Pantheon of the Three Dark Gods
This collection of deities and their offspring, allies, worshippers and attendant creatures have changed the faces of many worlds and the planes of Valhalla, the Hells, and Hades as well. Warlike and of mind to extend their influence far, their actions have taken them across the spheres and planes, and left all behind them changed forever.
While this game supplement predominantly deals with Andraxas and his people, the other two gods of this pantheon are detailed at the end of this page, to allow DM's to add further flavor to their campaigns
ANDRAXAS DOOMGIVER
God of Doom, Conqueror of Asgard, Battle-Master of all Arkaela, Overlord of the Eastern Kingdom of Greyhawk, and Lord of Mount Bluetop
Greater God
Appearance:
Andraxas appears as a tall, raven-haired warrior of steely mien with squareish brows & steel-gray eyes. He can seem either human, or as a Tanu, depending on the makeup of those he appears to. His trademark helm and heraldic symbol are in the shape of a silver skull with feathered wings, and this is the holy symbol displayed by his followers. He is usually fully armored in shining black, in a set of plate armor reputably built for him by a trio of Juna, whom he rescued from suspended animation from within the bowels of Cthuga's mountain lair, Vurmidurth. His helm is silver, as is his right gauntlet {actually Jarn Grieper } and girdle {Meginjarder}; these last were once Thor's, both prizes from Ragnaroc, and they function as described in the Deities & Demigods tome. He wields several powerful weapons in battle, though most recognizable is Stormbreaker, twin to Mjolnir. {Thor's hammer was returned after the Norse sued to get it back; Andraxas had them forge its twin for him, using the same Midgard dwarves who built the original, before he would consent.}. He also possesses several swords, including Shadow Shrieker, a screaming black-bladed sword he has wielded since his days as a mortal man. He wears a greater Elder Sign as well as several magical rings and amulets. Grafted to his right palm is a shard of Soulgem.
His spell powers, aside from the usual afforded a Greater God, include those taken from Cthuga: he can cast two fire-based spells per round at 30th level as his attack. He is also completely immune to heat and flame. His psionic powers, at the 30th level of Mastery, are:
~~~coming soon~~~
Andraxas is a god of War; those who use the 'spheres' option for clerics may take this as their Sphere of power. His clerics, either male or female and of any race, are expected to perform as warriors and healers both, and typically wear heavy armor and use many types of weapons with ease. They are also expected to use their psionic power, {where applicable}, intelligently against their foes. His faith also utilizes paladins; their correct class-title is "illrigger", and they follow the Paladin kit with the exception of their alignment, which is always Lawful Evil, spell use & turning are handled as an Evil cleric rather than Good, and that their "lay on hands" ability is also reversable. The two sacred weapons of the Doomgiver faith are the hammer and the sword; a cleric may use the sword {only long, broad, two-handed or bastard} and blunt weapons, but no distance weapons. Temples constructed by these priests will take the form of defendable fortifications, well-placed and staffed with trained armsmen. Sacrifice to the god takes the form of either items of value, or, in cases where the god's intervention is strongly desired, sacrifice of a live steer is expected. The latter method was adopted after Ragnaroc, a bit of Norse flavor for the adaptive Tanu. The steer is hung by its neck from a scaffold, and the plaintive worshipper must thrust it through the heart with a spear. The highest method of sacrifice is of a live enemy, who must also be thrust through the heart. In all cases, the object of sacrifice is then cast into a blazing fire as offering to the god. Days sacred to the faith tend to revolve around the solstice and equinox, as this time can be noted with surety on any planet, though it is not simultaneous with the Homeworld. Also, the Grand Combat is the highest of all days, and occurs every five years on Arkaela, to which many priests travel as a pilgrimage.
Some History:
Andraxas began his life as a mortal man, born on the world of Lankhmar and growing to become an Illrigger {Lawful Evil Paladin} of the seven Dead Gods of Lankhmar. He had many adventures in his native land with his close friend & companion Drax {detailed below}, until some strange cursed portal cast them into the world of Greyhawk. Stranded with no way to return home, the two Illriggers soon found themselves hunted by various knightly societies of this new world, mostly simply because of what they were. After meeting & befriending the mysterious Dorgon, they formed themselves into a trio which came to be known, infamously, as 'Dead or Alive', a poke at all the paladins who wanted them captured or slain.
It was during their adventures that they met & were granted shelter by Duke Sardac the Axe and his Duchess, Rachael Stalker, and odd dwarf-elf couple who, themselves, were in some friction with the local paladin-governors of Furyondy. Allowed the safety of the Duke's castle and barring entry to the paladins on their tails, Dead or Alive paid their benefactors back by later destroying the Thief's Guild of Littleburg, the Guildmaster of which had raped the Duchess at some time in the past.
Soon after, Dead or Alive somehow got themselves in the bad graces of the devil-dragon Tiamat, who whisked the trio to her lair in Avernus, and charged them with a task: battle her foe the god Marduc for some insulting defeat he had dealt her. Once in Marduc's palace, surrounded by Babylonian spirits and realizing they were outnumbered & outgunned, Andraxas' quick wit came up with a plan, which they implemented: challenge the Lawful deity, and one of his servants, to a duel for satisfaction of the slight he had done Tiamat. Marduc reluctantly agreed, and a daylong, explosive duel was fought between Dead or Alive and Marduc, assisted by his hero the Babylonian King Gilgamesh. By skill and unabashed determination, Dead or Alive came out the victors.
Time and other great adventures passed. At the culmination of their travels, the three discovered Dorgon's true identity {unknown to any of the three until then}, and with its news came the goal of godhood as the trio's new quest. Each had their own geas to fulfill, and gained their immortalities.
With their new power, Andraxas and his two friends parted ways for a time to pursue their own destinies. By travel through the planes, Andraxas came upon Arkaela. His taking of Cthuga's godhead and ascension as a god of Fire, has already been detailed here.
