Luhthar

The Deep, Betrayer Redeemed, Lord of the Sea, Big Fin

Luhthar would likely have led a life of no consequence at all. Then, one day while out scouting, he happened upon the lair of an aboleth. As is the case with most people who stumble into an aboleth’s lair, he was quickly overtaken and made a thrall.

History

Luhthar was originally a mortal, deeply involved in the life and survival of his people. One day, while out scouting, he stumbled into an aboleth’s lair. Overcome and transformed into a thrall, he was compelled to teach the creature about his people, their magic, and history, and to reveal the location of their nearby city.

As time passed, the aboleth recognized that Luhthar’s loyalty no longer required compulsion. This realization led to Luhthar being granted more autonomy and responsibility, ultimately becoming a commander over other thralls. During one such mission, Luhthar was given full autonomy over half of an attack against a unified loper and terran encampment. The aboleth later discovered that this autonomy was a mistake, but not for the reasons it initially thought.

Luhthar had managed to break free from the aboleth’s control sufficiently to communicate with his former people. He warned them of the aboleth’s intentions and provided a strategy to banish the creature to its home world. The plan succeeded, but not without significant cost. Many terran and lopers died, and Luhthar himself was captured by the aboleth during its banishment. As he was being pulled into the aboleth’s world, he begged his people to end his life, a request they honored out of a mix of anger and pity.

Though his body was taken by the aboleth, his soul journeyed to the Plane of Water. The force of his arrival displaced the existing deity, and Luhthar took the throne. Now, as a deity caught between his past selves and his new existence, he is often depicted as a blend of a loper and an aboleth.

Dogma

Luhthar’s teachings emphasize survival through cunning and opportunism. He embodies the idea that one must adapt to circumstances, sometimes making morally complex decisions for the greater good. His followers are encouraged to be resourceful, to seize opportunities as they arise, and to embrace redemption even after betrayal.

Tenets of Faith

• Adaptability: Embrace change and use it to your advantage.
• Cunning: Use intelligence and strategy to overcome obstacles.
• Redemption: Seek redemption for past mistakes through meaningful actions.
• Survival: Prioritize survival, even if it requires difficult choices.

Rituals and Practices

• Offerings: Devotees leave offerings of shells at altars dedicated to Luhthar, symbolizing their aspirations for wisdom, guidance and journey. The shells are believed to be messages to Luhthar, seeking clarity in times of uncertainty.
• Rite of Cleansing Waters: In times of spiritual distress or after significant hardships, followers immerse themselves in sacred waters, believing it purifies the soul and restores balance under Luhthar’s guidance.
• Sunrise/set Prayer: Followers of Luhthar gather at dawn or dusk each day (depending on where you are in relation to a body of water) to pray silently, seeking clarity and inner peace. They believe that the colorful refection of the sun brings enlightenment and guidance from Luhthar.

Consequences of Transgression

• Lost at Sea: Those who disrespect the power of water may find themselves lost or in peril on the seas.
• The Unforgiven: Betrayers who do not seek properly redemption are shunned by the community and left to fend for themselves.

Worshipers

Luhthar’s worshipers predominantly reside underground, where the story of his treachery and redemption is well known. These deep dwellers, especially in regions where water is scarce, pray for guidance and survival. Surface dwellers, particularly coastal communities in Peredhel, also pay homage to him for safety at sea and favorable weather. Rivermen invoke him too, before a long passage.

Orders and Sects

Ocean’s Embrace

A sect focused on overcoming past mistakes and seeking redemption through acts of service and penance.

Riptide

A group dedicated to using cunning and strategy to protect their communities, often working in secret to thwart threats.

Watchers

Guardians of waterways and coastal regions, ensuring safe passage and honoring the power of water.

Campaign Updates

The Mól carved for him. In a sealed chamber behind the Crack, southwest of Haudh-Gwenn, a pillared hall holds a fountain of something thicker than water and five planar sigils ranged around it: Water, Steam, Salt, Ice, Slime. His is one of the two that can be read by name; the Mistress of Mists has the other (S1E10).

Water-ruins of that age are said to carry his mark, and this chamber does.