Marlu

Marlu Domain Demonic Summoning, Destruction, Power Symbol a black six tentacled star on a field of grey Pantheon Pantheon of Lornon Smite/Bane Bane Critical Acid

God of Demonic Summoning, Destruction and Power

Often mistaken for one of the greater demons and frequently called the Demon Lord, Marlu delights in death, destruction, and the devouring of still-living prey. Tales tell of Marlu being seen around ancient ruins, prying open old chambers and delving into all manner of spaces. Common legend has it that he seeks others of his kind to loose upon the innocents of Elanthia.

Just as some believe Koar is actually the last Drake, there are those who hold that Marlu is a true Ur-Daemon who sought asylum with the Arkati when the rest of his kind were killed or driven out of this realm of existence.

Marlu derives power from the summoning of demons, one reason that such practices are frowned upon by many worshipers of the Light Gods. Whether his power comes in the same manner as other Arkati, or from the loosening of the portals between dimensions, is unknown. Marlu is also drawn to all manners of destruction. More than any other of the Dark Gods, Marlu seems bent on destruction of a scale so massive that it might actually eliminate the world and all his worshipers with it. While Eorgina personifies power over others, Marlu is the embodiment of personal destructive power.

Marlu's preferred manifestation is that of a gruesome creature with glistening black skin, leathery wings and barbed tentacles. In manner, he is demonic. His symbol is a black six tentacled "star" on a field of grey.

Shrines, Statuary, and Holy Places

Solhaven Cleric Guild

In the Hall of Lessons inside the Solhaven Cleric Guild was a holy shrine dedicated to Marlu.

[Cleric Guild, Hall of Lessons]
Only a single candle provides light in this cramped chamber, and the very air seems to reject your presence with a startlingly cold chill. Huge tentacles carved from stone fade in and out of the darkness as the candle flame flickers softly. As the shadows and light dance across their surfaces, it gives the impression of being within the writhing, living mass of some otherwordly creature. A statue of some horrible beast stands to the southeast, a squat obsidian altar crouching before it.
Obvious exits: northwest

>look Marlu 
Barely humanoid in shape, Marlu squats on top of a stout chest.  His long, leathery wings are folded on his back.  In place of arms he has a pair of barbed tentacles, one of which is coiled around the chest on which he is perched.  The other reaches out with serpentine grace in your direction.

>touch Marlu
You reach out and touch the statue of Marlu.

Tendrils of blackest power wrap about you, circling and growing and squeezing until the outside world cannot be seen.  The power is cold, yet burning hot, filthier than the most disgusting slime the mortal world could ever produce.  The smell of fire and rotten eggs is suffocating and somehow intoxicating.  A voice more terrible than anything your darkest nightmares could imagine laughs, amused at a joke only he could possibly find funny.  "You wish my power now, stupid mortal being.  In time, you will wish for death, for only in death's realm could you find escape from me."  Flowing off like immense disease-ridden snails, the tendrils disappear, leaving you shaken to the core.

>look altar
Crafted of dark obsidian, the altar is placed directly below the horrifying gaze of the statue of the creature.  A grey-tentacled six pointed star is engraved upon the front of the altar, while a dark book lies open upon it.

>look book
The book appears to be bound in some sort of leathery, black skin that glistens as the candle flame's light plays across it.  Its yellowed and cracked pages are scrawled with a small passage in black ink.
There appears to be something written on it.

>read book
In the Common language, it reads:
"Seek not the attentions of Marlu, for the Destroyer has a fate in store for you that makes death pale in comparison."

Solhaven, Garden of Destruction

Along Lornon Avenue in Solhaven. It is considered a holy shrine to Marlu.

[Garden of Destruction]
Devoid of living plants, the "garden" is a desolate volcanic wasteland. Large boulders of glaes-striated tufa sit half-buried in cinders, cracks gaping here and there in the various stones. Sculpted bronze demonic limbs protrude from the larger crevices, while a large, bronze statue stands crouched in the garden's center.
Obvious paths: out

>look statue 
Hulking low in the center of the garden, but massing larger than one of the wains that ply the streets, The Destroyer stands complete with half-spread wings and four barbed tentacles springing from his shoulders.  Frozen in the act of devouring a small demon, his rows of glistening teeth are revealed.

Wehnimer's Landing Cleric Guild

Located in the Antechamber of Lornon is a table inset with fist-sized seals depicting all of the Lornon arkati, including one for Marlu. This area is not considered a holy shrine.

A black six-tentacled star on a field of gray is painted on the golden seal of Marlu.

The Broken Lands

Located in the Dark Shrine where the vruul are found. It is a mixed allusion to two colossal stairs from the dreamlands of H.P. Lovecraft. The first is the abandoned castle of the gods, Nyarlathotep as a malevolent presence. The other is the tower of Koth (a terrible demon) in the vault of Zin, which has the bas relief of unknown meaning, with the portal leading to the ghoul forbidden enchanted woods. The evil presence as a "palpable force" might also allude to "The Devotee of Evil", where the cosmic evil made manifest by gongs freezes witnesses into ebon statues like Satan in Dante's Inferno.