Later, Dead or Alive reunited, and set their eyes on Greyhawk. For revenge on the nations that persecuted them for the crime of their alignments, the new trio of Dark Gods hatched their masterplan of conquering the world. Andraxas sent his truest heroes into the Duchy of Tenh, capturing the castle at Redspan and creating a dimensional gateway there to Arkaela. Meanwhile, Drax & Dorgon set about seizing locations for their own gateways from Drax's manse in Avernus. In the winter of CY595, Andraxas's Tanu armies poured forth from Kelna-Ia, while legions of devils and hordlings invaded the lands of men.
It was during this time of war that the Three Dark Gods realized the greatest resistance to their invasion had come from the Norse gods & their followers. Perusing ancient texts concerning the prophesies of their foes, Andraxas came to see that he & his companions were the ones destined to bring the fall of the Norse gods, a time known as Ragnaroc. Gathering their most powerful minions, and forging a pact with the gods of the Giants with the help of the Aesir Loki, the trio gained access to the Bridge Bifrost and took the field against the gods of Valhalla.
The war in Asgard raged; the gods contended against each other while their spirit followers clashed in mortal battle. In the background, the goddess Hel ranged the field, secretly gathering the souls of fallen deities in her cloak. The Aesir and Vanir fell; and Hel used her assassination skills to defeat the weakened Drax and Dorgon, finally sealing in her cloak nearly all the deities of the conflict. But Andraxas caught her, and slew her, taking the cloak and ensnaring it in the soul-gem implanted in his palm.
In the end, with the bloodied fields strewn with the fallen of both sides, it came down to a battle between two gods: Andraxas, and Thor. While the thunder-god smote his foe with near-fatal lightning bolts, Andraxas raised his palm: upon it was the gem containing the souls of the slain Aesir. Seeing that this invader's destruction would also obliterate the gem, and therefor his family and friends, Thor surrendered.
Thus was Asgard split in twain, and Mjolnir, Jarn Grieper and Meginjarder were taken by Andraxas, while Thor, with the souls of his fellows, retreated to their own half of sundered Valhalla, leaving the Three Dark Gods to celebrate the acquisition of a new afterworld for their people and lift the final resistance to their taking of Greyhawk. By CY598, the nations of Greyhawk had fallen.
Much of the rest of Andraxas' history is detailed or implied elsewhere in these pages.
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Once he had established himself with worshippers and a power base, Andraxas set about creating himself a group of servant spirits, to act as his Planetars and Solars in the great celestial conflict. Using the captured spirits of foemen from the conquest of Greyhawk, Andraxas forged new beings to be his supernatural messengers to his clerics, and as aid in war when extra 'muscle' was needed. Each of these beings, both Dreadknights and Dreadlords, has its own True Name, and worshippers of note are often allowed to call upon one of them for aid. Their descriptions are below:
DREADKNIGHT
Dreadknights are a group of powerful evil spirits created by the god Andraxas to serve the forces of Lawful Evil. They act as messengers, spies, or leaders as is required of them, and although they originated in the planes of Hell, they may travel any of the planes if instructed. They are unswervingly loyal and utterly ruthless.
Each dreadknight, of which there are thirteen, has three attacks per round, usually with a huge, black bastard sword equal to a +4 wounding weapon (+10 pts. of damage a round, not curable by magic). Each also carries a self-cocking Crossbow of Speed +3, and a quiver full of Bolts of Slaying, one for each character class and d6 random ones. If hard- pressed in combat, a dreadknight will usually wield its sword one-handed (no penalty), and fire bolts at opponents out of reach, at -3 to hit. Each has a Strength of 19, Dexterity 21, Wisdom 21, with all appropriate bonuses. They have the spell abilities of a 7th level cleric and druid, as well as the following powers, at will, one per round:
They can remove/bestow curse, fear, or disease, as needed, speak with dead, and teleport (no error) 3x day. Dreadknights radiate protection from good, automatically detect lies, illusion, invisibility, magic, traps, and alignment. They read all languages and speak in tongues. Once a day they can gate in one of their fellows with no chance of failure. They can cure or cause blindness or serious wounds by touch. Dreadknights are only affected by +4 or better magic weapons. They are never surprised. They are immune to life level loss, death spells or death magic, and cannot be beguiled, charmed, confused, dominated, or feebleminded. Their souls cannot be imprisoned or trapped. They regenerate 4 hit points a round, and can only be slain permanently in Hell or Acheron. They are totally fearless and are not affected by such magics. Normal animals and characters of 6 HD or less will flee in fear at the sight of them. They cannot be turned. Dreadknights are not affected by cold, magic missiles, petrification, poison, or gas attacks. Normal weapons, even silver ones, do them no harm. Holy symbols do not deter them, but in order to attack an individual presenting one, the dreadknight must first remove the holy item - simply knocking it from the victim's hand requires a roll to hit and causes 2-12 points of damage to the dreadknight. In addition, while a feign death spell will not affect one, a raise dead or resurrection successfully cast on one will destroy a dreadknight.
Psionic abilities are: telepathy, aura alteration, energy control, body control, mass domination, molecular agitation, and telekinesis, all at 15th level of mastery.
Dreadknights appear as huge, black humanoids, armored and sometimes riding a Nightmare of full hit points. Their great bat-like wings appear as cloaks when not in use. Their faces are hidden under shadows, except for their glowing red eyes.
Several of the Dreadknights are now assigned to haunt the Star-class spelljamming vessels being constructed for the Tanu Void Legion; each such ship will have its own spirit quartered in its own chamber on board. In fact, it was the fourteenth Dreadknight, Vulkaran of the Vodoni, who was released from its bonds by the gods of Chaos to steal the ship Star of Morning. The ship was recaptured at great cost, and the fate of the spirit who was Vulkaran is unknown, but speculated upon in hushed whispers.
DREADLORD
Dreadlords, sometimes called Dark Lords or Witch Kings, are a most powerful group of evil spirits. They serve the god Andraxas as his spirit generals, acting as overlords on his plane in Acheron, though on occasion they will serve him directly on the Prime Material Plane. Each has at his command 3 Dreadknights (q.v.), with the remaining four under Andraxas himself. They are emotionless, cold-blooded beings who exist to serve the god of Doom. They are fearless and never turn from battle.
