Matuniat "The Shaggy Mountain," "The Impregnator of Mutations"

An ancient, especially inhuman member of the Lords of Change, the deity Matuniat is depicted as a towering conical thing, covered with a hanging, shaggy coat of tumorous growths, and anywhere from two to eight stumpy, trunk like leg-organs. Matuniat is said to be several miles tall, and in legends it is usually mistaken for a vegetation-covered mountain from a distance. Myths tell of Matuniat wandering the blasted and cursed regions of Algol, leaving a trail of his fecund semen. In these myths the sperm of Matuniat impregnate any fertile organisms they come in contact with, engendering mutated progeny.

No Clerics!

I'm a jerk DM. I run a dangerous, freeform sandbox campaign with the potential for all sorts of injurious events, and I've explicitly disallowed Clerics as a PC option for reasons of genre emulation (despite the Bene Gesserit, Severian, etc.).

I created the Sage and Mind Wizard classes as a genre-appropriate replacement, but althoughs they have access to the cleric's suite of poison and disease cures and the like, they do not have access to cure light wounds and the other hit point refilling spells. Undead aren't that common in my game, so the loss of Turn Undead hasn't really affected things.

I'm not a total jerk, so I instituted the common First Aid houserule (apply first aid immediately after a battle/injury to restore 1d4 hp), as well as a generous hit point recovery rate of 1d3 points per day (I'm quite fond of random healing rates...it certainly emulates the uncertain nature of recovering from injuries in adventure fiction, "After several days Wilson hadn't regained consciousness so we had the bearers build a litter so that they could carry him as we continued our journey," "..despite his grievous injuries Rok-Mhor was his usual lusty self after a few days rest...")

The end result is that while on an expedition the party often has to shack up in a defensible campsite for several days so injured party members can get back on their feet, in both the literal and figurative meaning, often having of fend of random encounters in the process.

A band of treasure hunters, holed up in a swarming jungle, fending off hostile natives and voracious wildlife, hoping desperately that the injured members of their party recover before they run out of supplies or are overwhelmed so that they can escape this green hell...

The no clerics rule has been working out pretty well as far as I'm concerned!

ALSO: I've been having problems with both my computer and my mobile device, and consequently have been neglecting keeping up with my emails and the comments, please bear with me as I get caught up :)

"On the Cursed Nature of the Universe And Why We Must Destroy It"

by The Herald of Apocalypse, Supreme Prophet-Priest of The Lords of Change of the Archetemple of Chaos of Ozlaziatl in The Demon Wastes

"Those sniveling cowards who kowtow to the Lords of Light spout a veritable wind of drivel about "The Planes" or "The Scientific Nature of Reality." Know this...all that is beastshit and gaseous digestive excretions, lies and delusions vomited out of fear by those unwilling to remove the scales from their true eyes and perceive reality for what it truly is.

Yet again I reiterate the central mystery of our cult, the truth-legend that defines our entire way of life and existence.

A long time ago we were all made of cosmic fire, of azoth, of alkahest. We were titans, we were demons, we were dragons, we were gods, but all of that and infinitely more. We lived of pure existence of unshackled will and unbridled desire.

While were sported, wild and free, one of our brothers suggested a game. The we build a world as a toy and stage a game within it. We made up a universe and as we invented its contents the inventor would pretend to be what they created. Some of us pretended to be the stars and planets, some of us the beasts and people, some of us the gravity and winds.

But our brother who suggested this game was decietful and betrayed us, for as we invented the components of the universe and assumed their guises, he worked a curse into the play and we forgot our true nature and were glamoured into believed that we were what we portrayed. And our betraying-brother kept this false-universe and us who are imprisoned within it as a trophy to gloat over.

The curse of this false-universe has chained us to time, and has been ongoing for countless billions of years as we play out this shadow-existence. But some of us remember, and some of use can awaken to some small degree, and gain much puissance and enlightenment from this process.

And so we howl for our brethren who were not part of the curse-game and remain outside of this false-universe. And we work to defy our brother who imprisoned us and to break down the illusion-reality of this false-universe and bring it to an end, no matter what it requires, so that we will be free again."

Abstract Art From Planet Algol?

...actually a simple diagram of Algolian planar relationships as generally accepted by the sages of Algol.


