The People of Utus Shad-El

UTUS SHAD-EL, the LORD OF DECAY, the BEETLE OF THE UNDERWORLD, is lord over the Sacred Island and with his own hands created man from the murky clay of the Sea of Ghosts. It was He, Shad-El, who pulled the mud and mire from the floor of the Sea to form the Sacred Isle. It was He, Shad-El, who gave Man the chains of language.

The People of Shad-El were made from mud, reeds, and mire. Upon the Sacred Isle, man is currently undivided and undifferentiated. There are no ranks and status' between them. There are no leaders and no headmen—at least as the first day dawns. All worship Shad-El equally and use their skills and labors for His benefit.

Shad-El dwells in the center of the Sacred Isle, in the heart of Corpse Mountain, a massive stone monument which can be entered through the Caves of Shad-El. Men live in a village on the shores of the Sea of Ghosts, all in an undifferentiated huddle. From time to time, Shad-El sends one of his Hands down to speak with them and inform them of the Lord of Decay's will.

The other beetles that grow on the island, some monstrous large, are used to make weapons, armor, and decoration. Only Shad-El has the knowledge of making steel, forging gold, or other such arcane and esoteric sorceries.

The People of the Beetle must also beware—for the Leviathan's creatures and the ten thousand howling demigods of the Sea of Ghosts come from time to time to the shores of the isle seeking to crack open the Mountain of Corpses, to break the shell of Utus Shad-El and devour his flesh, which is of great spiritual power.