Irsoth the Formless

Irsoth, the forlorn shapeshifter, is a being whose existence is both a gift and a curse. As a mortal, Irsoth faced a tragedy so profound that they erased their identity in favor of one distanced from their loss. The mud that covers Irsoth is more than a simple disguise—it is a complex and nuanced new form, imperceptibly distinguishable yet unmistakably foreign. As they shift between forms—whether adopting the guise of a grieving widow, a triumphant hero, or a cunning trickster—the mud remains, a clinging, viscous substance that cannot be cast off. Their ever-present amber eyes, dull yet searching, pierce through each disguise, reflecting a mixture of wisdom and melancholy.   Irsoth's followers are those who seek to escape their tragedies, souls weighed down by unbearable pasts. These followers see in Irsoth the possibility of reinvention—a chance to craft new identities, unburdened by the failures or losses of their former lives. However, Irsoth’s blessing comes with a warning: while reinvention can be liberating, it can also be consuming. Those who lose themselves in their fabricated identities risk becoming hollow, their true selves buried beneath layers of deceit and denial.   Irsoth themselves walk the line between empathy and detachment. They understand the pain of those who seek their guidance but are wary of those who seek their power purely for deception. As a patron of second chances, not escapism, Irsoth seeks to guide those who wish to rebuild, not merely to run away. Despite their shifting nature, Irsoth remains anchored to a singular truth—no matter how much one changes, the past is never fully forgotten, only transformed.

Origin

He was once an ordinary mortal living among his people until a fire swept across their home, leaving him as the sole survivor. The blood of his kin mingled with the ash around him, forming a thick, viscous mud that clung to his skin and never washed away. Rather than accepting death and the loss of his loved ones, he used this mud to craft a new persona—an amalgamation of his childhood friend, his mother, his father, and the old man across the road. He created someone he could become, a being that could forge a new life now that his old one had been burned away.   Over time, he molded his form countless times, sometimes humanoid, other times bestial, and on rare occasions into a draconic visage. Under a thousand names, he lived a thousand lives—a heroic paladin from yonder, a small-time thief hiding from the law, a wandering lizardfolk searching for belonging. Each identity brought new adventures and purposes, and the past was buried deeper beneath the mud.   Yet, as countless years passed, they attempted to peel away the mud and find the self they had once been. What lay beneath was emptiness—a fragment of a soul scattered among a thousand masks. The person they had once been was nothing but a distant memory, buried under layers of personas and experiences. There was everything yet nothing—a thousand stories without an author, a thousand bodies without a soul.   Lost and without purpose, they began to take on a single name—Irsoth. Even if their original self had been lost, they resolved to serve as a cautionary figure to others. When encountering those broken and lost, Irsoth offered a part of themselves—mud to shape a new life—but always with a warning not to lose themselves as they had. Over time, the pieces of themself they gave away accumulated, and Irsoth found their form dwindling. They gave away as many lives as they had lived and found their magic and spirit fraying until there was almost nothing left.   However, those who had received Irsoth’s gift—whether for innocent or selfish reasons—remembered them. Their reverence and gratitude slowly pushed Irsoth’s spirit beyond mortal bounds, transforming the scattered remnants of their being into something greater. As their followers' worship grew, Irsoth's essence ascended, shedding their mortal shackles. Eventually, they reached the status of a Higher God, an eternal, formless guardian of second chances and the dangers of losing oneself in reinvention.

Followers and Church

Typical Alignment: True Neutral

Followers: Followers of Irsoth are the desperate and down-on-their-luck people who have exhausted all their options yet still yearn for a second chance. From gamblers drowning in debt to fallen kings fleeing vengeful revolutionaries, those who turn to Irsoth seek an escape from the lives they once lived. They are individuals burdened by past mistakes, haunted by regret, or trapped by circumstances beyond their control.

Church: Churchs dedicated to Irsoth are rarely grand or ostentatious; instead, they’re hidden in the back alleys and shadowed corners where the light does not reach. These subtle sanctuaries reflect the nature of their God and the followers who seek his elusive gift. To most, they may appear as rundown gambling dens, forgotten taverns, or dilapidated safe houses—places where society's castaways and the desperate seek solace.

Champions

Irsoth’s champions are a testament to both the power and the peril of Irsoth’s gift. These individuals have pushed the boundaries of reinvention to their furthest extremes, reshaping themselves so many times that their original identity has been all but obliterated. What remains is a fragment of their former selves—an echo of what once was. While Irsoth disapproves of followers who lose themselves in their gift, they recognize the inevitability of such outcomes and still grant these fractured souls a new purpose. Becoming a champion of Irsoth is both a redemption and a burden. These champions roam the world, seeking out those who are desperate for a second chance, guiding them toward new lives while cautioning them not to repeat their own mistakes.

Tenants

Self: Irsoth stresses the importance of the self and not losing who you are.

Adaptability: Just as one's form can be ever-changing, an individual must also be capable of adapting to new situations or identities.

Redemption: Regardless of the mistakes made by an individual there is always a path to redemption and a second, third, or even fourth chance.

Relationships

• Glamara: Irsoth finds the concept of a set destiny to be restricting and cruel, and as such disapproves of Galamara’s strict adherence to the cosmic order. Glamara has a similar contrasting opinion of Irsoth.
• Berilor and Carcon: Irsoth often grants safety and a new life to deserters of war who Berilor and Carcon see as cowards. This has created significant tension and sparked an ancient argument about which is more important, freedom or honor.
• Tala: Though Tala and Irsoth both often interfere in the mortal plane and aim to guide those who are lost, the two Gods rarely interact. Despite this, they both respect what the other is doing and as such will often assist each other if at all possible.
• Shuzi: Though Irsoth enjoys the freedom that Shuzi offers his followers and understands Shuzi as they are both deceivers by nature, Irsoth still disapproves of the God of Liars. They both pray upon those who are down on their luck, but while Irsoth simply gives them a second chance Shuzi uses them for his schemes.
• Ceri: Though Irsoth finds marriage and the like too binding for their liking, Irsoth enjoys watching those they assist find love in their new lives. The gods themselves get along well, Irsoth likes to listen, and Ceri likes to talk. Despite a few arguments surfacing about how necessary marriage is in love, the two are somewhat good friends.