The Black House
The Black House is composed of those forces and powers which represent concepts generally agreed to be evil, corrupt, and hostile. This house is frequently associated with Orcs and other Darkfolk.
The Black House dominates the realm known as the Desolation of Skaros. With the exception of Cthon, each of the Masters of Skaros maintains a fortress-city, surrounded by vast badlands and deserts studded with isolated oasis. These oasis are the granted domains of lesser powers and are, if anything, even more hazardous than the great cities. Cthon wanders the desolation, a storm of destruction, trailed by hideous beasts. It rarely ventures near a city but has obliterated several oasis. Several lesser powers, too stubborn or arrogant to move, have been “twisted” as a result of the passing of Cthon.
There is one main black faction. Shotan leads the main black group, the Dark Masters, consisting of Sarnak, Gurz Adan, Moriga, and Lyca. Xios frequently works with the main faction, but occasionally will work at cross purposes with them as well – you just can’t trust those chaos gods to play with others, let alone nice ( or mean, as the case may be ). Maag holds himself aloof from the other black gods, but he would never openly oppose Shotan.
Cthon is a different matter. Should Cthon communicate with any other being, mortal or immortal, it is a very foolish being that does not respond to that communication in whatever way will make Cthon least displeased (it is unlikely that Cthon is ever actually pleased with anything!). Shotan spends a fair amount of effort insuring that Cthon does not participate with the rest of the black gods; when Cthon chooses to do so, Shotan’s leadership seems to consist of his being the first to do what Cthon wants. This limits the effectiveness of the Dark Masters.