Tharizdun (thar-IZ-dun)

Tharizdun is an ancient entity, possibly older than even the other gods. It was sealed once long ago in the First Era, back when the deities first began to give form to the world after the defeating and scattering of the prime elementals that previously walked across Iddoxiar in its early days. This lead Tharizdun to find and become corrupt by the Abyssal Heart. No one knows who or what created the Abyssal Heart, or why it existed. The object, a massive black and red pulsing stone, promised mastery of all reality to Tharizdun, if only he claimed it. Tharizdun, unable to resist the promise of limitless power, claimed the Heart. At that moment, anything good within Tharizdun perished for eternity, replaced by the undying evil of the Abyssal Heart, and became known as the Mad God.
During the Secodn Era, it, along with all the Traitor Deities that were sealed away into their own prison planes, were released by a mortal who sought to harness their immense powers. After turning on the mortal, Tharizdun turned his evil, anger, and vengeance towards the Prime Deities that locked it away, ushering a Second Divine Warfare. It was during this war that it was responsible for dealing a great wound to Ioun, from which she is still recovering.

Worship

Tharizdun's few followers are almost all insane, and those who are not are extremely dangerous. Contact with the imprisoned Dark God is only possible in proximity to one of his remaining artifacts or forgotten unholy sites, and even then his blessings come at the cost of madness. Many cults are unaware that the entity that they worship is Tharizdun. Unable to act upon the world directly, he dispenses his power from cover identities and aspects.
Tharizdun's followers are highly secretive, and his temples are well hidden. Many follow him in the optimistic belief that he will spare his loyal servants when he destroys the multiverse. Their goal is to bring together all of his artifacts, and to free the Ebon God from his imprisonment, where he will destroy the multiverse. Although the cult's leaders are fully aware of this, many low-ranking members merely seek revenge against society, and are unaware with the full extent of the Dark God's destruction, should he be freed.

Symbol: Dark spiral on an inverted ziggurat
Divine Classification: God
Portfolio: Eternal Darkness, Destruction, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, Insanity
Domains: Trickery
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Home Plane: Sealed Prison
Worshipers: Fanatic nihilists, evil elemental beings
Cleric Alignments: CE