear to ogre to troll. This denotes his special power to generate servitors from his blood. If Erythnul is stabbed or cut in battle, the following creatures have been seen to spring forth from his spilled blood:
— Human fighters armored in red metal and wielding footmen's maces.
— Gnolls clad in red lacquered armor and wielding morning stars.
— Bugbears adorned in plates of red enameled iron and wielding flails.
— Ogres wearing pelts and hides of red fur and hair and wielding huge clubs.
— Trolls whose coppery skin is unusually tough, and which fight with their natural weapons.
Erythnul also can spread fear through his eyes. He can assume the shape of a human, gnoll, bugbear, ogre, or troll at will. Erythnul otherwise has all of the powers typical for a lesser god.
Clerics of Erythnul dress in rust colored garments.Ceremonial robes are often white spattered with blood. Masks include stylized visages for each of Erythnul's five aspects. Most places of worship of Erythnul are hidden. Most towns and cities have a small cult of his followers amongst the denizens of the local thieves quarter. Many gnolls, bugbears, ogres and trolls worship this deity. Services include shrill reed instruments played in discord, gongs, and drums. Major rites include fire and a sacrifice.
Erythnul (eh-RITH-nul) is the undisciplined counterpart to Hextor, possibly predating him and losing worshipers to his ordered and intelligent rival. This Oeridian god is a terrible sight to behold, with ruddy skin, red garments, a brutally strong build, and a great stone mace that is pierced to cause a fear-induc ing shriek when he swings it. His title comes from his appearance in battle, as his features change between human, gnoll, bugbear, ogre, and troll, and his spilled blood becomes an allied creature of like type. His symbol is a red blood drop or a hideous mask.
Destroy anyone who would take what is yours away from you. Covet that which you do not own. Blessed is he who can take something from a rival. Maim those you cannot destroy, and cause fear in the hearts that you cannot maim. Bloodshed for its own sake is reason enough, and if you can shed the blood of a hated enemy, so much the better. When Erythnul's gift of blood rage comes upon you, be sure to use it well. Any site where great bloodshed has occurred is considered a holy place by the church.
Erythnul's clerics are cruel, sadistic, and hateful. They foment rebellion, murder, and riots in civilized areas, lead troops of bandits, raiders, or nonhumans, and commit murder when they grow bored. They deface beautiful things and disfigure attractive people for fun. They aren't above betraying their own allies to suit their own motives or protect their own hides. They travel to bring ugliness and strife to pleasant places or to escape those that would persecute them.
Domains Chaos, Evil, Trickery, War; Weapons heavy mace
Erythnul is the Power of capricious malice, envy, hatred, and fearful panic. His worshipers include many humanoids, for Erythnul smiles on fickle, wicked deeds from them as much as from humans. Erythnul delights in the fear, rout, and terror of battlefields, and is himself depicted terrifyingly as a seven-foot brute, hairy and red-faced, with mad, staring green eyes. He can change from human to gnoll to bugbear to ogre to troll at will, and he carries a huge stone-headed mace. He is a summoner of creatures of battle, and if wounded, monsters spring from his blood.
Erythnul is worshiped by evil, embittered, cruel creatures. Services to him include playing of shrill and discordant reed instruments, the banging of gongs, and ritual drumming. Major rites in clude burnt offerings. Humanoids of the Bone March and the Pomarj include many devotees of Erythnul, as do evilly-inclined bands of bandits and brigands around the Flanaess.
Erythnul's Priests
Erythnul's priests include many gnolls, bug bears, and ogres. There is no fixed hierarchy, and a junior may demonstrate his fitness to boss his fellows by dispatching an older priest (envy is a virtue, after all). The priests are bullies— hateful backstabbers and wanton killers—acting on evil impulse and revelling in bloodshed.
Requirements: AB Str 14 or Con 14; AL CE, NE; WP any (mace 1st AR any; RA rust colored garments, blood-stained robes for cere monies; SP Combat, Creation", Healing (rev), Necromantic (rev), Protection*, Summoning, Sun* (rev), War*; SPL none; PW 4) fear (W4 7) strength (increased by Id8 points as for a war rior) (W2 9) once per day, the priest may en chant an edged weapon for 1 round/level to act as a sword of wounding; TU command at - 4 levels.
Link to explanation of Priests abbreviations
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