Mâl

Title	Destroyer of Worlds, The Forgotten One
Portfolio	Annihilation, ruin, and transformation
Typical Worshipers	Apocalyptic cults, evil druids, mâlites
Typical Worshiper Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Domains	Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Plant
Subdomains	Catastrophe, Decay, Protean, Rage
Favored Weapon	Resin blade (scorpion whip)
Favored Animal(s)	None

Legends

Perhaps the only text in common between Gerana’s Divine Record and Eshsalqua’s Songs of Power is the urgent plea not to invoke the name of Mâl. Hidden in the recesses of these and other ancient tomes, whispered by ravaged planar travelers, and recited from the lips of fanatical druids are the tales of a prison plane harboring horrific creatures and a forgotten god. There, long ago, the god Mâl transformed worlds into hideous replicas of his own through annihilation by his horde of mâlites (see pg. 36). Within the conquered worlds, open plains were ruptured by mountains of serrated obsidian, calm rivers burst into gushing rapids writhing with jagged rocks, and lush jungles choked under a tangle of twisted briars. The world’s unlucky denizens were morphed into inhuman servants or killed for mâlite amusement. Mâl’s thirst for destruction was not quenched by his home plane’s conquest. He sought total domination of the Great Beyond. To thwart this, cites the Divine Record, a group of opposed deities banded together to end his rampage. Alongside an army of planar heroes, they met the mâlite invasion and blasted the horde to pieces. Bound by powerful magic, Mâl was sealed away to rot forever within his perverted domain. And yet his influence is not dead. The Calling of the elves and orcs opened enough of a crack in the fabric of the multiverse to allow Mâl to create a conduit of his power, and to enter the souls and minds of those who would see the universe fall to ruin.

Church

To the mâlites, Mâl is the only god in existence. Most priests are druids accompanied by anti-paladins and rangers, and these druids exercise the highest authority and preside over religious rituals. They seek to transform the world around them into another domain of Mâl through grisly experiments and by exterminating or banishing all outsiders. Mâl’s anti-paladins command legions of mâlite warriors into battle, and rangers constantly study planar travel and outsiders so that they may guide Mâl’s armies back into the Great Beyond. His transition to the world created the Forest of Gora, a thick jungle that is conveniently located near points of access to civilized lands. Temples to Mâl appear as enormous bird’s nests of briars and thorns, with a small opening in the roof, and a chunk of obsidian serving as an altar. Druids meditate each night, praying for the dissolution of Mâl’s bonds. He is worshiped by hidden druidic cabals who wish for chaos to descend upon the civilized world, so that all will be destroyed, and they might gain the favor of Mâl.

Spell Preparation Rituals

Since his imprisonment, there is little detail concerning his practices. Cultists transform their bodies to what they believe a mâlite looks like, implanting thorns under their skin or wrapping briars about themselves. Druids of Mâl typically choose a clerical domain for nature bond instead of an animal companion, and rangers devoted to him bond with their companions and choose good outsiders as a favored enemy.

Religion Traits

The following religion traits may be chosen by worshipers of this deity.

Destroyer of Mâl

As one of Mâl’s most faithful, he grants you even greater destructive power.

Benefit Choose either the Destruction or Plant domain, or any associated subdomain with a power that grants 3 plus your Wisdom modifier uses per day. You may use that power once more per day.

Harbinger of Mâl

The Harbingers are to be at the forefront of Mâl’s planar invasion

Benefit You gain a +2 trait bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks to identify creatures.