Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Return of the Flumph 08-01-07, 06:14 AM	It is well known throughout the worlds that a soul's destination in the Realities Beyond is determined by its actions and beliefs during life. Those mortals who devoutly and faithfully worship a god find themselves drawn to the home of their deity, prepared for the eternity their patron offers. Those who lack that degree of devotion find themselves brought to the outer plane that best matches their personal outlook and behavior. Those who were selfish and evil in life end up in the lower planes, where their cruelty can be inflicted by and upon themselves over and over again until the end of time. Those who were selfless and virtuous find themselves basking in the benevolent light of the upper planes, free of all sorrow and pain, at peace with themselves and their surroundings, living in joy, free to finally reap the rewards for their persevering goodness. This spiritual destiny is what gives many mortals the hope and strength to carry on and a motivation to do good, for a virtuous life guarantees a pleasant afterlife. Most of the time. Of all the foul spirits that emerged from the Abyss, there is one demon in particular who is loathed on a personal level by every good aligned god and cosmic entity in existence. The Abyss and its inhabitants are the manifestations of malignant chaos and the destruction of the natural order, and no demon has been known to do this so frighteningly and liberally as the obyrith known as Hetifian, the Curse of Uncertainty. The history of this fiend is not well known, for indeed, few on the Prime Material even know of his existence. The only facts that can be counted on are that he first appeared immediately after the appearance of mortals on the Material, and that the forces of righteousness have been trying in vain to hunt him down ever since. One of the most skilled planar travelers in existence, Hetifian might well be the only obyrith to have set foot on Mount Celestia and lived to tell his demon brethren the tale. Nearly impervious to divination and portfolio senses, Hetifian regularly sneaks into the higher planes, kidnaps a well known petitioner while it is alone, and returns to the Abyss, eager to torture his prize until it cracks asunder, broken by the Abyss and ready to evolve into a dretch. While he will gladly take whatever he can get, Hetifian prefers to abduct the most honored and exalted of petitioners, to better ensure that their loss will be noticed. While the terrible fate inflicted on these innocent souls is appalling, the actual number of people directly harmed by Hetifian is extremely small. However, the true threat of Hetifian is not in the negligable loss of petitioners he steals, but in the terror, uncertainty, and anxiety he leaves in his wake. Is this all heaven is? Just another world frought with random peril? What use are the forces of good if they cannot protect their own? Because of Hetifian, fear, doubt, and paranoia exist in the planes where they should not. The celestials are often at a loss for how to deal with the aftermath of an abduction. Do they tell the other petitioners the truth of what happened to their missing comrade, causing the spread of discontent and apostacy among the honored dead? Do they lie to the petitioners, try to cover up the dissapearances, in the name of security and the greater good? How hollow is goodness if this is what it is reduced to with such little prodding? Through this train of thought, even celestials may fall from grace because of the actions of Hetifian. Although weak in physical and magical power compared to the other Abyssal lords, Hetifian is still seen as a sort of folk hero among the demons because of the amount of strife he can singlehandedly cause to the realms above. In appearance, the obyrith resembles a slimy, tar-covered figure, nine feet tall, whose entire head is taken up by a gaping, black maw that seems to suck hope and security out of the environment. It is said that all who look upon him run the risk of going mad with nihilism and existential angst, many seeking to kill themselves to escape this acursed cosmos or losing interest in life, becoming inert and lethargic.
Delfedd 08-01-07, 11:29 AM	Wow... that's great. I might have to use that.