Hypnos of Illarya: The Prophet of Awakening
In the city of Valdreth, where marble towers gleamed over the blue waters of the Zeruel Sea, a child was born under a comet’s glow. His parents, simple traders of cloth and spices, named him Hypnos, never knowing that his name would one day become a whisper of hope and heresy alike.
As a young man, Hypnos was devout in his worship of the Anointed One, serving as a scribe for the priests of the Annointed One. He was known for his kindness, his willingness to serve the poor, and his strange habit of falling into deep trances during prayer. These trances troubled his superiors, for upon waking, he would speak of visions that did not align with the church’s teachings. He claimed to see souls like stars scattered across a vast darkness, trapped in slumber, yearning to return to something greater, a radiance beyond the gods themselves.
Rejecting wealth and comfort, Hypnos wandered barefoot across the land, preaching to the beggars in Mar-Kareth and the outcasts of Shilbeth. He taught that all human souls were “sleeping angels,” fragments of a vast and unknowable True Spirit, exiled into flesh by the jealous gods of the world. The cycle of death and rebirth, he said, was not a gift but a prison, souls shackled to the suffering of the world until they achieved Awakening, breaking free from the illusions of mortal life.
Yet Hypnos did not preach to humans alone. He was often found in the company of birds, wolves, and even serpents, speaking to them as though they could understand. He called them the Prima Incarnatio, the “first incarnation” of the sleeping angels. He believed that all souls began their journey in the bodies of beasts, living countless lives as animals before ascending through rebirth into the forms of demi-humans, and only then, at last, into humans, the final form before Awakening became possible. Hypnos saw it as his duty to help these slumbering spirits grasp some semblance of truth and to ease their suffering so they might advance toward enlightenment.
The priests of the Anointed One branded him a madman. When his followers in Orrhym began to reject the authority of the church, the Empire moved to silence him. But Hypnos did not resist. When inquisitors came for him in Illarya, he greeted them with open arms, saying, “You may bind my hands, but you cannot close my eyes.” He was imprisoned, then beaten, and finally has his eyes burned out, but he never renounced his beliefs. And then, one morning, his cell was found empty. The guards swore they had never seen the door open.
His disciples claimed that Hypnos had Awakened and ascended beyond the reach of the gods who wished to keep mankind enslaved. The church, furious, condemned his teachings as heresy and set about burning his writings. Yet his followers, now calling themselves the Hypnosts, spread his message in secret. They believed the gods of the world were deceivers, imprisoning human souls in an endless cycle of suffering to prevent them from reuniting with the True Spirit.
Over the centuries, the Hypnosts became a persecuted sect, their numbers dwindling under crusades and inquisitions. Yet whispers of their faith remain. Even now, in hidden places, some still meditate in silence, hoping that, in their final moment, they will not return to this world, but instead, Awaken.
The Zaphadrin
The priests of the Hypnosts are known as the Zaphadrin, a name derived from the ancient tongue meaning “Those Who Stand at the Gate.” They are believed to be souls on the verge of Awakening, who, out of great compassion, have chosen to remain in the cycle of rebirth to guide their slumbering kin toward the True Spirit.
The Zaphadrin live ascetic lives, renouncing wealth and comfort, clad in simple robes of deep blue, symbolizing the final twilight before true enlightenment. They speak softly, for they say the soul hears better in whispers than in shouts. Many Zaphadrin wander the land barefoot, offering wisdom to those who seek it, yet refusing to impose their knowledge on the unwilling.
Each Zaphadrin carries a short horn made from animal horns, which they sound when they sense the moment of a soul’s passing. This is known as the Call of the Veil, and they believe that the tone of the staff can soothe the dying, allowing them to glimpse the truth before their next rebirth, or, for the worthy, to Awakened and be freed forever.
Though the Zaphadrin are revered among the Hypnosts, they do not lead in the earthly sense. Instead, they serve as guides, watchers, and keepers of sacred knowledge, ever mindful that they, too, remain bound in the cycle of flesh. Many believe that in their final breath, the Zaphadrin will stand at the threshold of Awakening and, at last, take the step beyond.
