Etyx

The Shadow, Endless Abyss, the Goddess of Darkness, the Voice in Silence, the Black Matron; Etyx is a goddess whose name rarely crosses mortal lips, spoken of in euphemisms, whispered in dark places. She was created accidentally by Sirona as she spawned the god of light, Lumir, much as the brightest light casts the darkest shadow. After her own creation, Etyx worked quickly to spawn the gods Mynas, Yreus and Vyrra.

Description

Because of the occult nature of Etyx worship across Amion, verifiable accounts of her manifestations simply do not exist. There are sparse, unconfirmed mentions deep in esoteric cult manifests, tucked away in obscure libraries. These records speak of a tall, thin woman or androgynous figure, cloaked in deep shadow obscuring their form almost entirely. The most common accounts can be found among the drow, to whom Etyx is often seen as a mother figure. These descriptions are similar to those from elsewhere, but ascribe more elven features to the goddess, and always err on the feminine side, in line with drow matriarchy. What is more common, however, are reports of dreams and visions granted by the Black Matron. These are where she gains her name, the Voice in Silence; accounts speak of a dreamless sleep, or a complete enveloping blackness and silence, both broken only by a voice. Usually feminine, but often androgynous, Etyx is rare to show herself in these visions, simply speaking to her chosen mortals. Unlike many of the other gods, she makes a habit of searching out lost souls to appeal to, often in their very darkest moment.

History

The Goddess of Darkness wasted no time after her creation. Labelled a mistake by her own creator, she feared correction, so worked to protect herself. First, she created the god Mynas, trusting his corrupting influence would slow anything coming for her. Next came Yreus, the embodiment of conquest and her loyal protector. Finally, Vyrra, the Coming Tempest, was brought to sow chaos while Etyx completed her work. Crafting herself a mirror to the material plane, she slipped into this Shadowfell, building herself a haven away from any who might come for her. Some legends speak of Etyx leaving her realm and manifesting on the material plane, creating The Shroud and drawing it across the region now known as The Forgotten Isles in order to escape Sirona's notice as the Ancient Mother created The Veil to separate gods from mortals.

Relationships

Worshippers of Etyx have few ties with those of most other gods, preferring to keep to their own communes away from most civilised areas. They do, however, work alongside followers of Mynas, Yreus and Vyrra on occasion, usually utilising them to further their own schemes and plots. Often, followers of the Shadow take on the guise of devotees to other deities in order to manipulate and trick their way to their own ends. This has lead to a general feeling of mistrust towards the congregation of the Black Matron, even amongst those gods closest to her.
Relationships between followers of Lumir and Etyx are amongst the most hostile of any of the gods', with conflict all but inevitable when they meet. The Lightbringer devoted himself to hunting down his twin, and this oath is carried by many among his congregation, while followers of Etyx see their aggression towards Lumir's as self defence. Etyx and her followers often come into conflict with Rymos and his flock; where the Reveller represents embracing light and life, the Shadow is a creature of secrecy and darkness. Their planes, The Feywild and The Shadowfell respectively, encapsulate this dichotomy in their reflections of the material plane.

Worshippers

Few people openly worship Etyx, owing to the general mistrust the Shadow and her followers receive from outside. There are a handful of, usually small, communities spread across the continent that publicly venerate the Black Matron. Many of these are clandestine organisations of one form or another; her penchant for secrecy, stealth and darkness is particularly attractive to these sorts. In the Underdark, worship of Etyx is much more widespread, and is the god with the most followers across much of the subterranean civilisation.
Worship of Etyx is much more common among the peoples of the Forgotten Isles; whichever legends hold truth, if any, her influence over the area is much stronger than that of any other deity. Rumours of links between these more organised denominations and the smaller groups on the mainland are often heard by those with ties to the groups. Perhaps the most widely known of these sects, though still to scarce few outsiders, is The Listeners; a mostly elven brotherhood based near the Avalyran capital, in the depths of The Kingswood, but with tendrils reaching much further.

Tenets

Owing to the generally secretive nature of Etyx worship, there are no rigid doctrines dictating how she should be honoured. Individuals are free to praise her in whichever way they see fit, with many eschewing the traditional shrines of other deities in favour of smaller icons of personal worship; holy symbols often hold more meaning to a follower of the Black Matron than those of other gods.
However, this is contrasted against the worship of Etyx in the Underdark. There, all manner of shrines, from personal all the way to grand cathedrals, can be found. Particularly among the drow, the Black Matron is revered to the same extent of any of the gods on the surface.

Title(s)

• Goddess of Darkness
• The Black Matron
• The Shadow
• The Voice in Silence
• Endless Abyss
• The Mistake (derogatory)
• Craven Skulker (derogatory)

Portfolio

• Darkness, secrecy and subterfuge

Alignment

• Neutral Evil

Domains

• Death
• Light
• Trickery