Myrkul, Lady of death and deceit

The lady of morbid love, a goddess of pain, ecstasy and manipulation. Myrkul is the embodiment of the evils of the worlds mortal races, animals and supernatural forces. Known as the lady of death and deceit, Myrkul is the patron of murder, torture, lies, manipulation and lords over the dead who were never claimed by a god or judged unworthy by Valoriens mercyless morality. She will never, however, herself engage in the horrible acts she promotes, for Myrkul desires one thing over all, manipulating people to do horrible acts strengthens her.

One of her most horrible acts was the creation of the Tieflings, while the creation of a race was usually celebrated by the pantheon, Myrkul had sadistic intentions. The Tieflings were tailor made to be hated. Traits like horns and tails, things that are impossible to hide unless you are willing to endure massive pain. They were made to be hated, and made to be driven to crime.

She returned shortly after Menelwen, and her return heralded the first signs of the pantheons old strifes. Until her return, only gods that mostly agreed had returned, yet she posed the question of what is more important. Reclaiming the world for the all the gods, or should the gods of undesirable domains be kept out.

Silver tongue, silver dagger

Ever since mortals existed, murder, lies and theft have existed. Myrkuls seeds were planted since the first thought was conceived. Once kingdoms and cities were built Myrkul was truly an entrenched deity, as acknowledged as Lathander or any other major deity. Myrkul loved to speak to mortals, spinning words with her silver tongue and driving people mad.

Myrkul preyed on people she felt could cause the most damage. But she was tactical, driving the poor to murders and the rich to manipulation. Myrkul was identified by two gifts, the silver tongue and silver dagger. Knives for murder, words for lies. She was known to slowly cultivate ideas in the heads of mortals, a whisper in the ear, a light guiding hand, a knife lightly placed into your hand. She revelled in manipulation, for it is her nature.

Some mortals approached her for the power she promised, a gift to enact vengeance, lies to gain power. Myrkul happily obliged to willing mortals. But to encounter Myrkul was to court madness, for her words were honeyed poison, luring mortals into her tangled web of lies and deceit, where even the most virtuous souls could find themselves thursting a dagger into the heart of the innocent, with a hand carresed by the Lady of Murder.

Myrkul was however not a force of mass chaos, she did not desire slaughter, undead hordes or societal collapse. She needs civilization to exist. Myrkul is cunning and extremely clever, and her most famous act was the creation of the Tieflings, unwilling agents of her chaos. Myrkul is a Creator deity, yet she is not revered like Menelwen or Lillith. for the Tieflings despise their creator.

Myrkul created the Tieflings to be harrased, bestowing upon them horns, red to purple skin and tails, traits impossible to hide. They were made to be ostracised, no matter what. The mortals would see a race looking like devils, created by a despised deity. Myrkul had created an entire race to be hated, to be driven to crime and victims of it. This would be her most heinous act.

Although the Tieflings would not be her only creation. She desired to create what she deemed perfection. This manifested itself as her magnum opus, her sanguine masterpiece, her vampirism. Myrkul, as lord of the undead, sought to create a perfect being under her domain, and one that could spread its gift and influence

Blackened hearts

In the wake of the Godwound, the return of Myrkul heralded a resurgence of darkness and deceit in the mortal realm. As the embodiment of the evils that lurk within the hearts of mortals, Myrkul's presence cast a shadow of fear and uncertainty over the world. She once more wielded her influence with a subtle hand, manipulating mortals to carry out her nefarious will while she remained aloof from direct involvement in their heinous acts.

Unlike other gods, Myrkul has no intention to fight against the continuing calamity. She reveres the chaos, and does not truly mind her distant influence. She pivoted her influence from direct contact to cults. Communicating with select mortals, commanding them to establish cults and spread her influence. From secret societies in upper eschelons of society, to crime rings of violent killings in the underbelly of cities. By the time of her return, she had seen the other gods pushing the limits of what is deemed acceptable, and thus she sought to capitalise on this herself. She decided to extend some of her power to the Vampire lords she has created, ushering in a new terror on Talsya.

Myrkul's return to the mortal realm shortly after Menelwen's reemergence sparked renewed tensions within the pantheon, as her presence raised questions about the balance of power among the gods. While only deities who largely agreed with one another had returned prior to her arrival, Myrkul's presence forced the pantheon to confront the uncomfortable reality of gods with undesirable domains seeking reentry. Her return posed a fundamental question: should the gods prioritize reclaiming the world for all deities, regardless of their domains, or should they maintain the exclusion of gods whose influence brings only darkness and despair? As the pantheon grappled with this dilemma, the shadows cast by Myrkul's presence grew ever darker, signaling a turbulent era fraught with uncertainty and discord.

A silver tongue and a penchant for death, Myrkul cannot be underestimated

Titles

Lady of Death and Deceit
Whisper of Death
Lady of Wishes
Lady of Morbid Love
Vile mother (Tieflings)

Alignment

Lawful Evil

Symbol

Blood Rose

Portfolio

Lies, Murder, Manipulation, Dead and judged souls, Undead

Domains

Trickery, Death

Worshipers

Corrupt officials, Murderers, People seeking revenge, Vampires

Channel divinity

Invoke duplicity
Touch of death