Eihwaz (5e Deity)

Eihwaz

Alignment. Chaotic Evil
Domains. death, knowledge
Divine Rank. Vestige

Whisper From Beyond

The true origins of the corrupting force known as Eihwaz are likely never to be known, and anyone who has tried to divine its beginning has been stripped of their mind and turned into an allip. However, one thing is for certain: Eihwaz is one of the oldest forces in existence. Although it has existed for an uncountable number of years, its return is in fact documented by the few sages that have the cosmic power to travel across universes. One of these travelers, although not considered to have a great deal of academic training, actually witnessed the first artifact off Eihwaz being forged. This individual was a wandering troll, who is known to researchers only as Shah-nynn of the Shattered Marsh. The following is an excerpt from a scribe's recording of Shah-nynn's tales:

“

I was in a tiny, simple realm, some strange material world off in a nameless corner of the multiverse. There I was just wandering, heading South, when I saw, in this big city, a blacksmith's forge erupt in a flare of great chromatic energy. When all the smoke cleared, the place was highly damaged, and the only person there was a scrawny halfling with a silver left eye. He had a thinly constructed staff of frost; he was probably some kind of druid. At this point, I was quite scared. I hesitantly approached the tiny lad, and asked him what happened. All I heard was him softly changing the word "Eihwaz," over and over again. After a good thirty heartbeats, he looked at me wildly with his one good eye and his metal one began to glow. I opened a portal to the far realm and fell through it, just as a dark stone spire erupted from the earth and nearly impaled me. However, even as I was drifting through the realm beyond reality, waiting for a nice plane to stop by in, I felt some sort of... presence, watching me. I shifted into the first universe I laid eyes on, and felt very paranoid for several weeks afterward. Needless to say, I've never quite felt safe among any halflings since, unless I get a thorough look at their left eyes.

”

After many diviners investigated this tale, the halfling mentioned was revealed to be the frost sage Ralitskii Alexandrov, who was the first known associate of Eihwaz, and the second wealthiest person in that world. A few weeks later, the halfling was reported to have slain the great being known as Irathigul the Eldritch Mind, and acquired his Gem of Everlasting Madness (see Relics and Spells).

Ralitskii was also associated with a hill dwarf whose name was not found, although they died just before Ralitskii fought Irathigul. After obtaining the gem, Ralitskii left his home plane and began journeying in the Far Realm and the Astral Plane. Since then, he has been one of the few people known to worship Eihwaz.

Eihwaz typically contacts mortals via eerie whispers in the minds of such unfortunate subjects, typically during unconsciousness. However, an unknown aasimar and confirmed follower of Ralitskii says:

“

I never spoke with Eihwaz myself. Rather, I encountered Ralitskii as he teleported into existence as I was wandering the asylum where my family was. His left eye was a silver orb with a blue rune etched into it, and most of his body was completely covered in metal. I originally thought he was a hallucination brought on by lack of sleep, but that changed when he grabbed me, his hand as cold and firm as steel. As soon as I was touched, my mind was flooded with a horrifying barrage of images depicting eldritch horrors I would never dream of, and I was in shock for who knows how long. When I recovered, Ralitskii was gone, and my mind and senses were awakened and renewed. From that moment onward, I knew my days of asylum wandering were over, and that I would be changed for a long time yet.

”

As far as all accounts go, the only methods of contact this mysterious entity has made are either through dreams or its head follower, Ralitskii.

Relics and Spells

There are a number of items that have been associated with Eihwaz and its followers.

• The foremost one of these items is the Eye of Eihwaz (Ralitskii's left eye, as mentioned in both stories). The Eye of Eihwaz (5e artifact) was created by Ralitskii as told by the first tale, and was the relic that began the rise in power of both Eiwaz and Ralitskii, who was able to rise to the divine rank of quasi-deity.

• The Gem of Everlasting Madness (5e artifact) originated with the creation of Irathigul the Eldritch Mind, and was imbedded in his chest, before being taken by Ralitskii after Irathigul's death. The object can cause the minds of even the strongest-willed beings to crumble and wither.

• The Axe of the Imperial Fist (5e magic item) was another item claimed by Ralitskii. It is widely regarded as one of the more powerful axes ever to be wielded by a mortal man.

• The Staff of Charges (5e magic item), although not very powerful compared to the other items on this list, is still occasionally associated with Eihwaz, and there are many copies which are coveted for their ability to transfer magical force into other items.

There are no remarkable spells that are known to be associated with Eihwaz or its followers in any notable way, as it's followers tend to prefer imitations of the cults' famed items over spells.

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