Yakuul, The Great Hunger
Hunger is often regarded as a basic force of nature that drives not only creatures, but the actions of mortals. The entity known as Yakuul embodies this force, urging others to follow the urge of hunger and to satisfy it not with just the most petty of sustenance but with a rich, decadent palate with no limits. All is food, nothing is forbidden, and what does not devour, will inevitably end up on the plates of those that do.
History
The Great Hunger
In the land of Eatash Alram, there once existed a lush jungle, the likes of which was never seen before. Full of life and magic, it was the envy of the ancient world. With this glory however came those that wished to prey upon it. One of those was a meager earth elemental that wished to claim this place for the Eternal Delve, and upon searching for ways to do so, found a forbidden technique that allowed it to absorb the life energies, even the very essence that forms the foundation of magic, of all around it.
Subsequently, the elemental gorged itself on the richness of life and magic in Eatash, sucking the vitality from the land. Soil turned to sand, rivers dried, and the wildlife died off in huge numbers as its energies were consumed. Not a fool though, the elemental ushered in life suitable for living in the new desert, including a race of Men, and allowed it to grow so it could be harvested again and again like crops every thousand years.
As it fed upon life and magic in the desert time and again, the elemental began to grow lax; never sated, yet swelling in size and power until it rivaled the gods themselves. It eventually came to the point that the creature could no longer move itself from beneath the sands of Eatash, so fat and gluttonous it was. Soon, it needed something to deliver the life it seeded in the desert into its maw, and so it created from its own essence the first Son of Sand. The Sons would arise in different forms, every thousand years, to reap vitality that had grown, Men and animals alike. Yakuul was this first Son, the first creation of The Great Hunger, and after he completed this task, he returned to his 'father' to be consumed and lie in its belly.
And yet, Yakuul survived. For in his first harvest, he came upon those who possessed what would be called, millenia later, Sparks of Potential in ancient Eatash Alram. When he gathered those souls he took an interest in them, these hardy Sparks that refused to be so easily devoured. When Yakuul gave himself back to The Great Hunger, he kept the Sparks and gnawed upon them, keeping himself alive and growing ever more powerful, slowly but steadily.
For all his work however, Yakuul was destroyed when The Great Hunger was slain during the Hungering Sands Incident by Avalia Naramoore, Delvar Starbreaker, Creighton Drumheller and Jackdaw. But as he had gained power from the Sparks he slowly consumed, so did Yakuul inherit their sturdiness...
Resurrection
When the Fifth Horseman's Endbringer Cult arose proper, it desired artifacts of great power to aid its unholy crusade against all life. One of these, was an ancient talisman created by the abusive Salaf precursors of the Alrimal, said to be capable of controlling the Sons of Sand, with Zaeed Abadi being the current incarnation. The Cult send men into the Draconic Range mountains of Eatash, where they battled with the Alrimal and Setlaar Armed Forces, before eventually clashing with a group of Eteran adventurers sent by the SAF to stop the Cult's machinations. They arrived too late, it seemed, with an undead Hollow Operator taking the disc and attempting to bring Zaeed under his control. Still, with the aid of the Eterans, Zaeed managed to resist the artifact and stress it to the point of shattering, casting a different spell.
From this effect, Yakuul was resurrected through the power of his collected Sparks, brought into the modern day. Confused and angered at first, Yakuul fled the scene and 'attacked' several Setlaar libraries, gathering information on this strange new world he found himself in. He was eventually confronted by Avalia and Benedict DeChance, the latter in disguise as The Hyena during his co-rule over Tribulation March with Cormick Thale. The two managed to assuage Yakuul, and convince him to leash his hunger under the duties of a god, having inherited the immense power of the dead Great Hunger. Yakuul took to the idea, and agreed to make the effort to ascend.
The Ringed Maw
Yakuul eventually accomplished this with the aid of the mysterious Propheta Novi, confessed servant of the Gods of Chronus, and crafted his domain along with new servants, the hunger spirits that once ravaged Eatash in service to their, and his, creator. After making a deal with the tiefling Maldrik Shiarza to help safeguard his lover and child from higher plots in exchange for aid in creating followers, Yakuul gained foothold in the Alinibal Court of the Setlaar. Taking advantage of their natural predilection for decadence, the proto-god established a cult among many of the nobility, especially those that had found themselves on the wrong side of the dragon Bosu's power-plays, kept in place in the Court but now powerless and purposeless. With Yakuul's influence though, they found a new way of life, dedicating themselves to the new Great Hunger, and slowly spreading his word further out.
He soon ascended outright, gathering further divine power from the ritual conducted with Maldrik, and became a true God of Chronus. Now making His home at His endless feasting table, the Hall of Teeth, Yakuul seeks new tastes, new heights of luxurious gluttony, and influences his followers to do the same, for a life without hunger, is a no life at all..
