Chaon
From Mizahar Lore
Chaon is the name given to the blessings and curses, or Gnosis, granted by the god, Rhysol as well as the name given to those people who are actually marked. Chaon may take many forms and are as unpredictable in nature as the god that grants them. While the negative marks are certainly curses in every sense of the term, positive marks are viewed by some to be little better as they often carry unique costs and/or drawbacks. All receivers of Chaon are marked in some way by the blood of Rhysol and may share similarities in marks yet there are hardly ever two marks that are completely the same. Those marked by Rhysol with Chaon may appear normal or otherworldly depending on the mark and its level.
Chaon and Rhysol
Chaon is rooted in the essence of chaos and the blood of Rhysol, God of Evil, Chaos and Betrayal. Without chaos there is no order. Without order, there is only chaos. Since his beginning, Rhysol has used his own divine blood as a way to infect an otherwise normal, natural reality. By fusing even a drop of his blood into a living creature or even an inanimate object, he can pass on the essence of chaos. It is through his blood that one may be granted the gift or curse of Chaon. Such an experience is hardly ever pleasant and usually involves great amounts of mental and physical pain and suffering that results in the breaking of one's perception of reality. A living creature granted Chaon by Rhysol may become horrifically scarred both physically and/or mentally but may also go the opposite direction and gain unnatural beauty and heightened mental faculties. Objects that are granted Chaon often become fantastically warped into grotesquely twisted looking things or take on a beauty unlike anything seen before. Whatever the outcome it is certain that it will always benefit Rhysol in some way.
Chaon is most commonly found among members of the The Black Sun and the Ebonstryfe, both of which exclusively serve Rhysol. The term is also used to identify those marked by Rhysol. Some of the more profound examples of how Chaon manifests is through the existence of the Druvin and The Voice; both considered to be of Rhysol's divine blood. Those marked by Rhysol and thus possessing Chaon always bear a scar where they have been touched by the blood of the dark god. Members of the Ebonstryfe who are marked by Rhysol are known as, Paladins while even the lowest ranking members of The Black Sun are known as Agents. Unless one is accepted into one of these organizations, they will not have an official title, regardless of having a gnosis mark.
Mark Progression
| Marked [Cursed] - 1 Gnosis Mark | |
| Individuals marked by Rhysol often experience a burning sensation around where the god's blood touches them. This sensation is akin to touching white-hot metal. The burning does not stop with the flesh however as it quickly spreads into the blood so that the entire body feels as though the skin will split open at any moment. The pain then extends into the mind where one's head feels as though the skull will fracture at any point and bring about death. Death however does not come and after what seems like an eternity, yet only lasts a moment or two, the burning pain is replaced by a cool, soothing, almost erotic feeling that washes away all thoughts of pain and death.
Marked individuals will forever bear a crimson scar upon their body where they were touched by Rhysol's blood and are blessed with the ability to tap into the very essence of chaos. More often than not, the marked individual, or Chaon, is able to spread corruption through voice or touch. For example, a living being touched by a Chaon may have their hair fall out, lose sight in one or both eyes, have their senses twisted so that they perceive everyone and everything as being out to get them. With a few otherwise harmless words whispered into the ear of a target, the Chaon may plant a seed of corruption. This could be as minor as the target developing a horrific odor that will not wash away to something more extreme such as giving birth to a barely sentient, grotesquely deformed, minor servant of Rhysol (this can take a few seasons of frequent attempts at very subtle corruption). It should be noted that the Chaon may also pass their corrupting abilities through objects so that those coming in contact with said objects, are affected as if the Chaos spoke to or touched them while enacting the curse. As Rhysol is a being who does not take kindly to competition thus using his mark to corrupt others does have limitations. Each curse may affect but a single person. Thus if one wished to curse an entire crowd of people they would have to approach each and every one of them and lay out the curse individually. Curses do not reveal their effects immediately. As mentioned, they are the seeds of chaos planted by a Chaon to slowly eat away at their targets mind and body. Minor corruptions such as loss of hair, sight, twisted senses or bad body odor take up to a couple of days to fully hatch and last a week at most unless further curses are applied. It is through the continued use of this power that one may bring about truly awful curses though it often takes a season or two of weekly corruption to bring about such dramatic affects. items cursed by the Chaon may only affect one person at a time; once the cursed item passes the curse on to a person, the item loses its ability to curse others. Those cursed by Rhysol experience much of the same initial suffering as those who are marked but the pain diminishes only so that it is centralized around their mark. The cursed also suffer from period headaches and moments of stabbing pain around their mark. They do however gain the corruption ability albeit uncontrolled. More often than not, the corruption is passed on to those whom the cursed would not want negatively affected by it such as a friend or loved one. | |
| Favored [Despised] - 2 Gnosis Marks | |
| Those favored by Rhysol have their mark manifest in a more profound way. One of their eyes loses all color and definition thus becoming completely white; appearing as though they may simply be blind in one eye. They are however not blind and in fact see more than ever before. Rhysol's favored can look upon a person and see the target's deepest fears, insecurities and even desires. Not only can they see them, they are able to see in detail within the mind's eye, the specific source of those fears or desires. With this knowledge, the Chaon may then cause the target to experience the fear, insecurity or desire as if the source were actually present. The experience is always enhanced and twisted in some way as to make it more unpleasant. While experiencing the event, the target is consumed by it and unable to break away from it until the Chaon dismisses it. While under the effects of this, the target may act and do things that go along with their fears and insecurities that may include but are not limited to murder, suicide or some other form of violence. As with the first gnosis mark, this one may also be infused into an object. The object then creates the mental prison in which the victim is trapped within the chaos of their own twisted fears and desires.
