The Maw of Nihil
The Maw of Nihil is a cosmic force of endless consumption and emptiness, embodying pure annihilation and destruction. Known by names like The Unmaker, The Hunger Eternal, The Devourer of All, The Maw of Nihil stands as the antithesis of all creation, an insatiable void intent on reducing all of existence to nothingness. Unlike other Elder Evils, whose influence corrupts and twists, The Maw of Nihil embodies entropy in its purest form, a hunger that consumes all, leaving only silence and desolation in its wake.
The Maw of Nihil remains one of the most feared and destructive entities in the multiverse. Its influence persists in the form of barren wastelands, corrupted souls, and whispers of despair that tempt mortals to abandon hope.
Even in its banished state, the Maw’s hunger continues to gnaw at the edges of existence, threatening to return and finish what it began. The gods and mortals who oppose it know that the fight against the Maw is eternal, as its essence is woven into the very fabric of the Void.
Its presence is described as incomprehensibly vast and profoundly unsettling, exuding an aura of inevitable decay. Those who perceive The Maw sense an unshakable dread, as if every atom around them were being drawn toward an inevitable collapse. Legends say that gazing too long into The Maw is akin to staring into eternity itself, where light, matter, and time lose all meaning.
Its influence began by targeting elves and angels, corrupting them into mindless consumers who craved destruction and annihilation. These corrupted beings, known as Elder Spawn, lost all individuality and purpose, becoming extensions of the Maw’s insatiable hunger.
The Maw spread its influence like a black tide, consuming entire regions and reducing them to nothingness. Where it passed, life withered, and even the fabric of the Weave unraveled, leaving dead zones where magic could not function. The gods and their creations fought desperately to halt its advance, but its presence seemed unstoppable.
After the Elder Evils were banished to the Void, the Maw of Nihil’s hunger persisted through echoes and residual corruption. In areas where its influence lingered, life and magic were drained away, leaving barren wastelands.
During the Divine Era, the Maw’s whispers traveled through the cracks in the Weave, seeping into the minds of mortals. These whispers encouraged nihilism, despair, and the rejection of creation. Entire communities fell into despair, succumbing to the belief that existence was meaningless and that destruction was the only truth.
The Maw’s influence was especially potent among those who had suffered loss or tragedy, as it preyed on their despair. Through these corrupted mortals, the Maw continued to erode the gods’ creations, spreading its nihilistic doctrine.
The War of the Divine weakened the barriers between the Void and the material realm, allowing the Maw of Nihil to partially manifest once more. Its return was marked by devastation, as entire regions were consumed by its presence, leaving only void and ruin in its wake.
The Maw waged war against the gods and mortals alike, seeking to unmake the very fabric of existence. Its corrupted armies of Elder Spawn swept across the world, mindlessly devouring everything in their path. The gods themselves struggled to contain its power, as its influence disrupted even their divine abilities.
The Maw’s ultimate goal was the total annihilation of creation, reducing all to a state of nothingness. It was only through a desperate alliance of gods and mortals that the Maw was driven back into the Void, though its echoes and residual corruption remain a constant threat.
Destroy to Purify: Creation is an aberration; only through destruction can balance be restored.
Feed the Hunger: Consume, devour, and unmake, for the void hungers eternally.
Reject Hope: Hope and purpose are illusions that bind mortals to suffering.
Wanderers of the Void: These followers live in isolation, embracing emptiness as a way of life. They typically avoid permanent settlements, seeing attachment as an illusion, and often carry out solitary acts of destruction.
Acolytes of Decay: Some druids and others with an affinity for natural cycles are drawn to The Maw’s philosophy, seeing decay as a higher purpose. They often work in secrecy, hastening the breakdown of nature and encouraging rot in the areas they inhabit.
Haunters of Dead Magic Zones: Followers who dwell in dead magic zones and other barren places feel closest to The Maw there, where the Weave itself has been stripped away. They serve as reminders of The Maw’s power, fostering desolation in areas abandoned by magic.
Followers of The Maw are feared and reviled, as they represent the rejection of everything creation stands for. They are often hunted by agents of the gods and others who seek to protect life, though this persecution only deepens their commitment to The Maw’s dark path.
Meditations of the Void: Worshippers empty their minds and focus on the concept of nothingness, seeking to erase all thought and emotion.
Spreading the Hunger: Cultists actively work to destroy life and creation, viewing these acts as sacred duties.
Void Ceremonies: Large-scale rituals that involve mass sacrifices to feed the Maw’s insatiable hunger.
The Night of Silence: A time when worshippers gather in silence to meditate on the void and its consuming power.
