God-King Otheidas, Otheidas
God-King Otheidas is a powerful entity dedicated to protecting lesser mages from divine threats. Known as the god of life and death, he is referred to as the last god king and was the final great king of a once-mighty western civilization, rumored to have vanished alongside the other gods. His legacy includes the establishment of sacred pyres, crucial for maintaining the balance of life, and he has commissioned significant relics, including an amulet designed to defend its wearer against godly powers, though it does not prevent all forms of magic, specifically the Umbra magic wielded by Ygva, a witch expelled for her destructive practices.
God-King Otheidas is significant in discussions about the potential return of the gods and efforts to bind them in the World Below. Recently, Draz consulted Tamber, a former initiate of the Celsian Athenaeum, who identified the amulet as a creation of the god-king. Tamber noted that God-King Otheidas began mustering a force of lesser mages in response to divine threats, indicating that the amulet was part of his initiative to equip mages for their defense. Furthermore, God-King Otheidas is mentioned in relation to Ygva, who aims to gather god-touched artifacts to summon the gods, including him. His presence, or absence, has critical implications for the balance of existence, and his artifacts are sought after as offerings intended to revive the gods and restore their influence.
In addition to his role as a protector, God-King Otheidas is the god-king of revenants and the master of arrested cycles of life and undeath. He is part of a pantheon of at least eight gods, with his nature connected to themes of mortality, resurrection, and manipulation of life forces, indicating a complex role in the divine hierarchy. His influence extends to supernatural occurrences related to life cycles and the undead, suggesting implications for challenges faced by mortals.
Otheidas's lineage endures: his great-grandson, Casper tol-Otheidas, carries his blood, and Draz too is said to be of that line. He is associated with shrines featuring motifs of crowns and scepters — Draz later identified one such shrine at the Celsian Athenaeum, whose Keeper of Splendor, Inola, reveres Otheidas's legacy despite the complexities of his rule and disappearance. It is said that while Otheidas was not a cruel king, the role of kingship itself carries an intrinsic cruelty. In his final undertaking he attempted to ascend with the entire population of his realm, but succeeded only in ascending alone — leaving chaos behind him, a failure that echoes in the party's present circumstances.
God-King Otheidas is also associated with ancient lore, particularly through the Otheidas-linked circlet Sylvie recovered from a rune-marked box, which suggests a connection to divine authority; the circlet matches Sylvie's head, indicating a significant relationship with the god-king. During a mission beneath Grithmaar Deep, the party discussed a great creature tied to Mollthain, believed responsible for the destruction of Jamal's home. Sylvie explores her connection with God-King Otheidas in her dreams, meditating with her layered glassy-stone necklace and reflecting on her origins. Ygva informs Sylvie that a stone they once sat upon still exists and can be recalled if she remembers how, further emphasizing her link to God-King Otheidas. Sylvie's dreams also delve into her training and the loss of her heart, reflecting her exploration of identity in relation to God-King Otheidas.