Each dreadlord has 4 attacks per melee round, usually made with a huge, black two-handed sword equal to a +5 sword of life-stealing, ie- any hit on a 16 or better eliminates one life-level from its victim. Once per day, these weapons act as a javelin of piercing +5 at the dreadlord's command. These weapons are usable only by dreadlords.
Dreadlords have the spell abilities of a 12th level cleric and magic user, as well as the following abilities, at will, one per round:
Dreadknights radiate improved protection from good (+3/-3), and can increase this up to 40' radius at will, and this globe also acts as protection from normal missiles and minor globe of invulnerability. They can commune as needed. They cannot be turned.
Dreadlords never speak: instead, they use telepathy with a maximum range of 10 miles, and can read any language or read magic at will. They can cure/cause (any sort) by touch, detect (any sort) automatically, and dispel (any sort) by gaze. They have infra/ultravision to 24", like dreadknights. Fire, cold, petrification, poison, gas, or magic missiles do not affect Dreadlords. They are never surprised and always attack first against opponents with less than a 22 dexterity. They are immune to level draining, death spells or death magic. They cannot be beguiled, charmed, held, confused, dominated, feebleminded, paralyzed, or petrified. Their souls cannot be imprisoned or trapped. They regenerate 7 hit points a round. They can only be slain permanently in Hell or Acheron. Like dreadknights, they may not attack an individual presenting a holy symbol without removing the symbol first. They can only be hit by +5 or better weapons. Like dreadknights, a raise dead or resurrection successfully cast on one will destroy a dreadlord.
Psionic abilities for dreadlords are:
Abilities are at 19th level of mastery.
Once a day a dreadlord can gate in 1-3 dreadknights, these being the three under its command. This is rare, as a dreadlord considers itself most capable. A dreadlord will not attempt to gate in one of its fellows, as there is a rivalry amongst the four Dark Lords. Once presented with an assignment by one with command over them, a dreadlord will pursue it unceasingly until its completion.
Dreadlords appear as massive, apparition-like warriors, their blank faces usually hidden under a winged war-helm, save for their glowing red eyes. They float rather than walk, and their great double-bat wings fold as a cloak when not in use. They inspire fear in all creatures of less than 6 hit dice {no save}, and anyone of less than 20th level must save vs. fear before attempting to attack one.
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the Cthulan mythos
CTHULU, the Great Old One
Cthulu is the most powerful of the ghastly Old Ones. He appears as a bloated humanoid over a hundred feet tall, with a squid-like head and writhing scilia where its mouth is. Most of its form below the face is concealed by more tentacle-like appendages which drape from its upper body, each ending in a razor-sharp barb, by which it crawls upon the ground and attacks its foes. It is capable of sprouting bat-like wings from its rubbery, slimy flesh for flight. Cthulu is a powerful magic-wielder, and has knowledge of many dire spells and rituals unknown to humans, and it is known to have had a hand in authoring much of the passages in the Necronomicon; it was also he who saw it torn and scattered after Hastur was entrapped by the magic it contained.
Cthulu attacks both psionically and physically simultaneously. He regenerates 10 hit points a round and is immune to the effects of cold and vacuum. He teleports up to a half-mile at will, and can summon 10-100 Deep Ones to fight for him at any time. It is known that Elder Signs can force him to halt his attacks or even retreat, but the result is not predictable.
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulu R'lyeh wagh'nagl fhtagn." - "In his house in R'lyeh dead Cthulu waits dreaming." Cthulu's lair is the sunken city of R'lyeh, swallowed by the ocean at the god's whim on the night of the Paring. The twisted city sometimes rises above the waves again, and then Cthulu walks the land and appears to his worshippers. The timing of this event can be noted "when the stars are right", though only his high priests know when this is. Anyone foolish enough to approach the drowned city when it rises must save at +4 against both fear and insanity. Cthulu's stone edifice is known to contain at least one intact Greater Elder Sign, though whether it protects him or somehow binds him to his lair is not certain. At the moment that Cthulu rises from his tomb, all within 1,000 miles of R'lyeh must make an immediate save vs. death or go insane. The city is home to a murderous population of Deep Ones, who serve their master directly, and coordinate attacks by other minions upon those who dwell on the land. Should something trigger R'lyeh to return to the bottom {there are several things which can cause this}, Cthulu will transport himself back and go down into the depths with his home once more.
In the current age, Cthulu attempted to reclaim his power by resurrecting a group of his ancient followers, the greatest mages whom he slew on the night of the Paring nine millenia ago. These are the Cabalists, some of whom actually turned on the god who slew them for his ages-past betrayal.
Here you can find a description of the Cult of Cthulu.
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AZEROTH, the Mad Old One
Azeroth is an eyeless, spherical being the size of a planetoid. Until the Night of the Paring, it dwelt in low orbit over Arkaela, moving where it would with little apparent pattern or purpose. For some time it was assumed that Azeroth was as insane as all his clerics are, and took little actual notice of the events below. All this changed on the Night of the Paring, for it suddenly manifested thousands of miles-long tentacles, with which it reached down and plucked its living worshipers from the world. Taking all these living Tanu up to itself, it left orbit and traveled off into deep space. Not until recent times has its destination been revealed: it traveled to the crystal shell, where it began drawing a bud of shell material around itself for the formation of its own crystal sphere.
Azeroth has always had a number of orbiting satellite attendants, each less than 10 miles across, which hover about him emitting chaotic, child-like music like idiot flute players. Their numbers vary, but there are always at least 2 in attendance; it is postulated that these creatures have pore-like caves as lairs somewhere on Azeroth's skin. Their purpose is uncertain, but in ancient times they would sometimes approach the ground of Arkaela when Azeroth's priests were sacrificing.
