Lotan

Lotan
Titles	World-Encircler Eater of Souls Father of All Monsters God-Devourer End to All Things
Type	Greater deity
Areas of concern	Destruction, chaos, anger, monsters
Typical worshipers	Cults
Domains	Abomination, Destruction, Earth, Nightmares, Swarm
Divine font	Harm
Divine skill	Intimidation or Occultism
Divine ability	Constitution or Strength
Favored weapon	Spiked gauntlet
Symbol	Two-headed snake constricting a sun
Sacred animal	Snake
Sacred color	Brown

Lotan (pronounced LOW-tan) is the god of destruction, chaos, anger, and monsters

Edicts and anathema

Edicts

Work to counter the influence of every other deity, corrupt and destroy order, destroy temples and shrines, sow panic and fear

Anathema

None

Description

Lotan is the World-Encircler, the Eater of Souls, the Father of All Monsters, the God-Devourer, the End to All Things. Angered by their act of creating the universe, as the embodiment of primordial chaos he seeks nothing less than the complete destruction of the other gods.

Lotan's anger is deep and insatiable. Enraged at the order brought into existence, Lotan fought and slew Socharin after the first creation took shape. He retreated to the void after being driven away by the combined forces of the other gods, but only briefly. When Socharin returned to life and granted his domains of rulership and law to his sister Harinna, Lotan turned his anger to her instead. In the endless cycles since, he has fought Harinna and her allies, waging fierce battles in the cosmos in which he has only ever barely been kept from victory. There is much variation to these retellings. To some these battles occur every night, and in others every year or century. In some pantheons, other gods take the lead role against Lotan instead of Harinna. Regardless, all agree they will continue until the end of time, or until Lotan is triumphant. Most believe Lotan is eternal, with no birth or death, an indefatigable force that cannot be stopped, only temporarily held at bay. If the other gods were to be defeated, both his followers and his enemies believe he will turn to existence itself and destroy the world his divine adversaries spun out of the void.

Though considered a heretical belief to most faiths and churches, some claim Lotan has already succeeded in consuming other greater divinities, annihilating them so thoroughly that even their names have been wiped from existence.

By some, Lotan is seen as the progenitor of all monsters and aberrations. As the legends tell, the first monsters sprung forth from droplets of his blood that struck the ground during one of his endless battles. Others grew from his scales or venom that hurtled towards Kishar after being lost during the fight. However, many intelligent beings who might be considered monstrous by others strongly disavow these tales, viewing them as little more than slander.

Followers

Small cults to Lotan can be found around the world, usually living in secrecy. Though uncommon on the surface, his faith is one of the most widespread in the Darklands. Worship of Lotan is especially prevalent amongst many monstrous creatures, who view him as a progenitor and patron. Those angered by the other gods, whether through their divine actions or inaction, sometimes turn to Lotan as well.

Church structure

There is no organized church of Lotan.

Holy text

Lotan has no holy text. Some incantations intended to invoke his involvement are passed around amongst his followers, but these can vary greatly.

Relations

The faithful of other gods and spirits universally abhor the worship of Lotan. Followers of Lotan are not tolerated in any major nation or settlement, leading many of his devotees to form their own communities in remote or isolated places, where they can conduct their rites and offer their sacrifices without interference.

Depiction

Lotan has many forms. Most commonly he is seen as a massive snake with a head on each end, often wrapped around and constricting a planet or star. Less typically he is pictured as a humanoid serpentine giant.

Variations by pantheon

Pantheon	Name	Notes
Chaskan	Lotan	In the Chaskan pantheon, Lotan is frequently depicted as some type of sea monster that resides in the dark watery depths of the primordial sea.
Hellean	Typhon	In the Hellean pantheon, Typhon is often portrayed as already defeated, still a threat to the other gods yet contained, at least for now. He is often depicted as a great monster made of magma that lurks within a volcano.
Khapeshan	Apep	In the Khapeshan pantheon, Apep and Harinna fight every night as the sun sets. The next day symbolizes the temporary defeat of the great beast at the hands of the other gods. He has a very snake-like depiction in the Khapeshan pantheon.
Laurentian	Skohsla	In the Laurentian pantheon, Skohsla is commonly depicted as a massive linnorm that encircles the world, slowly constricting it. He is widely connected with linnorms and curses.
Draconic	Tiamat	In the Draconic pantheon, Tiamat is a female deity. She is locked in eternal struggle with Marduk, and is seen as the source of all evil in the world and as a corrupting influence on dragon-kind (to good dragons) or as a mother and fierce protector (to evil dragons).
Dwarven	Vonduram	In the Dwarven pantheon, Vonduram is rarely given a physical form. He is instead seen as an encroaching darkness that cannot be illuminated, a creeping cold that cannot be heated. He is widely associated with the perils of underground life, and especially with rockfalls and unbreathable environments.
Elven	Voltumna	In the Elven pantheon, Voltumna is opposed primarily by Ais. He is widely depicted as an invisible serpentine beast that can only be spotted by a slight shimmer as he passes. Voltumna is often associated with meteors, comets, and other potential extraterrestrial dangers.
Orcish	Vemdu	In the Orcish pantheon, in addition to his other roles Vemdu is also associated with invaders who would seek to push people off of their lands. He is opposed primarily by Mortuga. Unlike most other depictions, Vemdu is not seen as a snake-like creature but rather as an even more monstrous tarrasque.