As with the first mark, the effects of this ability are limited in duration. Without the Chaon present to reinforce it, the effects of this power last only a couple of days. Those possessing marks from other gods that combat such affects or some other mental defense may allow a victim to resist and break free much sooner. Cursed objects may hold the victim in the mental prison until the object is destroyed or until a week has passed. The same defenses still apply. In addition, those with the second mark will find that the effects of their first mark become more potent and last longer. At this point, first mark effects may have conditions added to them that lengthen their duration. For example, a Chaon having a conversation with their victim, casually says at some point during that conversation, "I have a feeling that you will feel repulsed by the sight of a beautiful woman; perhaps until you face your own inner ugliness. This could then cause the victim to become physically ill and vomit at the sight of a beautiful woman until one day they are forced to fight a frightfully ugly version of themselves given flesh. Unfortunately for the victim of a Chaon, they usually don't catch on to the curse for some time. These enhanced first mark effects last until the conditions are met. There may only be a single condition applied to a particular curse. Those despised by Rhysol find themselves plagued by their own fears, insecurities and twisted desires. They experience the same thing the victims of the favored do at random times. These experiences may last minutes, hours and even days before the despised is able to break away from it. They are unable to convince themselves that it is anything but real and they begin to feel they are truly cursed to forever live out their lives in mental anguish and may even engage in acts of violence related to their experiences. | |
| Priest/Priestess [Adversary] - 3 Gnosis Marks | |
| Those who attain a third mark from Rhysol are rare. The Druvin are examples of individuals who have attained a third mark from Rhysol although they must undergo a specific ritual in order to receive their mark. The mark of a Druvin is specific to their station within The Black Sun and the Ebonstryfe. While individuals baring a third gnosis mark from Rhysol did exist before the inception of these two organizations, there has not been a non-Druvin baring a third mark since the Valterrian. To gain a third gnosis mark, one must undergo the ritual to become a Druvin and thus give everything that they are, were and ever will be to Rhysol.
An Adversary of Rhysol exists in a state of perpetual corruption. Their minds experience brief moments of lucidity otherwise consumed with insanity. Their bodies are in a constant state of transformation; always shifting and never remaining stable. Filled with rage, sadness and despair, adversaries are allowed to live by Rhysol so that they may spread their corruption and violence wherever they go and to whoever they come in contact with. To Rhysol, these individuals are toys that serve a purpose until they are broken or otherwise cease to be of interest. | |
| Champion [Nemesis] - 4 Gnosis Marks | |
| Rhysol's champion is known as The Voice. There is only ever one champion of Rhysol at a time and the current one has reigned for over 500 years. The Voice is an Alvina, the lowest order of the divine. They are immortal and are granted divine power by the blood of Rhysol such that they in turn may grant their own minor gnosis marks to others. Surpassing even the Druvin in physical might and mental acuity, The Voice is the epitome of Rhysol's blessing upon any mortal being. A mixture of focused chaos, insanity and complete dedication to all that is dark and evil in the world, The Voice is second only to Rhysol in being a threat to the balance of all things in the world.
Rhysol does not currently have a marked nemesis. If any mortal being were to attain this level of curse from Rhysol, that person may become a threat equal to that of The Voice but without the same level of restraint and focus. They would become the epitome of all that is horrifically evil and chaotic in the world; consuming everything in its wake regardless of affiliation. | |