Nacken

Alignment: Neutral Evil
Domains: Chaos, Death, Knowledge, Nature, Trickery
Portfolio: Forbidden knowledge, desperation, heartbreak, vengeance, performance, fresh water
Holy Symbol: A black horse with plants tangled through its mane
Realm: Fast-moving rivers and hidden places where water runs deep and loud
Ascended: The Age of Glory
Status: Alive, Worshipped

Nature god of forbidden knowledge, heartbreak, and vengeance. Nacken was once a nature spirit of rushing water who took the form of a black horse that haunted rivers, streams, and waterfalls. Alongside his brother Stromkarlen, he was elevated to a powerful fae bard before being cast into the mortal world. There, through storytelling, music, and the devotion of followers, he ascended to godhood.

Nacken is a capable teacher and a patient one, so long as his students show effort and ambition. He offers knowledge freely to those who seek it—but he expects results. Those who disappoint him are not simply punished; they are made into a story.

Nacken’s influence is most strongly felt near moving water.

He teaches, he inspires, he offers advice, and he manipulates. Those who seek him out often improve quickly, learning at a pace they would not otherwise achieve. He adapts his teaching to the individual and is capable of bringing out their full potential.

He always expects something in return.

Those who come to him often do so out of desperation, whether for knowledge, for love, or for revenge. He is particularly drawn to those experiencing heartbreak, as it creates the kind of heightened emotion he thrives on. He does not simply offer solutions. He provides the means for someone to pursue what they already want, often pushing them toward more extreme or decisive action.

Those who lack ambition or fail to make use of what he has given them often find themselves drawn toward the water. Accidents happen. Footing slips. A current pulls stronger than expected.

Nacken feeds on heightened emotion; especially heartbreak, grief, and the desire for vengeance. These emotions are, to him, the purest form of storytelling.

Animals: Black horses
Colors: Deep black, river green, dark blue
Elements: Moving water, current, foam, mist

Omens and Signs:

• Hearing music where none should be, especially near water
• A sudden, unnatural pull toward a river or stream
• Water moving against its natural flow, even briefly
• Finding something long lost carried downstream

Motifs:

• Tangled plant life caught in flowing water
• Reflections that linger too long or move incorrectly
• Instruments left near riverbanks

Nacken most commonly appears as a black horse, sleek and powerful, with plant growth tangled through its mane. He allows others to approach or even ride him only when he intends to use them.

In humanoid form, he is charismatic and intense, with a presence that commands attention. He often carries a fiddle and is rarely seen without it.

He performs when he appears. Even when speaking, it feels performative, more dramatic than it needs to be.

Nacken is not widely worshipped openly, but he is frequently sought out.

Common Followers:

• Desperate scholars seeking forbidden or lost knowledge
• Heartbroken individuals seeking revenge or closure
• Those attempting to win back a lost lover, regardless of cost
• Individuals seeking to remove rivals or obstacles in matters of love or family
• Musicians, actors, and performers
• Those who favor manipulation over direct conflict

Many who turn to Nacken understand that what they are asking for is dangerous, and proceed anyway.

He is especially appealing to those who feel wronged, rejected, or overlooked. He does not comfort them. He validates their feelings and offers them the means to act on them. Whether the outcome is reconciliation or ruin is rarely his concern.

• If you seek knowledge, be prepared to use it
• Do not waste what you are given
• Strong emotion is truth, do not deny it
• If your heart is broken, decide what you will do about it
• A story must be seen through to its end
• If you must fail, then suffer beautifully.

Nacken has little formal clergy. Those who follow him tend to act independently.

Some serve as:

• Teachers of dangerous or forbidden knowledge
• Performers who use their art to manipulate or influence
• Individuals who guide others toward vengeance or obsession
• Advisors to the heartbroken, offering paths toward reunion, revenge, or removal of rivals

They are often charismatic and persuasive, capable of drawing others in before revealing their true intentions.

They rarely discourage destructive choices. Instead, they help justify them.

• Loose circles of performers and storytellers
• Hidden groups dedicated to preserving forbidden knowledge
• Informal networks of individuals bound by shared grievance

Nacken rarely has dedicated temples. Instead, his presence is tied to:

• Riverbanks
• Waterfalls
• Remote mountain streams

A cleric may use the theater they perform in as a temporary temple, but this is hardly formal and more a matter of convenience or personal flair.

• None formally recognized

Moments of intense emotion—particularly heartbreak or betrayal—are considered sacred in practice.

Burial: The body is cast into moving water while music is played or an old song is sung. This is considered a return to Nacken so that he may find what is lost in the river.

Invocation: Music played near moving water may draw his attention, particularly if performed with genuine emotion.

Nacken and his brother Stromkarlen were once nature spirits that grew into powerful fae bards. During the Age of Glory, they were cast into the mortal world by other fae.

With the world still reeling from the loss of magic, the novelty of their appearance allowed them to swiftly gain a following. Through music, performance, and influence, they ascended to godhood.

Their true nature as fae is not widely known.

• Stromkarlen – His twin brother. The two are close, though they frequently argue and play tricks on one another. Stromkarlen attempts to steer others away from Nacken, but does not directly oppose him.
• Kardathi – Shares a domain of vengeance, though expressed very differently. Kardathi is direct and warlike, while Nacken is manipulative and personal

• A city once attempted to gain Nacken’s favor by offering him the most beautiful woman among them. He instead fell for a farm girl, whom the city had killed to preserve their own plans. In response, Nacken played a song so full of grief that the city drowned in its own tears.