The leader of all the antagonists. It's the first time I've actively tried to make a character that is less a predator, and moreso a "monster".
inspired by HP Lovecraft's works, I think these are the best kind of villain and the worst kind of fear.
Something so strong it's unquantifiable; Brave men returning as quivering vegetables, if they return at all.
To that end is why I chose Nanashi as its name, Nanashi in kanji is "Nameless"; another thing people tend to fear being the unknown.
Many people have encounter her proxies, but few have encountered Nanashii theirself and its plane of existense:
"The World That Has Yet To Be".
Nanashii is a Zaikagami, sharing similarities to the Adh Seid of Ireland, the Shinigami, and Shikigami of Japan; they can shapeshift into many forms, and are often conjured by a being's suppressed desires. In this regard there as many Zaikagami as there are sentient beings.
Cowardly in broad sunlight, it's a different story after midnight; if their "creator" is caught out after dark they'll often shapeshift into things or perform acts that will tempt them like: rare jewlery, massive feasts, outright attacking them, or turning into beautiful men or women.
To take their bait is to confess your sins to them, and in doing so they'll haunt you relentlessly; becoming more powerful as you sin, the only way to weaken them is to show resistance in the face of their temptation or by redeeming yourself through good deeds.
People who have done bad deeds can see these "sinful spirits" all around them, often driving the person insane if they don't kill themselves in the sheer abject refusal to carry the weight of their sins.
Only the pure are unable to see or be hurt by them.
Ignoring them and suprressing yours sin even further WILL force a wedge between you and the zaikagami; however, at the price of the sinful spirit confronting you with an ultimatum: Either for you to embrace your true nature, or take the steps to cleanse yourself of it.
Some people try to take a "third option" and attack the Zaikagami, yet there is no record of one being slain; brandishing your sin at them like a weapon only makes them stronger. This often drives the spirit to possess or devour them; literally, they are consumed by their sins.
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Like all Eldritch beings, its very existence is one mortals can't fully encompass; to look into its eyes is to be plagued with night terrors, and it speaks in a tongue mankind cannot replicate. Some claim it might be the soundwaves of its voice flucatuating between infra and ultra sound.
The only other public knowledge is her omniscient hearing; some claim it is the "ever-listening", and its lupine ears can pick up all who mention it outside of a hushed whisper. it'll be by your side in an instant, awaiting what you're going to say next that involved mentioning it.
There's a general consensus about the form Nanashi takes: A Lupine figure of a feminine build; its black body seems to be composed of static that obscures its curves. Its eyes meanwhile shine like mirrors, people able to see themselves within.
The only time this seems to change is when it's in a pitch black room; then its body inverts become white as black ooze drips from its sockets.
Its plane of existence is a vast artic terrain, with ice that gives way in response to the weight of their sins; meanwhie the sky above is eternal night, black snow falling from the sky that eventually turned the ice black as well.
In this universe there are two types of gods: Mundane/(virtuous gods) and Eldritch/(sinful) gods; they're in charge of balancing new words, but one day the Mundane gods desired to create a planet of purely virtue and forbade the Eldritch to intervene, to corrupt this new world.
Of course the Eldritch gods were upset, deciding to get even by creating something too. Thus Nanashi was created as an Eldritch child/demigod; when confronted, they remarked the Mundane gods weren't allowed to touch Nanashi, just like they had forbidden them to touch the new planet.
Enraged at this, the Mundane gods declared on the Eldritch; calling upon the seven animals and 6 humans of the zodiac, the Eldritch gods fell. Nanashi seized this moment to absorb the fallen gods; uniting them as a single entity, the Mundane gods looking on in DESPAIR.
Nanashi as an Eldritch god now holds dominion over the seven deadly sins; however, as an individual lords over the 8th sin of despair. Nanashi believes sentient creatures should welcome sin; however people expulse it, billions of people doing this making Nanashi grow immensely.
Seeing the Mundane gods had indeed made a planet of only virtuous people Nanashi, tried to intervene; However a barrier surrounding the planet neutered its presense. Nanashi could enter, but the barrier rendered Nanashi invisible and mute; in short, it couldn't "enlighten" them.
It forced Nanshi to find proxies, people who would be an extension of its will; it meddled in others' affairs, bestowing seven people with powers bound to and strengthened by a specific sin. Branded "The 'Sarvajna'"/ All knowing ones, they paint their colors on the planet's pure white canvas.