Home
Yakuul rules from the dining table, his table, known as the Hall of Teeth. And long, lavishly decorated wooden table that extends endlessly in either direction in a grand stone-carved room occasionally dotted with fireplaces, opulent furnishings, and various paintings dedicated to scenes of hunger on display. Through doorways hidden from most mortal sight without Yakuul's permission lie the kitchens, where the food literally cooks itself. Spoons and knives, pots and pans, graters and tenderizing hammers, all working autonomously to pump out a never-ending feast, with recipes collected by the Ringed Maw Himself from all existence. Nothing is off limits, with dishes ranging from usual fare to exotic and even forbidden meats, such as cuts and tenderloins of sapient humanoids, with Yakuul having an odd personal taste for tieflings. Nobody knows where the ingredients come from, and its best not to ask, for the answer can be disturbing.
Below the stone floor of the Hall of Teeth lie the Ravening Pits, a dark space empty of anything but Yakuul's servants, the hunger spirits. Able to drain the life and magic of anything short of a demigod, these spirits are the god's ultimate weapons beyond His own power. In the Ravening Pit, both the souls of unpleasant dinner guests and gluttonous sinners of Chronus meet their end, devoured and sent to the kitchens to be rendered into ingredients for Yakuul and His guests.
Appearance
Yakuul has forms both mortal and monstrous, usually preferring the former. As a humanoid, he takes the shape of a handsome sorcerer of the ancient Salaf whose magicks brought him to the present time, and whose ritual helped empower him. It's the most He does to respect them, but He has another motive for it. The Salf enslaved the ancestors of the Alrimal, the current native generations of Eatash Alram. As his 'brother' and fellow Son of Sand, Zaeed is a target for much of Yakuul's trickery and insults, with his guise as the enemies of the Son's beloved Alrimal being yet another form of Yakuul's dislike. Even in his human form though, Yakuul's nature shines through. His teeth, shown during the god's many grins, are a nightmarish arsenal of enamel; thorned hooks and jagged fangs of clean white.
His true form is far more grotesque, a musclebound hulk with a gaping maw torn across the belly. It is with this mouth that Yakuul speaks and feeds, for it has no true head, but a skin-stretched skull reaching from within the neck, like a captured victim vainly attempting to escape its fate. Yakuul only takes this form when necessary, as he has come to like the elegance and dignity of his human guise, and reserves his true appearance for dealing with enemies and those he is soon to devour.
Relationships
Friends and Allies
While Yakuul is a natural host, He's yet to have many beyond pedestrian souls for guests at His dining table yet. Still, He has a couple of those even a creature such as He would hesitate to feed upon, if only because their company or deeds have made it worth the denial. Avalia Naramoore, the Mithral Lady and fellow God of Chronus, was the one to float the idea of becoming a god, to set rules and reason behind His endless hunger. As such, Yakuul regards The Self-Forged with a good deal of respect and gratitude, and has invited Her to a seat at His tables. He also has made a vow to Maldrik Shiarza, for the empowering ritual and planting the seeds of His worship among the Setlaar's Alinibal Court. According to his promise, the hunger god will never prey upon the tiefling or his family, and his line will, like Avalia, always have a place in the Hall of Teeth. Whether or not Shiarza accepts such an invitation is a different story.
He holds some small favor for the Apex Noble, another God of Chronus, who arose from an elite technocrat to become the Lord of Ambition. With both their spheres dedicated to higher living, there is some minor bond, but the Noble does not fully reciprocate, considering Yakuul's gastrointestinal obsession as frivolous.
After some small socialization with fellow God of Chronus Ronda, Yakuul discovered some secrets of his past unknown even to him. This was apparently enough to spark the Empress' attention, whose pursuit of The Ringed Maw eventually blossomed into a romantic relationship, the two cooperating to aid each other's presence on the world to whatever extent their mostly unrelated spheres allow. In more recent times the two agreed to spawn children together; perhaps exciting for them, but likely unfortunate for the poor denizens of Chronus. Who knows what foul creatures will crawl forth from their copulation...
Enemies
A creature such as Yakuul is bound to have foes among those who preach self-discipline and control, regarding them as "stiffs" who refuse to allow themselves enjoyment in life. But for unique hatreds, He has none like those He holds for his descendant, Zaeed Abadi, the last Son of Sand. Not only taking the title that Yakuul used to hold but aiding in the death of the original Great Hunger, Yakuul regards his 'brother' with an understated loathing, never getting into screaming fits over the Son but preferring to subvert His fellow creation's plans and agenda. Driving the neighbors of clans and tribes the Son blesses to a maddening hunger in order to set them against the protected is but one of the more minor torments, along with adopting the looks of a Salaf mage, whose civilization enslaved and exploited the ancient Alrimal.
