Vhaeraun

Vhaeraun: The Masked Lord, the Masked God of Night, the Shadow

Symbol: Black Half-Mask
Home Plane: The Demonweb Pits (Ellaniath)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Drow Males, Evil Activity on the Surface World, Territory, Thievery
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Trickery, Travel
Worshipers: Assassins, Half-Drow, Male Drow, Poisoners, Rogues, Shadowdancers, Thieves
Aliases: Vhaerun
Cleric Alignments: CN, NE, CE
Favored Weapon: “Shadowflash” (Shortsword)

History/Relationships: Vhaeraun (Pronounced Vay-Rawn) is the Drow deity of thievery, and the furthering of Drow aims, interests, and power in the Night Above, as the surface world is known to his faithful. He is also the deity of Drow males, opposed to the matriarchy of Lolth, teaching his followers that males are just as skilled and valuable as females, and thus, passively opposing the teachings of Lolth and her priestess’. He also believes that Drow should work with the other Elven races, for common advancement, and that no Elf should ever associate or trade with Dwarves and Gnomes. Humans, Halflings, and other demi-humans can be tolerated, however.

Vhaeraun is vain, proud, haughty, and never forgets slights or deceptions, as he bears grudges for very long periods of time. Any underhanded means and treachery is acceptable to him, so long as it furthers his aims, or is done in his service. But if others pull such tricks on him, or his people, it is a deep sin that cannot go unpunished. He actively involves himself in the affairs of his faithful, and often sends an avatar to assist the work of his priests, so long as the proper rituals are performed, and their need is genuine.

Vhaeraun is the son of Corellon Larethian and Araushnee, who would eventually be exiled from the Seldarine, and would become Lolth. He is also the twin brother of Eilistraee. Vhaeraun not only inherited the dark features and grace of his mother, but her deviousness as well. When Araushnee began scheming to overthrow Corellon Larethian as the leader of the Seldarine, Vhaeraun was the first to jump in her camp, and join her cause. However, when Araushnee’s treachery was exposed by Sehanine Moonbow, who Vhaeraun himself had imprisoned earlier, Vhaeraun was exiled from Arvandor as well.

Without a cause, or a home, Vhaeraun began wandering until he eventually came upon Toril, a planet in Realmspace that was not only inhabited by Elves, but with dark skinned Elves like himself. Vhaeraun appeared to these Dark Elves who inhabited the southeaster portions of the land that would become Faerûn. The majority of the population embraced him. Vhaeraun once again had a purpose, and, more or less, a home.

Having secured a steady base of worshipers, and a steady base of power, attracted Vhaeraun a lot of unwanted attention. His sister, Eilistraee began converting his worshipers, promoting a world where Dark Elves and their cousins to the north lived in harmony, not conflict. The entity that is Ghaunadaur, attracted by the power that so many Dark Elves wielded, began to steal the worship of some of the most powerful and affluent Dark Elves. Lolth would eventually discover Realmspace, and Toril. Lolth greedily began to covet the Dark Elves, and realized that their worship would allow her to become a deity once more.

After the Sundering, Lolth made her move. The worship of Vhaeraun began to diminish, and the worship of Lolth began to increase. Vhaeraun challenged his mother, but lost. This allowed her to seize a portion of his divine spark, and become a deity once more. Ever since, Vhaeraun has been plotting with his faithful to extract his revenge on the Spider Queen, and those who follow her. After the Descent of the Drow, Vhaeraun found a way to distance himself from his mother, and allow his power to grow virtually unopposed by her. Vhaeraun espoused to return to the surface world, a world that rightly belonged to the Drow. Those who heeded his call established permanent settlements on the surface world, while those who worshiped Lolth, and the other members of the Dark Seldarine stayed in the Underdark, creating a buffer of sorts between the different deities and their factions. While some of his plots have caused Lolth to suffer setbacks, a few of the Masked Lord’s plots have actually benefited his mother, unintentionally, of course. For instance, when Drow from the Underdark were invading the Yuirwood, Vhaeraun kidnapped Zandilar, one of the Elven deities of the Yuir, and conceived a deific child with her. Vhaeraun intended to use this child to aid him in his machinations against Lolth. The child would eventually grow up to become Selvetarm, the Champion of Lolth. Most recently, in 1372 DR, the Year of the Unstrung Harp, Vhaeraun directly tried to destroy Lolth. After she fell silent, Vhaeraun, with the help of one of his priests, appeared in the Demonweb Pits, with the goal of destroying Lolth’s prone, paralyzed form. Vhaeraun might have succeeded, had Selvetarm not interfered. The two deities fought to a standstill, and toppled off of the great web that Lolth’s fortress trod upon into Ghaunadaur’s divine realm below.