At the end of the day, Nanashi sees itself as an enforcer of truth; all sentient life has sinned one point or another, and so have contributed to Nanashi's growth and the growth of those that created Nanashi. To reject the truth of their sinful nature is to defy Nanashi's existence.
It finds the concepts of cognitive dissonance and the fear of negative consquences trivial; the fact they're quick to blame it for everything inspired the god's wrath. Nanashi isolated itself in the "World that has yet to be" and with nowhere to go, their sins now cling to and fester inside them.
Any sins once experienced can no longer be forgotten; weak spirited people can even die, going mad with despair. Inversely those who are consumed by sin become their own demon, losing all restraint as they try to make others as depraved as they've become; both failing to find the balance.
Nanashi's the one who made the Sarvajna come up with a truth or a question to ask humanity. They all start from Nanashi's original truth though, a question to all beings who attack it claiming the god is morally, ethically, and objectively wrong:
Man judges others because they are willfully ignorant of their own sins; they deny them, hide from them, and force others like ME to take the blame for them.
I did not create sin for sentient beings, you sentient beings, desperately pushing away the accusations and the reality of your sins created ME! You MADE me, you were my GODs; however, now I am yours.
You thought you could hide from the awful truth of your sinful nature; however the truth is: you have to face your demons eventually.Despite having the power of the seven Eldritch gods, and growing a power of its own. . . Nanashi is still a child, barely a thousand years old; this is both good AND bad given how cruel children can be.
The menial things such as life and death don't really function on its radar, and so its compulsions to cause harm and suffering to sentient beings don't hold malice or hatred behind them; rather like a kid with lego block, its motive is simply "curiousity".
With no parental figure to scold it, its impulses run unchecked, eager to discover what would happen if it took a particular action. Sadly being a god gives it so much power its curiousity will almost never fade, the only thing changing that can fix that is "time"
Getting Nanashi's intruige can often end good or bad depending on her whims; she sees sentient beings as its toys. Some "lucky" people being granted Eldritch powers to make playing with them more entertaining; after all, no one likes a "broken toy".
Having friends is not beneath it; however, its friends are more "'irreplacable' tools". If Nanashi finds someone better her attention will drift away, and they have to fight to keep its attention. Regain its intruige, and Nanashi will actively keep you around.
If given nothing to catch its whimsy Nanashi is often calm, cold, and brooding; it enters full god mode, focusing on its mission to bring all sentient into equillibrium with theirself. Nanashi reaches a new level of childhood: the spoiled brat.
Its childish impulses turned numb, Nanashi stops seeing sentient beings as people and more paws towards a bigger plan. It'll actively abduct and force its powers on people, anything to ensure the biggest group of people are "awakened" to their true self.
If people try to defy it, or worse try to deny its words, Nanashi can throw violent tantrums in which she'll actively maim or kill people for their belligerence. These temper tantrums are EXACTLY why she employed proxies, keeping her direct meddling to a minimum.
Lastly, Nanashi is shown to be extremely excited when a plan finally comes together; often giggling with sheer delight, for it meant Nanashi acting as a god over its subjects. It's one of the few times Nanashii leaves her realm to witness the aftermath of her chaos.
Nanashi doesn't fight, it just doesn't; it refuses to make the first move, but that doesn't mean much when the act of sinning in of itself as the first move.
Nanashi prefers battles of the mind and spirit, attacking and planting ideas in the unconscious be it through dreams or otherwise.
Her "combat" as an extension of this, and involves her phasing in and out of existence; making them question their reality, and the rules that govern it.
The instant you try to kill Nanashi you've already lost.
The energy that gives it strength is sin itself, "Sinergy" if you will. In trying to attack it, your sin automatically feeds into the deity; the urge to kill it (Wrath), to devour it (Gluttony), over confidence in your abilities (Pride), and even giving up (Sloth) make Nanashi stronger.
This power gain stacks upon its own, always having the upper hand in a confrontation. If cornered on its home plane of existence it'll "punish"/"reward" people accordingly; often it'll give them powers that work based on how in tune with their sinful nature they are.
The only person that can force the god to flee is a person completely rid of sin, a saint or a budha; however, since they are the .0001% percent it's only a temporary solution. Ironically a pure person can't SEE Nanashi to try and fight it, if they could they wouldn't be pure.
Sin will always exist, and as a result Nanashii cannot be harmed or killed.