The God-King devours Souls

"Some people say.. some people.. in the forests. They talk, ya know? They spew their herecy, but they don'ae see it as much and they might jus' be right. I've seen em bring back the life of the fallen; breathin' the breath right back into their bodies. If that isn't some sort of proof, I don'ae know what is. They say.. well.. those people that can bring the life back. They say that if'n you fall in one of the cities that your soul gets eaten up by the God-king 'n that's why we can'ae come back from the dead. If'n ya die outside the city walls, ya might just be able ta come back."
— Xairel Pahro, Half-Elven Outrider

Summary

The Varyndi have a number of myths and legends concerning the land and people around where they choose to make home, but the one so very frequently uttered by children and parents alike is the myth of the god-king devourer of souls. It is believed by the Varyndi that the God-King is a powerful creature and no deity at all. They believe that the entity that city dwellers refer to as the "God-King" and revere so strongly has been using their ancestors as fuel for his wicked deeds.

Sleep not in the cities, child, lest your soul be made forfeit and your mind be lost to banality.
— -Varyndi Proverb

Historical Basis

As is sometimes the case, the Varyndi have no idea how accurate their beliefs are. While this information was spread with stories and words of caution of the years, it actually stems all the way back to the founding of the "God-King"'s power. In an effort to one day stop him, one of his closest friends (having been betrayed and on his death bed by way of slow acting poison) used his last few weeks alive to spread word to the people. This man that was trying to rule them was evil. Unfortunately, there weren't many that believed him. The God-King had campaigned well and people genuinely believed that he had the best interest of everyone at heart. The ones that listened hid in small groups in the wooded areas of the massive island. They created small clans of people and called themselves the Varyndi. These people watched as the God-King created his massive spires and erected his domes of 'protection'. They began to notice that they would sometimes lose people to the safety and appeal of convinces in the cities. They also noticed that people living in these cities had shorter lives. They seemed to age just slightly faster. They also were unable to be revived when they passed on. It took time and effort to figure out what was going on, but by the time they had, it had grown beyond what they were capable of handling. Without the power to stop it from happening, they vowed to pass down to their children and grandchildren the dangers of the cities.

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