The Maw of Nihil embodies pure, cosmic entropy, a force that consumes and erases all things. As its followers work to spread decay and desolation, they believe they are honoring the Void’s ultimate power, moving the universe closer to an inevitable return to nothingness. This cult of destruction remains a constant threat to the stability of creation, reminding all who oppose it of the inexorable pull of oblivion.
The Maw of Nihil remains one of the most feared and destructive entities in the multiverse. Its influence persists in the form of barren wastelands, corrupted souls, and whispers of despair that tempt mortals to abandon hope.
Even in its banished state, the Maw’s hunger continues to gnaw at the edges of existence, threatening to return and finish what it began. The gods and mortals who oppose it know that the fight against the Maw is eternal, as its essence is woven into the very fabric of the Void.
Physical Description
The Maw of Nihil is rarely depicted in solid form, as its nature is difficult to capture. When visualized, it is often portrayed as a vast, swirling black void, surrounded by fragments of stars, planets, and other remnants of matter it has consumed. The darkness within The Maw appears almost alive, shifting and writhing as if feeding off the energies around it. Some depictions show it as a mouth of endless shadow, filled with swirling, destructive energy that draws all it encounters into a devouring oblivion.Its presence is described as incomprehensibly vast and profoundly unsettling, exuding an aura of inevitable decay. Those who perceive The Maw sense an unshakable dread, as if every atom around them were being drawn toward an inevitable collapse. Legends say that gazing too long into The Maw is akin to staring into eternity itself, where light, matter, and time lose all meaning.
History
The Maw of Nihil was among the Elder Evils that entered the world during The Ruination, exploiting the rifts caused by the fragmented will of the Divine Triad. As the antithesis of Moradin, the Maw sought to unmake creation itself, devouring all that Moradin had built.Its influence began by targeting elves and angels, corrupting them into mindless consumers who craved destruction and annihilation. These corrupted beings, known as Elder Spawn, lost all individuality and purpose, becoming extensions of the Maw’s insatiable hunger.
The Maw spread its influence like a black tide, consuming entire regions and reducing them to nothingness. Where it passed, life withered, and even the fabric of the Weave unraveled, leaving dead zones where magic could not function. The gods and their creations fought desperately to halt its advance, but its presence seemed unstoppable.
After the Elder Evils were banished to the Void, the Maw of Nihil’s hunger persisted through echoes and residual corruption. In areas where its influence lingered, life and magic were drained away, leaving barren wastelands.
During the Divine Era, the Maw’s whispers traveled through the cracks in the Weave, seeping into the minds of mortals. These whispers encouraged nihilism, despair, and the rejection of creation. Entire communities fell into despair, succumbing to the belief that existence was meaningless and that destruction was the only truth.
The Maw’s influence was especially potent among those who had suffered loss or tragedy, as it preyed on their despair. Through these corrupted mortals, the Maw continued to erode the gods’ creations, spreading its nihilistic doctrine.
The War of the Divine weakened the barriers between the Void and the material realm, allowing the Maw of Nihil to partially manifest once more. Its return was marked by devastation, as entire regions were consumed by its presence, leaving only void and ruin in its wake.
The Maw waged war against the gods and mortals alike, seeking to unmake the very fabric of existence. Its corrupted armies of Elder Spawn swept across the world, mindlessly devouring everything in their path. The gods themselves struggled to contain its power, as its influence disrupted even their divine abilities.
The Maw’s ultimate goal was the total annihilation of creation, reducing all to a state of nothingness. It was only through a desperate alliance of gods and mortals that the Maw was driven back into the Void, though its echoes and residual corruption remain a constant threat.
Beliefs
The Maw of Nihil represents the ultimate negation of existence. It embodies the belief that creation, life, and even thought are meaningless and that true peace can only be found in oblivion.Core Tenets of the Maw’s Doctrine:
Embrace Nothingness: All things must return to the void, where they belong.Destroy to Purify: Creation is an aberration; only through destruction can balance be restored.
Feed the Hunger: Consume, devour, and unmake, for the void hungers eternally.
Reject Hope: Hope and purpose are illusions that bind mortals to suffering.
Followers
The followers of The Maw of Nihil are often twisted individuals who see life as a meaningless cycle that can only end in oblivion. They are nihilists, destroyers, and desolate wanderers who act as conduits for The Maw’s influence, bringing decay and emptiness wherever they go. Some are driven by deep despair, having turned to the Void after witnessing the destruction wrought by other Elder Evils or feeling abandoned by creation. Others are consumed by a strange zeal for annihilation, almost reverent in their quest to dismantle the universe’s structures and ideals.Types of Followers:
Cultists of Oblivion: These individuals dedicate their lives to spreading The Maw’s influence, sabotaging settlements, corrupting ecosystems, and fostering despair. They revel in the sensation of reducing structures and communities to ruin.Wanderers of the Void: These followers live in isolation, embracing emptiness as a way of life. They typically avoid permanent settlements, seeing attachment as an illusion, and often carry out solitary acts of destruction.
