Shimmer

"All Light Fades"

Introduction

Of the Eidolons of our world, we know of two that have perished... Yet "perish" is too harsh a word, for Eidolons are gods, and gods cannot truly die. There is no greater power, and thus any battle betwixt two gods merely results in... punishment. For what we know now as the Shimmer, few punishments are more severe than the one it endures to this very day.

Background

The Shimmer was not always this malnourished monstrosity of a "thing". At a point, it was something far greater, with grand purposes and a drive to change the world.

Thousands- perhaps even tens of thousands- of years prior to modern day Rhyst, the Shimmer existed with a name all its own. It, uniquely so among the Eidolons, sought to uplift the denizens of the planes. Its singular goal was to achieve "Ascendancy" for its followers, which involved granting them grand powers and physical forms unlike any other. It was known to bathe its cultists in a blinding light, remaking them in its "holy" image.

We know now, however, that this Ascendancy and holy light was little more than a façade. It was a smokeshow performed to fascinate and lure mortals in; ultimately, those that pledged themselves would become enthralled with spreading this plague of light, conquering and ascending in the now-lost name of the Shimmer. For this facsimile of what Oberon believed to be true godhood- achieved through piety, worship, and truth- only the grandest punishment was deserved.

Thus, a war was waged that ravaged the Faewild. Large swathes of land were encased in glass, burned to nothing by the clashing of truth and false light. For a hundred years their followers battled, spilling blood upon the burning sand time and time again in the name of their chosen god. In the end, as we already know, Oberon achieved victory over the Shimmer. He, in a as-of-then unheard-of act, opted to "kill" his downed opponent.

In this instant, what the Shimmer was changed fundamentally. While Eidolons cannot kill Eidolons, they can deprive them of many facets of what make them... them.

First, Oberon stripped the Shimmer of its moniker, leaving it nameless- cursing its worshippers to forget the visage of their god. Even now, those that cast their gaze upon the Shimmer cannot recognize its face. Many go mad simply from trying, unable to rationalize what they're seeing. Secondly, Oberon removed the veil of false light from the Shimmer's ascended. The truth of their lie-born form was revealed, causing them to mutate and warp grotesquely.

Finally, Oberon removed the Shimmer's ability to cast lies with its false light. It became unable to grant its Ascendancy to mortals any longer, cursing them with horrible mutations instead of blissful youth and power. It cannot resist uttering its words unto mortals it favors, telling and showing truths of such severity that ears go deaf and eyes bleed. It is fundamentally bound to never bear a sane follower again, abolished of what Oberon believes to be the foundation of godhood.

Nowadays, the Shimmer wanders the scorched glass-deserts it itself forged so long ago, twisting all that it comes across into a wicked simulacrum of what could've been.

Trivia

Since its "death", the Shimmer has become the largest source of oppression for other forces in the Faewild, backfiring on Oberon to a great degree.

The Shimmer does not have Generals as other Eidolons do. Instead, it has various monsters of great power and vileness.

We know extremely little about how this Eidolon thinks and works due to how esoteric it is. Many consider its death one of the few "good" things Oberon has done.

Prior to its demise, the Shimmer was Titania's favored of her fellow Eidolons. We aren't sure what she thinks of it now.

While we're too late to have seen for ourselves, the myth goes that the Ascended of the Shimmer always looked mutated and warped to those other than themselves and other followers.

Credit

Roomyrooms https://forum.verdict.dev/showthread.php?tid=1135