The Dark Six
The Sovereigns embody pillars of civilization: agriculture, commerce, industry, honor, law. The Dark Six represent frightening and destructive forces, their existence explaining why bad things happen in the world. When a wildfire destroys a village, The Devourer is to blame. When someone commits a crime of passion, they were overcome by The Fury. When monsters prey on the innocent, good people curse the Shadow.
The Pyrinean Creed exhorts that the Dark Six should be shunned, teaching their names and aspects so that people can recognize their works and understand how to resist them. When Pyrinean Vassals do make offerings to the Dark Six, it’s usually as an act of desperation: begging the Devourer to calm storm-tossed waters or calling on the Fury to enact a terrible revenge when the law has failed.
However, there are those in Paradenia and beyond who see the Dark Six as powers to be respected and worshiped in their own right. This section presents a brief overview of the Dark Six and how their followers can be encountered in Paradenia.
The Devourer
The Devourer is the tsunami that overwhelms the tallest ship, the wildfire that consumes the grandest castle, the earthquake that levels the most glorious city. He is the vast and primordial power of nature, a force that will break any chain and wear down the strongest wall. The Devourer is the glorious cruelty that drives the predator, the cry of the hawk and the howl of the wolf. He is all that is wild, savage, and unknowable. He is the deepest ocean, a force that can be crossed but never controlled.
Those who fear the Devourer see him as an entirely destructive force.
Arawai is the patron of agriculture, of peacefully harvesting nature’s bounty. Balinor is the patron of the hunt, of civilized folk using bow, spear, and skill to challenge or tame the mightiest beasts. These deities reflect the power of civilization to harness and control the natural world, but the Devourer puts the lie to this, showing that nature will never be truly tamed.
Those who embrace the Devourer celebrate the glorious power of the wilds. They revel in the raging storm and gladly embrace their predatory instincts. They accept that nature is often bloody and cruel, and don’t hesitate to follow its example. But while it may be harsh, nature is rarely evil.
Many forgotten its original name as Shargon except for aquatic races such as Sahuagin, merfolk and lizardfolk. Shargon is the elder brother of Arawai and Balinor. He is the father of Szorowai after raping his sister Arawai. It is believed that Shargon is the cause for the Rift between the dieties.
The Fury
The Fury is a silent whisper that can drive you to doubt or despair. She is reckless rage and all-consuming passion. Her forgotten name is Szorowai, and she represents madness and passion driven to the extremes of the world in the flesh. She was the abomination daughter of Arawai and Shargon. Szorowai is one of the second-generation deities and the youngest of the gods.
Instinct is the voice of the Fury, guiding us when rational thought fails. And she is the embodiment of revenge, promising vengeance to those willing to surrender to her. Her father the Devourer embodies the devastating power of the storm outside us; the Fury is the storm that rages within us, the wild emotions we fight to control.
Devotees of the Fury generally follow one of two paths. Revelers believe that suppressing emotion causes anguish, and that people should embrace their emotions fully and act on impulse and instinct. They hold wild, ecstatic celebrations as a way for participants to throw off the chains of civilization for a moment and experience life and emotion fully. The other is a path of revenge.
People who have suffered grievously can call on the Fury to give them the will and strength to take vengeance into their own hands. Or rather than seeking revenge themselves, one tradition calls for someone who has been wronged to place a red candle in a window, inscribed with the name of their tormentor. This is an invitation for the Fury to take vengeance on their behalf.
The Keeper
Every Vassal knows they should never flaunt good fortune, avoiding arrogance and pride. Those who crow too loudly may catch the jealous eye of the Keeper.
Even the mightiest hero can be laid low by disease or ill fortune, as the Keeper has a vast arsenal to bring down those that he desires. Once he pulls you down into the darkness, he will snatch your soul before it can reach
Dolurrh and add you to his endless hoard, where he can toy with you and torment you until the end of time.
The Keeper is the patron of those who put personal gain above all else. He guides those who use guile to gain gold, regardless of the cost to others. A thief who invokes Olladra sees themselves as the hero of the story; one who calls on the Keeper has no compunctions about being the villain. Beyond guiding those who place profit before all else, the Keeper is also known for his willingness to make deals—though his bargains are always slanted in his favor.
Priests known as Talons make these deals on behalf of the Keeper, though the terms are often abstract and driven purely by faith. An entertainer could bargain with a Talon, exchanging ten years of their life for fame; even if the entertainer subsequently becomes famous, there’s no way to know if this is the result of the bargain, nor to anticipate when the entertainer might suddenly die.
Another possible path is that of being a Keeper’s Fang. These people receive visions of things that the Keeper wishes to add to his hoard; these are usually the souls of specific people, but they could also be artifacts or other unique treasures.
The Mockery
Dol Arrah will show you how to fight with honor, Dol Dorn will grant you courage, and when you die, at least you’ll know you did so bravely and honorably. The Mockery will drag you through mud and blood, drive you to betray your principles and employ tactics that horrify your allies and enemies alike—but at the end of the day, you’ll be standing over the corpse of your foe. Which path will you follow?