Azeroth now dwells in a growing crystal sphere bud. Anyone entering the new shell and approaching within 1000 miles of its surface will be enveloped in a huge Aura of Madness the god emits, and must save vs. insanity at -6 or go permanently, stark raving mad. Azeroth's surface is solid, and dotted with all kinds of grotesque organs, tree-size hairs, pseudopodia, ooze-pools and pits into his interior. It is unknown whether any of his hapless worshippers have survived the centuries upon their god, but it's likely they will be completely mindless animalistic creatures. Azeroth will also attack intruders with 20 of his tentacles, and it can extrude them {always in groups of 20} in as many places across his surface as it needs. Azeroth can move at SR 6 in wildspace, at tactical speeds only, which is why it took so long for it to reach the inner surface of the Arkaelaspace shell. He will likely lash out at approaching ships with his tentacles, for the above damage. Each tentacle is AC -2 and takes 50 points of damage before it is withdrawn.
Those who adopted worship of Azeroth since his departure from the world worship insanity, and all his clergy are insane themselves. It is unknown how Azeroth grants them their spells, or if he is even still aware of them {which is doubtful}.
The Cabal of Azeroth
CTHUGA, the Fiery Old One
This god appears as a huge, flaming blob, with darker organs visible inside it's boiling protoplasm, surrounded by a flaming aura. Its body heat is so intense that all creatures within 100 yards of it take 5-50 points of damage per round. Its attacks consist of two fiery tentacles which do 3-30 points of damage {plus strength, 15 foot range} as well as casting two fire-based spells at the 30th level of ability, each round! It is immune to all heat and cold effects, as well as controlling spells or psionics, and any weapon of less than +3 enchantment will immediately melt upon striking it. When first appearing in an area or being summoned, it will call up 3-30 of its Flame Creatures, and then begin moving as a Blink Dog, attempting to destroy all things around it. Needless to say, its clerics rarely ever called on it to appear. It can also roll along the ground at blinding speed and trample enemies, clinging to all surfaces and crawling over obstacles.
This being had its lair inside the volcanic cauldron of Mount Vurmidurth, where its coliseum-like palace sat within a direct vortex into the Elemental Plane of Fire. This was its undoing, as Andraxas battled it there; as it was thus within its home plane at the time, Cthuga's defeat was permanent. Its body's essence fell back into the lava, creating one of the largest sources of magical fire in existence, allowing Andraxas to forge objects of incredible power using this fire source.
The Cabal of Cthuga
HASTUR the Old One who must not be named
This god possesses great magical knowledge and cunning. It dwells partly in the Prime Material by use of its physical body {its avatar}, and partly in the Elemental Plane of Air {its warded spiritual essence}. Not only is this the god's way of protecting itself from the predations of the other Old Ones, it also accounts for its huge size. Its true spirit-body is sealed within an alien object or structure hidden deep within the Plane of Air, so its avatar is not completely solid. The gigantic physical manifestation appears as a lizard-like being covered in 200 long tentacles, under which is a wet hide of reptilian scales.
These tentacles allow it to sense all around itself, so Hastur cannot be surprised, and it can observe the 'feel' of events at a great distance. It attacks with its giant claws twice per round, as well as casting one magical spell simultaneously. It can teleport at will to any location within a crystal sphere. It can regenerate 5 hit points per round, and can summon 2-20 of its servants, the Byakhee, to aid it in physical battle. It cannot be magically controlled. No creature able to fly naturally may attack Hastur, even if they are magically/psionically controlled. Anyone viewing this dreaded god must save vs. fear or flee, and must save again if they attempt to attack Hastur.
For a long time, Hastur's avatar was sealed beneath his temple in Hali by Cthulu's mages, while the city around it was sunk beneath an inrushing lake. This temple still exists, but the seals were broken and Hastur's physical form is once again free. However, some strange property of its spiritual form's enclosure in the Plane of Air makes growing a new avatar take much longer than normal, so Hastur guards his material form jealously, and is loathe to enter battle again against powerful beings.
The reason Hastur is called He Who Must Not Be Named, is that his concern for his avatar and paranoia over being entombed again causes him to pay close attention to the Prime Material Plane. Any time the name "Hastur" is spoken aloud, there is a 25% chance the god will know and send 1-4 Byakhee to slay the speaker. Should they be defeated, there is a straight 25% chance Hastur himself will appear to destroy the one who spoke it, to be certain no spell is being worked against him.
ITHAQUA
Called the Wind Walker, Ithaqua is a god worshipped near the poles and in high mountainous regions. He travels within the storms and blizzards that frequent these areas, and manifests as his trademark pair of burning, maleficent eyes visible within the storms or passing overhead. His worshippers call on him to divert these storms from their homes with his triple-strength control weather abilities, by leaving human sacrifices out when the weather turns nasty. These victims are never seen alive again, being found years later frozen and withered in the snow after another storm, usually where their discovery will have a horrifying effect {like someone's front porch, or stuck upon a fence post}. Sometimes the god will take the form of a sacrificial victim and plague that person's relatives with evil deeds.
The Cabal of Ithaqua
NYARLATHOTEP
Nyarlathotep was once one of the greater Old Ones, but sometime before the Paring, he was dealt a decisive defeat by Yog-Sothoth and was reduced to demigod status. At the time, however, he made a pact with the other elder gods, essentially an agreement that in exchange for them leaving him alone henceforth, he would act as their messenger. He therefore acts as herald of sorts for the other gods, and his worshippers do not suffer so many attacks from the other cults.
Nyarlathotep has several guises, among them a tall, corpse-white humanoid in Egyptian finery. He also appears as a seven-foot-tall, horrid red-skinned bat with a third, blazing eye in its forehead. Either guise can charm all humanoids and non-magical creatures who see him {good aligns save at +4, evils save at -4}, and these victims either follow and do the god's bidding or act in a totally chaotic manner; thus his progress across the world leaves battle, murder, suicide and horrid animal plagues in his wake. His appearances herald the manifestations of one of the Old Ones, and he also appears when the sunken city of R'lyeh is about to rise again. He cannot be controlled by magic, and even magical control cannot force non-sentient animals to attack him. In addition, he can summon a horde of 10-100 such charmed creatures to any spot within an hour's time, and they will slaughter any living things they find once they arrive. Should the god himself enter combat, any hit by him drains 3-30 hit points from the victim and adds them to his own total. It is rumored that a cleric casting continual light may be able to drive him off.
