Harken, the Death Bringer
(God of Death)

Harken dwells in a citadel carved from black ice, where the souls of the dead are trapped within the walls, ceilings, and floors. Demonic clerics perform twisted experiments and recite ghastly litanies. Harken's throne is within a wide hall called the Hidden Temple, and even more unspeakable horrors are said to be buried in tunnels beneath. Harken's faithful believe they will be rewarded for acts of murder, for every living thing is an abomination in the eyes of Harken.

Harken was not always a member of the pantheon of dark. He once sat at the side of his twin brother Moranthis and was called Io. Once a god of the light he was driven insane and formed a split personality. Io was not able to be cured and so Moranthis use his magics and split the god, separating the good personality of Io from the evil that is Harken. Because of this Harken holds an intense hatred of Moranthis and does everything he canm to discredit him and his followers and thus pretends often to be Morantis and has set his priests to dress in very similar vestments to those of Moranthis's priests. These evil priests play their parts to perfection, first pretending to be helpful and kind then killing in the name of Moranthis in as despicably evil a fashion as possible.

Harken is the patron deity of those who seek the greatest evil for their own enjoyment or gain. Most common folk do not worship or propitiate him, although they fear him greatly. It is believed that any form of appeasement will merely draw his attention, something that is at all costs to be avoided by the sensible. Harken seems, in fact, to draw power from the very avoidance of his name. Some peasants do propitiate Harken with minor rites, begging safe passage for the souls of the dead. Harken is sometimes considered to be the god of winter.

Harken's clerics are feared throughout the lands as cold, calculating murderers. They are secretive and often solitary and always in disguise, dressed in pristine white robes marked with the holy symbol of their god (which is very much like that of Moranthis). Those who would become priests of Harken must undergo an arduous initiation that climaxes in first being buried alive for a time and then being casturated and mutilated to non sexuality.

Harken's temples are hidden and usually subterranean except in the most evil lands, as befits the god of darkness and the underworld. Services to Harken are ghastly things performed in absolute blackness, featuring litanies of fear and suffering. Murder is done as an homage to Harken.

Real Name: Harken nua Zuealus
Alignment: Diabolic Evil.
Size: 25 feet (7.6 meters) tall.
Description: Harken is a massive, long and sinuous dragon with silver-white scales and blue, catlike eyes though because of the split from his counter personality Io, Harken appears as a very muscular old man with forbidding features and intense blank white eyes, as he has no memory of being a dragon god. He is typically dresses in pristine white robes.
Attributes: I.Q.: 24, M.E.: 29, M.A.: 20, P.S.: 40, P.P.: 30, P.E.: 40, P.B.: 20, Spd.: 88 (60 mph/96 km), PER.: 24, Luck: 30, REF.: 47.
Natural A.R.: 12
Hit points: 10,500
S.D.C.: 12,000
P.P.E.: 3,000
Horror/Awe Factor: 17
Experience Levels: 15th level Necromancer, 15th level Priest, 15th level Diabolist, and 15th level Mind Mage.
Natural Abilities: Astral travel at will, nightvision 200 feet (61 meters), see the invisible, turn invisible at will (no time limit), knows all languages, teleport 98%, dimensional teleport 92%, metamorphosis: animal, metamorphosis: humanoid, metamorphosis: supernatural, impervious to heat, cold, and fire, and summon any sub-demons (3D6xlO), lesser demons (4D6), or greater demons (2D4), from the realm of Hades. Bio-regenerates 1D6x1OO points of damage per minute and can regrow a new limb overnight.
Deific Powers: Harken has the full range of power over his followers, and can perform all prototypical deific powers at regular cost, as well as the following special powers:

• Deific Resurrection: Cost to Harken: None
• Death Sprite (Special): A form of powerful destructive energy, imbued with a minimal intelligence, but also filled with hate. The so called sprite attacks whoever and whatever is closest to it (always appears in front of Harken and goes off in a fury in whatever direction he points to). The sprite attacks at the savage rate of 10 attacks per melee round, doing 2D6 damage per each strike to living things, and triple damage to supernatural or deific entities. However, they don't know the difference between animate and inanimate objects, so if, for example, a chair is closer than a warrior, it will attack the chair (against inanimate objects they only do half damage). After four melee rounds (one minute) the Death Sprite will burn itself away in furious frustration, giving off lD4xlO damage to all within a 20 foot (6 m) diameter. Cost to Harken: 150 P.P.E. and Token Body Investment, for the first one, and 75 P.P.E. for each additional death sprite summoned at the same time (six maximum).
• Death Plague: Cost to Harken: 15 P.P.E.

1. Gothor: A greatest flaming rune mace, indestructible, shaped as a goat's head. When parted from his mace, Harken can summon it back to him no matter where it is, even from other dimensions, it teleports to him.
   The mace has an I.Q. of 15, is diabolic, and keeps in constant telepathic contact with Harken. If any creature of good alignment touches it, the mace inflicts 1D6x100 points of damage, and will continue to do so each melee it is held.
   Spell Magic: It can cast each spell as often as six times each, per 24 hour period. Call lightning, wind rush, summon storm, fear, extinguish fires, and create supernatural darkness. Spell strength of the mace is equal to a 15th level sorcerer. The supernatural darkness created by the mace will extend 1,000 feet/305 meters in radius, is unnatural and frightening, with a Horror Factor of 10. Those with normal, human vision cannot see through the darkness while those with superior vision, nightvision and/or optical enhancement systems can only see 25% of their normal range. Duration of the darkness is up to Harken and can last as long as 8 hours. Damage: In combat the mace does 3D4xlO damage, double damage against demons and deevils.
2. Sycanus: Great Rune Gauntlets, also in a telepathic link with Harken, it is diabolic as well, and has an I.Q. of 9. Indestructible, and white in colo. If any creature of good alignment touches them, they inflicts 6D6 points of damage (3D6x10 to supernatural creatures or other gods), and will continue to do so each melee they are held. In combat they inflicts 1D6x10 damage, but it will also attempt to drink the souls of those they kill (A Soul Drinker, see Palladium Fantasy RPG, 2nd Edition, page 252).

1. Holy weapons, weapons made from silver and some rune weapons, cause double damage.
2. Vexation. Harken does not do well in the face of delay and even worse in the face of failure. He will strike out, and if he cannot harm his enemies, he will harm the friends or worshippers of his enemies.

• Demons: Harken can summon individual greater demons, such as Baal-Rogs or Raksasha, or modest numbers (2D6) of lesser demons (or 2D6+1 V'hirs).
• Gargoyles, Gargoyle Lords and Gargoyle Mages: One of the few gods who has a major presence among the Gargoyles'. The Gargoyles follow as readily as any of the Demon Lords, and many view Harken as their primary deity. Harken can summon them, in virtually any quantity, whenever he likes.
• The Jinn: Among Harken's favorite minions are the Jinn, also from Hades. He can summon them at any time (2D4 in number), to be used in combat, as servants, or to deliver messages. Another thing that Harken likes to do is send Jinn to those mortals that he most wants to corrupt. Arranging for the Jinn to be "released", he delights in seeing how the prospect of a wish will create greed and avarice. Even better, since the Jinn are experts at corrupting the intentions of a wish, Harken enjoys the disappointment and frustration that result.