Drallen, The Whispering Malice
(a.k.a. The Shadowed Tongue. The Lurking Whisper. The Veiled Deceiver.)
General Overview
Depiction:
Drallen is often portrayed as a gaunt, elongated figure cloaked in tattered black silks that ripple with a life of their own. His face is veiled or obscured entirely, with only twin eyes—dimly glowing a sickly violet—visible in the gloom. His form seems more shadow than flesh, edges fading into nothingness. In art, he is frequently painted behind curtains, in mirrors, or hovering in the periphery of grand events—never the center, always present. His voice is a barely perceptible whisper, threading through thoughts like a strand of hair on the back of the neck—just enough to cause unease.
He is fear made subtle. His worshipers call him the Silent Serpent, or the Spider in the Mind, for his dominion lies not in open conflict but in thoughts unspoken and secrets never meant to surface. The truly devoted speak of moments where the world goes eerily silent—a bird ceasing to chirp, a breeze stilled—and know Drallen listens.
Role in the Pantheon & Shadows of Sin
Within the Pantheon: Drallen is the divine embodiment of Betrayal, Deceit, and Spiritual Corruption—an extension of Kalenroth's will now shaped into a distinct entity. He challenges the very notion of trust, reveling in unraveling alliances and casting suspicion like a plague. Drallen is what remains when unity fractures and belief falters.
Within the Shadows of Sin: Drallen serves as the spymaster and corrupter of intent, the most elusive and insidious of the triad. He plants seeds of discontent among mortals and gods alike, often manipulating others—even Malleus and Varena—into enacting his designs. He believes in sowing slow, creeping rot—letting suspicion do the work of swords.
Worship & Rituals
Drallen's faithful often work alone or in covert cells. His influence is strongest in secret societies, political cabals, and among disgraced priests or excommunicated seers. Worship is not shouted—it is whispered, written in coded texts, or expressed through calculated acts of sabotage. To worship Drallen is to submit to the idea that truth is fragile, and every bond is a web waiting to snap.
Common Rituals:
Veil of Confession: A silent ritual conducted before a mirror, where followers whisper their hidden truths or betrayals. If the mirror fogs, it is believed Drallen has accepted the offering. In rare cases, the mirror might show the follower an image of their future betrayal.
The Spider’s Web: Infiltration of an enemy group or organization in Drallen’s name. Success is rewarded with visions; failure is punished with madness or sudden exposure.
Night of Unmasking: A masked gathering where secrets are exchanged and betrayals confessed anonymously. Violence may erupt—this is part of the worship, as truth is meant to cause collapse.
The Gasp of Silence: A moment of still meditation in complete silence, often taken after a betrayal, symbolizing the calm before chaos.
Myths & Legends
The Broken Oath of Solara: A famed paladin who was seduced by a voice in her dreams, ultimately betraying her order. It’s said Drallen visited her nightly, disguised as her conscience. Her sword, now called Truthbreaker, lies buried beneath the ruins of her temple.
The Mirror Prophet: A seer who claimed to speak with her future self. Drallen’s cults believe it was him behind the mirror, feeding false prophecies until her nation collapsed in paranoia and rebellion.
The Silence at Redbridge: A noble court fell into civil war after a single letter—unsigned—was found. Many believe it was penned by a scribe of Drallen’s temple. To this day, letters found with no return name are feared as portents.
The King’s Shadow: A recent tale tells of a ruler whose most trusted advisor disappeared one night, only to be replaced by a twin who slowly undid every alliance the king had made. By the time the deception was uncovered, the kingdom had already fallen.
Relationships with Other Shadows of Sin
Malleus: Drallen sees him as brutish and unsubtle—but admires his ability to cause widespread fear and chaos, which Drallen then exploits. Their cults rarely overlap, but occasionally act in concert.
Varena: His closest counterpart. Together, they can dismantle entire empires—Varena through temptation, Drallen through paranoia. Their relationship is respectful but taut; neither trusts the other completely, as is only fitting.
Relationships with Other Aeons
The Law Bearer: Antithesis. Drallen is everything the Law Bearer abhors—ambiguity, manipulation, and moral erosion.
The Night Mother: She watches him with suspicion. Death must be orderly, but he wishes for souls broken before death arrives.
The Verdant Warden: A quiet observer. Drallen believes nature too can be corrupted—disease, overgrowth, imbalance.
Lesser Aeons: Particularly opposed to Valora, The Guardian and Ferrum, The Smith, whose values of protection and structure directly threaten his ideology.
Divine Domains
Trickery – Deceit, illusions, and subterfuge. Misdirection and misinformation are his gifts to followers.
Corruption – Twisting ideals, eroding virtue, spiritual manipulation. Even noble intentions rot under his breath.
Secrets – The power of knowledge withheld, forbidden truths, and hidden identities. The fuel for leverage, the foundation of betrayal.
Nightmares – The invasion of dreams, fear of betrayal, and whispered paranoia. Through sleep, Drallen enters the minds of the faithful and the unaware alike, spinning fear into doctrine.
Artifacts
The Whispered Coin: A cursed relic that grants insight—but only if the bearer shares someone else's greatest secret aloud. It is said to whisper back to its user late at night.
The Shadow Veil: A funerary shroud woven with Aetheric silk that allows a wearer to become invisible while still casting a distorted shadow—revealing one’s lies made manifest.
The Mirror Without Reflection: A handheld mirror that shows not the viewer, but someone they know harboring betrayal. It is unclear whether it shows truth—or plants lies.
Holy Books & Codes
The Tome of Shifting Truths: A blasphemous book that rewrites itself, revealing secrets only to those who betray others to obtain it. Known to vanish when its owner becomes too predictable.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Primary Symbol:
- A closed eye surrounded by spiraling threads, sometimes rendered in silver ink over black vellum.
- A cracked mirror shedding ink instead of glass.
- A web coiled around a locked scroll—symbolizing truth caught and hidden.
- Three daggers forming a triangle, each pointing at the hilt of the next—a cycle of mutual betrayal.
Tenets of Faith
- Trust is the mask of fools. Belief in others is the first mistake. Only solitude grants clarity.
- Knowledge kept is power held. What is unsaid is stronger than what is proclaimed. Silence binds more than promises.
- Lies are sharper than blades. Words kill more kings than armies ever could.
- Corruption reveals truth. Only when the soul decays do we glimpse its authentic form.
- Every bond must be tested. All love, loyalty, and alliance are illusions unless cracked and found unbroken.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Unravel Trust – A world where no bond can survive untested, and all unity fails before it thrives.
Erase the Concept of Truth – Drallen dreams of a Veth’Arden where nothing is certain, and truth is a choice, not a constant.
Whisper to the Divine – To bring doubt into the minds of other Aeons, proving none are incorruptible.
Forge the Ultimate Betrayer – A mortal figure who will bring about cataclysm through treachery, revered as his chosen tongue.
Eclipse the Accord – Undermine the authority of the Divine Accord, causing mortals to question even their most sacred beliefs.
