Tzxank (3.5e Deity)

=Tzxank=


 * \'t&z-a[ng]k\, \'t&kz-a[ng]k\

He is the son of Guygus and Neephra, a monstrously powerful nightmare from the Dream World. He serves His father out of fear and aides Him by using the power of the Dream World to corrode the minds of His victims and bring about insanity.

Neephra bore six other demi-god children from her coupling with Guygus. Txzank, the runt of the litter, warped and malformed, was left out of the coup plotted by his siblings to kill his mother, which was successful, but not without cost. The battle left his siblings so weakened that Tzxank was able to slaughter them, one by one, both avenging his mother and stealing the collected divine sparks, vastly transforming his power and warping him further. Guygus, pained by the loss of his lover, subjugated his son into service for him as protection from Rejik as well as for use as a powerful tool in his machinations to spread pain and suffering.

Incarnation
At first glance, from a great distance, he appears as an enormous nightmare, giving the silhouette of a towering flaming equine. However, as he thunders closer, it becomes apparent that he strides upon eight great legs. His horribly twisted face jets dark flame and smoke from its many cracks and nares. His multitude of fiery eyes burn with menace. When he roars, his skull splits open, revealing jagged teeth like blades in a forge of blinding cinders. Waves of fearsome phantoms escape from his body as he bellows. The ground is scorched and drained in his wake as he charges forward.


 * Bestow Nightmare Curse: Merely looking at Tzxank is enough to curse a mortal with permanent nightmares that slowly eat away at their sanity.

Dogma
Tzxank teaches nothing to those who worship him. He only grants them power, and eventually, madness. His disciples often preach of the virtues of praising Tzxank, since it requires only mild devotion and a hearty mind to weather the rigors of that divine connection.

Clergy and Temples
Clerics of Tzxank are mostly mad warriors driven by power and greed. They often ride into combat with lances. Sometimes they act as mercenaries, doing dirty work for the highest bidder, entirely welcome to disobey orders and burn and destroy as much as they can. They deceive and lie, murder and then raise the fallen as undead. These warriors also often lay praise to Guygus, who sired their monstrous lord. Particularly notable patrons of Tzxank will ride upon nightmares themselves. Of these notable patrons, many purposely mangle both the bodies and minds of their victims, leaving them to suffer.