Acolytes of Decay: Some druids and others with an affinity for natural cycles are drawn to The Maw’s philosophy, seeing decay as a higher purpose. They often work in secrecy, hastening the breakdown of nature and encouraging rot in the areas they inhabit.
Haunters of Dead Magic Zones: Followers who dwell in dead magic zones and other barren places feel closest to The Maw there, where the Weave itself has been stripped away. They serve as reminders of The Maw’s power, fostering desolation in areas abandoned by magic.
Followers of The Maw are feared and reviled, as they represent the rejection of everything creation stands for. They are often hunted by agents of the gods and others who seek to protect life, though this persecution only deepens their commitment to The Maw’s dark path.
Temples and Worship
Temples to the Maw of Nihil are rare and often hidden in barren wastelands or deep underground. They are stark and featureless, designed to reflect the emptiness of the void. Shrines often include black spirals or void-like rifts, and rituals are conducted in utter silence.Worship Practices:
Rituals of Consumption: Followers destroy objects, lives, or even parts of themselves in offerings to the Maw.Meditations of the Void: Worshippers empty their minds and focus on the concept of nothingness, seeking to erase all thought and emotion.
Spreading the Hunger: Cultists actively work to destroy life and creation, viewing these acts as sacred duties.
Void Ceremonies: Large-scale rituals that involve mass sacrifices to feed the Maw’s insatiable hunger.
Holy Days:
The Feast of Emptiness: A day of destruction where followers dedicate their acts of annihilation to the Maw.The Night of Silence: A time when worshippers gather in silence to meditate on the void and its consuming power.
The Maw of Nihil embodies pure, cosmic entropy, a force that consumes and erases all things. As its followers work to spread decay and desolation, they believe they are honoring the Void’s ultimate power, moving the universe closer to an inevitable return to nothingness. This cult of destruction remains a constant threat to the stability of creation, reminding all who oppose it of the inexorable pull of oblivion.
Type
Elder EvilTitle(s)
The UnmakerThe Hunger Eternal
The Devourer of All
Alignment
Neutral EvilSymbol
A black, spiraling void consuming starsEdicts
embrace entropy and seek to return matter to nothingness; consume or destroy excess, reducing all things to emptiness; accept and spread the inevitability of decay, teaching others of life’s futility.Anathema
preserve or protect life or creation unnecessarily, promote growth or assist in acts of creation, show compassion or mercy toward those who seek to stop entropy.Areas of Concern
consumption, emptiness, entropy, destructionD&D Domains
Death, NightP2 DEVOTEE BENEFITS
Divine Ability
Strength or ConstitutionDivine Font
harmDivine Sanctification
must choose unholyDivine Skill
IntimidationFavored Weapon
flailDomains
darkness, death, decay, destructionAlternate Domains
nightmares, voidCleric Spells
1st: ill omen, 3rd: nondetection, 5th: crushing despairDivine Intercession
The Maw of Nihil rewards those who embrace entropy and embrace consumption and decay while cursing those who seek to preserve or protect life.Minor Boon: Touch of Emptiness
Once per day, you can cast disrupt undead as an innate divine spell, representing the decaying touch of the Maw. This ability can also affect constructs, weakening their form with a glimpse of the Void.Moderate Boon: Devouring Presence
Once per day, you can cast enervation as an innate divine spell, allowing you to drain energy from a foe, leaving them weakened and vulnerable to further entropy. Additionally, you gain a +1 bonus to Intimidation checks against those who fear death or destruction.Major Boon: Void’s Embrace
Once per day, you can cast finger of death as an innate divine spell, embodying The Maw’s ultimate goal of reducing life to emptiness. Furthermore, your presence causes others within 30 feet to feel an unnatural chill, giving you a +2 circumstance bonus on all checks to demoralize foes in this area.Minor Curse: Fading Vitality
If you resist the Maw’s edicts, you find yourself drained of life. You take a -1 penalty to Constitution-based checks and saving throws until you embrace or assist in an act of entropy.Moderate Curse: Withering Touch
The Maw begins sapping your own life force. Any time you receive magical healing, you must succeed at a DC 15 flat check or reduce the healing amount by half. This curse can only be lifted by causing significant decay or destruction in the Maw’s name.Major Curse: Eternal Devouring
The Maw consumes your life force, leaving you a hollow shell. Your maximum HP is reduced by half, and you become vulnerable to necrotic damage. This curse can only be lifted by devoting yourself to an extreme act of destruction or entropy that leaves a lasting scar on the world.
Children
Comments