Zokthis
From Zok
Zokthis is the creator of the universe, and father or creator of all the gods save Krai. He clawed and sliced his way forth from the Void, and carefully and lovingly crafted the world by cutting away the darkness surrounding it. He loves all of his children (even the evil ones) equally, though he rarely interferes in mortal affairs. Zokthis first spoke the words of the True Speech, and commanded the laws of Magic into being. He wields his glaive, Corvir, on his journeys through his creation, and appears as a five-armed male of any intelligent species. He is fond of traveling in disguises of various sorts, so as to pass unnoticed amongst mortals. Deeply hurt by Mozik’s death, Zokthis is sympathetic towards parents of all types, and will occasionally subtly aid them during his travels. Zokthis has only engaged in one battle, with Krai, and it resulted with his creation of the Pit of Nulgith so that he had a place to cast her into upon her defeat. Zokthis is extremely disappointed in Hirzek, and sternly disapproves of using necromantic magic to snuff out lives as a means of extending your own.
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Statistics:
The Weeping Father, The Watcher, The Maker
- Overdeity
- Symbol: White sphere/circle, any common artist’s tools
- Home Plane: Prime Material
- Alignment: Neutral
- Portfolio:
- Weeping Father: Parents, Family, Grief, Art, Artisans, poetry
- The Watcher: Arcane Knowledge, fate, magic, prophecy, truth, history, wisdom, secrets
- The Maker: Crafts, balance, common sense, creation, cooking, writing, Naming, artisans
- Worshippers: Artists, fathers, craftspeople, conjurers, True speakers.
- Cleric Alignments: Any
- Domains: Artifice, Creation, Knowledge, Rune, Nobility, Magic
- Favored Weapon: Glaive
Dogma
Zokthis doesn’t advocate much of an agenda in the mortal realm (or in any realm, for that matter), preferring to sit back and watch as events unfold. He never takes sides in the battles between his offspring, though his cry of grief upon the death of Mozik was mighty enough that it shocked the combatants into inaction. Zokthis teaches that creating something is the best thing anyone can do, and that, failing creation, transformation into something else is the second-best. He abhors those who pervert his laws of magic to utterly unmake things, and teaches that the undead should be destroyed because they survive by weakening the rest of existence.
Clergy and Temples
Cult of the Weeping Father:
Temples devoted to Zokthis as the Weeping Father are wide open, since the order has no real enemies, and filled with funerary offerings and representations of grief. Clerics of the Weeping Father clothe themselves as though in constant mourning, and spend their time either teaching the community’s youth and aiding parents in their attempts to support their offspring or in creating works of art as a tribute to Mozik. The cult’s members are violently opposed to worshippers of Hirzek, and great hunters of the undead often arise from among their ranks. Visitors to their temples are greeted with open arms, and are given food and shelter as fellow children of Zokthis regardless of who they are. In most cultures, it is impermissible to attack any creature who seeks refuge in a temple or shrine to the Weeping Father, though the cult won’t provide any actual combative support if the pursuers choose to risk the wrath of Zokthis by attacking anyway. The temples ask no offerings (though they receive many), and are usually funded by parents who give gifts hoping to give good luck to their "creations" and by parents who have seen their children die and who sympathize with the god.
Order of the Watcher:
Few and far between, temples to Zokthis the Watcher are usually built into towers, in locations with a wide view of the surrounding area. They are filled with divination magics and tomes of ancient wisdom. Any portion of the order of the Watcher is in near-constant magical contact with the rest of the order, and the order’s library in Anistia already houses the world’s most complete record of Truenames. Members of the order often work as diviners for leaders of every civilization, but are steadfast in their refusal to take sides. They’ll freely spy on anyone and provide any information, but will not give any advice as to what actions to take based on the newfound knowledge. Visitors to the temples are offered free access to the libraries and to the divination equipment, though hiring an actual diviner will cost a small offering. Those within a temple are usually under constant surveillance if they have any impact on world affairs, but otherwise won’t be bothered unless they’re destroying records or they have interesting information to share.
Disciples of the Maker:
Shrines to the Maker are common in any area inhabited by craftspeople, artists, or conjurers. The order of the Maker seeks to emulate what they view as the greatest achievement in history: the creation of the world. Disciples of the Maker build mighty temples in large cities, occasionally in conjunction with the Order of the Watcher or worshippers of Coris. There they spend their time working to support the cause of craftspeople and artists. Their temples are built in a circular shape with thick whitewashed stone walls protecting treasuries filled with amazing works of jewelry, sculpture, and tapestry. Smaller rooms are devoted to craftspeople of all sorts, and it’s not uncommon for the headquarters of several different guilds to be located in temples to the Maker. Visitors are greeted with as fine a confection as can be whipped up by the skilled chefs, and are given one night’s stay for free. If the visitors can pay their way with good stories or songs or by demonstrating new artistic methods or working for the craftsmans’ guilds, they’ll be allowed to extend their stay until they’re unable to provide anything in lieu of payment.
