Born in the Dreaming, the Nightmare Gods embody the fears of all mortals. Though once trapped in the Dreaming, the Nightmare Gods escaped, and waged a war against the Gods of Thaumara. Eventually they lost the war and were imprisoned, but they still have an impact on the world. There are nine Nightmare Gods, each bringing a particular kind of fear into the world. The Book of Pain, the sacred text of the Goredhel, explains the creation of the Nightmare Gods.
The beginnings of the Great Gods (The
Goredhel name of the Nightmare Gods) are in the Dreaming. Since the first gods started to dream, they have had nightmares. After the creation of the mortal races, they too began to have nightmares. The Prison Keeper (The Goredhel name for Breksta) allowed some of these nightmares to leave the Dreaming, becoming the monstrous creatures that lurk in the dark places of Thaumara. The most terrifying, though, she sent to a protected space in the Dreaming to protect Thaumara from such horrors. There she forgot about these nightmares. As more and more of these nightmares began to collect the first among them, Ctugnn'Itha gained consciousness. The Nightmare Lord watched as The Prison Keeper let some nightmares out into the world, and send others to the Prison he was in. He yearned for freedom, but could not break out.
Over time the other Great Gods came into being as well. The Nine plotted and schemed for a way to leave the Dreaming. As The Prison Keeper continued to send nightmares into the prison, the Great Gods grew in power as the absorbed these new nightmares. They soon found that they could influence the dreams of mortals, causing their nightmares to grow worse and therby gaining more power. Still, they were trapped. The Prison Keeper noted the influx of new nightmares, and realized something was wrong, but she did not think about the nightmares she had discarded.
Eventually it was
Voun, the Exile, who provided the way out for the Great Gods, for he was fated to bring the Great Gods into the world. It was for this fate that the Faithless had exiled him. Voun wandered into the Dreaming, unknown to the Keeper. There he discovered the prison of the Great Gods. There C'tugnn'Itha reached out and made contact with Voun. After some conversation, Ctugnn'Itha asked to be released, and Voun obliged. The Great Gods, along with the Exiled One, left the Dreaming travelling to the material realm. It was the Exile who would imprison the Great Gods after the War of the Faithless (The Goredhel name for the
War of Dreams).
Still, the Dreaming no longer could permanently hold the Great Gods, who escaped again in the Sundering before the Faithless Gods imprisoned the Great Ones again, this time each in their own prison.
There are a total of nine Nightmare Gods.
The Nightmare Lord, The Cardinal Fear
The master of the Nightmare Gods, Ctugnn'Itha represents the fear of death. He appears as a massive humanoid made of masses of corpses.
The Queen of Blades, The Mistress of Pain, The Agonizing Fear
Consort to Ctugnn'Itha, Yanouthriss represents the fear of loosing control and pain. She appears as a humanoid with many blades emanating out of her body.
The Faceless one, The Unknown Fear
One of the least understood Nightmare Gods, Dihjex represents the fear of the unknown. It's form is unknown.
The Dark One, the Endless Night
Perhaps one of the most well known Nightmare Gods, Unoz'Thar represents the fear of the dark. He appears as a formless black mass.
The Pale Beast, The White Serpent, The Spider God, The Beastly Fear
Ngaazha represents the fear of different animals as they can change shape. They can appear as any number of horrible animals, or hybrids of these animals. The most common is a spider body with a snake like neck and head.
The Violator
One of the most brutal of the Nightmare gods, Ocnidhroll represents the fear of violation in all forms. He appears as a mass of pale tentacles surrounding a massive toothed maw.
The Hunter in the Shadows
Sister to Unoz'Thar, Iag-Hubbig represents the fear of being hunted or followed. She appears most often as the shadow of a large beast.
The Dweller in the Deep
Perhaps the most alien of the Nightmare Gods, Adouzel represents the fear of the ocean and drowning. He appears as an octopus like horror.
The Carrion Queen
Sister to Yanouthriss, Shidr'ro Represents the fear of mutilation and body horror. She appears as a bent a mutilated woman.
Comments