SHUB-NIGGURATH the Old One with a Thousand Young
Lesser God of Uncleanness
This gruesome god lairs in a huge cavern beneath Mount Voormithadreth somewhere in the far north of Arkaela. It appears as a huge lake of vile organic ooze, over 100 feet in diameter, whose surface roils and bubbles as it constantly transforms itself. Its substance creates new mouths, eyes, feelers, antennae, limbs and, worst of all, full creatures. Each round, Shub-Niggurath can form and expel 1-100 whole, live monsters, which then usually separate from their 'parent' and attempt to head for the surface through the maze of caverns above. Sometimes, the creatures, whether malformed or merely stupid, fail to escape from the pool before falling or being pulled back in, where the organic flesh simply opens a new maw, and devours them again.
This loathsome god is telepathic, and constantly scans for the approach of enemies. When it detects intruders to its lair, it begins creating whole creatures to attack such interlopers. Roll a d6 randomly for what creatures emerge: {1} Byakhee, {2} Deep One, {3} Great Race, {4} Mi-Go, {5} Primordial One, {6} Shoggoth. If someone should fight their way to within 30' of the god's pool, they are in for a surprise: the god will lash out with a powerful tentacle and pull them in, to be completely absorbed by the evil organic ooze. Characters have a percentage equal to their strength score to pull free, or have others help them with magic; otherwise, they are doomed.
While this unpopular deity cannot leave its lair, it does use its psionics and astral travel to roam and aid those who do pay it homage.
The Cabal of Shub-niggurath
YOG-SOTHOTH, the Old One Who Guards the Gate.
Greater God, deceased{?}
Yog-Sothoth is primarily a creature of the astral plane, where he appears as a lethal cloud of rainbow-colored bubbles. When he manifests on the Material Plane, he remains partly astral, and appears as a writhing dome-like mass of fleshy, greasy tentacles, stalked eyes, gross extended organs and limbs of different shapes. His worshippers often kidnap females as sacrifice to this vile god, who carries them off for horrible purposes.
Despite his loathsome appearance, this Old One is incredibly intelligent and cunning. He is able to break the normal 'laws' of the universe, and appear simultaneously at the same moment in time in many places {or the same place} at once, making the concept of battle with him a questionable undertaking. A favored tactic is to appear in multiples and attack as a group, with each duplicate actually being the god himself at a different moment in his own time stream, withdrawing any manifestation which becomes too injured. He frequently bolsters his ability to 'outnumber' his opponents by also Gating in any of the Cthulan monsters or those he himself has spawned with his captured sacrifices.
Yog-Sothoth may have been killed, at the end of an epic struggle with the Three Dark Gods. All his incarnations present for the battle were slain, leading many to believe his time-line has been severed, thus ending his 'life'. This, however, is subject to much debate and worry.
The Cabal of Yog-Sothoth
Cthulan and Arkaelaspace Monsters
BYAKHEE
These servants of Hastur are furry and bat-like, with humanoid legs on which they stand like men. In addition to their crushing swoop attack {double damage}, they can Teleport at will throughout a crystal sphere, and may bring {in their claws or on their backs} one man-sized creature or object with them. Clerics of Hastur use a Gate spell to summon them to serve, and the Byakhee will follow unquestioningly if the cleric possesses an Elder Sign. They are full Telepaths and only communicate in this manner.
CTHUGA'S FLAME CREATURES
These creatures appear to be smaller images of their master, amoebae-like beings of fire. Their heat auras ignite all combustibles and do 10 points of damage to any within 20 yards, and they may emit a beam of heat each round, which does 2-20 hit points of damage if it hits, with range being line-of-sight. Since the demise of their master, those able to have somehow traveled to the Sun, where they guard their individual territories jealously. Other lone individuals may exist on Arkaela if a sufficient heat source exist as a lair. The spells that can summon a Flame Creature are still in circulation, but the summoner had best have an ironclad way to control them.
DEEP ONES
Deep Ones are rumored to be followers of Cthulu transformed by obscene rituals into cold-blooded fish-men with great strength {18}. They possess 60' Infravision, and may attack with webbed claws or use weapons and tools with equal efficiency. Deep Ones are immortal, and have no souls; thus, trap the soul and similar magics do not effect them. They are capable of dwelling out of water for indefinite periods of time with no ill effects, but they live & lair underwater, creating complex cities on the ocean bottom. It is rumored that the entire population of R'lyeh were transformed en masse at the city's drowning in ages past, but they have since spread all over Arkaela. They set up their lairs where there are humanoid settlements onshore so as to better secure victims and interact with Tanu & human allies of their master. Those with maximum hit points are leader-types that can speak a halting Common.
The Deep Ones' ability to remain on land allows them to serve the worshippers of Cthulu, gathering treasure from the sea bottom and handing it over at the god's bidding, receiving in return the occasional female sacrifice. They also raid the towns of his enemies to gather these; captives are used as breeding stock to produce more Deep Ones. Spawns of this interbreeding appear as their mother's race until age 21, whereupon they transform and seek out their fish-men relatives as a full Deep One.
GREAT RACE {the JUNA}
Approximately 12,000 game years ago, a race which may have been traveling remnants of the Juna civilization 'discovered' Arkaelaspace, and an unknown number of their kind settled in the sphere. According to historians, it is about this time that the Juna race was on the decline; it is surmised that this may have been a group seeking new planets to terraform, or escape from some Juna catastrophe. Whatever their purpose, the creatures believed to be the Juna built several colonies in Arkaelaspace, including possibly the structures seen on the surface of Azaret. The Cthulan deities paid them little heed, until there was an attempt at colonization on the actual surface of Arkaela. With lethal suddenness the Old Ones descended and massacred all the aliens' colonies, using both their servant creatures and sometimes their own manifestations to seek them out across the sphere. This hapless race is referred to by the Tanu as simply, the Great Race.