Vhaeraun survived, but seemed to have been permanently injured, as a hand had been cut off at the wrist. He would again try to destroy Lolth during her silence, this time hiring the services of some powerful Yugoloth. However, before he could succeed, Lolth woke, more powerful than ever. Vhaeraun decided not to test the power of the reborn Lolth, and abandoned his plot to destroy her for the moment.

Most of Vhaeraun’s alliances are alliances of temporary convenience. In other words, most of the alliances the Masked Lord enters into a temporary, and he feels no particular shame in betraying a former ally when it is convenient. There are a few deities, however, that Vhaeraun seems to be in an extended, permanent alliance with. These deities include Mask, Shar and Talona.

While he hates all of the Seldarine, Vhaeraun harbors a particular enmity for Sehanine Moonbow, who escaped the Masked Lord's prison at great cost to herself and unmasked the implicated of both Vhaeraun and Araushnee in bringing the Anti-Seldarine coalition to Arvandor. Likewise, the Masked Lord nurtures a hatred towards Eilistraee, who always held Corellon's favor more than Vhaeraun. The Masked Lord reserves his greatest hatred, though, for the Spider Queen, who gave birth to him long ago, and set him forth on the road that he walks today- that of evil, betrayal and treachery. While he lacks the strength to challenge Lolth in a confrontation directly, he works against her in shadows, undermining her in silence, and looking to unite all other Drow and Elven powers against her. Vhaeraun’s other enemies include Blibdoolpoolp, Cyrrollalee, Deep Duerra, Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Ghaunadaur, Gzemnid, Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laduguer, Laogzed, Maanzecorian, who has since been slain, Psilofyr, Selvetarm, Sharess, The Blood Queen, and The Great Mother.

Vhaeraun’s divine realm, known as Ellaniath, is nothing more than a small hiding place near the bottom of the Demonweb Pits where Vhaeraun can hole up in and hide when need be. Only Vhaeraun, and perhaps Lolth, know the exact location of the Masked Lord’s realm, since Vhaeraun steals the memories of all who enter into it, including weaker deities. Since the Demonweb Pits were ripped from the Abyss, and altered into a blasted wasteland, it is unknown what became of Ellaniath. Divinations, and other magics that allow one to glance into the future, hint towards strange developments concerning the Masked Lord. Most of these visions are cloudy, but, more often than not, when one casts these spells, one sees Vhaeraun leaping into Arvandor, followed by the goddess Eilistraee wearing Vhaeraun’s half-mask, surrounded by an aura of inky darkness and milky opalescence. What this means is unknown.

Dogma: The shadows of the Masked Lord must cast off the tyranny of the Spider Queen and forcibly reclaim their birthright and rightful place in the Night Above. The existing Drow matriarchies must be smashed, and the warring practices of twisted Lolth done away with so that the Drow are welded into a united people, not a squabbling gaggle of rival Houses, clans, and aims. Vhaeraun will lead his followers into a society where the Dark Elves once again reign supreme over the other, lesser races, and there is equality between males and females.

Avatar/Manifestations: Vhaeraun frequently dispatches his avatar to answer summoning rituals performed by his priests. Other than these special summoning rituals, Vhaeraun rarely sends avatars to aid his faithful. Instead, he prefers to manifest to his worshipers in some way, when the proper summoning ritual is not performed.

Vhaeraun appears as a fit, slim, graceful, handsome Drow male with eyes and hair that change their hue, depending on the Masked Lord’s mood. Red signifies anger, gold signifies triumph, blue signifies amusement, and green signifies puzzlement, and curiosity. He is clad in loose fitting silk clothes in dark colors, and never wears armor of any sort. He always wears a long, flowing black cloak that is translucent, and melts into the darkness around Vhaeraun. Its folds can harmlessly absorb most spells, completely protecting Vhaeraun’s avatar, and any other beings who are nearby, and would otherwise be harmed by the spell.

When he cannot send his avatar, or when the proper summoning ritual is not performed, he sends a flitting black shadow that cloaks and empowered a favored individual for a short period of time. Vhaeraun also sends manifestations to signify his displeasure, or his defiance towards rivals or enemies of his faithful. This usually takes the form of a floating, insubstantial half-mask made seemingly of shadows, that drifts silently to confront the beings he wishes to confront, passing any magical barriers on the way. The mask can only move, and utter a chilling, mocking laugh. Those who hear the laugh are unnerved, and those who are weak of will are affected as if they were affected by a Fear spell (DC 15).

