Cynothoglys

Cynothoglys the Mortician God is a deity, worshiped primarily by gnolls.

The Cult of Cynothoglys

These are the deranged worshipers of Cynothoglys the Mortician God. Cynothoglys is regarded by It's cultists as the master of death. Cynothoglys has no permanent shape or form except for a single mummified arm that tirelessly reaches through the fabric of the universe, bringing death to whatever It can grasp. In addition to reigning death amidst the mortal world, Cynothoglys is also responsible for the death dealings of all Gods. Whenever a God dies or becomes lost to It's followers, it is Cynothoglys' responsibility to hunt down that God, and put them to rest.

Cultists embrace death, considering it an honor to be touched by their God. They frequently go out of their way to put themselves in dangerous and often suicidal situations. Members of The Cult of Cynothoglys mark themselves by wrapping their limbs in bandages, often to keep their scarred, mutilated, and diseased bodies from falling apart. Rituals frequently involve human sacrifices, bizarre and gratuitous acts of self-mutilation, and among the truly devoted, mass suicide. All cultists are considered equals amongst themselves and largely practice their beliefs and rituals independently.

There is an unusual paradox associated with the worship of Cynothoglys. Because the Mortician God's sole purpose is to eradicate all life, summoning the God or otherwise attracting It's attention ultimately results in death. As a result, the existence of the God is actually impossible to prove since the only ones who have seen the God for themselves are all dead.

The Legend of Mythra

In spite of the evidence against Cynothglys' existence, there are legends told of gnolls who have seen the Mortician God for themselves and have received It's blessings. One such story involves the heroic gnoll, Mythra. It is said that gnolls were once a noble and honorable race, not at all like they are now. Mythra however, was born with an insatiable thirst for blood and upon being born, she immediately killed and devoured her mother. At the meager age of 2, she had become a pack leader and with an iron paw, began an insane campaign against all living things. Under her command, forests were burned, cities were destroyed, and the minds of her followers were shattered.

She earned the absolute respect of her crazed followers and slaughtered any gnoll that refused to join her pack, but Mythra wasn't satisfied with merely being the pack leader --she craved immortality. She demanded a monument be built in her honor that would reach higher than any mountain and she further demanded that the gruesome structure be composed entirely of the bodies of her slain enemies. The tower of death took 50 years to build and upon it's completion, Mythra ascended to her throne, and stood alone upon the rotting pile of ten thousand corpses. As close to the stars as any living creature had ever come, she quickly attracted the attention of the wandering Mortician God, Cynothoglys.

Mythra gleefully looked down upon all of the destruction she had made. Without warning, the wind stopped, the sun fell from the sky, her body became numb, and she could no longer breath. A gigantic fissure in the sunless sky quickly opened up; splitting the heavens in two and sealed itself just as quickly. From the seam, a monstrous arm possessing ten thousand fingers, drifted down, reached through Mythra, and with a nightmarish tenderness, gently removed her heart. Mythra let out a deafening scream that echoed throughout the world for a century, and as the horrific arm vanished into space, blood rained down from the sky, twisting and breaking the mind of every living gnoll and of every gnoll that was born thereafter.