Canthus (Archon of Kul)

Canthus

Archon of Sahuagin, Sharks, and Fear

There is no other feeling like staring down the maw of an inescapable disaster. The sea is a great, unforgivable mistress, fraught with wonder and disaster. A captain, as she sees her ship heading towards an iceberg with absolutely no hope of steering away knows this well. There is no purer example of this despair than a drowning man that sees a circling fin. From that tragic helplessness comes Canthus.
Canthus ^{(KAN’ thuss)} is a gargantuan helicoprion, a monstrous shark-like creature with a great wheeled saw of teeth and dark blue over all save for his bright red fin. Often, Canthus is content to laze about in the Broken Maw, in the wrecked hull of a ship that has become known as Kul's Cradle. There, he grows fat off the adoration, praise, and tributes of meat the sahuagin bring in worship of him.
Long ago, Canthus ruled the seas at the apex of predators. Unseen on the surface save for his blood red fin, Canthus would seek out a ship, preferably a larger one, and ferry it away from land. On very rare occasions, usually when he is suitably enticed by his followers, Canthus will drive a ship into deeper and deeper waters, waiting days or even weeks before attacking. When there is no longer any possibility of rescue, he strikes. His massive, razor-sharp fin can tear through the hull of most ships, and his spiraling jaw can contract and rotate like a giant wheeled timbersaw. Once the vessel sinks, Canthus merely waits for the drowning sailors to fall prey to either the Sahuagin raiding parties that follow it or to the other horrors that lurk beneath the waves. Canthus could easily gulp the entire massacre down in just a few swallows, but he has grown accustomed to having his meals brought to him as tributes and supplications.
Kul (a god of Armea) took notice of Canthus, watching him for a very long time. Rejoicing in the despair wrought by the great shark, Kul endowed him with incredible power and presence, conferring upon him status as the newest archon of Armea. Canthus now waits in the Broken Maw, waiting, revelling in dark and bloody worship, occasionally enticed to hunt again.
Alignment: Even with the blessing of Kul upon him, Canthus is still technically an animal with no regard for any law, and his propensity for fear and dread put him squarely in the Chaotic Evil bracket.

Worshippers of Canthus

Canthus draws his following from the seas. He is worshipped by the Sahuagin, blood-thirsty pirates, and fringe members of Triton or Sea Elves. These followers typically dress in shark skins or have one of Canthus’ symbols painted on their shields or depicted on their bodies. Extremists will sometimes paint or even tattoo their cephalic (head) fins blood red. They are the ranger and rogue who taunt and tease hapless victims, allowing themselves to be seen only moments before delivering the final strike; the barbarian or fighter who shrugs off wounds and stretches out the fight by delivering glancing blows, deliberately extending suffering and surrender. It only matters that the foe knows that their inescapable death is imminent.
Worship of Canthus: Canthus isn't a particularly caring Archon. Over centuries, he has moved away from active predation to an existence of opportunistic gluttony. One should never expect to have him leap to their defense, but rather to only join them at the pinnacle of their glory.
Raids: Canthus, like all sharks, is drawn to blood in the water. Thus, for him to be called, a raid must be particularly successful. Ships are broken, bodies are thrown overboard until the sea is a churning red. On rare occasions, there is enough carnage that Canthus' claret fin breaks the surface. Due to the amount of bloodshed required, sahuagin seeking to bring the great shark to the surface tend to attack small groups of ships, with the specific goal of leaving one victim untouched for Canthus' own pleasure.
Sacrifice: Even without a massacre, a sacrifice will always please Canthus. A captive is taken, their throat slit by small degrees over a long period of time, and their dying body thrown into the briny waters. All bloody waters will find their way to Canthus' waiting jaws.

Domains

Tempest: Storms bring dread aboard ships, and for one person to harness the storms? That person can single handedly drive a ship to crashing waves, get it lost in the fog, or be the cause of any number of terrible fates. The possibilities for raising tension and dread increases tenfold.
Trickery: While Canthus is anything but subtle, this need not extend to his followers. A trickster mentor can use illusions to lead a weary crew out of shallow waters, away from safety. Docks are seen as jagged rocks, deadly riptides become safe islands. Safe havens are easily made to appear just within sight, desperate sailors easily fooled.

Signs & Symbols

Holy Symbol: Canthus' great red fin and his spiraling maw, both typically carved from driftwood, are seen as the sacred images of the great shark. That's not to say these are the only ones, but these are the most infamous and commonly used by those who seek his favor.
Favored Weapon: Followers of Canthus typically employ jagged and crudely made weapons: macuahuitl; barnacle-encrusted maces and mauls; wicked swords and serrated daggers carved from coral or the bones of sea creatures. Particularly favored magical enhancements include vicious weapons and various kinds of wounding sword-like weapons.
Envoys: As new as his archon status is, Canthus’ envoys are not yet well known or understood. Clerics, priests and paladins of Canthus are so far entirely among the sahuagin, and they are not giving up any of their secrets. There are rumors of signs and portents associated with Canthus - open waters suddenly turning blood red without reason, glimpses of great red dorsal fins just behind distant waves, many more - but these are considered to be the ramblings of deranged sailors, sole survivors of terrible massacres driven mad by fear and grief.
Axioms: “Canthus swallow you!” - This is taken as both a curse upon outsiders and enemies, and as a blessing upon his most fervent followers.