Illustration by Artist: Artur Nakhodkin
Some of the exciting world-building I was able to tackle in the deluxe adventure Pathfinder Module: Cradle of Night revolves around vanished gods. Few mortals know that the Shadow Plane once had their own pantheon of wicked demigods, akin to the Eldest of the First World. Called the Forsaken, these demigods sought to expand their power and influence, but all of them mysteriously vanished at once, long ago.
Although the Forsaken do not have worshippers as other demigods do, their influence can still be felt in shadowed shrines and forgotten ruins in the Shadow Plane and dark places of the world. The most noteworthy Forsaken are described below as they once existed; their current forms and powers remain purely speculation.
Enkaar, the Malformed Prisoner (NE Forsaken of fetters, lethargy, and physical corruption): Left to die in a festering prison on the Shadow Plane, Enkaar eventually emerged as a mutated horror draped in rusted chains. Enkaar's symbol is a pus-encrusted fetter, and its favored weapon is the spiked chain.
Eyes That Watch (NE Forsaken of feelings of inferiority, felines, and strangers): None can fully describe the Forsaken known as Eyes That Watch, as it appeared only as a trio of feline eyes staring from shadows with an arrogant gaze. Eyes That Watch's symbol is three feline eyes, and its favored weapon is the dagger.
Grasping Iovett (CE Forsaken of accidents, parasites, and reckless lust): Clad only in heavy black silks that shifted to reveal sensual forms of an indescribable variety, Grasping Iovett's touch left painful welts and tick infestations. Iovett's symbol is a stylized tick on a swatch of silk, and its favored weapon is the short sword.
Husk (NE Forsaken of emptiness, loneliness, and narcissism): Husk was an attractive, androgynous humanoid whose joints were gaps that revealed the Forsaken to be entirely hollow beneath paper-thin skin. Husk's symbol is an empty humanoid outline with hands outstretched, and its favored weapon is the short sword.
Lady Razor (NE Forsaken of family strife, suspicion, and vengeance): A stern magistrate among the Forsaken, Lady Razor forbade showing kindness or mercy to family members. Lady Razor's symbol is a gavel crossed with a bloody razor, and her favored weapon is the dagger.
Reshmit of the Heavy Voice (CE Forsaken of broken things, forgetting, and unexpected violence): Reshmit was a massive shadowy form whose softest touch landed like a hammer blow and whose rumbling voice could shred steel. Reshmit's symbol is a torn steel plate, and his favored weapon is the morningstar.
Thalaphyrr Martyr-Minder (LE Forsaken of failed heroics, imprisonment, and squandered time): Thalaphyrr guarded the prisons where the Forsaken kept their would-be usurpers and destroyers. Thalaphyrr's symbol is a pair of hands grasping a set of prison bars, and his favored weapon is the spear.
Ron Lundeen
Developer
