Phantom

**Phantom**, the Master of Secrets, was the deity of Fear and Secrets on Mekkan. He was often depicted as a loner Deity most often associated with those of otherwise ill-repute, insects or creatures that lurk in the shadows. His portfolio included caverns, dungeons, heed, secrets, intrigue, shadows and things that go bump in the night. Among his array of powers was the ability to see everything that lay or happened in the dark or behind closed doors. Phantom's symbol was a circle with a 6 legged spider and hole in the middle.

## Personality

Ancient Drider depicted Phantom as a sort of boogie man who would go out and hunt those who did terrible things, he was worshiped out of fear. The most beseeched of Mekkan’s deities, blamed for everything from common illnesses to crop failure to brackish wells to plague.

However in reality and what's been realized in recent years is the reformed thief was just misunderstood and blamed for deeds he didn't do. He was a kind man, who was subtle in those he helped, teaching people not to be afraid of the dark created by Charlotte's gate or what might lurk in the unknown. He cared about those close to him and wanted to be friends with anyone he met. Often telling children that can see him to keep his presence a secret.

## Relationships

Phantom finds solace in his wife the deity of fortune Belle, feeling safe enough to talk to when he became a new deity. However, before this, Simply put, Phantom was a loner socially. However she has helped him open up a lot to the other deities.

Phantom had an awkward relationship towards Dusk Cryptic after Ragnarok, If nothing else, her sizable hatred towards Phantom for working with Zhentha in destroying the world, they fought on many occasions prior to this when they were still Umbra and he was part of the Zehns. Their relationship however never seemed to translate into Mekkan or towards their followers as they were divided by sea, since then their relationship seems to have leveled itself out.

Phantom has been noted to with the aid of Dusk's wife, Winter sneak into the Outside and confer with Void dragon Dawn who is the reincarnation of the kitsune with the same name. Regarding her as an aunty despite have zero relations.

## Divine Realm

Phantom's realm the Sade Wasteland he honestly did very little with, he didn't exactly find it the most charming of places, but the dragon of the gate Vena was quite content with the realm and Phantom allows her full rein of the planet, however pops in for tea from time to time to make sure everything is running smoothly. He was almost forced to enact divine intervention during the Discordia Crisis when Vena had put on the Crown of Thorns in hopes of defeating Discordia with it, but was driven mad and retreated into the realm, the elves out of fear had to sea the gate from the inside. However it was resolved by the Kitsune Trio.

## Dogma

Phantom's faithful were led to believe that the deity saw everything that happens in the world and to trust him to keep a secret. Whilst the faith advocated for accumulating secrets, it also said to only share what could save lives. They also believed that fears where challenges Phantom set for them to overcome or learn to admit to grow as a person.

People who were afraid to confess something or admit a phobia where often taught they could admit it to Phantom in private and the deity would be listening, acknowledgment came in the form of a spider web appearing nearby.

## Worshipers

The Clergy of Phantom were called Phantom Marks, with elite specialty priests referred to as Phantom Shadows. Marks addressed each other as "Brother/Sister Shadow", no matter their rank.

It was rumored that Phantom's followers maintained a large network of informants throughout the cities of Mekkan and that they were willing to trade secrets. Phantom's Marks would often venture out into dark, creepy or forsaken places and aid others with protection, such as miners, those wishing to cross the Trench, save those who have fallen into melancholy and despair and wish to recover it. Priests drawn to serve Phantom have often met the deity in person as a child, to help them overcome their fear of the dark, or something causing them sheer anxiety.

## Artifacts

* Phantom's Divine artifact is the **Crown of Thorns**. Anyone who wears the crown is shown the fears of whom they're looking at. However the more you wear it, the more you experience those fears, conclusively go mad and insane for long exposures worn. The artifacts power and influence is extremely potent able to corrupt even Gate Dragons. The creation, purpose and meaning of the crown are unknown to everyone except Phantom, not even his Champions can legend lore for it.
* The **Cloak of Arachnida** is a curious artifact often worn by Phantom himself. It allows its wearer to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving their hands free. Prevents the wearer from being caught in webs of any sort and can move through webs. Finally allow the wearer to conjure webs with mana. Phantom has been questioned as to why he created a cloak with abilities he possess naturally, as a Drider and he just chuckles. The cloak in fact holds four secret properties only known to a select few. Putting the hood up allows the wearer to breath underwater; Wrapping yourself in the cloak turns the wearer invisible and hides traces of their presence such as tracks and scents; The cloak can be used to shield against intense heat and licking flames; Finally the wearer can grab the corners of the and use it as a parachute glider to safely fall.
* **Mask of the Luanchatula**, (Lucha-Tarantula) isn't one of Phantom's personal artifacts but is something he had hand in helping to create. Phantoms champions always worked from the shadow and kept the fact they where one of Phantom's chosen a closely guarded secret. One of Phantom's later champions who happened to be the eldest champion wanted the ability to have more involvement directly during their work, but also wanted to keep their appearance a secret. Phantom agreed and gathered strands of mana from various racial gates and gave them to the Champion who weaved together a silver mask that when don would increase their senses, mass, strength and agility. Later when the champion passed Phantom hid the mask in their home deep in the swamp, which he later led A'ma too as her test to become champion.

## Power & Abilities

As the father to all Drider phantom possessed all their racial abilities he could even manifest abilities from cousins of the Drider such the Scorpia and Bee'ders.

Phantoms most curious ability that he manifested upon becoming a deity was the power over Secrets. Though the help of deities like Luna, Aerith and the creation and balance trio. Phantom figured out tap into the unknown and make it known to him. Phantom's blessing allows him and select champions to read the secrets hidden of souls, ask the right questions about lore and protect their minds against decay and mind altering effects. The final ability is powerful enough to ward Phantom against the Phial of Chaos' enchantment that makes a user, even many other deities forget of the Phial's existence. However because of the Phial's second enchantment he really has no need to tell anyone about it.

Magically Phantom is the weakest deity in terms of magic, even compared to other minor deities like Dash and Nova. As unlike other mortals who ascended to divinity he had zero connection and knowledge to Magic which put him in a unique situation as it allowed him to learn and adapt Toxic mana at the same time as his race mainly being taught by the previous Toxic nine now dragon Vena. Other deities would teach Phantom various magics, mainly so he would stop asking them to do things for him, such as teleport him around Mekkan and between the Realms or read souls properly. As of the 16th Century, Phantom is considered a practicing master of Toxic, Prankster, Arcana and Dark mana and has brief knowledge in other types of mana which he has experimented in weavecraft. He developed his own spin on Portalcraft from Amey by using spider web as portals around Mekkan.

## Champions

* **A'ma** (Current)
* ✝**Is'o** (Three Dreadlords)
* ✝**J'an** (Three Dreadlords)
* ✝**Ka'la** (Three Dreadlords)
* ✝**Ry'l**
* ✝**Tarv'r** (Mask of the Luanchatula Creator)
* ✝**Vuz'l**
* ✝**Z'eb**