Some of these beings retreated into secret, hidden dens and fell into suspended animation. When some deep, ancient ruin is discovered, sometimes one or more of these beings are found, sleeping through the ages in bizarre crystalline tubes full of fluid and energy. Those successfully freeing them are often given gifts of knowledge or unknown technology.
The Great Race appear as tall conical beings of trilateral shape, their base being a rounded cone under which are three long, slug-like 'feet' with which they maneuver at great speed, able to dart in any direction. Atop the cone are three tentacle-like arms, two terminating in lobster-like claws, the third in a collection of ear-nose organs. Rising from the center of this bunch on its own tentacle is the round 'head' of the creature, with 3 wide eyes around its circumference and a beard of manipulative scilia, capable of feeling and using delicate objects almost too small for the human eye to see. They are powerful psionics, and are not known to use magic, but their alien mentalities prevent their control by any magical means.
It is presumed that the gene traits of some of the last specimens of the Great Race were added to the Tanu predecessors, the Rada, to either generate or improve psionic ability. How this was done exactly is not known, as they are obviously very alien; it is postulated that some horrific workings by Yog-Sothoth provided the means. Those released from their suspension never discuss what events occurred near the time of their retreat from the world, and will attempt to escape their location, and depart into wildspace after thanking their rescuers, for parts unknown. Whether these strange beings actually are the Juna is up to the DM, but the tri-fond flower mark associated with them is often seen engraved on their sleeping chambers.
MI-GO
The 'fungus-men of Yuggoth' are the bane of spelljammers in Arkaelaspace. They lair in any sheltered cave or structure, flying out to attack any non-fungus creatures they find. They are thought to originate from the statue structures which hold aloft the flaming bowls that comprise the constellation Yuggoth, and use their ability to reach spelljamming speeds to travel to the inner worlds in search of spawning grounds, and to serve the worshippers of the Cthulan cults.
Mi-go appear as sickly red, crustacean-beasts with articulated wings and barbed lobster claws, with faces full of eye stalks, antennae, pincers and feelers. However, they are actually fungus creatures; dissecting one reveals a uniform, fleshy fungus with no internal structures, organs or differentiation of any kind. They are used by all the Old One cults, and clerics with sufficient summoning spells may call on them to aid in their dark duties and attack enemies; these near-mindless creatures will obey without other methods of coercion. Mi-go are capable of carrying a full-sized human in their claws, and often do; they require fresh, if not necessarily live, meat in which to implant their spores. They will only plant their spores in victims which are 'pacified', that is, savaged to near-death, or freshly dead. Such victims will then sprout 1-4 mi-go buds, which consume the host and emerge fully formed in 2-5 weeks. Cult priests often provide these fell servants with safe areas to which they can bring their victims and spawn without interference, but spelljammers are advised to wipe out all colonies they find, and burn the corpses.
PRIMORDIAL ONE
These hateful beings originated on Gozan many millennia ago; it is believed that the arrival of the Great Race in Arkaelaspace caused them to expand to other planets, for they despise all other intelligent life forms and hunt them mercilessly. The emerging Tanu were protected from their predations by the presence of the Old Ones, but this shield has lapsed in recent times and now the Primordial Ones can be found throughout the sphere. They are barrel-shaped with tentacle clusters at top and bottom. Their 5 'feet' are powerful locomotive and attack limbs. On the top are 2 sets of tentacle-organs; 5 with sucker-like mouths and 5 with red eyes at their ends. They also have a pair of membranous wings, but they are clumsy fliers, relying on the speed of the winds on Gozan to carry them; they actually travel on the ground faster than they can fly normally. They are the creators of the shoggoths, who eventually rose up and destroyed their masters.
A truly alien creature, the few Primordial Ones left on Gozan make surface trips for the illithids there suicidal, for they lay in wait and swoop in on the storm winds, seeking to slaughter any mind flayers {or others} they find. They are creatures of the open air, though, and never invade the tunnels, having some ingrained phobia of enclosed places. They lair in open craters, huddled together until something disturbs them. They also shy away from spelljamming vessels unless they are of less than 25 tons in size, or the Primordial Ones outnumber the crew more than 4 to 1. Those elsewhere sometimes cooperate with evil-aligned humanoids to destroy a greater mutual threat, before falling on their allies as well. They are frequently found to possess a single unique item of advanced organic technology, which can duplicate several spell effects or protect them with magic resistance. These devices will not work for other races, though except, strangely, the Great Race.
SHOGOTHS
The shoggoths were originally an organic construct race created by the Primordial Ones, about the time of the arrival of the Great Race/Juna, likely to act as golem-like war machines to fight the other race. However, the shoggoths somehow rebelled and wiped out nearly all of their masters, and overthrew their civilization so utterly that no single Primordial structure or relic have ever been found on Gozan.
They appear as long-bodied amoeboid creatures, and can extrude any kind of organ, limb, eyes or mouths needed at the moment from their soupy flesh. It is possible the Primordial Ones still possess the methods needed to create them, but whether they still do is open for conjecture. No shoggoth mating habits have ever been observed. There is no evidence that any survive on Gozan, but others have been spotted on the other habitable worlds in Arkaelaspace. These lone creatures lair in distant deserted ruins, and occasionally aid cult followers in exchange for food, which consists of fresh meat of any kind. Once killed, their bodies dissolve in moments into gaseous clouds, leaving no trace.
HRUNGEN
One of the more benign retro-evolved creatures on Arkaela, the hrungen is a muscular, omnivorous proto-horse which the Tanu have domesticated for use as steed and work-beast. They appear as a normal equine, if rather larger, save for their split-toed feet and tall ears. They also possess heavy fangs with which they consume meat and shave bark off certain trees for sustenance, and for protection from natural predators.
A herd will normally consist of a single powerful male and his harem of females; an additional twenty percent will be added to the herd as young of either sex. The male will drive off the young males when they reach maturity, at age 4, or be dethroned by one and leave to find more females. Wild herds will hunt as a pack, like wolves, should some large wounded animal leave the scent of blood in the air. Domesticated hrungen will live on ranches, tended by their Tanu owners and hired hands. They make fearless warhorses, and can be trained by their masters to attack armored foes during the confusion of battle, even in the presence of fire. Such prized mounts are often psionically directed by their Tanu riders, for more coordinated actions between mount and warrior.