Those who despise the Dark Six condemn the Mockery as a villain, a monster who encourages cruel and treacherous behavior. This can be as simple as ambushing an enemy, using stealth instead of facing them openly. Or it can mean slaughtering innocents, torturing your foes, breaking a truce— anything to bring you victory. Those who embrace the path of the Mockery may say that such tactics are the only way to bring down a superior foe. Honor is a
luxury for the strong; for those who are weak and oppressed, victory is all that truly matters.
Others who follow the Mockery assert that the very idea of honor in war is delusional. Pain, terror, and death are the inevitable results of violence; at least those who follow the Mockery acknowledge the truth others deny. The assassin who kills without warning, the barbarian who sees mercy as a weakness, the pirate who cultivates a terrifying reputation—all these might view the Mockery as an ally.
While this can be a dark path for any person to follow, a hero could potentially use the techniques of the Mockery in pursuit of a noble cause. A grim vigilante who uses stealth and fear to terrify cowardly crimes into changing their ways could be guided by the Mockery.
The Shadow
The war between the Shadow and Aureon rages in all of us. Aureon’s voice tells us that we are stronger together, that it’s worth it to suffer for the sake of the common good. The Shadow whispers that there is no common good—all that matters is what you need and what you can do. Why should you make sacrifices for others instead of doing what’s best for yourself? Why should you give when you can take?
The Shadow is the Sovereign of ambition. Those who revere it view this as a positive trait; the Shadow will show you how to be the best you can be. But how far will you go in pursuit of your ambition? What—or who—will you sacrifice?
Priests who embrace this aspect of the Shadow call themselves Mentors, emphasizing that they can show you how to achieve your full potential; others call them Tempters, as they will always drive you down the darkest path. The Pyrinean Creed says that the Shadow consumes the souls of those who fall prey to its temptation; a Mentor will tell you that this is exactly the sort of lie the Sovereigns use to trick you into following their rules.
The Shadow is also the keeper of forbidden knowledge, of secrets you know you shouldn’t pursue. This includes Forbidden Magic—granting powers virtuous people should shun. Any wandslinger could attribute their powers to the Shadow; a wizard might have been struggling with their studies, but after a sacrifice to the Shadow, they awoke with new insights.
The Shadow can also serve as a warlock’s patron, and while the Shadow won’t interact directly with a warlock, they could receive visions like a
Priest; they could interact with a fiend who claims to speak for the Shadow; or they could be mistaken about the nature of their patron, and actually be bound to an overlord.
In addition to mystical knowledge, vassals of the Shadow often know things they simply shouldn’t know—secrets that can harm people if revealed. Vassals of the Shadow can sometimes be found working as fixers in the criminal underworld; how much are you willing to pay for the knowledge you seek?
Beyond all this, the Shadow is seen as a corrupting force that creates monsters, both figuratively through temptation, and literally—it is said to have created many of the monstrosities that prey on innocents. In turn, many monstrous creatures see the Shadow as their patron.
The Traveler
The Traveler touches the domains of many other Sovereigns. Like Aureon and the Shadow, the Traveler is a source of knowledge. Along with Olladra and the Mockery, it is a patron of those who rely on deception and cunning. Like Onatar and the Fury, it can provide inspiration to the artisan.
Both those who fear the Traveler and those who revere it agree on one thing: whatever gifts the Traveler gives, they always lead to chaos. If the Traveler gives you knowledge, it’s because the revelation will force you to reevaluate everything you have known. If it helps you deceive, it’s because your actions will introduce chaos and crisis—whether into your life or the lives of others.
Onatar will teach a gunsmith to make a better firearm; the Traveler might show them how to make a bomb, changing the face of warfare. The Traveler isn’t here to satisfy your greed or to grant your ambitions. Instead, it will set you on paths you never thought to try. This may sometimes grant you good fortune, but when you call on the Traveler, you’re inviting the unexpected into your life.
One of the more infamous Traveler cults within the Paradenia is hidden within
House Cannith. While Onatar is the acknowledged patron of House Cannith, some believe that the Traveler is the source of dramatic inspiration, helping artificers make unforeseen breakthroughs.
Those who invoke the Traveler know that its gifts will surely have a cost and could shake the foundations of civilization, but they still yearn for that grand discovery.
Some who follow the Traveler are tricksters, causing chaos with no clear agenda. But others see themselves as guides, playing tricks on people in order to teach them lessons.
Guides seek to challenge established traditions, laws, or institutions—not necessarily to destroy them, but to ensure that they haven’t outlived their usefulness. Still others are wanderers, embracing a life of constant change; believing that as long as they remain in motion, the Traveler will guide and protect them.
Ultimately, the Traveler will throw your life into chaos-- for it's by adapting to this chaos that people grow.
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