Vecna
Vecna’s, God of Secrets one of The Lost lesser deities, rise to godhood is a story of ambition, betrayal, and the cost of unchecked thirst for power. His hatred for the gods and the elves, coupled with his mastery of necromancy and secrets, makes him one of the most dangerous entities in existence. Vecna’s faith continues to spread in the shadows, inspiring fear and reverence among those who value power above all else. His name is both a warning and a promise: that no secret is safe, and no one is beyond his reach.
When XXXXXXXXX offered him the Rite of Rebirth, Vecna eagerly accepted, seeing it as the next step in his ascension. However, the trial challenged his humility and sense of purpose, demanding cooperation and selflessness—qualities Vecna lacked. He failed, and the sting of his failure planted seeds of bitterness and hatred. Vecna blamed the elves, the traditional keepers of the Weave, and the gods, who he felt were conspiring to keep him from the power he deserved. He see Corellon as a thief who stole his posistion.
When the Free Covenant rose against the gods during the War of the Divine, Vecna joined the mortals’ cause, presenting himself as an ally in their fight. He gained their trust, using his charisma and promises of magical aid to ingratiate himself. In secret, however, Vecna was conducting experiments on Elder Evil magic, drawn to the void’s corruptive power.
Through his studies, Vecna began to transform, his body decaying as he delved deeper into necromancy and the void’s secrets. He used this newfound magic to animate the dead and even turn living creatures—particularly elves, whom he despised—into undead horrors. These abominations became his personal army, a weapon he wielded without mercy in the war.
Vecna’s betrayal became apparent toward the end of the war, as his experiments began to spiral out of control. His focus shifted from aiding the mortals to amassing his own power, sowing distrust even among his supposed allies.
As the Elder Evils were banished back to the void and the gods entered a fragile ceasefire, Vecna saw his opportunity. He had long harbored a plan to claim divinity, and the moment of relative peace gave him the chance to enact it.
Using his Book of Vile Secrets, an artifact of his own creation filled with forbidden knowledge, Vecna orchestrated a ritual that required the essence of a god. In an ultimate act of betrayal, he turned on XXXXXXXXX, exploiting the god’s love for mortals to steal a fragment of his divine essence. The ritual also required the sacrifice of elves, whom Vecna viewed as a symbol of his failure and a necessary step in his ascension.
The ritual succeeded, transforming the stolen essence and sacrifices into a divine spark. Vecna ascended to godhood, becoming the God of Secrets, and fled before the gods could retaliate. His ascension marked the beginning of his dark reign over the realms of hidden knowledge and undeath.
Defy Mortality: Death is a limitation to be conquered through necromancy.
Exploit the Weak: Use others as tools in your pursuit of power.
Seize Divinity: Mortals have the right to challenge and surpass the gods.
Cultists of Secrets: Shadowy organizations dedicated to gathering and hoarding forbidden knowledge.
Elven Outcasts: Those shunned by their kin for pursuing dark magic sometimes turn to Vecna for vengeance.
Corrupt Scholars: Academics who value knowledge over ethics often find themselves drawn to Vecna’s teachings.
Rituals of Sacrifice: Sacrifices, often unwilling, are made to strengthen Vecna’s undead forces.
Necromantic Ceremonies: Followers animate the dead in his name, viewing it as a sacred act of defiance against mortality.
The Sharing of Lies: Cultists spread disinformation to undermine rivals and strengthen Vecna’s influence.
The Night of Shattered Light: A solemn ceremony commemorating Vecna’s betrayal of XXXXXXXXX, celebrated with acts of personal ambition and treachery.
Physical Description
Vecna is depicted as a gaunt, corpse-like figure, his body a decaying testament to his obsession with undeath. His skeletal frame is draped in tattered, shadowy robes that seem to ripple with an unseen power. One of his eyes is missing, replaced by an orb of pulsing darkness, while the other glows faintly with malevolent intelligence. His remaining hand is bone-thin and sinister, adorned with runic etchings. Vecna’s presence exudes an aura of dread and forbidden knowledge, and his voice is said to whisper directly into the minds of those who hear him.History
Vecna was a human Icon during the Divine era, a self-taught master of magic who sought to rival even the gods in his understanding of the arcane. His ambition drove him to extremes, including the study of forbidden knowledge and the manipulation of mortal lives for his experiments. Vecna believed magic should be ruled by the strongest, and he saw himself as the rightful master of the Weave.When XXXXXXXXX offered him the Rite of Rebirth, Vecna eagerly accepted, seeing it as the next step in his ascension. However, the trial challenged his humility and sense of purpose, demanding cooperation and selflessness—qualities Vecna lacked. He failed, and the sting of his failure planted seeds of bitterness and hatred. Vecna blamed the elves, the traditional keepers of the Weave, and the gods, who he felt were conspiring to keep him from the power he deserved. He see Corellon as a thief who stole his posistion.
When the Free Covenant rose against the gods during the War of the Divine, Vecna joined the mortals’ cause, presenting himself as an ally in their fight. He gained their trust, using his charisma and promises of magical aid to ingratiate himself. In secret, however, Vecna was conducting experiments on Elder Evil magic, drawn to the void’s corruptive power.
Through his studies, Vecna began to transform, his body decaying as he delved deeper into necromancy and the void’s secrets. He used this newfound magic to animate the dead and even turn living creatures—particularly elves, whom he despised—into undead horrors. These abominations became his personal army, a weapon he wielded without mercy in the war.
Vecna’s betrayal became apparent toward the end of the war, as his experiments began to spiral out of control. His focus shifted from aiding the mortals to amassing his own power, sowing distrust even among his supposed allies.