Being omnivores, the hrungen take well to many climes and have spread with the Tanu to other worlds. They fetch high prices, especially trainable ponies and particularly fierce males, who are used as studs. They come in all colors typical for equines, and a variety of sizes and sub-breeds.
EVIL DEAD
The Evil Dead are a new monster set to the Arkaelan setting, and as the name suggests, they are of an undead nature. They are the product of the Ren-shal, spirits of dead mages of the Old Ones transforming the body of a living mortal or creature into one of several servant creatures. While the Necronomicon is scattered in various fragments, the recent reintroduction of the Ren-shal has enabled some of its forbidden lore to resurface and be dispensed into ancient cabalist spellbooks.
Initially, the Ren-shal called up these undead purposely as they experimented with hapless cabalist apprentices, but sometimes the possessing spirit was an extremely powerful individual bent on destruction and unbendable to the cabalist’s will, so the practice has lessened. It also has been noted that the Evil Dead's powers and appearance depends on which Old One the possessing spirit worshipped or served.
The evil dead are a constant plague to the world of Arkaela, and others where the cabals have spread; they have been unleashed by the new wave of cabalists and their damnable magics. There are few manners in which they come into existence. The most common is when a cabalist uses his staff in conjunction with a power ritual and creates one. The others are unintended and can occur when a cabalist is pursuing knowledge that is beyond his abilities at the time, inviting the direct wrath of an Old One, or when an Old One's sacred site is defiled.
Cthulu's Evil Dead {Cthulan Lich}
APPEARANCE:
The Cthulan lich is a horrific being to behold. It appears as a corpse with flesh like withered leather that clings to its skeleton, sometimes splitting to reveal gaps between the ribs or arm bones. Its lips seem to peel back above the gums in a ever present malevolent grin. Its eyes never seem to rot and have an ever-present milky film covering its unblinking gaze. But the thing that terrorizes adventures most are the retractable Tanu glass talons on the ends of its fingers that can rend armor and flesh alike.
The name ‘lich’ is actually a misnomer, adopted by the Cult of Cthulu to further strike fear into the hearts of their foes, for the Cthulan lich is merely a very powerful type of animated corpse with some magical ability. However, it is nonetheless a controlled fiend, performing the will of its creator with very little control over its own actions. This is a part of its fearsomeness, for the tortured soul inhabiting this form is fully cognizant of its state and must perform the will of its controller without hesitation. Thus, when sent against the foes of the Cult, a Cthulan lich will perform with utmost cruelty and ferocity, inflicting gross harm on its victims in response to its own grievous pain.
Cthulan liches are used by the Cult as shock troopers, typically when an enemy stronghold is invaded. Their fearsome attacks and magic ability soften up defenders and gather gaze-held slaves to add to the attacker’s ranks, before the lich’s controller and others enter areas cleared of danger.
COMBAT:
The Cthulan lich has many ways in which it can smite its enemies. Its spell casting level is equal to the number of hit dice the lich possesses, but will receive only the spells allowed it by its creator, who had best be very selective in the magic the lich has access to. A Cthulan lich will never, however, be able to cast spells above 5th level in any case. The Cthulan lich has a very potent gaze attack. Anyone of lesser hit dice that meets its gaze must save vs. spells or go insane for 2d6 turns. While the madness lasts, the victims alignment becomes chaotic evil and he is subjected to the lich's will. Should they survive the experience, an atonement may be necessary to rectify the alingment change. Unlike a true lich, the Cthulan lich enjoys leaping into melee to rend the flesh of its enemies with two devastating glass claw attacks at 1d8 points of damage each. This can be quite a devastating attack if the lich delivers a touch spell with a swipe of its talons. Lastly, the lich can summon negative energy in the form of a bolt of coldfire. Coldfire has a range similar to daggers and can be thrown at the rate of 1 per round for 3d10 points of damage. Defensively the Cthulan lich can only be hit by +2 or better weapons, or the usual magic attacks. Like true liches, they are immune to enfeeblement, cold, electricity, mind altering spells, and death magic. Individual DM’s are encouraged to add other salient abilities and granted powers.
MODE OF CREATION:
The creation of a Cthulan lich is a very risky endeavor for a cabalist to attempt. They are an extremely intelligent being which does not appreciate being under another’s control and will try to escape or pervert its orders at any given opportunity. The cabalist begins with the creation of the phylactery that will house the lich’s soul, typically the spirit of a failed apprentice. It is fashioned in a power ritual that mimics the way a normal lich’s phylactery is created. The cabalist then takes a sacrificial victim and expels their soul; they must cause death with less than 25% total damage to the body for the ritual to be effective. This corpse, fitted with Tanu glass claws, is used to house the new undead servant. Then, while the lich is weakened by its investment, the cabalist performs another power ritual that links the lich’s soul back to the phylactery. Whenever the lich’s form is destroyed, its soul will travel back to the phylactery in the cabalist’s possession. The cabalist may find another body for the lich to possess, repeating the process all over again. The only way to fully destroy a Cthulan lich is to destroy the phylactery while the lich’s soul is within. Note that the cabalist must retain possession of the phylactery, else the lich becomes a free-willed creature, able to flee or exact revenge as it may.
Cthugan Fiery Evil Dead
APPEARANCE:
Cthugan evil dead are quite horrific to behold. They are charred corpses of sea-dwelling Deep Ones with minute amounts of blackened flesh clinging to the bones. They are constantly surrounded by a nimbus of flames. Whenever they wish, they can summon a pair of fiery wings to sprout forth from their shoulder blades; hence the flight statistics above.
