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.
Lotan is commonly 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.
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. Many monsters see Lotan as an idealized version of themselves, usually larger and fiercer in some way.
Variations by pantheon
| Pantheon | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chaskan | Lotan | |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Laurentian | Skohsla | |
| Draconic | Tiamat | In the Draconic pantheon, Tiamat is locked in eternal struggle with Marduk. He is seen as the source of all evil in the world, and in particular as a corrupting influence on dragon-kind. |
| Dwarven | Vonduram | |
| Elven | Voltumna | In the Elven pantheon, Votumna is opposed primarily by Ais. |
| 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. |