As the Elder Evils were banished back to the void and the gods entered a fragile ceasefire, Vecna saw his opportunity. He had long harbored a plan to claim divinity, and the moment of relative peace gave him the chance to enact it.
Using his Book of Vile Secrets, an artifact of his own creation filled with forbidden knowledge, Vecna orchestrated a ritual that required the essence of a god. In an ultimate act of betrayal, he turned on XXXXXXXXX, exploiting the god’s love for mortals to steal a fragment of his divine essence. The ritual also required the sacrifice of elves, whom Vecna viewed as a symbol of his failure and a necessary step in his ascension.
The ritual succeeded, transforming the stolen essence and sacrifices into a divine spark. Vecna ascended to godhood, becoming the God of Secrets, and fled before the gods could retaliate. His ascension marked the beginning of his dark reign over the realms of hidden knowledge and undeath.
Beliefs
Vecna’s doctrine centers on power through secrecy, the pursuit of forbidden knowledge, and the rejection of natural laws. He teaches his followers that the truth is a weapon and that those who control knowledge control the world. Betrayal, when done for personal gain, is seen as a sacred act, and the undead are venerated as a means of transcending mortality.Core Tenets of Vecna’s Faith:
Hoard Secrets: Knowledge is power; share it only when it serves your purpose.Defy Mortality: Death is a limitation to be conquered through necromancy.
Exploit the Weak: Use others as tools in your pursuit of power.
Seize Divinity: Mortals have the right to challenge and surpass the gods.
Followers
Vecna’s followers are those who crave power through forbidden means. His faith appeals to necromancers, spies, and scholars who value ambition over morality.Key Followers of Vecna:
Necromancers and Liches: Those who seek mastery over life and death align themselves with Vecna.Cultists of Secrets: Shadowy organizations dedicated to gathering and hoarding forbidden knowledge.
Elven Outcasts: Those shunned by their kin for pursuing dark magic sometimes turn to Vecna for vengeance.
Corrupt Scholars: Academics who value knowledge over ethics often find themselves drawn to Vecna’s teachings.
Temples and Worship
Temples dedicated to Vecna are hidden and often guarded by traps and undead minions. They are usually located in desolate places such as abandoned ruins, underground crypts, or shadowed forests. These sanctuaries are filled with tomes, scrolls, and relics of forbidden power.Worship Practices:
The Binding of Secrets: Followers write down their most valuable secrets and burn them as an offering to Vecna.Rituals of Sacrifice: Sacrifices, often unwilling, are made to strengthen Vecna’s undead forces.
Necromantic Ceremonies: Followers animate the dead in his name, viewing it as a sacred act of defiance against mortality.
The Sharing of Lies: Cultists spread disinformation to undermine rivals and strengthen Vecna’s influence.
Holy Days:
The Eclipse of Truth: Celebrated during lunar eclipses, this day is marked by rituals of deception and the unveiling of hidden truths.The Night of Shattered Light: A solemn ceremony commemorating Vecna’s betrayal of XXXXXXXXX, celebrated with acts of personal ambition and treachery.
Type
Lesser DeityTitle(s)
The Whispered OneLord of the Undying
Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge
The Lich King
Alignment
Neutral EvilSymbol
a six-fingered skeletal hand clutching an eyeEdicts
pursue forbidden knowledge; hoard secrets for personal gain; manipulate others to further your own power; defy mortality through necromancy.Anathema
willingly reveal a guarded secret without gain; fail to exploit an opportunity for knowledge; destroy ancient or forbidden knowledge without attempting to harness it.Areas of Concern
secrets, undeath, betrayal, forbidden knowledgeD&D Domains
Arcane, Death, KnowledgeP2 DEVOTEE BENEFITS
Divine Ability
Intelligence or CharismaDivine Font
harmDivine Sanctification
must choose unholyDivine Skill
OccultismFavored Weapon
daggerDomains
ambition, death, knowledge, trickeryAlternate Domains
darkness, glyph, undeathCleric Spells
1st: burning jet, 2nd: silence, 3rd: vampiric feast, 4th: suggestion, 5th: telepathic bond, 6th: repulsion, 7th: warp mind, 8th: mind blank, 9th: massacreDivine Intercession
Vecna’s intercession reflects his manipulative nature, granting boons to those who further his goals and curses to those who betray his ideals.Minor Boon:
Vecna enhances your ability to obscure the truth. Once per day, you may reroll a Deception or Occultism check and take the better result.Moderate Boon:
Your whispers carry forbidden knowledge. You gain the ability to cast Suggestion as a divine innate spell once per day. Additionally, creatures you charm or manipulate must succeed at a Will save (DC equal to your spell DC) or be compelled to reveal a secret to you.Major Boon:
Vecna grants you dominion over the living and the dead. You gain the ability to animate a single corpse as a permanent undead servant (using the Create Undead spell, heightened to your maximum spell level). This servant is loyal to you and can be replaced only through another major boon or after a year and a day.Minor Curse:
You lose your ability to keep your own secrets. When you are affected by mind-reading or truth-compelling effects, you take a -2 penalty to your saves.Moderate Curse:
Vecna denies you access to hidden knowledge. You become cursed to fail Occultism checks involving secret or forbidden lore, and such attempts give you false or misleading information.Major Curse:
Vecna unravels your very soul, turning you into a vessel for his power. Whenever you attempt to hide a secret, a fragment of your memory or vitality is drained, dealing 1d6 persistent mental damage each time you withhold information.
Children
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