Hylkor, the Plaguebringer

Hylkor (/hɛlkʰoɻ/) is the god of plague, pestilence, famine, drought, and decay. He believes that these darker aspects of the natural world are tools which should be used to subjugate the weaker beings of Thesilae, including all of mortal-kind. The Children of Blight are a cult dedicated to releasing Hylkor from his divine imprisonment, and account for most of his followers.

History

The Age of Dawn

Born to a long-forgotten clan of hill giants called the ir-Rhantum, Hylkor was considered so deformed at birth that his clan hid him away in the dark shadows of the Ma'sali Forest, hoping never to set eyes on him again. Disgusted by the ignorant cruelty of Hylkor's people, the goddess Niginni took pity on the child, and directed the forest to shelter him from harm. If only the gods had sight capable of looking into the future, she may not have kept him safe. Over time, Hylkor took a liking to nature's darker aspects: drought, plague, pestilence, decay. And as his druidic powers grew greater, he began to twist them into cruelty of his own.

Hylkor plunges the world into Chaos

Niginni rejected Hylkor's ideals, however, and in doing so enraged him. He accused her of weakness, cowardice, and false kindness, and with the help of the dragon Ruthenax he began to spread a blight like none the world has seen before or since. Rivers grew dry, forests withered, and plague spread across the lands. Civilizations collapsed, either to senseless violence born of desperation, or the rapid decline of populations as mortals died by the thousands.
Unable to simply strike Hylkor down, Niginni struggled to keep her creations alive for as long as she could. Meanwhile, Niginni's lover Brasaan began work on a snare with which to catch Hylkor, and imprison him where he could not continue his rampage. Hylkor was blinded by his anger, and did not notice Brasaan's trap until it was too late. His soul was dragged from Thesilae, and locked behind the divine bars which Brasaan had constructed to hold him forever.

Description

Appearance

Hylkor is described in early texts as tall stone giant with granite-grey skin and long, spindly limbs. In all the art which exists of him, however, he wears a featureless mask of rotting wood with narrow slits for eyes and ragged black robes which hide his appearance from onlookers. He carries a gnarled walking staff of dark walnut which doubles as a magical focus.

Personality

The Plaguebringer was once a wiseman whom adventurers would undertake perilous journeys to consult, but over time he became resentful of mortal-kind and began to stew in a cold fury which made him hate the world. Today, he takes any opportunity to reach through the bars of his divine cage to torment Thesilae with plague, famine, and natural disaster.

Worshipers

Although there may be a handful of independent worshipers of Hylkor, the bulk of his followers operate as part of a secret, underground network known as the Children of Blight.

The Children of Blight

No one knows how many followers Hylkor truly has, or how far the power of his cult extends. Most people believe that the Children are comprised of little more than disillusioned misanthropes and destructive sociopaths who revel in chaos and misery. Whether this is the fault of their own psychology or a failure of society is a point of contention for those concerned about the cult.
There are a few interested parties, however, who believe that the Children pose a greater threat than the general public would care to think. These figures dedicate themselves to learning all they can about the cult, so that they might prevent the Children's plans from coming to fruition.

Edicts and Anathema

Edicts

• Corrupt the lands and creatures with plague and pestilence

• Raze crops to promote famine and hunger

• Extend the suffering of the weak through blight and decay

Anathema

• Kill parasites

• Feed the hungry or heal the sick

• End drought or famine

• Restore or revitalize the land

Artifacts

Places of Worship

Deity Information

Titles
The Plaguebringer
Lord of Locusts
Classification
Ascended God
Portfolio
Plague, Pestilence, Famine, Drought, Decay
Symbols
A locust, wings open
Divine Realm
-
Alignment
Neutral Evil
Gender
Cisgender Man
Presentation
Masculine
Pronouns
He/Him

---

Worship

Worshipers
Children of Blight
Holy Days
-
Major Temples and Holy Sites
-