Veyrath
(a.k.a. The Tyrant King)
Veyrath manifests as a towering figure of intimidating physical perfection, a dark mirror to Vareth's honorable strength. His skin appears as burnished iron or blackened steel, with patterns resembling armor plates that shift and realign when he moves. His face is classically handsome but cold and cruel, with eyes that burn like hot coals in a forge of hatred. Atop his head sits a crown of black metal that seems to absorb light, adorned with spikes that evoke both a crown and a weapon. A mane of black hair falls like a lion's, though it moves with unnatural purpose, sometimes seeming to solidify into additional limbs or weapons when he fights. He typically wears elaborate black plate armor adorned with skull motifs and conquest imagery, with a cape made from the flayed skin of defeated kings. In most depictions, he wields a massive sword or mace that drips with perpetual blood, symbolizing the endless violence required to maintain tyrannical rule.
Worship of Veyrath appeals to those who desire domination over others—tyrants, conquerors, slave-masters, and those who believe might makes right. His followers seek physical power and the right to impose their will through force, viewing compassion as weakness and subjugation as the natural order. Devotional practices include blood sport, ritual combat, and the sacrifice of defeated enemies. Many warlords maintain shrines featuring weapons taken from conquered foes, believing Veyrath's power flows through these trophies of dominance.
Temples to Veyrath are essentially fortresses designed to intimidate and oppress. Their architecture features aggressive, angular designs with numerous protruding spikes and skull motifs. Inside, these temples contain fighting pits where followers prove their worthiness through combat, often to the death. The inner sanctum typically houses a throne rather than an altar, emphasizing Veyrath's domain over rulership rather than traditional worship. These temples serve as bases for military operations, with followers regularly conducting raids to demonstrate their strength and collect sacrifices and slaves.
Unlike the ceremonial month of Vareth that honors protective warfare and just combat, Veyrath's followers observe a period they call the "Season of Conquest," timed differently in each cult to coincide with optimal conditions for warfare in their region. During this time, they launch campaigns of expansion and subjugation, believing their god's power flows strongest when they actively dominate others. These cults frequently target worshippers of Vareth specifically, viewing them as their most direct ideological opponents and therefore the most prestigious to defeat.
Divine Domains
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