Proceeding from the top to bottom stratas we have:

THE RADIANT HIGHER ORDER DIMENSIONS
Infinite ascending spheres of pure logic, order and light. The realms of the Lords of Light. The most powerful preternatural forces draw their energies from either these dimensions or The Outer Dark. Radiant beams from The Higher Order Dimensions penetrate through The Ectoplasmic Membrane and into The Physical Universe.


THE ECTOPLASMIC MEMBRANE
A layer of luminous spiritual matter that contains the preternatural ecosystem that interacts with the biomass of The Physical Universe. It's tendrils suffuse The Physical Universe and extend into The Abyss. Mundane supernatural forces derive their energy from either The Ectoplasmic Membrane or The Abyss. The hippocampus of preternaturally gifted material beings extend into The Ectoplasmic Membrane.


THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE
Algol is represented by the ochre sphere, it's metaphysical orbit brings it close to the outer rim of The Abyss.


THE ABYSS
A vast gulf, haunted by unclean spirits, that seperates the rest of the Universe from The Outer Dark and The Great Old Ones. It is almost empty aside from the spheres known as The Hells or The Demon Worlds, which are comprised of both worlds that drifted into The Abyss from The Physical Universe and cysts ejected from The Outer Dark. They are divided into The Rim Hells (those closest to The Physical Universe), The Deeper Hells (those in the midst of The Abyss), and The Outermost Hells (those closest to The Outer Dark). The petty and mundane applications of so-called "Black Magic" usually derives their energies from The Abyss.


THE OUTER DARK
The infinite region of elder chaos and darkness; the prison that The Great Old Ones were cast into by The Lords of Light at the dawn of the universe. Some say that The Outer Dark is composed of the infinite matter of The Great Old Ones themselves. The most puissant "Blackest Magics" almost always involve invoking powers located within The Outer Dark.


The above images created via Sketchbook on my iPhone.

An Algol Legend of the Inchoate Aeons

After the Great Old Ones had been driven out of the universe the Lords of Light began making order out of the inchoate matter and energy that swirled in the aftermath of that great battle.

Eventually Metazon devised the varied elements of the universe and set the Lords of Light to crafts his great work. First the stars and suns; than the worlds; than oceans and skies; than slimes, molds, algae and protozoa; than plants; than beasts; and finally Man.

When devising Man Metazon had planned out his body and soul, but desired a means to instruct and command Man and thus invented Language. The Lords of Light were tired from building the stars, worlds, oceans, slimes, plants, beasts, and the body and soul of Man, and thus Metazon was merciful and instructed some of the beasts to assemble Language.

He commanded the Monkeybats to craft words, for they were clever and had mouth-parts like that of Man.


He commanded the Flying Lizards to gather the wind to power the words for they were the most masterful of the winds among beasts.

Finally he commanded the Chitinous Fliers to assemble the components and program Language, for they were industrious and precise in their works.

However, one of the Chitinous Fliers, some say a fly; some say a winged myriapod; some say a disguised Mi-Go; and some say a demon named Baelzebub, worked a curse into Language while assembling it. This curse subverted Language and allowed Man to Lie.

The Disciples of Nothingness

Usually lumped in with the followers of the Lords of Change by those that sort and catalogue cults, The Disciples of Nothingness pay homage to Iajuxxa "The Great Unmaker - The Ever Sucking Maw" as the aperture of a feeding filament of an extradimensional entity of infinite hunger that they worship as the penultimate power of, and eventual devourer of, all universes, planes and dimensions; utterly consuming all reality(ies).

As part of their complicated theology, the Disciples of Nothingness also worship disintegration; death; suicide; extreme gravitation; and the absence of and/or negation all all light, with some especially devout cultists blinding themselves. They preach the worthlessness and futility of all existance; the inexorable nature of entropy and dissolution; and the eventual fate of all to be devoured by Iajuxxa. They pay heed to the Gluttonous Prophets, eyeless obese psychics who constantly gorge themselves to maintain an ecstasis in which their pineal gland receives emanations from Iajuxxa in it's distant orbit from the three suns.

