Serachel
From 'help Serachel':
Serachel (SER-a-kel) was once a being of the light, whose influence extended over culture, art, beauty, and dreams. He was, in particular, a driving force in the development of high Aelin culture after the War of Fire, in which he served by Jolinn's side. It was during the ascendancy of the great Aelin cities that Serachel began his long fall from grace. Often walking amongst the Aelin as one of their own, he immersed himself in their intrigues and endeavours, and became more and more enamored with the worldly pleasures of mortals. Finally Serachel took for himself followers, and developed a creed advocating indulgence of desire and intemperance, urging the Aelin to seek ever greater heights of asthetic grace and power. Serachel instructed his followers in the fine arts of social deception, teaching them how to inspire trust and love for the purposes of manipulation. In this way his people gained great power amongst the Aelin. Serachel himself was a great master at masking his true intentions, and it wasn't until the War of Night that his corruption was finally revealed. Fearing the destruction of the culture he had reared, he abandoned all his former pretenses and urged the Aelin to study the magics of the Void, so that they might defeat the Shuddeni and establish a mighty empire of their own, one which he promised would rival the very gods in its greatness. Serachel was defeated by Rystaia at the end of the war, and imprisoned beyond the Nightmare Realms, where he had earlier made his abode. It was a thousand years before, through manipulation of group of mortals, he managed to escape.
Only very few follow Serachel openly. He does not conduct an organised religion, and only one or two ancient and isolated aelin cities hold temples dedicated to him. The majority of those bearing the sigil of Serachel do so in secret. Of these there are two kinds.
Firstly, those who have in some way been ensnared by Serachel's promises. Using his native power over the realm of dreams, Serachel easily divines the hopes and fears in the hearts of mortals. In this way he seeks to corrupt the spirits of those he wishes to bring into his service. Although the rewards promised by Serachel seem worth any self-depredation, the price finally paid is invariably far greater than expected.
The second class of follower are those who whose ideals coincide with Serachel's. Aesthetic abandon, ambition, and a reprobate mind, as well as skill in duplicity and temptation are some of the qualities Serachel has been known to seek and encourage in his servants. The pure of heart and the chaotic of spirit have little chance of winning the favour of Serachel.
Regardless of the path taken into Serachel's fold, those who serve him are branded with the Sigil of the Shadow Mask. This sigil is invisible to the mortal eye, as Serachel prefers his followers to serve him in secret, in many cases from positions of power normally unholdable by one bearing the dark god's mark. Yet it is said that there are a very small number of mortals who wear Serachel's sigil openly. These are a rare few who have proven their loyalty and worth, and been chosen as Serachel's representatives amongst mortal kind.