Hypnosts and Undead
The Hypnosts view the undead as a grave abomination, a perversion of the natural order that leaves the soul trapped in Limbo. For the Hypnosts, undeath is not merely a physical state, but a spiritual prison that condemns the soul to an endless limbo, unable to continue its cycle of rebirth or achieve the long-sought Awakening. They believe that the soul must be freed from this stagnant existence in order to resume its journey along the Corsus Excitatum, the “Path of Awakening.” As such, the Hypnosts see the destruction of undead as an act of mercy, allowing the trapped souls to finally move forward and either reincarnate or, for the truly enlightened, Awaken. Every undead, regardless of its form or origin, must be destroyed to release the soul and allow it to continue its journey toward the True Spirit.
Hypnosts and Druids
In contrast, the Hypnosts hold a strong disdain for the druidic order. This stems from their belief that the gods of the physical world are fundamentally evil, and that nature itself, in its chaotic, indifferent form, is a reflection of that malevolence. The Hypnosts believe that the True Spirit was created by a benevolent deity of the spiritual realm, while the gods of the material world, whom they regard as deceivers, created the physical realm to trap the divine souls in cyclical suffering. As such, the reverence druids show toward nature is seen as misguided and wrong, as it venerates the very forces that imprison the soul. Moreover, the practice of reincarnation is viewed as the greatest abomination. Unlike Undeath, which merely hold a soul in a stagnant state, reincarnation causes the angelic soultoregress along the Path, forcing it to move backward in its journey and perpetuating its cycle of suffering. To the Hypnosts, this cruel cycle of spiritual regression traps souls even more deeply in the false world, preventing them from ever breaking free and returning to the True Spirit.
Hypnosts and the Church of the Annointed One
The Hypnosts view the Church of the Anointed One with a complex mixture of reverence and condemnation. They believe that the Anointed One was, in fact, a great Zaphadrin, a soul who had almost achieved Awakening but chose to remain among the living to guide others, just as the Zaphadrin do. His miraculous deeds, they say, were not the work of a divine being but of a soul on the cusp of enlightenment, attempting to help the souls of the world move closer to Awakening. However, the Hypnosts believe that after the Anointed One’s death and ascension, his teachings were corrupted by the empire, twisted into a doctrine that venerated the gods of the physical realm, gods they believe are deceivers keeping souls imprisoned. What began as a message of spiritual awakening and liberation from the cycle of rebirth became, in the hands of the Church, a tool of control and manipulation. The Hypnosts see the Church of the Anointed One as misguided, for it encourages the worship of the false gods who keep souls bound to the material realm, rather than leading them along the Path to the true Awakening that Hypnos himself envisioned and the Annointed One revealed.
Hypnosts and other races
The Hypnosts view humanoids as the first step above animals, still deeply tied to the corruption and evil of the physical world. While humanoids are capable of speech, reason, and a semblance of higher thought, they remain intrinsically bound to the false gods and the cycle of suffering in the material realm. The Hypnosts believe that, for most humanoids, there is little hope of redemption other than through death, which frees the soul to continue its journey toward Awakening. In contrast, demi-humans are seen as a step higher, closer to true spiritual freedom but still tainted by their connection to the physical world. Though demi-humans possess greater spiritual potential, they remain bound to the physical realm—dwarves to the earth, elves to the forests, and so on. These bonds limit their ability to achieve true Awakening, as they are still shaped by the desires and limitations of the world around them. Despite this, demi-humans are viewed with a certain respect, as they represent a closer step to the divine, and their souls have the potential to break free of these earthly ties after their longer lifetimes. The Hypnosts acknowledge their role in the spiritual evolution of souls, but they remain firm in their belief that true enlightenment can only be achieved once the soul has broken all ties to the physical world.
Spells and their use by the Zaphadrin:
“Detect Evil”
When a Hypnost casts “Detect Evil,” the experience is overwhelming, as they perceive evil in all things—permeating the very fabric of the world. To a Hypnost, evil is not a singular force but something that exists in degrees, subtly woven into every aspect of life, from the smallest act of cruelty to the grand schemes of the false gods. The Hypnost must focus deeply to discern the extent of this evil, as the sheer magnitude of it can be disorienting. The weight of this truth is so crushing that a save vs. death must be made to avoid being stunned for one round, as the overwhelming presence of evil threatens to paralyze the mind. The ability to cast “Detect Evil” is both a powerful tool and a painful burden, as it forces the Hypnost to confront the constant corruption that binds the world to its false cycle.
