Phenax, god of deception

God of Deception

Phenax is the masked patron of lies and cheats. He is Heliod’s ethical antithesis, governing the spheres of gambling, deception, and betrayal. Phenax was once a mortal who was trapped in the Underworld, but he learned how to forsake his identity to prevent Erebos from detecting what he was doing. He crossed back over the Rivers That Ring the World wrapped in the tattered cloak of Athreos, the River Guide, who ushers the dead to their final rest. Hidden by illusion as he was, neither Athreos nor Erebos could find Phenax and bring him back.
This still angers Erebos and Athreos, however, the greatest anger is likely reserved for Klothys because this mortal tangled and manipulated the strands of Fate to become a God- an act that she sees as destructive and the reason behind the necessity of the Twilight of the Gods.
Able to play whatever role the situation calls for, Phenax is a consummate actor. His incisive wit and cunning enable him to read the desires of his marks, adjusting his approach to suit the moment. In his rare moments of candor, Phenax is calm and calculating, always looking toward his next scheme.
Phenax is a shadowy and mysterious figure. When appearing before mortals, he prefers the form of a willowy humanoid with ashen gray skin, clad in elegant robes. He has also been known to appear in a variety of animal forms, including the shapes of asps, mockingbirds, or rats. Regardless of his shape, a mask forever conceals the blank face of the first Returned.

Divine Relationships

It stands to reason that the god of secrets, deception, and betrayal isn’t close with the rest of the pantheon. This is not to say that Phenax doesn’t have active relationships with others in the pantheon, but his position as the patron of lies doesn’t lead to close, lasting friendships.
Erebos and Athreos despise Phenax, which delights him to no end. Phenax revels in the fact that, as a lowly mortal, he was able to outwit both the Lord of the Underworld and the River Guide. Still bitter over Phenax’s deception, Erebos concocts ways to torment the upstart god. Were he to discover a method to slay Phenax and return him to the Underworld, the god of the dead would pursue it over all other goals.
Phenax finds Heliod and Iroas overbearing and insufferable. Both represent ideologies diametrically opposed to Phenax’s, and both have followers who regularly try to foil his schemes. In turn, Phenax does his best to upend their plans through lies and deception. After all, a fair fight isn’t worth fighting.
Nowhere is Phenax’s commitment to upending the status quo and angering his fellow gods more evident than in his role in the rise of Xenagos, the now destroyed god of revels. Xenagos’s attacks left many of the gods disconnected from their followers, inciting a panic in Nyx. Phenax, basking in the chaos of Xenagos’s plot, found myriad ways to covertly aid him until the satyr’s apotheosis. Helping another mortal ascend to godhood was, to Phenax, the ultimate subversion of authority.
Klothys and Kruphix also despise him and the role he played in attempting to assist Xenagos. They know that he will pose a large challenge when the time comes to bind the Gods because he wants freedom and to do as he wills no matter what.

Divine Domains

Phenax’s Influence

Subtlety and manipulation—of mind, word, and deed—are the cornerstones of Phenax’s power and his influence over mortals and immortals alike. Even gods enjoy hearing what they prefer to hear instead of the truth, and Phenax is happy to give them what they want.
He takes pleasure in finding ways to subvert or corrupt champions of law, order, and justice, turning them to his cause. Whether by feeding the hubris of a champion of Heliod or subverting the moral code of a stalwart of Iroas, he tempts mortals by confronting them with seemingly inconsequential decisions, each of which offers an opportunity for the person to compromise their principles. One by one, these acts move the needle of a person’s moral gauge by a small amount. Over time, these choices accumulate until the individual’s fall from grace is complete.

