Moritharn

Moritharn looms as a spectral enigma, cloaked in the essence of the twilight realm. His form is a blend of the incorporeal and the eternal, with a visage that is both terrifying and mesmerizing. His eyes are deep voids of knowledge, beckoning with the wisdom of the ages. Ethereal tendrils of power flow from his outstretched hand, weaving the fabric of the spectral world, while his other hand grasps a staff twisted with the roots of the underworld trees, pulsing with ghostly energy.

In the lore of the Olden Pantheon, Moritharn was born from the last breath of the first mortal die. He embodies the inevitability of the end and the promise of continuity beyond the mortal coil. As the Veil Weaver, Moritharn is revered and feared, for he is the silent custodian of the dead, and his whispers carry the weight of fate.

Shrines to Moritharn are places shrouded in the calm of hushed voices and the reverence of the departed. His followers, known as the Veil Sentinels, are seers and morticians, guardians of graveyards, and those who seek to understand the deeper truths hidden in the shadows of mortality. They perform their rituals in the dead of night, under the ghostly glow of the moon, their chants a soft melody that is said to soothe restless spirits and guide them through Moritharn’s realm.

Moritharn’s existence gives comfort to those who mourn, offering the solace that in the end, there is a path beyond the veil, and a guardian who watches over the journey of every soul. His presence in the Olden Pantheon serves as a reminder that all things, even the gods themselves, are part of the cycle of endings and new beginnings.

As Moritharn faded from the physical realm, it is believed his essence unraveled into the cosmos, his life force infusing the very shadows with his power. This momentous act, the last testament to his will, is said to have given birth to the Shadow Weave, a hidden counterpart to the fabric of magic that flows through all existence. The Shadow Weave is a tapestry of darkened threads, unseen to most, that captures the quintessence of shadow magic. It exists as a parallel source of power for those who dare to delve into the darker aspects of arcane knowledge.

Mages who draw upon the Shadow Weave find their spells tinged with the ethereal energy of Moritharn's domain. The magic is potent and unpredictable, filled with the whispers of the dead and the secrets of the end. It is a double-edged sword, for while it offers abilities beyond the ken of regular arcane practitioners, it also taints the user with the chill of the grave and the loneliness of the beyond.

Those who believe in the legend of Moritharn’s transformation say that the god still exists, dispersed within the very shadows they manipulate. They hold that Moritharn's consciousness endures, watching over the flow of shadow magic and the souls that dare to touch it. Temples dedicated to Moritharn have since become sanctuaries for shadowmancers, places where the Veil Sentinels now guard not only the passages of souls but also the knowledge of shadow magic.

To this day, the disappearance of Moritharn is a source of sorrow and mystery, but also a beacon of curiosity and power for those who walk the twilight path of the Shadow Weave. His legacy lives on, shrouded in the darkness that he once held dominion over, and in the hearts of those who remember the Harbinger of the Ethereal Mist.

See also; Madinough, The Shadow Mother (Shadowfell pantheon)