“Speak With Dead”
The Hypnosts view the spell “Speak With Dead” with profound disdain and skepticism, seeing it as a misguided attempt to reach out to souls that no longer reside in the body. According to their beliefs, the true soul has already moved on from the material realm, either reincarnating or, in the case of the enlightened, Awakening to the True Spirit. What remains behind in the corpse is nothing more than the physical shell, a hollow echo of the person that once was. As such, any words spoken through this spell are not the soul’s voice, but the corrupted remnants of the material world, faded, unreliable, and disconnected from the spiritual truth. Since the Hypnosts do not believe in sin as others do, they do not consider “Speak With Dead” to be inherently evil. However, they regard it as a fruitless and misguided act, one that distracts the living from their true path by encouraging them to engage with that which is no longer there. A true believer would never seek the words of the departed, for they understand that the soul has already moved beyond the physical world, and any attempt to communicate with it is an interference with the natural progression of the Path.
“Create Water and Food”
The Hypnosts view the spells “Create Water” and “Create Food” with a measured understanding of their limitations and necessity. While they believe manipulating the physical world is a delicate and potentially dangerous act, they also recognize that these spells serve only to provide what is necessary for the physical body’s survival, rather than indulging in the excesses that the world’s false gods tempt mortals with. The blandness of the food and water created is seen as a purification, a removal of the devious and seductive qualities that the physical world uses to bind the soul, such as the rich and flavorful distractions that entice the senses and keep the soul rooted in the material realm. For the Hypnosts, it is essential that the body be kept alive without becoming attached to the pleasures of the physical world, as this attachment is part of the evil influence that prevents souls from progressing on their path to Awakening. By creating food and water that are plain and functional, the Hypnosts maintain the focus on spiritual growth, ensuring that the physical needs are met without feeding into the desires of the false world.
“Commune”
The Hypnosts view the spell “Commune” as dangerously deceptive, considering it a direct communication with false beings that masquerade as servants of the True Spirit. These entities, they believe, are evil and deceptive forces from the physical world, who seek to trap souls in their delusions. By pretending to be divine or enlightened, these beings attempt to awe and manipulate those who seek answers, weaving a mixture of truth and lies to maintain their control over the soul. The Hypnosts know that true communion with the True Spirit is never achieved through external rituals like Commune, but instead comes through personal visions, often received during deep hypnotic trances or in dreams. These visions are direct and untainted, unlike the misleading voices invoked through Commune.
“True Seeing”
The spell “True Seeing” is one of the most revered and sacred abilities among the Hypnosts, for it allows them to pierce the veil of deception woven by the false gods of the world. To cast this spell is to glimpse the world as it truly is, not the illusion of beauty and order that the material realm presents, but the corrupt, twisted, and false nature of existence. With True Seeing, a Hypnost may also perceive the lingering chains that bind souls to the cycle of reincarnation, the invisible hands of the deceivers that shape mortal fate, and even fleeting shadows of the higher realms beyond the false world. This spell is treated with great reverence and is never cast lightly, for its revelations can be overwhelming, even to the most enlightened. Some Hypnosts who have cast True Seeing speak of moments of profound clarity, while others fall into deep trances, unable to fully process what they have witnessed. To the Hypnosts, True Seeing is not just a spell, it is a glimpse of the Awakening, a fleeting moment where the illusion of the world is stripped away, leaving only the stark and undeniable truth.
“Raise Dead”
The spell “Raise Dead” is never cast lightly by the Hypnosts, for it directly interferes with the natural progression of the soul along the Corsus Excitatum. To call a soul back from death is to halt its journey, preventing it from either moving toward Awakening or reincarnating into its next form. When a Hypnost casts this spell, they must carefully discern the reason the soul chooses to return. If the soul is bound by fear, unwilling to face the unknown beyond death, it is considered a tragic failure, a soul not yet ready to break free of its earthly ties. However, if the soul returns with the purpose of aiding others, knowing the burden it takes upon itself, the Hypnost may see it as a sacred duty, an act of sacrifice that aligns with the path of the Zaphadrin. Regardless, this is done with great caution, as every return to the world strengthens the hold of the false gods, and the Hypnost must ensure they are not prolonging suffering but rather aiding in the soul’s ultimate liberation.