Holy Books & Codes

MYTHS OF PHENAX

The tales told of Phenax’s deeds speak of his duplicity, cunning, and wit.
The Path of Phenax. Phenax was once a mortal who, like all mortals, passed on to Erebos’s care in the Underworld when his time among the living came to an end. But Phenax found a way to escape the Underworld by sacrificing his identity to the memory-draining waters therein. He was able to cross the Rivers That Ring the World wrapped in a shred of Athreos’s cloak. Since he had no identity, Athreos couldn’t detect him, and thus Erebos couldn’t use his great lash to pull Phenax back. When he emerged back into the realm of mortals, he did so as the first of the Returned. In time, others discovered this quandary of metaphysics, which is now known as the Path of Phenax.
Black Oak of Odunos. Before Odunos became a necropolis, it was a thriving city akin to Akros or Meletis. When the city fell before Phenax’s assembled forces, some of the populace begged the god of lies to spare them the touch of Erebos’s dread lash. Never one to miss an opportunity to cheat Erebos, Phenax made a solemn promise to those asking for his mercy, assuring them that they wouldn’t be forced into the Underworld, on his honor. Soon afterward, the Returned that had invaded the city murdered these people to the last one—whereupon Phenax, true to his word, bound their bodies and souls to a great oak, making a terrifying amalgam of undeath to guard Odunos and haunt the living for eternity.
Feud with Nylea. A pair of accomplished hunters, both fervent followers of Nylea, had a bet with one another to prove who was better with a bow. After countless tests found them equally matched, the hunters’ rivalry drew Phenax’s attention. Assuming the form of a dryad, Phenax goaded and taunted the hunters. Though amusing at first, Phenax’s words cut deep, making the hunters careless. Thus, when the dryad suggested a blindfolded test of marksmanship, the hunters agreed. Once blinded, Phenax positioned the hunters to shoot one another. In the moment they fired, though, Nylea noticed Phenax’s trick. She curved her hunters’ arrows mid-flight and multiplied their number. Phenax’s disguise shattered as he was riddled with arrows that pinned him to a great tree. Nylea appeared to the trapped god, mocked his pointless duplicity, and warned him never to threaten her followers again. She then left him to struggle free from the deeply embedded arrows, an escape that took him over a week. During that time, the god concocted plot after plot to have his revenge on Nylea. Some tales claim that this embarrassment directly led to tragedy for Nylea’s favorite dryad companion, while others warn that Phenax’s revenge has only just begun.
Her dear lover and dryad can be returned to her. See her page for details.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Winged golden mask

Tenets of Faith

Worshiping Phenax

Every lie is an homage to Phenax. Because his most devout followers are criminals and gamblers, his influence is keenly felt in gambling halls and dens of thieves. But everyone has their own reasons to stray from the truth at times, and thus, they also find small ways to seek Phenax’s favor as they go about their daily lives.
Formal services to Phenax are conducted at night, with the most sacred rituals performed on nights of the new moon. Offerings are made to attract Phenax’s favor, with valuables from successful robberies, parchment filled with lies, or loaded dice being thrown into deep crags or buried at crossroads. Such sacrifices often vanish soon after, claimed by the god or his servants. Devout criminals often offer Phenax stolen goods as part of their preparations for premeditated crimes.
Phenax is worshiped openly in the necropoleis of Asphodel and Odunos, though the Returned who are loyal to Erebos’s agent, Tymaret, refuse to worship the god they’re hunting (see chapter 3). Somber ceremonies are intoned to bless the golden funeral masks the Returned wear.

Earning and Losing Piety

You increase your piety score to Phenax when you expand the god’s influence in the world in a concrete way through acts such as these:

• Helping a fugitive escape justice
• Pulling off a daring robbery
• Obstruct champions of other gods
• Building or restoring a temple to Phenax

Your piety score to Phenax decreases if you diminish Phenax’s influence in the world, contradict his ideals, or make him look ridiculous or ineffectual through acts such as these:

• Forthrightly assisting lawgivers in their duties
• Swearing and then honoring an oath
• Bringing order in times of chaos

Phenax’s Devotee

Piety 3+ Phenax trait
As a devotee of Phenax, you have proven yourself accomplished at deception. You can call on Phenax’s blessing and cast disguise self with this trait. While the spell is active, your shadow still resembles your original form. You can cast the spell in this way a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Phenax’s Votary

Piety 10+ Phenax trait
Your words are inspired by Theros’s greatest liar. You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks.

Phenax’s Disciple

Piety 25+ Phenax trait
When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with an attack, making the attack doesn’t reveal your position.

Champion of Deception

Piety 50+ Phenax trait
You can increase your Dexterity or Charisma score by 2 and also increase your maximum for that score by 2.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Phenax’s Goals

Phenax doesn’t want to rule Nyx. He is the perennial outsider, existing only to disrupt the plans of his fellow gods. Every lie, every betrayal, delights him as it sows discord in the world. He respects a well-planned and executed grift or heist, sometimes rewarding able followers with opportunities to serve as his champions.
As the metaphorical progenitor of the Returned, Phenax also takes time to provide shelter and opportunities for his children to disrupt the mortal world. He also delights in doing anything that can cause Erebos to lose followers or which might anger him. He is also interested in upending the cosmic order and helping mortals to potentially become gods in order to further tangle the threads of destiny and fate.

Divine Classification

God

Religions

• Meletis
• The Society of the True Thread

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral with some evil tendencies

Realm

Nyx

Church/Cult

The Society of the True Thread

Related Plots

• Tier 1 Breakdown- Levels 1 to 4