Some sects have discovered Ancient disintegration facilities where they attempt to negate as much matter as possible, offering sentients as especial offerings to The Ever-Sucking Maw. Rumors whisper of Disciples of scientific bent who seek out ancient particle accelerators in order to create micro black holes with the aim of destroying the planet while creating another mouth for The Great Unmaker.
Some legends speak of Iajuxxa's Exarch upon Algol, Hunger "The Witch With Mouths For Eyes," and her warlock-sons Starvation and Gluttony.

Algolian Deities - Iashar and Vaikhal

IASHAR - The Haunter of Desolate Places and Piper of Madness
Depicted vaguely as a loathsome, elongated, malformed, mottled, capering figure with phosphorescent eyes , Iashar is said to haunt the wastes of Algol. Tales speak of a distant atonal, reedy, whistling piping heard at night in such regions. This piping is reputed to induce panic and eventual madness and is attributed to Iashar. The hopelessly mad wretches and reavers that wander the wastelands are said to be his followers.


VAIKHAL - The Inexorable Iron Wheel
Vaikhul is depicted as an unspeakably massive towering iron spiked wheel; the cruel blade-like spikes that stud it's tread are clotted with debris, mangled metal and clotted bodies and blood. Vaikhal embodies methodical, merciless slaughter and destruction and is the patron of those that exterminate hostile nonhumans and other threats to Lawful men and civilization.

Tothet and Zaixul

Tothet - Custodian of the Celestial Vault
Depicted as a column of silvery light with a single fiery eye; in Lawful theology Tothet is credited with casting the Great Old Ones out of the physical universe and into the Outer Dark at the dawn of time. Tothet embodies the rational universe; it's physical laws; and it's structural integrity and is the patron of astronomers and physicists. Tothet is symbolized by a blazing, burning sword.

Zaixul - Whisperer of Cunning, Treachery and Upheaval
The patron of plots and traitors, Zaixul works to destroy legitimate authority and civilization. Legends speak of it tearing down Lawful societies by inducing multiple complex, craven betrayals; eventually inducing violent, chaotic upheavals that devolve cultures into nihlistic, destructive mockeries of their former civilization. Zaixul is depicted as lurking in the shadows, a dusty, thin indistinct figure shrouded in gauzy grey tatters.

Planet Algol Religion - The Lords of Change

Also known as the Gods of Chaos, the Lords of Change are a vague, sprawling pantheon of wildly different deities. Whereas the theology of the followers of the Lords of Light claims that the forces of Law and Chaos wax and wane is an eternal cosmic cycle, the philosophy of those that pay worship to the Lords of Change claim that Chaos is the natural state of the universe, is indeed the universe itself is Chaos, and that Lawful forces only exists as brief aberrant expressions of Chaos itself.

The huge variety of Lords of Change encompasses everything from relatively ordinary gods of thieves and artists to unspeakable horrors, and more extreme sects pay homage the Great Old Ones. Likewise, there exists a multitude of wildly differing sects. Like the Lords of Light, this religion bears similarity to ancient middle eastern beliefs, as well as the Churches of Chaos of Athanor and the Tlokiriqáluyal of Tekumel.

Although the Lords of Light are considered to be the protectors of civilization and mankind, many civilized men worship the Lords of Change, generally criminals, rebellious artists, decadent nobles and the like. Many hidden cults to the Gods of Chaos exist under civilizations facade; in especially liberal or depraved settlements they may be worshiped openly.

Planet Algol Religion - The Lords of Light

The Lords of Light, also known as the Agents of Stability, are a vague pantheon, usually portrayed as a family or a bureaucracy, of Lawful deities, with occasional benign Neutral exceptions. Their theology often portrays them as vague, distant aspects of an unknowable, omnidimensional godhead and claims that The Lords of Light protect humanity from the depredations of the Lords of Change and the horrors of the Great Old Ones. Many myths revolves around the stories of different incarnations of a mystic sage possessing immense wisdom and a doomed eternal warrior-hero.

Worship, dogma, and practice often vary wildly in diverse regions, the result of different interpretations of scripture, and the various sects that exist are as likely to regard each other as rivals as often as alien.

The Theology of the Lords of Light bears similarities to certain ancient middle-eastern and Hindu beliefs as well as the Tlomitlányal of Tekumel and the Churches of Law of Athanor.

Although they are portrayed as the protectors of civilization and mankind, they are usually paid superficial Heed by the common Algol man. Still, some temples and sect wield considerable political and military might.