Nis

1. Core Identity

• Name: Nis (Nis)

• Alignment: Neutral Evil

• Portfolio: Evil, Ritual Slaughter, Discord, and Lies.

• Status: God (Reports to Major God Saery)

• Divine Realm: The Citadel of Subversion

• Gender / Form: Male (He/Him).

  • Natural Form: A humanoid Lich. He is rarely seen in any other form, though he may appear as other monstrous undead (Vampire, Mummy Lord).

2. Domains & Influence

• Primary Domains: Evil, Ritual Slaughter, Discord, and Lies

• Portfolio: Evil (as a philosophy), lies, deception, betrayal, discord, and ritual sacrifice.

• Cleric Domains (5e): Entropy, War

  • (Clerical Note: His "War" domain is war through subversion, betrayal, and discord, not open conflict. His "Entropy" domain is the decay of morality.)

3. Symbolism & Depiction

• Holy Symbol: Three interlocking circles (discord), with a serpent (lies) entangled inside them.

• Favored Weapon: Dagger (the betrayer's weapon).

• Favored Colors: Sickly-green and black.

• Sacred Animals / Plants: The serpent (lies) and the rat (betrayal).

4. Dogma & Worship (The Core Beliefs)

• Core Dogma (The Philosophy):
  "The world is a lie. Honesty is a fool's game. Goodness is an illusion. There is only power, and power is gained through the lie, the betrayal, and the knife in the dark. Trust no one. Betray first. Sow discord, and from the chaos, you will rule. Evil is not a sin; it is the truth."

• Tenets for Followers (The "Thou Shalt"s):

  • "Lie. The truth is a weakness."

  • "Betray. Trust is a liability. Betray your own if it suits you."

  • "Sow discord. A united enemy is strong. A divided enemy is prey."

  • "Sacrifice the living for power (Ritual Slaughter)."

• Sins & Taboos (The "Thou Shalt Not"s):

  • "To tell the truth when a lie would serve."

  • "To trust another person implicitly."

  • "To promote peace or harmony (this is Lom's work, and an anathema)."

5. Relationships

• Superiors: Saery (Major God). Nis (NE) reports to Saery (LN). This is the most antagonistic relationship in the pantheon. Nis is the Liar; Saery is the Judge. Saery knows Nis is the source of most of the evil he must judge. He uses Nis as a divine "Internal Affairs"—letting him loose to root out the fools who would believe his lies. Nis, in turn, hates Saery but knows he cannot betray him without being judged and destroyed.

• Counterparts:

  • Lom (God): His arch-nemesis. Nis (Lies) vs. Lom (Honesty).

  • Mok (God): A tool. Nis (NE) uses Mok (NE). Nis tells the lie; Mok starts the war.

• Mortals: Worshipped by liars, betrayers, necromancers (who follow his Lich form), and secret cults.

• Demigod Offspring:

  • (None listed; he would betray them.)

6. The Church & Clergy

• Name of the Church: The Whispering Cult, The Church of the Lie, The Betrayers.

• Worshipper Base: Secret cults, spies, corrupt politicians, assassins, and necromancers.

• Clergy Structure: A secret cell system. No one trusts anyone. The leader is the one who hasn't been betrayed yet.

  • Acolytes: The Deceived

  • Priests: Whisperers or Liar-Priests

  • Bishops: Master of the Lie

• Temple Description: Temples are hidden cellars, secret rooms, or forgotten crypts. They are always dark, hidden, and filled with altars for ritual sacrifice.

• Rites & Rituals:

  • The Ritual of the Lie: A prayer where a follower tells Nis their greatest lie, and asks for it to become truth.

  • The Ritual Slaughter: The sacrifice of an intelligent creature to power a dark spell or curry favor.

• Holy Days:

  • The Night of the Betrayal: A secret holiday where followers are encouraged to enact a major betrayal against their enemies (or their friends).

7. History & Lore

• The Shard of Evil: The core myth. It is said that in the beginning, all was Neutral (Anushirvan). Nis did not like this. He pricked his finger and the drop of blood hardened into a Shard—a shard of pure, concentrated evil—and flung it into the heavens. It struck the first angels, corrupting them and creating the first Devils and Demons. All mortal evil is an echo of this Shard.

• The First Lie: The parable that he tells his followers. Lom (Honesty) tells you that if you are good, you will be rewarded. This is the first and greatest lie. Nis tells you the truth: If you are strong, and you lie, and you take what you want, you will be rewarded now. Nis is the only honest god. 

• The Corruptor: Nis is the most evil and subversive of all the deities. He is said to have crafted the shard of concentrated evil that corrupted angels and created Devils and demons.