The malevolent figure of Aseyr and their devoted worshippers have long been a topic of discussion and speculation amongst political and religious leaders throughout Cyriedon, for none remains ignorant of their intentions and ornery campaign prior to the writing of the Myth of Truth’s first chapters.
Hidden behind the shadow cast by their very name, The Whispering Torment is the exemplar of unabated malevolence, the evocation of deliberate calamity, and the only divine patron of the devout (and cultish) Thejik community. These facts bolster Aseyr’s mystique and enshrouds them in a dire space within the collective consciousness of Cyriedonians.
Those who openly offer prayer to The Whispering Torment are rare, as it is a commonly held belief that those who do hold naught but nefarious and vile intentions of deceit or murder. Yet, despite not enjoying widespread popularity, Aseyr’s worship still maintains a dark allure which attracts adherents from all walks of life.
As a god frequently associated with evil, architectural monuments to Aseyr are rarities scattered across remote and secluded corners of the world; but the few great temples that have been erected in his name are a sight to behold —wide halls of stone draped in black ethereal silk hanging from intricate silver hooks, a disposition that creates an ambient of disorientation, and a dim grey unidentifiable light which seems to magically sap every color even from the most vibrant flower. Smaller shrines devoted to the Whispering Torment dot roadsides in the southern regions of Thevenek, where the Thejik crusade initially gained momentum; albeit most of them have eroded through time and weather, many remain and stand as beacons for individuals seeking a more intimate connection with their enigmatic deity.
The quintessential representation of Aseyr is both mesmerizing and appaling: a formless ebony silk phantom adorned with a gaunt and pallid mask that obscures all facial features except for a gaping, void-black dent where a mouth would be, and thorny mutant-looking antlets. Image that seeks to evoke an encumbering sense of dread, and one that offers a practical use to the Whispering Torment’s zealots, who enter the shadowy halls of Aseyr’s temples donning white masks over black hoods, shrouding themselves in secrecy, and concealing their faces from prying eyes or potential condemnation.
