Nethys

N god of Magic

The All-Seeing Eye

Magic is all things, and in all things. It is in the air, the stone, the flame, the water. It is time, space, and the void. It will nurture you, it will consume you, and always will be your master.

-The Book of Magic

To some, magic is a powerful weapon. To others, it’s a malleable tool. And to a few, it’s a source of purpose. With an understanding of spellcasting, creatures can cause fire to erupt from their hands, call otherworldly beings to aid them, bewitch the senses, and even bring the dead back to life. The ability to reshape reality to better suit one’s needs and desires is a powerful call that most only dream of being able to answer, and few are ever able to truly master such might.

One such master was Nethys, who was revered as a god-king in ancient Osirion. Having sought to unlock all of the secrets and potential held within the planes and beyond, Nethys shattered his own mind from the sheer overload of knowledge to which he was exposed. Witnessing all of creation, the secrets of the universe, and the vast expanse of what has been seen and will be seen rent his mind in the same moment he elevated to the status of a god. Nethys gained unlimited power and the skill to utilize it, but at the cost of his core self and mental security. This resulted in a split soul, two sides warring within the same body. One seeks to destroy the world, to purge it through fire and ruin, and to conquer all that exists. The other attempts to protect the world, to elevate and educate, and to release it from its limits.

Those who encounter Nethys typically describe him as unpredictable. His shifts in mood and outlook, which occur without reason, often make interactions with him strained. Yet despite the difficulties, he teaches those who seek him out, regardless of their intent. So long as they strive to use magic, to explore its limitless potential, they can earn Nethys’ patronage. From the vilest curses to the purest remedies, magic and its continued use seem to be the only drive Nethys maintains. This is often reflected in his followers, who may seek to uncover all they can about the arcane by crafting new uses for existing spells, or to simplify mundane tasks through magical means. Using magic whenever possible is an often-practiced tenet of Nethys’s followers. Some of the more zealous followers take it to the fullest extent, opting to use magic for doing all their household tasks at once, utilizing only magical sources of light, or constantly providing themselves with a light breeze.

Nethys’s worshippers seek to gain greater knowledge and expand upon their powers. While the majority of his faithful welcome those who seek to learn and understand magic, a fair portion actively shun those without the talent or patience for it. Many followers push for others to learn, often withholding the full answers to questions and offering just enough information to lead others to seek out the answers themselves and learn from their own pursuits. Some instead guard their knowledge jealously, hoping to ensure their own understanding far outpaces that of others who chase similar knowledge. It is common for the followers of Nethys to come off as aloof or indifferent, perhaps even mirroring the god of magic by attempting to balance the world around them, allowing disaster that could be prevented while bringing structure where it is lacking. Most refrain from politics, instead choosing to take impartial viewpoints that do not require taking hard stances, though a Nethysian’s neutral stance makes them perfect advisors for rulers dealing with magic-related issues.

Standalone temples constructed solely for the worship of Nethys are rare (though Zamora had many before the doom). Instead, many double as libraries and studies, and preexisting libraries and colleges often hold shrines to Nethys within. Most of these temples are grandiose edifices whose imposing nature suggest architecture only capable with the aid of magic. In fact, many of the caretakers of such sites take pride in the unique spells required in the creation of the more elaborate temples of Nethys. A few more remote locations hold small shrines to Nethys, often containing small traveling libraries along with various scraps of research that might spur those who stop and partake to pursue new knowledge, though such shrines are particularly rare. These shrines and their libraries are constructed by followers who actively roam the lands in search of new secrets. Priests of Nethys commonly wear contrasting colors, often one light and one dark, or take to painting or tattooing one half of their body to better represent the duality of the god of magic.

Relations with Other Religions

Nethys's shattered mind makes him an uncertain ally in long-term plans, but he is able to negotiate with other deities, and doesn't turn on them unless his omniscient senses reveal threats or imminent betrayals. Much like his martial counterpart, Gorum, with whom he shares a mutual appreciation for power and strategy, he is indifferent to the ethics of an engagement: many deities rely on his aid from time to time, and he might ally with anyone in the pantheon, supplying spells, magic items, or even raw magical power. Of course, he knows better than to provide more than minor spells and items to agents of Rovagug; despite his destructive aspect, he does not wish the entire world ruined.

Nethys and Irori were both mortals who ascended to godhood through enlightenment. Irori's perfection of his physical self transcends the divide between the extraordinary and supernatural, something that both intrigues and vexes Nethys. He simultaneously wants to both praise Irori for his achievement and tear him apart to figure out how he did it.

Holy Books & Codes

The official text of the church is The Book of Magic, a comprehensive guide for casting spells and channeling magic, as well as a treatise on the moral ramifications of its use and misuse. As might be expected from a Nethysian text, the book often comes down squarely on one side of certain issues, only to contradict itself a few paragraphs later. Most scholars consider it useless as an ethical guide, since these inconsistencies put forth a worldview fractured to the point of insanity-temples of Nethys tend to adopt whichever codicils are most convenient for their particular needs. The information within the book is detailed enough that someone with a proclivity for wizardry can often eventually come to understand the basics of a few cantrips by reading it from cover to cover, and more than one great wizard has started out by reading a stolen copy of this book and using it as the foundation for decades of study and innovation. Likewise, some latent sorcerers see their power blossom after sleeping (sometimes unknowingly) near a copy of the book.

Tenets of Faith

Edicts seek out magical power and use it
Anathema pursue mundane paths over magical ones
Follower Alignments: Neutral Good, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Evil

Holidays

The month of Neth (January) is named for the All- Seeing Eye. The church has three holidays shared by all temples.
Abjurant Day: On 8th of Neth, the faithful work together to shore up mutual defenses and train friends and children in defensive magic. It's also traditionally a day for testing possible apprentices; some evil casters do so by performing deadly tests upon kidnapped subjects to find promising students and eliminate potential rivals.
Evoking Day: 18th of Neth is a day of magical fireworks displays, dueling (both mock and real), and trading spells. Among the Zalindians , even commoners celebrate helpful magic by dancing with bright streamers and wearing black-and-white flowing robes designed to flare out around the waist when the wearers spin.
Transmutatum: 28th of Neth is a day of reflection and self improvement. Some traditionalists believe it is fortuitous to begin researching spells or crafting difficult magic items on this day.

Aphorisms

Nethys’s followers prefer phrases that require knowledge of magic or wordplay in order to decipher.
That which is not there, is: This saying is as cryptic as the god of magic himself, and those who understand its intent readily recite it as they chase new knowledge. It signifies that just because an idea or entity is not currently understood or doesn’t currently exist doesn’t mean that it can’t be understood, and often spurs the pursuit of understanding. That which is not immediately seen can still be learned from and uncovered, often granting new insight.
Point with the finger of his scorched black hand: This reference to Nethys’s hand, burned black with magic, has multiple meanings that become apparent when translated into other languages. At a base level, it directs followers toward a challenge that allows them to learn, while at the same time warning that the challenge could be destructive.

Religions

• Gods of Tengaria
• The Ascended