Varal

"How much longer do you think this world will last before Aasis gets bored and destroys it?"

— Dominus Varal

Dominus Varal (pronounced: vah-RAWL) is the second offspring of Overseer Aasis and older sibling to Chief Overseer Rovius. They are known for their disdain towards their parent and hold domain over doubt, hatred, misfortune, and mistakes. They rule within the House of the Broken Mirror inside Diabolis.

History

The World Before

Varal was born into a very different Material Plane than the one mortals know today. This world existed long before the creation of Phoenix, it was Aasis' first creation. The world had its own vast history and diverse people with a completely different way of life. This was the world where Varal found love and the world where Varal made a family of their own. Varal loved this world and everything about it, but Aasis was growing bored of it.

Aasis served as god king during this time and ruled with absolute authority over all other gods. No one could stop them as they wiped the slate of the world clean. They wanted to start the world over from scratch and create something more collaborative with the newer gods that joined the planes. In the great cleansing of the Material Plane, Varal's family was erased from existence. Varal was mercilessly spared due to their divine nature. Their heart shattered and what little remained of it turned to stone.

After Aasis created their new world, Varal cut themselves off from everyone and everything. They wanted nothing to do with this "better world" or the mortals that lived within it. Varal spent their time tirelessly attempting to recreate the world they lost, but the species they crafted was tainted by their hatred. These beings were known as the Asura.

Zallax' Rebellion

Eons passed and eventually word of Aasis stepping down from their throne reached Varal through their eldest brother, Zallax. Zallax was displeased that Aasis chose Rovius, Aasis' youngest son, for the throne and wished to rebel against the decision. Zallax had already gained a plethora of other gods to join his cause and Varal was eager to deal a blow to Aasis.

The rebellion resulted in the separation of the outer planes. Zallax and his followers claimed the lower planes while their opposition claimed the upper planes. Varal realized all too late that Zallax' rebellion was a mere power grab. Zallax did not care about avenging the lost world like Varal did.

Varal sought out the lowest pit they could find for themselves and returned to their seclusion. They crafted more asura to share in their misery.

Among the Flood

Varal stayed in the depths of the lower planes during the Thousand Year Flood. After their disappointment with the first war, they were not keen in joining another. They cursed the gods of order and chaos as they battled each other for the sake of violence.

Varal would have remained hidden had the lower planes not unraveled. They escape planar destruction and found Zallax dead among unwinding realms, unimaginable violence, and their asura without guidance.

Varal sought out the surviving asura as they searched for a new home. They did not mourn their brother's death, they only hoped that Aasis may share the same fate.

Twice Bitten, Thrice Shy

Varal encountered a mysterious fiend during their quest for a new home. This fiend, Archdominus Serallus, claimed to hold the power to create a replacement for the lower planes. Serallus informed Varal that they were welcome to reside within this new plane, but they needed swear loyalty to Serallus.

Varal was suspicious, they served their parent and their brother and all that servitude earned them was heartache. Varal was not eager to offer up their loyalty to a stranger. On the other hand, Varal had not found many other options during their search. Serallus' deal was the quickest solution to Varal's problem.

As Varal mulled over their decision, they learned that Serallus had made this offer to the other archfiends that survived the Thousand Year Flood. Many of these archfiends offered Serallus a challenge to see if he was worthy, each challenge was easily bested by Serallus. His skills were impressive, but told Varal no real truths about the nature of the man himself. Varal would need to create a challenge of their own in order to gain the knowledge they needed.

Their challenge was simple, but it has confounded scholars for centuries. Varal merely asked Serallus a question: Why should I serve you? Serallus only agreed to answer the question in private. It is unknown what Serallus' answer actually was, but Varal was satisfied and agreed to serve Serallus within Diabolis.

New Faces

Since the creation of Diabolis, Varal has become more involved with the Material Plane. While using an avatar to travel through the Material Plane, Varal met the soon-to-be dominus Desire in 1702 after she had slain the Mesmerist with her adventuring party. This intrigued Varal since the Mesmerist had been killed by an organized accident instead of pure battle prowess.

Desire and Varal were fast friends. Their friendship swiftly blossomed into a partnership after Varal invited Desire to join the House of the Broken Mirror. Desire accepted and climbed to the ranks of the House and beyond till she was a dominus herself. Desire was charged to rule over the asura alongside Varal upon her ascension.

Dogma

Aside from a few exceptions, Varal dislikes their fellow deities and believes them to be unfit for the power they wield. Varal yearns to see a world where mortals finally realize how selfish and vile their godly creators truly are. Gods do not need to be worshiped, they need to perform their duties.

Relationships

Varal has only recently attempted to cultivate relationships, so they have very few friends. They hate many of their fellow gods for expecting devotion from the mortals of the Material Plane.

Friends

Varal does not have any allies outside of the Dominion. Their closest friend and confidant is Desire, they have been at each other's sides since they first met. They rule the asura together and their mortal followers are regularly seen collaborating on tasks. There is speculation that Varal may harbor romantic feelings for Desire.