More commonly, the Masked Lord sends a region of absolute, impenetrable darkness, black cats, ravens, dead spiders, agni manis, black opals, black sapphires, black-hued chalcedony, crown of silver, hematite, horn coral, black-hued jasper, jet, black-hued marble, obsidian, black-hued onyx, black-hued pearls, ravenar, or samarskite to show his favor or displeasure and as a sign to inspire his faithful.

Agents/Petitioners: Vhaeraun is served by Black Cats, Drow, Gehreleth (Farastu, Kelubar, and Shator), Mephits (Air, Smoke, and Earth), Ravens, Shadow Dragons, Shadow Fiends, Shadows, Vaeraith, and Yeth Hounds. Vhaeraun has a few proxies, who carry out his will across the multiverse. He keeps the names, identities and abilities of these individuals a secret, however. Only one of his proxies has ever been identified- a Drow man by the name of Allinzir G’Leera. All of Vhaeraun’s proxies are believed to be male Drow schemers, like Allinzir, who have exceptional thieving skills, the ability to always see things for what they are, and the ability to meld into the darkness.

The Church of Vhaeraun: Vhaeraun’s church is little known on the surface world, and in Drow cities dominated by Lolth. However, in the wilds of the Underdark, as well as in some of the more remote, forested areas of Faerûn, Vhaeraun’s name is whispered. Many who dwell on the surface, who are not particularly schooled in this topic, confused Vhaeraun with the Human deity Mask. Though similar, the two remain totally distinct and separate entities.

As necessary for survival, and keeping with the idea of subterfuge, Vhaeraun’s holy sites are never in plain view. In the Underdark, his shrines and temples are hidden in deep, rarely used caverns, disguised by multiple, overlapping globes of Darkness. On the surface world, his shrines and temples are located in shallow woodland caves cloaked by the thick forest canopy. Shrines and temples are decorated with sparking gemstones studded on the walls, to resemble stars, and other celestial bodies.

Collectively, the clergy of Vhaeraun are known as the Masked. Those who are still training, and learning the ways of Vhaeraun are known as Uncloaked. Fully ordained priests are known as Nightshadows. Titles used by individual Clerics vary from place to place, but some common titles I have found, in no particular order, include Ascendant Darkness, Black Moon, Dark Mantle, Deep Rogue, Enveloping Night, Raven’s Claw, Shadow Hunter, Silent Sable, and Twilight’s Herald. All of Vhaeraun’s Clerics are male. This is because almost all of Lolth’s Clerics are female, and Vhaeraun seeks to undermine and contradict Lolth at every single turn. All of his Clerics are also Drow. In more remote settlements, it is possible that Half-Drow to become ordained as priests, but such occurrences are rare, and few in-between.

Day-to-Day Activities: Vhaeraun's priesthood practices and teaches passive opposition to Lolth and her priestess’. Those who are active on surface call for the unity of all Elven races, and their need to work together for dominion of Faerûn once more. They specialize in intrigue, trickery, and treachery, and foment disobedience and rebellion among disenfranchised males. In all communities other than their native Vhaeraunian bastions, the Masked Lord’s priests disguise their allegiances, for obvious reasons.

Contact, and intermingling with other Elven races is practiced, and encouraged. The children of such Drow and Elven unions usually breed true, spawning a Drow babe. Vhaeraun sees this practice as slowly, but steadily, raising the number of Drow living in the surface lands.

Every priest works to establish some sort of permanent Drow settlement on the surface world. Familial ties usually break up these settlements, with one, or sometimes, two different families living in one community. The majority of these communities are self-sufficient, which allows them to stay better hidden from the rest of the world.

Poison use, poison manufacture, and poison experimentation are also very common. Vhaeraunians are known to be skilled poisonists, and many of the Masked Lord’s faithful spend a great deal of time brewing and testing different sorts of poisons.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: All of the important activities of Vhaeraun’s clergy takes place by moonlight, or the lack thereof. Upon accomplishing anything of note that furthers the interests of the Masked Lord, priests and priestess’ utter prayers and thanksgivings, as well as offerings. Offerings almost always include a display of the wealth and power of those they just vanquished, or those who they seek to vanquish. These items are melted in black, bowl-shaped altars, and the contents are offered to Vhaeraun. The bigger value of the total offerings, the more Vhaeraun is pleased, though he favors daily diligence, rather than the rare huge haul.

