EVERY LOCKED DOOR RESTRAINS AN IDEA, A SECRET THAT WISHES TO BE FREE. PROVIDE US THE KEYS, UBELLUR, SO THAT WE MIGHT UNLEASH THEM.
Ubellur (pronounced OOH-bell-orr) is the god of madness, forbidden magic, and dangerous secrets.
Edicts and anathema
- Edicts
- Sow chaos, secretly push the world towards death and destruction, research dangerous and forbidden magic
- Anathema
- Allow order to rectify unstable situations, constrain your studies to acceptable matters
Description
The whispers in the shadows or in the back of your mind, the ones that push you towards questions best left unanswered. These are the influences of Ubellur. Ubellur's chosen are disparate, ranging from mad priests who are aware of their faith to inventors and mages who suddenly find sparks of inspiration to build terrible new creations. He toys with his followers and enemies alike, pushing them against each other to create ever more discord.
Though equally as interested as Lotan in bringing about chaos and destruction, Ubellur works in more subtle ways. Gradual pushes over centuries, little nudges that have cascading effects, small changes that spiral out into consequences few can foresee, these are Ubellur’s methods. His followers rarely have anything more than an inkling at the broader effects their actions will have, but perform them all the same in the mad belief that it will bring some terrible glory to their god.
Stories of Ubellur's origins and relations to the other gods never seem to agree on most of the details. The most widespread legends tell of how he was born from the disagreements of the other gods when they began to create the universe, a process he quickly joined in himself - on the surface following the same overall goals and plans, but in reality subtly planting the seeds of future chaos.
Followers
Despite their common reputation, not all of Ubellur's worshipers are violent cultists. These are the most visible, of course, even as they try to remain hidden - their penchant for terrible and bloody rituals, often performed under cover of darkness in public places, provides proof of their existence even as their identities remain secret. In some places, such as particularly depraved parts of the Darklands, they drop their furtiveness entirely. But Ubellur's most dangerous followers are more subtle. They are the ones in positions of authority, the ones with the means to slowly nudge the course of the world towards a terrible outcome while none suspect their involvement.
Many of Ubellur's devotees work against each other, sometimes knowing of the other’s faith, often not. To their god, it is irrelevant if his followers fight amongst themselves. If anything, it only brings greater chaos.
Church structure
There is no organized church of Ubellur.
Holy text
Ubellur's holy text is a massive tome called the Manuscript of the Veil. Only fragments of this text are known to his followers. The rest was forgotten long ago, its only complete copy either destroyed or lost. Recovery of the Manuscript is a task some worshipers of Ubellur take to fervently, under the belief that it contains knowledge that will grant them great power and insight.
Relations
It is only through their comparable subtlety that followers of Ubellur do not face the same persecution as those of Lotan. Still, worship of the Master of Dark Tidings is rarely tolerated in communities where other religions have a strong presence.
Depiction
Depictions of Ubellur vary across cultures, seen by different peoples in hundreds of different ways. Most commonly, however, he is depicted as a butterfly with torn wings, or sometimes an empty hooded cloak, held in shape with no visible occupant.
Variations by pantheon
| Pantheon | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chaskan | Ubellur | |
| Laurentian | Witagon | In the Laurentian pantheon, Witagon is seen as the right hand of Skohsla, a deity that pulls the unsuspecting into the World-Encircler's faith. |
| Elven | Urusthe | In the Elven pantheon, Urusthe is heavily connected to the mysteries of outer space. In the era of elven history during which the aeroliths were constructed, some cults to Urusthe set off into the darkness of the cosmos in search of the secrets shrouded there. Today worship of Urusthe tends to be stronger amongst Redemptionist elves than in other movements, but it remains fringe in all communities. |