Phenax, God of Deception

Phenax is the masked patron of lies and cheats. He is Heliod's ethical antithesis, governing the spheres of gambling, deception, and betrayal. Phenax was once a mortal who was trapped in the Underworld, but he learned how to forsake his identity to prevent Erebos from detecting what he was doing. He crossed back over the Rivers That Ring the World wrapped in the tattered cloak of Athreos, the River Guide, who ushers the dead to their final rest. Hidden by illusion as he was, neither Athreos nor Erebos could find Phenax and bring him back. Able to play whatever role the situation calls for, Phenax is a consummate actor. His incisive wit and cunning enable him to read the desires of his marks, adjusting his approach to suit the moment. In his rare moments of candor, Phenax is calm and calculating, always looking toward his next scheme.
Phenax is a shadowy and mysterious figure. When appearing before mortals, he prefers the form of a willowy humanoid with ashen gray skin, clad in elegant robes. He has also been known to appear in a variety of animal forms, including the shapes of asps, mockingbirds, or rats. Regardless of his shape, a mask forever conceals the blank face of the first Returned.
Phenax’s Influence Subtlety and manipulation—of mind, word, and deed—are the cornerstones of Phenax's power and his influence over mortals and immortals alike. Even gods enjoy hearing what they prefer to hear instead of the truth, and Phenax is happy to give them what they want.
He takes pleasure in finding ways to subvert or corrupt champions of law, order, and justice, turning them to his cause. Whether by feeding the hubris of a champion of Heliod or subverting the moral code of a stalwart of Iroas, he tempts mortals by confronting them with seemingly inconsequential decisions, each of which offers an opportunity for the person to compromise their principles. One by one, these acts move the needle of a person's moral gauge by a small amount. Over time, these choices accumulate until the individual's fall from grace is complete.
Phenax’s Goals Phenax doesn't want to rule Nyx. He is the perennial outsider, existing only to disrupt the plans of his fellow gods. Every lie, every betrayal, delights him as it sows discord in the world. He respects a well-planned and executed grift or heist, sometimes rewarding able followers with opportunities to serve as his champions.
As the metaphorical progenitor of the Returned, Phenax also takes time to provide shelter and opportunities for his children to disrupt the mortal world.
Worshiping Phenax Every lie is an homage to Phenax. Because his most devout followers are criminals and gamblers, his influence is keenly felt in gambling halls and dens of thieves. But everyone has their own reasons to stray from the truth at times, and thus, they also find small ways to seek Phenax's favor as they go about their daily lives.
Formal services to Phenax are conducted at night, with the most sacred rituals performed on nights of the new moon. Offerings are made to attract Phenax's favor, with valuables from successful robberies, parchment filled with lies, or loaded dice being thrown into deep crags or buried at crossroads. Such sacrifices often vanish soon after, claimed by the god or his servants. Devout criminals often offer Phenax stolen goods as part of their preparations for premeditated crimes.
Phenax is worshiped openly in the necropoleis of Asphodel and Odunos, though the Returned who are loyal to Erebos's agent, Tymaret, refuse to worship the god they're hunting (see Realms of the Returned). Somber ceremonies are intoned to bless the golden funeral masks the Returned wear.
Phenax’s Champions Alignment: Usually chaotic, often neutral
Suggested Classes: Bard, cleric, monk, rogue, warlock
Suggested Cleric Domains: Trickery
Suggested Backgrounds: Charlatan, criminal, entertainer, sailor (pirate), urchin
Most champions of Phenax are exemplars of deceit, motivated by greed, revenge, or a good swindle. They have chosen to serve a mortal who ascended to godhood, possibly because they want to emulate him.
Phenax’s Favor Phenax expects his champions to be cunning and self-sufficient, much as he was when he escaped the Underworld. He has great respect for a sound plan that is craftily executed and might offer all manner of clever assistance to mortals he deems worthy.
What did you do to garner his attention? What set you apart in his eyes from petty schemers, grifters, and criminals? What made him think you would be a good champion?

Myths of Phenax The tales told of Phenax’s deeds speak of his duplicity, cunning, and wit.
The Path of Phenax. Phenax was once a mortal who, like all mortals, passed on to Erebos’s care in the Underworld when his time among the living came to an end. But Phenax found a way to escape the Underworld by sacrificing his identity to the memory-draining waters therein. He was able to cross the Rivers That Ring the World wrapped in a shred of Athreos’s cloak. Since he had no identity, Athreos couldn’t detect him, and thus Erebos couldn’t use his great lash to pull Phenax back. When he emerged back into the realm of mortals, he did so as the first of the Returned. In time, others discovered this quandary of metaphysics, which is now known as the Path of Phenax.
Black Oak of Odunos. Before Odunos became a necropolis, it was a thriving city akin to Akros or Meletis. When the city fell before Phenax’s assembled forces, some of the populace begged the god of lies to spare them the touch of Erebos’s dread lash. Never one to miss an opportunity to cheat Erebos, Phenax made a solemn promise to those asking for his mercy, assuring them that they wouldn’t be forced into the Underworld, on his honor. Soon afterward, the Returned that had invaded the city murdered these people to the last one—whereupon Phenax, true to his word, bound their bodies and souls to a great oak, making a terrifying amalgam of undeath to guard Odunos and haunt the living for eternity.
Feud with Nylea. A pair of accomplished hunters, both fervent followers of Nylea, had a bet with one another to prove who was better with a bow. After countless tests found them equally matched, the hunters’ rivalry drew Phenax’s attention. Assuming the form of a dryad, Phenax goaded and taunted the hunters. Though amusing at first, Phenax’s words cut deep, making the hunters careless. Thus, when the dryad suggested a blindfolded test of marksmanship, the hunters agreed. Once blinded, Phenax positioned the hunters to shoot one another. In the moment they fired, though, Nylea noticed Phenax’s trick. She curved her hunters’ arrows mid-flight and multiplied their number. Phenax’s disguise shattered as he was riddled with arrows that pinned him to a great tree. Nylea appeared to the trapped god, mocked his pointless duplicity, and warned him never to threaten her followers again. She then left him to struggle free from the deeply embedded arrows, an escape that took him over a week. During that time, the god concocted plot after plot to have his revenge on Nylea. Some tales claim that this embarrassment directly led to tragedy for Nylea’s favorite dryad companion, while others warn that Phenax’s revenge has only just begun.