Midwinter Night, known to Vhaeraun's followers as the Masked Lord's Embrace, is the most sacred time of the year for Vhaeraunians. This annual holy day is celebrated with long, introspective rituals of total sensory deprivation. Each worshiper participating in the “festivities” is expected to cloak him or herself in a globe of Darkness, and levitate at the middle of the sphere for a full 24 hours, all while contemplating Vhaeraun's teachings, and contemplating schemes to advance the Masked Lord's goals in the coming year. All faithful who wish to become involved in this ritual are granted the ability to employ both spell-like effects, with the necessary extended duration, by a special boon of the Masked Lord.

On the surface world, nights of the new moon are considered sacred to the followers of the Masked Lord. Such occasions are observed with midnight stag hunts that take place all over Faerûn, such as in the Forest of Lethyr, the Forest of Mir, the Frozen Forest, the Lurkwood, the Rawlinswood, the Trollbark Forest, and the Winterwood. Groups of Vhaeraunians, mounted on riding lizards brought up from the Underdark, run down a noble stag, and then sacrifice its rack and still-beating heart to the Masked Lord in dark ritual that pervert the ancient ways and customs of we surface Elves.

Major Centers of Worship: The Drow who reside within the great timberland of the Forest of Mir are concentrated in three separate settlements, all connected by tunnels and caverns underground, created during the Night Wars. Each settlement consists of a few buildings dotting the surface and extensive caverns below. Holldaybim, one of the three settlements, is a small community where both males and females rule, and are regarded as equals. The other two communities- Daltnothax and Iskasshyoll- are Vhaeraunian bastions. The Masked Lord has three holy sites in this area- The Hall of Midnight Bloodshed, The Onyx Labyrinth, and the Vault of Cloaked Midnight.

The Hall of Midnight Bloodshed and The Onyx Labyrinth are two small temples dedicated to Vhaeraun. Over the years, both temples have been sacked and destroyed numerous times by the Lolthite Drow of Guallidurth, due to the unending, intermittent conflict between the Lolthites and the Vhaeraunians in the area. However, both temples were designed and created to be the target of the Lolthite’s attacks, since their actual purpose is to divert attacks from the true center of the Masked Lord’s worship, the Vault of Cloaked Midnight. Vhaeraun’s actual high temple is located underneath Mount Serengard, and is known only to Vhaeraun and his followers.

Affiliated Orders: The Dark Dagger, composed of Drow who venerate Vhaeraun, is whispered across dark alleys around the cities and nations of the Inner Sea. Individually powerful, but few in number, Dark Dagger agents habitually use poison, which they are largely immune to, as their “calling card”. Already active in Skullport, Turmish, the Vilhon Reach, and, to a lesser extent, Amn and Calimshan, the Dark Dagger is beginning to infiltrate coast cities all around the Sea of Fallen Stars as well. They quickly take control of local thieving guilds and fellowships behind the scenes, hire skilled Human and humanoid agents as fronts, and establish hidden temples to Vhaeraun. They recruit disaffected Half-Elves and Humans to worship the Masked Lord, whose symbol is identical to that of Mask, the Lord of Shadows.

Though not an organized group, Vhaeraun is also known to be served by various “Traitor Priestess’”. As the name implies, these priestess’ betrayed their former deities, normally Lolth, to work with the Masked Lord. Traitor Priestess’ walk a dangerous line, and a slip in their defenses anywhere can lead to death. Most of Vhaeraun’s Traitor Priestess’ are still in the service of Lolth, spying and funneling information to the Masked Lord. Agents who are discovered, who escape with their lives, flee to the surface in most cases, where they integrate into Vhaeraun’s surface Drow communities.

Priestly Vestments: Vhaeraun's clergy garb themselves in half-masks, loose silk shirts, form-fitting pants, and leather boots, all of which are as black as possible. They are never without at least one bladed weapon, such as a dagger, on their person, and most are normally armed with half a dozen or more such weapons, all in hidden spots.

The god's holy symbol, a black half-mask, can be worn and used like any mask. Clerics of Vhaeraun need only be within a mile of their masks in order to use them to focus spells granted to them by the Masked Lord, or to command and/or destroy Undead creatures. This comes with a small price, however. A Cleric of Vhaeraun must first become attuned to his or her particular mask, wearing it for many tendays. While this itself isn’t any kind of problem, it does mark the Cleric as a Vhaeraunian, which may or may not cause problems.

Adventuring Garb: It is customary for no Cleric of Vhaeraun to wear any type of armor except leather armor, or anything lighter. A wardrobe filled with dark colors is always preferred. Vhaeraun's clergy favor daggers, short swords, and long swords, and other bladed weapons, but they always select the most appropriate weapon for the task at hand. The Masked Lord's Clerics are almost always well versed in the use of poisons, and typically prepare several varieties of poisons, with widely varying onset times, methods of application, and strengths, before embarking on a particularly dangerous task.