Groetus

### Titles

The God of the End Times, The God of the End of the World, The Harbinger of Last Days

### Domains

Chaos, Darkness, Destruction, Madness, Void

### Subdomains

Catastrophe, Insanity, Loss, Night, Protean, Stars

## History

Groetus has always existed, hanging over Pharasma's boneyard and waiting for the last living soul to die. When Pharasma judges the last soul after the last living body dies on the Material Plane, Groetus will descend to the Boneyard to do something to it and Pharasma before he moves on to the Material Plane to "clean up" and pack the dust away for another reality. No one really knows what Groetus is going to do once the last soul is judged, but it is generally accepted that it will not be pleasant.

## Appearance

Silently watching, Groetus hangs in the form of a bloated moon above Pharasma's Boneyard in the Outer Sphere. Only the other gods know whether the moon itself is the god, or merely his dwelling place, and they have proven reluctant to discuss the matter. Adventurous folk who have braved the surface of this place are either never heard from again, or are discovered soon after as the newest of the god's insane faithful. It is unknown what role Groetus will play in the End Times.

It is a rare occurrence indeed for Groetus to manifest in humanoid form, but records from Azlant describe him as a tall, slender man wearing a long gray robe that hangs heavily to the floor. His complexion is ashen, with hollow eyes and long, smooth hands. He has a slight bent at the neck (as though bearing some great weight) and his bare feet are black from soot and ash (as though he has been walking through an old fire). His voice is described as a whisper, like old paper, and he speaks with an archaic or foreign inflection.

## Relationships

Groetus is rather isolated from other deities and they seldom make any effort to contact him. On those rare occasions, other gods and goddesses proceed with extreme caution, knowing full well that their followers (whether mortal, undead or other) often fall to insanity should they scry or otherwise make contact with him.

It is believed that Groetus has some connection to Rovagug, another deity associated with the end of the world but there does not appear to be any basis for this theory. It has been noted that the two deities show no animosity to one another and it is speculated that Rovagug's purpose is to destroy the physical world while Groetus will devour the spiritual energies of the dead.

Pharasma has slightly more interaction with Groetus, although such contact is done more to keep the ominous moon at a comfortable distance than friendly communication. She has been known to 'feed' Groetus (in some unspecified manner) the souls of atheists. This has the curious effect of repelling the moon from the Boneyard. Even so, the moon lingers near, apparently attracted to the souls of faithful mortals.

## Church

Groetus has no formal religion or church, with many of his faithful being made up of lone madmen prophesying the end of everything, or megalomaniacs bent on bringing about the end of creation to please their god. Some believe that he may not even know or care that he has any followers, knowing that if his goals are achieved, they will be destroyed along with everything else.

Formal clothing is observed, more often than not, by his followers. Gray robes with blue accents is traditional but his priests rarely take much interest in their attire, meaning most of his followers wear shabby and stained raiments.

## Servants

### Worshipers and Clergy

Groetus has few allies or followers, making no effort to acquire either. However, beings who travel to his moon-home often succumb to his power (and accompanying madness) and serve him after a fashion.

### Unique Servants

#### End's Voice

The herald of Groetus, End's Voice serves as his personal hand. Draped in a long crimson robe, End's Voice floats above the ground on footless legs, faceless, and speaking (rarely) with a hollow, distorted voice.

#### Geg Noam Gyeg

An insane and paranoid barbed devil. It adorns its spikes with the eyes of its victims and prefers to be paid for its services in silver mirrors and magical items that utilise divination magic.

#### Yles

An especially insane grey naunet protean, Yles is an avid collector of magical writing and spellbooks. It continuously babbles narration of its own activities.

## Temples and Shrines

Priests of Groetus have little interest in creating lasting monuments to their master. After all, all things will fade and crumble when the end comes. It is not uncommon however, for followers to congregate in the ruined temple of another faith.

## Holy Texts

Being a cult of madmen, there is no single codified list of Groetus's teachings. Information is typically gleamed from scribblings by the mad, often upon asylum walls or in the blood of a murdered victim. Much of this data is vague and contradictory. The more rational members of the faith keep a collection of lore known as the *Book of the Last Moon*.

## Holidays

The worshipers of Groetus celebrate few holidays, seeing such frivolity as pointless and meaningless in the greater plans of their deity. The only time his followers unite is the Final Day, where his worshipers observe an hour of silent contemplation, hopeful of some guidance from their enigmatic master. This takes place on the last day of the year.

## Presence on Fynn

Given the mad nature of the followers of Groetus, what few exist tend to be found in the Underdark or the Wasteland.