Serallus and Varal have remained close since Serallus bested Varal's challenge. The pair are bound together through their oath of secrecy surrounding the answer to Varal's question. Varal prides themself in being one of the handful of Dominion members that Serallus actually likes, but Serallus' hunger for power sours their relationship.

Since Zallax' rebellion, Dominus Solvaaz has consistently been in Varal's life. Varal favors her over many of their fellow archfiends due to her open honesty, Solvaaz never pretends to be something she isn't.

Dominus Vathema immediately joined Varal's inner circle after Diabolis was established. Varal and Vathema regularly attempt to manipulate mortals away from their own gods and pull them closer to Diabolis.

Neutral Relationships

Varal is Rovius' older sibling, together they are the last living children of Aasis. Varal and Rovius have not spoken a word to one another since Zallax' rebellion.

Enemies

There are few gods Varal does not despise, but Varal's hatred for Aasis is as vicious as the day they were wronged. No branch of the Aasian faith is safe from the Varalli.

Like most members of the Dominion, Varal has many enemies among the Imperators. They primarily oppose Imperator Athval for Athval's encouragement to follow tradition and listen to elders. They also oppose Imperatrice Lovara due to the fact that she encourages forgiveness and redemption to her enemies.

Appearance

Varal is a massive asura with many arms. The exact number varies, but they are usually depicted with six arms. Varal has three faces, one of a lion, one of a fiend, and one of an elephant. Each of their faces has long black hair and all of them wear a small, golden crown.

Providence

Phoenixian parents will often tell their children that they could accidentally summon Varal if they make the same error three times. This is to make sure children are being careful when they are doing their chores.

The title of Varal's diabolic house, the House of the Broken Mirror, has led to the belief that breaking a mirror curses you with seven years of bad luck. If a mirror breaks, Varal and their asura can enter the Material Plane through the cracks.

Home

Varal lives within the House of the Broken Mirror, a realm that is covered in a mist so dense that one cannot even see the ground they are standing on. The skies are full of grand stone palaces that float on the clouds. The asuran residents of the House of the Broken Mirror can traverse these skies with ease, while the House's damned souls are trapped on the ground.

Teachings

Certain branches of the Varalli have helped rescue cult members from the faiths they were ensnared in. The Varalli are trained to show apathy towards other deities, making them very skilled in cult infiltration and deprogramming.

Servants

Varal is primarily served by the asura, which are known for their mischievous and competitive nature. The House of the Broken Mirror is also home to many titans that are just as competitive as their asuran counterparts.

Praetors

Anatomia

A titan with piercing, yellow eyes who can move without a sound.

Irya

An asura who can easily travel throughout the Material Plane via a curse delivered through the mail system.

Heilin

An asura that takes the form of a mirror, the reflection inside always seems to be a bit too fast or too slow.

Magam

A titan with a head of black raven feathers and a pair of pitch black wings.

Haia

First Praetor, they are an asura who wears a crown of flame on their head and two bracelets of flame on their wrists.

Religion

The Varalli can typically be found in the Wastes or Cryptlands, though the Solspathí Crimson Guard and the Asmelumi Infantry has struggled with the cult infiltrating their churches and settlements for years.

Worshipers

The Varalli see their dominus as the leader of a cause instead of a divine figure. They share Varal's hatred for the gods and believe that no one should worship any deity. This hatred has often led to violent confrontations between the Varalli and the faiths of other gods, primarily Aasians.

Many members of the Varalli came to the faith after being betrayed by a god or church. Asmelumi and Sol individuals make up a large population of the Varalli since the Sultanate and the Diocese have the most churches and temples in Phoenix.

Clergy

Genuine Varalli clerics are rare since their faith is more akin to the loyalty of citizens to their king. There are entire branches of the Varalli that operate without a single cleric among them.

Typically, a Varalli cleric is an individual chosen by Varal to serve the cult as a font of mystical power. In most cases, Varal will choose an individual who has been touched by the outer planes, such as a Cambion, since they are easier for Varal to see from within Diabolis.

If the Varalli feel like their branch needs the aid of a cleric, they will shatter a mirror to allow Varal to see everyone in their ranks to choose a member of the faith to serve as a cleric.

There have been very rare cases where clerics of other gods that are experiencing crises of faith will discover that their clerical domain has shifted. Their doubts mystically tie them to Varal instead of their original god and they are made into a Varalli cleric without their knowledge.

Temples & Shrines

The Varalli have no temples, but they do have bases of operation in order to launch attacks on churches. They can only create their bases inside a building with mirrors. When glaziers receive a sudden uptick of mirror commissions, that can be used as an indicator that the Varalli are moving into a community.

Favored Animals

Varal is associated with elephants and lions, though animals that are tied to bad luck in various Phoenixian cultures such as owls, coyotes, black cats, and ravens will often be linked to Varal.

Organizations

Order of the Broken Mirror

A dreadknight order that is known for their ruthless attacks on churches.