Chernobog (chair-na-bog)

Chernobog (Pronounced: /chair-na-bog) the Abyssal Sovereign, the Voidqueen, or the Lady of Sin is one of the first of the Destruction Gods created by Nu at the beginning of the universe. She is the major deity of Corruption, Darkness, Demons and the creator of the Void. Her realm is a dark space, everchanging and populated with demons that she has shaped herself to loose upon other planes in her pursuit to corrupt and change all around her.

"In the shadowed corners of my humbled existence, a temptation looms, corruption in all its agony and shadow holds a special purity. It tugs at the ends of my mind begging to be let in, like a single drop of water spilling through the crack of a dam seconds before the breach, a prelude to the madness to come."
-Anonymous

Description

To describe the true form of Chernobog is a formidable task, her body is as everchanging and abstract as her realm. It could be best depicted as a series of impossibly large Stone Monoliths, emerging from a formless mass of inky black shadows and archways. Each Monolith bears a different fleshy semblance of body, one monolith might bear a deformed limb writhing and clawing at its surroundings, while another may have a seemingly endless gathering of eyes observing the area. The body of Chernobog lies somewhere in the central mass of the Void, in a pocket dimension referred to as The Desolate Vacuum, little to nothing is known about this realm as its inhospitable nature makes it difficult to research. It is understood amongst sages that to witness the body of the Voidqueen is to submit to madness, the sheer incomprehensible nature of her form is too much for any normal mortal mind to handle.

Avatars

It is assumed that her true body is incapable of leaving The Desolate Vacuum and so she interfaces with the Voidspace and other realms as one of her several Avatars. Chernobogs Avatar typically appears as an unnaturally lithe female form standing about 18 ft tall and featuring six to ten long clawed arms that stretch close to the ground, sometimes she is seen wielding elegant staffs and blades made of some unknown pallid stone. Her skin resembles a cracked pale marble and lesions appear all over her body that seem to endlessly leak a dark powdery ichor. Her face is blank and featureless seeming to collapse in on itself and the top of her head resembles a crown made of stone and bone, similar to the horns of a great stag. The center of her torso bears a large cavity that spirals into mass of energy resembling the clouds of Voidspace. She can manipulate these clouds to corrupt and damage her surroundings.

Other Avatars of Chernobog have appeared throughout history but most of them have had some semblance to this form with minor changes such as appearing much smaller with fewer arms, or appearing as a vast entity of shadow and stone looming over the realms, the only consistency is the corruptive nature of her form, which twists and warps the world as she travels through it. When appearing to mortals, either to instill fear or make some form of pact, she may take the form of a gentle faced woman hidden beneath a black robe, this avatar has been dubbed Rissya.

Chernobog has used deception and illusions to further her goals and she occasionally adopts the appearance of another. Most commonly known occurrence of this is when she adopted the form of Aiffus to deceive Sol in an attempt to corrupt the cycle of life and death. When she uses this method she usually takes the form of a religious leader or charismatic figure to pull large crowds under her corruptive influence.

"Under this sun, a torrent of shadows are cast upon the world, push on my children, towards these shaded places. For there we may grow, fester in unison so we may liken ourselves to a tapestry of moss and undergrowth. In time, the bright places will come to fear us, to shun us as they are wont to do. Yet grotesque as we are in our repellant beauty, remember, there is more life in the undergrowth, than in all the bright places of the world."
-Rissya to a crowd of converts circa ~500PC

Personality

Chernobog feeds off the idea that without light, there is only darkness—a balance in cosmology that simply is. In many ways, she exists as a cruel cosmic irony, a means to balance the scales, to stress test the bounds of creation when faced with unwavering corruption. Chernobog interacts with her mortal followers as the literal embodiment of "the call of the void," a force that both seduces and consumes.

Followers of The Lady of Sin oftentimes say her presence is gentle and all-encompassing, coming in the form of cryptic dreams or visions when the person needs them most, often relying on their own warped perceptions of reality to win them over. Her personality is a paradoxical symphony—a blend of seductive charm and nightmarish cruelty. Her intellect, vast and calculating, weaves intricate plots to sow discord and decay across the cosmos. Chernobog revels in the despair that follows the crumbling of once-vibrant realms. She is patient, for time is a tool in her hands, eroding the foundations of hope until all that remains is the darkness she cradles.

It is a genuine difficulty for scholars to describe Chernobog due to her powers of deception and the madness often bestowed upon her followers; perhaps it is best to envision her as the world often views her followers: a maniac, a cosmic entity of great power and unwavering madness. She comes to those whose sanity hangs on a string and promises them godly aid, sometimes gaining their trust under a false promise or a different religious order entirely.

