Sith-Mycel

Sith-Mycel is a Lord of the Abyss, whose dominion over decay, rot, and vermin have earned it the epithets Prince of Rot, and Lord of Worms and Fungii. Sith-Mycel is a demonic entity, born of the chaos of the Abyss, which has lived longer than some gods and has risen to a commensurate level of power. Somehow, Sith-Mycel has the power to even shield itself and its realm from the Firchliss in spite of its unusual nature.

A chaotic evil diety, the symbol of which is usually a stylized mushroom. Divine spellcasters inspired by the Prince of Rot gain access to the Chaos, Evil, Plant, and Vermin domains.

History

Sith-Mycel's origins are shrouded in the mystery of time and the volatility of his native realm, the Abyss. Some refer to it as the "First Lord of the Abyss", and most of the other Lords of the Abyss agree that Sith-Mycel is the oldest of their number, or, in the case of Mestama, that they are "at least as old as each other".

Relationships

All of the Lords of the Abyss war with each other constantly, shifting alliances amongst each other in like manner to how mortals shift their clothes. Because their interests occasionally overlap Sith-Mycel is a frequent ally of Mestama. However, in general, the Prince of Rot brooks no intrusion into its own domain and will war with more or less any entity.

Appearance

Sith-Mycel is a massive mycological colony comprising dozens of apparent species of fungus. It is non-motile, and speaks through infrasound and telekenesis. In situations where Sith-Mycel treats with mortals it will occasionally do so in curious ways, such as forcing colonies of vermin to form the image of a humanoid figure, or by infesting a host with cordyceps-like fungus to act as an avatar of sorts.

Realm

Sith-Mycel claims rulership of - and its mycelium is the stabilizing force within - the Ur-Rot, a realm of the Abyss.

Providence

Just as decay is the driving force of compost, Sith-Mycel's providential rot clears the way for all new things. Some limit this understanding to the idea of simple renewal of a plot of land. Others know that the Prince of Rot's influence will decay all of Ahren and usher in a new and grander age.

Servants

Many species of demon pledge their loyalty to Lords of the Abyss, among whom Abraxas is no exception. While Dretches are, as always, over-represented, he is also popular among Abyssal Oozes. The Ur-Rot is also infested in a rare species of Abyssal Mycolids which are said to be his direct creation.

Church

One can hardly call the followers of Sith-Mycel a church. Occasionally, a cell of cultists may grow large enough to overtake its host villiage. Much more often, individual spellcasters, especially druids, may find themselves working in the service of The Rot.

Worshippers

Sith-Mycel's worshippers are rare among the mortal races of Ahren, and tend to be those who live in places not unlike the Ur-Rot - swamps and fens. Unsurprisingly they're not unheard of in the Great Fen, and some mad individuals even travel to the Bleak in search of others who can feel the Prince of Rot's pull on their soul.

Clergy

A rare few of Sith-Mycel's followers walk down the twisted roads of magic and affliction far enough that they come into direct contact with the Prince of Rot or (much more often) its abyssal lieutenants, and so form pacts that make them formal members of its clergy. Warlocks are over-represented in this cohort, but so too are oracles, who are cursed with "The Rot" and so often go blind (or are born that way) as a result of the affliction.

Temples & Shrines

Raising permanent temples to Sith-Mycel is a dangerous game; demon worship is illegal under punishment of imprisonment in the Hearthlands and by death in Bastonia and the Atarlie Empire. Even in the Lordless Lands, where intelligent beings have great latitude in their choice of diety, Sith-Mycel is seen as distasteful at best, though tolerated somewhat in the Bleak (by the few who dare live there) and the Great Fen.

Holy Texts

The Lords of the Abyss consider nothing sacred. No word, much less a facsimile of their word, may be used to bind them. Their only teachings are that which they or their lieutenants or priest pass along to the next generation, and their only law is their current demand.

Church History

Sith-Mycel's church has never been organized enough to be a meaningful historical force.