A scream- cut short by a knife, pierced the Void.

The Ritual was complete, a need satisfied. Flesh made stone, spirit made god, the Outsider was born.

Knowledge flooded his mind, and all the world was laid bare before him. All the world mortal, and immortal.

The first thing the Outsider learned is that the Void was infinite, but it was not all. The second thing the Outsider learned is that Void had its own wishes- wishes that he is meant to fulfill. The wishes were simple: Observe the world mortal, and perhaps meddle when he sees fit. Ignore what lay beyond them. Protect the integrity of the Void.

The third thing the Outsider learned was that he had no name.

Floating alone in the Void- who he was and not was- the newly born god wept for the dead fifteen year old boy.

Thousands of years passed. The Outsider appeared to some, Marked fewer, but made himself known. The Void had long been worshiped, and now its representative was too. People called on him for luck and favor, blessings and power. His magics were found in runes and bonecharms, in silver mines and paintings. Not all credited the Outsider for the power in bonecharms, and some carved runes honoring other deities. But no one denied he existed, and all had his name on their lips, in praise, plea, or curse.

This mattered not to the Outsider. Being worshiped was part of the job; it did nothing for him but provide occasional amusement. Not all his Marked worshiped him- indeed the Outsider vastly preferred the indifferent. They were much more fascinating to watch and interact with- some bubbling over with sass and insolence, others quiet and polite. All of them did dark deeds, and many faded from his mind when their moment of power and control has past.

One part of the world mortal held his interest longer than the rest- the Isles of Gristol, Morley, Serkonos, and Tyvia. Those four tiny isles were familiar to him somehow, in memory long forgotten. The emergence of the zealous Abbey of the Everyman was particularly interesting to him. Their hatred of the Outsider was fascinating, as well their success in heretic squashing and eventual ascendance to state religion. Those who once wore his mark proudly upon their hand hid it, to avoid being hunted down by the Overseers. The suffering of his worshipers mattered not to the Outsider; he had seen such a path long ago, and their pain mattered little to him.

A hundred years pass, then fifty. The Empire of Isles has industrialized, built off the suffering of whales and people. The Abbey of the Everyman remains powerful, yet still have been unable to squash the practices of magic and worship of the Outsider. As for the Outsider himself, the god finds himself to be rather engrossed with the going-ons of the citizens of Dunwall. There is Daud the Assassin, Granny Rags, Corvo Attano, Delilah Copperspoon, and- most recently- Emily Kaldwin. The excitement of the Rat Plague and Assassination of Jessamine Kaldwin, Delilah's bewitchments and coup, and Emily's remarkably peaceful actions in Serkonos held his attention. But not all things do. Indeed, he knew not at all when a chapel of Oracular Sisters was touched by a divinity.

Author's Note:

This story is Alternate Universe, featuring Low-Chaos Emily, Low Chaos Corvo, and possibly OOC Outsider.

There will be OCs too, largely among the Oracular Sisters and new divinities.

I hope to be posting once a week, but I do have a habit of getting off track. This story is largely an excuse for Emsider, but I hope to make it at least somewhat reasonable and interesting. I am 2000% open for imput, and hope to have this as one of the few finished Emsider stories on here.