Mortals who begin worshipping Chernobog often have no idea just how much their reality is being toyed with or the truth behind the comforting words that come to them from the dark. By the time they realize what is really happening, it is usually too late, and the maddening embrace of The Voidqueen has already taken hold of whatever is left of their fractured mind.

Followers

Chernobog's interactions with her mortal followers are characterized by manipulation, temptation, and the insidious spread of corruption. She weaves her influence through subtle whispers, dark dreams, and moments of vulnerability. Her most devoted followers will employ these same tactics to lure lesser worshippers under her corruption. Chernobogs followers are less of an organized church but are instead disparate cult orders referred to with the umbrella term "The Dark Flock ", a term coined quite early on in the Second Era. Members of The Dark Flock believe that serenity is achieved in life through the sublime acceptance of madness; they willingly submit to the auras of darkness and confusion that coalesce in their holy sites.

In addition to the corruption of the mind, Chernobogs followers also venerate the corruption of the body through acts of violence, often ritualistic murders committed entirely at random. Several prominent leaders within The Dark Flock were viewed by society at large as raving violent lunatics, but to the other members of their flock, these leaders were the chosen voices of The Abyssal Sovereign, and their manic speeches are regarded as the works of a famous poet.

While it would be desirable amongst her human followers to work alongside her hordes of Demons, in actuality, this is simply impossible due to the ravenous and animalistic nature of these dark fiends. However, as part of violent rituals committed in her name, more powerful followers may summon and bind her fiendish children in order to sacrifice mortals, both willing and unwilling.

Relationships

It should come to no surprise that a figure like Chernobog does not typically play well with others. The twin gods Aiffus and Sol both hold a relentless grudge against the Lady of Sin because of her trickery and deception during the Five Century War. Aiffus in particular has never forgiven her for impersonating him and ensnaring souls for her dark plot. Followers of the twins regularly clash with followers of Chernobog.

The only regular allies of Chernobog are Gorg and Kith, Gorg shares in Chernobogs penchant for corruption and brutality. These two gods have coolaborated throughout history to commit atrocities together, that is, until one of them inevitably betrays the other. Kith, on the other hand, is as unknowable and vast as Chernobog, if not more so. Rather than 'allies' it is more accurate to say that the desires of these two cosmic beings simply intertwine from time to time; followers of both entities generally regard each other with a cautious kinship.

Artifacts

The Ebonblade; A malevolent, whitestone blade forged in the heart of the Void. The Ebonblade is eternally sharp, and its touch induces madness in those it wounds. This artifact is often wielded by high-ranking members of Chernobog's cult during sacrificial rituals. It is said that the souls claimed by the Ebonblade become forever bound to the goddess's domain.
Abyssal Heartstone; A twisted, obsidian heart imbued with the essence of Chernobog's corruptive power. The Abyssal Heartstone pulsates with dark energy and can be used to unleash waves of corruption upon the surroundings. It is a key component in dark rituals and serves as a focal point for summoning demons from the Voidspace to wreak havoc upon the mortal realms.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Chernbogs holy symbol is typically depicted as a clawed hand with a dark orb or silhouette of a person at its center; this is a typical drawn representation of the symbol.

Tenets of Faith

Followers of Chernobog venerate darkness, embracing it as a source of wisdom and enlightenment. Violence is revered as a sacred expression of devotion, while the embrace of madness is seen as a pathway to deeper understanding of the chaotic void. Deception is considered a virtue, and sacrifices—be they lives, possessions, or sanity—are viewed as acts that strengthen the connection to the corruptive forces of the goddess.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Chernobog's primary goal is the insidious spread of corruption across realms, seeking to erode the foundations of morality, trust, and cosmic balance. Through her avatars and cults, she influences mortals to sow discord, indulge in forbidden desires, and embrace malevolence. Her ultimate aim is to taint the cycle of life and death, turning it into a perpetual abyss where souls are forever ensnared in darkness, serving her insatiable hunger for chaos and despair. Chernobog employs her legions of demons as harbingers of corruption, unleashing them across the planes to sow discord and chaos.

Through their savage influence, Chernobog aims to fracture the fabric of societies, corrupting the hearts of mortals and, ultimately, destabilizing the cosmic balance between life and death. The demons act as her agents, agents of perpetual turmoil, aiding in the realization of her goal to plunge realms into an eternal abyss of corruption.

Titles
Voidqueen
Lady of Sin
Abyssal Sovereign
The-claw-that-consumes-and-comforts
Mahaanision Name- Fasid
Alignment
NE
Domains
Death, Darkness, Trickery
Avatars
Rissya
The-claw-that-consumes-and-comforts

Divine Classification

Major God of Corruption

Church/Cult

The Dark Flock

Pronouns

She/They

Worshipper Alignment

CG	NG	LG
CN	NN	LN
CE	NE	LE