Feeding The Maw
Worshipers
Yakuul, as a god of decadence and a hunger for the luxurious, does not hold much interest for the teeming masses, seeing them mostly as literal meat for the grinder. Among the hungering elite however, who prefer to feed on those below them over leading their lessers, He has a heavy influence. The amount of dedication, and degradation, varies depending on how long one has followed the Ringed Maw. Neophtyes simply partake in rich foodstuffs, typical aristocratic cuisine. But as one delves further and further into worship of Yakuul, the more depraved one's appetite becomes. Soon, other intelligent beings start to become naught but food, yet another item on the menu. Eventually, those who give in too much become completely obsessed, swallowed by an endless craving that refuses to be sated.
Clergy
The cults of Yakuul are surprisingly organized, even civilized, for a group worshiping an Evil being. To many, they may come across simply as an eccentric club dedicated to fine foods. Even as one enters further in and beholds the true depravity, it still maintains a thick veneer of aristocratic elegance, with bloody wines and soups made from the bones of victims described as if one were praising a fine culinary dish, and eaten with proper manners. Part of this is due to the discipline by cult leaders, who ensure the secrecy of their activities and that their members do not devolve into frenzied monstrosities, as when one goes too far down the path of hunger, they become unable to truly appreciate the tastes of their delicacies, which is of course the entire point of Yakuul's philosophy.
When Yakuul cults grow large enough, their leaders strong enough, they are blessed by a hunger spirit, which bonds with the most faithful individual worshiper. At that point, they become a terrifying creature known as a Maw Lord. These epitomes of the Great Hunger's beliefs are incredibly powerful entities, who share the ability to drain mana and life from victims, with only the strongest able to resist. Fortunately, they keep to the habit of not being overly disruptive, and very rarely go on public rampages. Instead, they continue to lead their local cult, and act as guardians, protecting their weaker members if under attack and attempting to connect with other Maw Lords to mesh their organizations together into one larger center of influence for the Ringed Maw.
Temples and Shrines
Considering the depraved behavior of Yakuul cults, the followers of the Great Hunger do not establish recognizable temples to Him. Instead, their worship is a more subtle thing, usually offering their (usually opulent and sizeable) homes as gathering places. These can often be detected by hidden symbols of the Ringed Maw in their architecture or decor, paired with frequent, secret meetings of the cult. Yakuul rarely calls for shrines in rural areas, preferring the urban for its heaps of potential victims and the power His followers often wield in cities.
Worshiping Yakuul
Obedience: Once a day, the worshiper must consume at least 10gp worth of fine food over a period of time no less than an hour. This confers a +2 profane bonus to Knowledge: Nobility and Bluff. If the fresh corpse (no older than a day) of a humanoid creature with at least 3 INT is consumed as part of the meal, one organ can be chosen as the signature dish to give further profane bonuses. The brain gives a +1 to CL, the tongue gives +1 to Charisma skills, the heart gives +1 to Will saves, the kidneys +1 to Fortitude, the eyes a +2 to Perception, and the thyroid or other hormone glands a +1 to Reflex saves. These effects last for 24 hours.
Hidden Palate (Tier 1 Boon, Sp): A worshiper can cast Undetectable Alignment once per day as an SLA with a CL equal to their hit-dice.
Room For More (Tier 2 Boon, Ex): A worshiper gains an extra ‘slot’ for alchemical bonuses, allowing another bonus of that type to be applied to them, after completing their obedience.
Maw Lord (Tier 3 Boon, Su): Once a day for 3 rounds, the worshiper can call upon Yakuul’s Hunger Spirits to possess them. In this state, their alignment shifts to LE and cannot be hidden, and this possession is obvious. During this possession, they gain a number of temporary hitpoints equivalent to the CL of all spells cast on them, with a maximum of half their max HP, and the bonuses of their obedience meal are tripled.
Teachings
Despite the Evil and depravity of Yakuul's ways, His deific philosophy is surprisingly high-minded. Rather than a blind hunger as most would associate with such a creature, He advocates a discriminating taste that truly appreciates every bite and every sip, and always seeks a more refined and sumptuous palate. To Yakuul, hunger is insatiable, and if left unchecked, will devour all in existence, including itself in the end, and when that end comes there is no more to be had. Such a thing is a tragedy to Him, to no longer be able to even temporarily satisfy. And so, the Ringed Maw calls for true enjoyment of what is devoured, for every morsel to be broken down and analyzed, painfully slow. At least, slow compared to what is usually expected for a being such as He. To the mortal observer, it is still a rapid, gnashing set of jaws that tears and slices.