God Write-up: Lanimin the Masked Lord

Lanimin
The Broken Sculptor, The Masked One, The Painted God, The Weeping Lord
Lesser Deity
Symbol: A paint brush and chisel, A Tragedy Face
Home Plane: Limbo
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Art, Disguise, Lies, Illusion, Madness, Sorrow
Worshipers: Artists, Actors, The Despairing, The Mad, Writers
Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, CE
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Creation, Madness
Favored Weapon: “Stone Carver” (Hammer)

Lanimin is a god that is still invoked in theaters by artists seeking to shock and in asylums by the derangements of the mad. The Harmonium discourages the practices of superstition that attributes the ailments of the mind and unforgivable sorrow to divine forces but many believe that The Masked One curses many with uncontrollable emotion.

They are right.

Lanimin often shows up in avatar form on Ortho just to cause trouble. Often, this is in an elaborate Harlequin attire with golden tragedy mask. Other times, he shape-shifts rapidly. In defiance of most divine conventions and laws, Lanimin slays and curses people without regard to their faiths or vulnerability to his power. These disasters are amongst the few things the Harmonium has no defense against. Occasionally, Lanimin will use this time to create a lasting piece of art or bestow an incredible gift upon a mortal but even these are often double edged.

Lanimin is a god that was once a joyful and loving spirit. However, the destruction of his beloved races along with the persecution of his faithful was enough to drive him to utter madness. Lanimin's faith is now a celebration of the tragedy and absurdity in life. His touch is feared, with good reason, for it brings mind numbing sorrow or shattered sanity. Nevertheless, some artists seek out Lanimin's power for the awe inspiring inspiration that it is said to bring.

Most of Lanimin's faithful are those whom have lost all purpose in life. The religion of the Weeping Lord appeals to those that dream of the Harmonium has turned into a nightmare. The god teaches these lost souls that there is no meaning in life and that one must simply embrace life's absurdities to their heights.

The most of cruel of Lanimin's followers attempt to spread the terrible despair that they feel in their hearts. They deliberately attempt to ruin the lives of others or use their powers to force otherwise docile citizens into situations that shock them to the very core of their beliefs. More benevolent attempt to use art to spread the message of meaninglessness. Though difficult under the Harmonium's censorship, Lanimin worshipers remain a constant source of shocking material.

Laminin's rituals often take the form of elaborate masquerade balls and ritualized theater. Even the insane are often able to perform beautiful and terrifying poetry bursts in-between bizarre ranting. It is a common act of the bizarre faith to kidnap and enchant young Ortho citizens before leading them on whirlwind nights of bizarre experience to break down their sense of morality.

Curiously, destruction of art also plays an important role in their religion. The Harmonium have often found many of their great works defaced and Laminin are often required to destroy their own creations to show the futility of even their own creative impulses.

Temples to Laminin are often built amongst places of art and creation. Sewer systems and secret caverns are a favored spot with the most powerful clerics creating extra-dimensional spaces that they move around with their performances. These places are often consecrated with the ritual driving of a Harmonium believer to madness then suicide (often hastened with spell work).

History and Relationships: In the early days of Ortho, Lanimin was the God of Gnomes and Halflings on Ortho. The Patron of the Little People was well beloved by them and often would visit them. Countless children were actually the result of the randy god's visitations to young women of these species. Lanimin bestowed inspiration on architects and engineers to create tremendously beautiful cities that rose high into the sky. It is said that Lanimin painted the skies of Ortho and the sunset was his greatest masterpiece.

The destruction of the Gnomes and Halflings on Ortho was something that drove the God of Art insane. Terrible curses rained down upon the Knights of Harmony with many of its finest families driven to degeneracy or ill-omened endings. More than a few of the bloodlines were destroyed as forces for the Harmonium by the nightmarish hexes that turned them into servants of evil.

Lanimin spends his time in equal parts mourning and plotting revenge against the whole of Ortho for what was done to him. His followers are willing participants in these acts and have made no end of torment for the Harmonium. It is said that Lanimin's heart can still be moved by the occasional plea for mercy or work of wondrous beauty. However, he needs look no further than the sight of shattered ruins where his people used to live to have his heart turned back to maniac fury.

Kabajij would dearly like to see Lanimin's madness healed but mostly attempts to channel his torment into positive ends. Chal encourages Lanimin's creative impulses to foster the goals of Anarchy and Disorder on Ortho. Most of his other siblings tend to avoid him due to the unpredictability of his actions. The Lords of Chaos are united in their opposition to him with only Baelae horrified by what has become his old companion. Baelae would love to see Lanimin restored to his old self, even if he is opposed to everything he is now.

Lanimin's worship was, ironically, spread by dissenters in the Harmonium to the Outer Planes. He's now revered by a large number of Bleak Cabal members along with a small core of Sensates.

The Harmonium's Take: The lord of visions is a source of tainted inspiration and insanity. His presence is felt in his influence on the gifted young, and of artists. Lanimin is an open door to insanity for these vulnerable members of society. He is the father and root of lies. The god has caused uncountable suffering to innocent people in the name of spreading his madness.

He encourages fantasy and reckless abandon - bereft of practicality. His followers swiftly become unstable and irrational bringing harm often to themselves and occasionally to others. A follower of Lanimin will starve before he finds fortune in his art. For their own safety and future security, those who are vulnerable to this Lord of Chaos should receive careful training and tend closely to the traditions of their art. No artist should be abandoned to Lanimin's harsh care.

Lanimin is insane and cares nothing for his followers.

The Dark: The Harmonium is, curiously enough, right about Lanimin. He is a completely insane god that is motivated by his grief and emotional turmoil more than anything else. His worshipers rarely come to anything but bad ends and yet his followers still number in the thousands. This is, perhaps, due to the fact that many artists believe that suffering is the key to glorious works of art.

Also, Lanimin's curse of madness has more substance than most know. Those individuals that he inflicts with such horror are the descendants of those whom helped massacre his people all those centuries ago. This curse has curious effects of bestowing prophetic gifts and occasional psionic abilities if the afflicted chooses to embrace worship of the Masked God.

Certain factions of the Harmonium, not afraid of tainting themselves with Chaos, have begun recording the prophecies of known madmen with Lanimin's 'blessing.' This has resulted in a vast collection of prophecies that predict a terrible time of tribulation for the Harmonium that may change the face of Ortho forever.

Dogma: Life is a chaotic and bleak joke upon the living. There is nothing that is true, real, or permanent in this universe. All that exists is a brief and flickering flame of beauty set against this howling sorrow. Embrace this flicker of life and create something utterly spectacular before your own being is destroyed by the soul-crunching despair that is inevitability. Spread this viewpoint to others and cast aside those who are unable to see beyond their own petty views into the twisted mockery of existence. This will open their eyes to see real beauty.