[Dark Grotto, Dark Cavern]
Age seeps from the walls of this huge chamber, smothering everything with a dust laden blanket of silence. There is a huge relief carved into the wall at the end of the long chamber, opposite the opening to the south.
Obvious exits: south

>look relief
The image is that of a dark beast with leathery wings and blood red claws.  The inscription below the image is in a strange language, and reads "Marlu lyxatis kort.  Thro dyar K'mur."

[puzzle]

You feel a tingling sensation run through your body and suddenly you see...

[Dark Shrine, Chapel]
Here, surrounded by dark frescoes presenting frightening images of terror, foul beasts and macabre rituals, confronted by the huge, ghastly statue that dominates the center of the chamber, the sense of evil is a palpable force that threatens to smother and consume all that it can.
Obvious exits: northeast, northwest.

>look statue
The statue is large, over twelve feet tall.  The central figure is a huge, hideous beast with black skin, leathery wings and large red claws.  It stands atop a pile of skulls, surrounded by three smaller figures, with pointed tails, blood red eyes, and small, leathery wings.

Messaging

To add messaging, see deity messaging.

Spell/Ability	Messaging
CHANT (verb)	[1p cleric] You chant a reverent orison, asking for complete destruction to manifest by Marlu's hand. [3p cleric] CLERIC chants a short but reverent orison, asking for complete destruction. [1p paladin] You bow your head and chant a short prayer to Marlu, causing flat black and dark grey light to momentarily coalesce in front of you. [3p paladin] PALADIN bows her head and chants a short prayer, causing flat black and dark grey light to momentarily coalesce in front of her.
Major Sanctuary (220)	The vision of your world is ripped harshly from your eyes and you are plunged into sudden darkness... [Crater of Destruction Sanctuary] Ragged at the edges, the crater rises on all sides like an enormous wound blasted into the soft belly of the earth beneath you. A hot, scorching wind riddled with grit, sand, and gravel procedes lightning, which streaks across the gloomy sky to briefly illuminate the desolate landscape. Lightning flashes before your eyes, turning your vision to an off-white that blurs...
Well of Life (308)	As you sense your souls have linked together, an acrid, alien smell creeps slowly through the air.
Condemn (309)	[Success] A shifting rent in reality forms near TARGET, and from it blows a caustic, alien wind. [Failure] The air warps and twists around TARGET for a moment, but nothing comes of it. [Damage] Barbed, glistening tentacles dart from the tear in space and rip into TARGET for X points of damage! [Debuff end] The caustic wind dies as the shifting rent near TARGET fades away.
Blind (311)	[1p] As your faith overcomes TARGET's weakened defenses, you sense the Destroyer's unthinking hunger for annihilation flowing through you. [2p] CASTER's face shimmers and vanishes, and, in its place, you see the image of a gruesome demon. The monster's skin is glistening black, hooked wings arch above his inhuman features, and barbed tentacles lash and writhe restlessly around its body from appendages that bear only the faintest resemblance to arms. Darkness wells forth to consume the image, and then you see nothing at all.
Prayer (313)	[1p] Turning your thoughts inward, you ask for the delight of your deity to protect you. Your skin stings as if with the touch of acid, and you sense that your prayer has been granted. [3p] Lurid orange light gleams in CASTER's eyes.
Censure (316)	XXX grates out a hoarse, throat-rending incantation in an unknown language. For your transgressions, your ever-fading power shall fuel the end of all that you know. Everything shall be destroyed, but you will face the oblivion first of all.
Raise Dead (318)	[1p] Murmuring softly, you call upon your connection with the Destroyer and feel your words twist into an alien, spidery chant. Dark shadows laced with crimson swirl before your eyes and at your forceful command sink into the chest of TARGET. The transference of energy is swift and immediate as you bind TARGET back into his body. [2p] Murmuring softly, CASTER calls out in a harsh, voice that slowly dwindles to an alien chant difficult to follow. Rising from the ether on the heels of his harsh command, a pair of dark shadows infused with crimson light slam into your chest and infuses you with the raw energy of life. [3p] Murmuring softly, CASTER calls out in a harsh, commanding voice that slowly dwindles to an alien chant difficult to follow. Circling darkly around CASTER's body is a series of dark shadows infused with a crimson light. Suddenly, he issues a forceful, sharp command that sends the shadows crashing into TARGET's chest.
Intercession	a glossy black star diopside talisman A spot of darkness in your vision blooms hazily outward, rippling as it does so with deep violets and sickly greens. Six slender tentacles unfold from the heart of that writhing blackness, barely paler than the void that surrounds them, and form a slowly undulating star. After a moment, the darkness wavers and shreds, sending wisps of shadow curling away into nothing.
