Sithus

Across Arcainia, the name Sithus evokes a mixture of fascination, fear, and reluctant reverence. The god is associated with wine, madness, ecstatic revelation, and the breaking of mortal limitations. Unlike most deities, Sithus possesses no formal church, no unified doctrine, and no central priesthood.

Instead, his followers exist as scattered cults and movements, each interpreting his chaotic nature in dramatically different ways. Among these groups, two rival factions stand above the rest: the Revel of the Crimson Cup and the Delirium Covenant.

Though both claim devotion to Sithus, their philosophies could not be more different.

The Revel of the Crimson Cup

Fae Devotees of Ecstatic Enlightenment

The Revel of the Crimson Cup is the oldest known movement devoted to Sithus. Its members are primarily fey creatures, including satyrs, redcaps, pixies, and other wild fae who reject rigid societal order.

Philosophy

Followers of the Revel believe that Sithus represents liberation from mortal constraints. In their view:

Madness frees the mind from illusion.
Wine reveals hidden truths.
Ecstasy allows mortals to glimpse divine reality.

Rather than worship through prayer or discipline, they honor Sithus through celebration and excess.

To the Revel, Sithus is not a destroyer but a cosmic trickster, a god who tears down false order so that true insight may emerge.

Revels

Their gatherings, called Revels, are chaotic festivals that may last for hours or days.

During these events, participants engage in:

Ritual wine drinking using enchanted vintages
Frenzied music and dance
Illusion magic
Dream-sharing rituals
Prophetic trances

Some participants experience powerful visions or divine insight during these revels. Others emerge disoriented, transformed, or permanently touched by madness.

Despite their chaotic nature, the Revel rarely engages in violence. They see their practices as spiritual liberation, not domination.

Sacred Symbol

The primary symbol of the Revel is a chalice overflowing with wine, often surrounded by twisting vines or crescent moons.

Attitude Toward Mortals

Most members of the Revel treat mortals with curiosity or amusement. However, travelers who stumble upon a Revel uninvited may become unwilling participants in their celebrations.

View of the Goblin Cult

The Revel considers the goblin cult beneath Sithus Island to be blasphemers who have corrupted the god’s message.

Where the Revel seeks enlightenment through madness, the goblins seek control and domination.

The Delirium Covenant

The Goblin Cult of Weaponized Madness

Hidden beneath Sithus Island, deep within vast cave networks, lies a secret civilization of goblinoids devoted to a darker interpretation of Sithus.

This faction calls itself the Delirium Covenant.

The Discovery of Delirium

Centuries ago, goblin explorers discovered deposits of a strange crystalline substance beneath the island.

These crystals, known as Delirium, are corrupted mana crystals infused with blood magic and fragments of trapped souls.

Delirium possesses extraordinary magical properties, including:

Amplifying spellcasting
Inducing hallucinations
Corrupting living creatures
Storing spiritual energy

The Covenant believes these crystals are physical fragments of Sithus’s divine mind, scattered during an ancient cosmic event.

Philosophy

Unlike the fae revelers, the goblins do not view madness as liberation.

They view it as a tool.

The Covenant teaches that:

Sanity is a limitation imposed by weaker minds.
Madness allows access to hidden dimensions of power.
Souls can be harvested and converted into magical energy.

Through these beliefs, they pursue the ultimate goal of transcending mortal limitations through controlled insanity.

Technology and Magic

The Delirium Covenant has developed a unique blend of magic and technology.

Their innovations include:

Delirium-powered arcane machines
Warlock pacts fueled by soul gems
Necromantic constructs
Alchemical experiments using corrupted mana crystals

Their society resembles a fusion of arcane industry and cult worship, where science and sorcery are indistinguishable.

Sacrificial Practices

The Covenant regularly sacrifices trespassers who wander too close to Sithus Island.

Victims are used in rituals that:

Extract their souls
Bind those souls within Delirium crystals
Offer the harvested energy to their mysterious patron

These rituals are believed to strengthen both the crystals and the entity the goblins worship.

The Question of the Underground Entity

While the Covenant claims devotion to Sithus, some scholars and prophets believe something far more dangerous lies beneath Sithus Island.

Deep within the lowest caverns, the goblins discovered an ancient consciousness bound within massive Delirium crystal formations.

This entity whispers to the Covenant through visions and dreams, guiding their research and rituals.

Whether this being is truly Sithus remains uncertain.

Some theorize it may be:

A fragment of Sithus’s shattered divine essence
A forgotten primordial entity trapped beneath the world
A powerful spirit formed from centuries of trapped souls
An entirely different god impersonating Sithus

Even the Covenant itself may not fully understand what it serves.

The Delirium Soul Plague

A Catastrophe of the Late Era

According to certain prophetic records, the Delirium Covenant eventually develops a terrifying weapon known as the Delirium Soul Plague.

This magical affliction spreads through contact with corrupted crystals.

Victims experience:

Severe hallucinations and paranoia
Gradual loss of identity and sanity
Crystallization of the body as Delirium spreads through their flesh
Imprisonment of the victim’s soul within the resulting crystal

These harvested souls are then collected by Covenant agents and transported back to Sithus Island.

The plague marks the beginning of a massive goblinoid expansion across the seas.

The Goblin Invasions

At some point in the future timeline of Arcainia, the Delirium Covenant emerges from its underground stronghold and launches coordinated invasions of nearby continents.

Their forces consist of:

Delirium-enhanced goblins
Necromantic constructs
Warlock-engineers wielding unstable arcane weapons
Soul-powered machines

Their ultimate goal appears to be harvesting massive quantities of souls to empower their mysterious patron.

The Role of Sithus

The true relationship between Sithus and these cults remains unclear.

Some theologians argue that Sithus actively encourages chaos among his followers, allowing competing interpretations of madness to flourish.

Others believe the god has little interest in organized worship at all.

It is also possible that Sithus himself is unaware that the Delirium Covenant believes it serves him.

Whatever the truth may be, the cults devoted to Sithus represent one of the most unpredictable religious movements in Arcainia.

The symbols of Sithus appear in both fae revels and goblin laboratories, though their meanings differ dramatically between the two factions.

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