Divine Wrath (335)	[1p] As you pour your soul into an appeal to Marlu, you know that you are heard. Everything wavers slightly, and your forehead stings as if it were touched by a drop of some caustic liquid, but the pain lasts less than a second. Tendrils of seeping black mist materialize at a safe distance away from you. A great awareness of their incredibly lethal power presses into your mind as the tendrils begin to shift and coil about in search of prey. The power of Marlu has answered your prayer. A tendril of black mist suddenly senses the proximity of TARGET. The mist expands into a large, quickly moving, highly lethal cloud that rapidly surrounds TARGET, obliterating it from view. The tendrils of black mist dissolve back into nothingness as your connection to Marlu lessens. [3p] The image of a six-sided star made of grey tentacles shimmers into existence on CASTER's forehead. Fine tendrils of seeping black mist slowly materialize in midair. The tendrils twist and coil about like blind snakes. As a kobold comes too close to a tendril of black mist, the mist suddenly expands into a large black cloud, which rapidly surrounds her, obliterating her from view. The tendrils of black mist dissolve into nothingness as the image of the tentacled star vanishes from CASTER's brow. [Look Caster] The image of a six-sided star made of grey tentacles is visible on her forehead. [Manifestation] tendrils of creeping black mist The tendrils writhe and coil about like the hands of a blind man creeping over an unfamiliar surface.
Symbol of the Proselyte (340)	[Cast] You rest your hand atop your {item}. Both suddenly go black and your fingers clench into a painful claw, the edges of the talisman pressing hard into your flesh. [Chant] You chant a reverent orison and lightly clasp your Marlu symbol. A rush of divine power washes over you. Your symbol pulses once and you feel possessed by the destructive, demonic force of Marlu.
Miracle (350)	[1p] Dark clouds swirl across your prone form and the area is plunged into darkness. The hair on your body stands on end and a deep pressure builds around your spirit, threatening to consume it. Blue lightning lances through the air, heralding an ear-shattering ripple of thunder, and at the edge of your senses you feel the demonic horde surging forward to take you. Each sizzling bolt strikes your chest repeatedly for several moments and the horde closes in on you until every last one of them is absorbed by your spirit. [3p] Dark clouds swirl before the prone form of CLERIC and the area is plunged into darkness. The thick scent of ozone rises on the air and causes hair to stand on end as a deep pressure builds. Blue lightning lances through the area, accompanied by a ear-shattering ripple of thunder, and in the shadows cast by its afterglow is the image of hundreds of demons lurching and struggling towards CLERIC. Lightning strikes CLERIC in the chest repeatedly, sizzling the air with every strike. As the lightning ceases, shadowy demons rise and dive deep into CLERIC's chest.
Aid the Fallen (1613)
Repentance (1615)	[1p] A pillar of roiling blackness manifests around TARGET. [2p] This section has not been added yet; please add to it now! [3p] Unnatural shadows flicker briefly through CASTER's eyes, and a pillar of roiling blackness manifests around TARGET.
Judgment (1630)	[1p] You briefly close your eyes, and the heavy scent of ozone overwhelms the air near you. A faint black-green light builds up and emanates from your hand before it takes on the shape of an ethereal pentacle! A cloud of noxious black-green gas emits from the center of the ethereal pentacle, striking TARGET! The ethereal pentacle pulsates with archaic runes and dissolves into a black ichor. [3p] This section has not been added yet; please add to it now!
Divine Incarnation (1650)	[Cast 1p] As you surrender yourself to the horrors of Marlu, six barbed tentacles sprout from your back. The glistening black limbs drip caustic grime as they flail and snake, driven by your Lord's awful will. [Cast 3p] A ferocious anger crosses Thresher's face as six barbed tentacles sprout from his back. The glistening black limbs drip caustic grime as they flail and snake, seemingly with a will all their own. [Expiration 1p] An inhuman roar echoes through your mind as the tentacles sprouting from you retreat into your back. The agony fades, but an echo of Marlu's dark malevolence lingers in your soul. [Expiration 3p] [Zeal 1p] You beseech your patron for combat prowess as roiling blackness begins to take form, swirling violently around you. [Zeal 3p] Thresher beseeches his patron as roiling blackness begins to take form, swirling violently around him. [Armor 1p] As you beg Marlu for his protection, you feel the barbed tentacles sprouting from your back flex in response. The tentacles' suckers secrete a noxious black gas, clouding you in a dark haze. [Armor 3p] [Smite 1p] You call upon the Destroyer to strike, and he hears you, as the tentacles springing from your back huff and spit the foulest of acids. The tentacles follow your weapon as you strike, spewing their noxious brew at a greater burrow orc [Smite 3p] The glistening tentacles sprouting from Thresher's back spring to action as he readies his weapon to strike, moistening themselves with a caustic black acid dripping from their suckers. Thresher strikes at a greater burrow orc, and the tentacles join their master, huffing and spitting their noxious brew alongside him! [Onslaught 1p] The darkness of Marlu overwhelms you, hurtling you into a pit of endless despair! You are only dimly aware of your body's ferocious combat movements, overwhelmed by the demonic visages swirling around you! [Onslaught 3p] Invoking the name of Marlu, Thresher leaps to attack! The glistening black tentacles sprouting from his back mirror his every strike as he lashes out at his enemies with preternatural fury!

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Resources

• History of Fash'lo'nae (official documentation)
• Concerning the Worship of Marlu (essay)
• The Temple of Darkness Poem
• A Popular History of the Broken Lands
• Officials folder