COMBAT:
The Cthuga evil dead's most common attack is a double strike with their fists for 1d4+2 points of damage each. They also can conjure minor fire balls and hurl them with the same range as daggers that hit for 1d10 points of damage. Three times a day they can explode into a whirlwind of bones and fire. It causes 6d6 points of damage to all within a 15' radius; save for half. If they make a grappling attack on a foe and are successful before they invoke a firestorm, the target receives no saving throw. Cthuga evil dead have the normal skeletal undead immunities of mind control, poison and the like. They receive no damage from piercing weapons, and half damage from slashing. If they are attacked with magical or mundane fire, it heals them of damage for whatever the damage would have been; and for each 8 hit points they get above their normal maximum, they recieve an additional hit die for 1 turn. However, they take a +1 damage per hit dice from cold based attacks. If a Cthugan evil dead kills a mortal humaniod type creature, there is a 15% chance that they can gate in a spirit to possess the slain body. If the roll is made, a new Cthuga type evil dead arises on the next round fully under the control of the cabalist. Lastly, they can cast spells of a fiery nature. They receive 10 spell levels per day and can cast any combination of spells that are 4th level or lower, as long as they don't exceed the 10-level limit.
MODE OF SUMMONING:
These undead atrocities are made by cabalist who serve Cthuga {actually Kossoth}. The summoning requires a Fire Scroll {detailed elsewhere}, and the sacrifice of several live Deep Ones. See the entry for the Ring of Fire Cabal for complete details of their creation.
Ithaqua’s Wintry Evil Dead
APPEARANCE:
Ithaqua evil dead have very stiff and pale flesh that clings to its bones. Their over-all appearance is similar to naturally occurring ice mummies. There is a aura of supernatural cold that surrounds them at all times. Their eyes glow with a cold blue light of malevolence.
COMBAT:
Ithaqua evil dead like to enter melee with foes and bludgeon them with their frozen limbs; beings magically protected from cold receive only half damage. Due to their frozen nature, they receive a -2 penalty to initiative rolls. Once every three rounds, they can breathe a cone of cold for 5d4+5 points of damage, save vs. breath weapon for half damage. Due to the cold that surrounds them, foes in melee with them take 1d4 points of damage per round and must make a save vs. petrifaction or lose a point of strength. This effect is cumulative, but beings protected from cold are immune to the cold aura. Ithauqa’s evil dead are immune to cold based attacks in addition to the normal undead immunities of poison, mind affecting magic, death spells, etc. They are, however, vulnerable to fire based attacks and receive double damage from it. If an Ithaquan evil dead kills a mortal humanoid type creature, there is a 15% chance that they can gate in another spirit to possess the slain body. If the roll is made, a new Ithaquan type evil dead arises on the next round fully under the control of the cabalist.
MODE OF SUMMONING:
These undead atrocities are made by cabalists who serve Ithaqua. The summoning begins with the creation of a talisman shaped into the likeness of an icicle. It is to be cut from a quartz crystal. He then must fashion the talisman onto his staff in a arcane matter akin to the way he upgrades the staff (detailed in the cabalist section).The cabalist then performs a power ritual on a night of a raging blizzard. During the power ritual, the cabalist must have a victim to use as a possession host. The cabalist will trap their soul in the talisman via "magic jar". If the power ritual is complete, a spirit will possess the body which then freezes solid and rises into undeath. As long as the cabalist possesses the talisman with the soul in it, they are absolutely in control of the evil dead. If somehow the spirit escapes the talisman, it returns to its body and forces the possessing spirit out. They then make a saving throw vs. death or die as the body is instantly shattered. If the spirit gets free of the talisman but its body was destroyed it cannot pass into the afterlife. It remains on the material plane as a shadow and will not rest until it kills the cabalist responsible for its miserable state. An unintended summoning can occur when the calling forth of a creature from the para-elemental plane of ice goes wrong or a mortal being dies to exposure to the cold in a site sacred to Ithaqua.
Hastur's Wind Wraiths
APPEARANCE:
Of all the evil dead, wind wraiths are the least grotesque. Wind wraiths look like ju-ju zombies while in corporeal form, and translucent ju-ju zombies when in non-corporeal form. Two noted exceptions are that their hair and clothing are constantly whipping about in the wind, even if no wind is present, and a cunning intelligence in their eyes.
COMBAT:
Wind wraiths are very capable foes, with the ability to think and follow orders in the same manner as an aerial servant. While in corporeal form they can cause moderate wounds by touch for 1d10+1 points of damage. Upon creation they are given long bows made from human bones and sinew. The wind wraiths are then instructed to rip the tongues from ghouls, fashioning arrowheads from the severed tongues. These nasty weapons do normal sheaf arrow damage (1d8+1) and forces anyone hit (including elves) to save vs. paralyzation or be paralyzed as if struck by a ghoul. While in corporeal form the wind wraiths are AC: 2 and a +1 or silver weapon is needed to hit them. In corporeal form the wind wraiths can use air-magic at 7th level of ability. They are limited to spells of elemental air, para-elemental ice, and quasi-elemental lightning.
Wind Wraiths can assume wraithform at will. While in this form they can fly, but they cannot physically attack or cast spells, though they may still use their bows. They can fire condensed air in the form of flight arrows at foes for 1d6 points of damage each. They are AC: -2 and can only be hit by +2 magical weapons while in wraithform. Regardless of their form, wind wraiths are immune to poison, cold, death magic, and enchantment/ charm spells and other mind-altering magics.
Mode of Creation:
Wind wraiths are made by the cabalists of Hastur from the remains of beings foolish enough to speak their deity’s name. After the said individual is slain, the byakhee sent in pursuit will bring them to the temple in Hali. A power ritual is performed which includes the removal of the victim’s heart and its fossilization into a gemstone. The cabalist then fastens the jeweled heart to their staff and summons an aerial servant to possess the corpse. The corpse is then animated into undeath and is bound to the possessor of the jeweled heart. Should the heart be shattered, the Wind wraith is destroyed.
Nyarlathotep's Shadow Mummies
Due to the chaotic nature of a shadow mummy, two such creatures cannot ever come within 20 feet of each other. Should this unfortunate even occur, the two creatures will fly together and explode, causing 10d8 damage to all within a 6" radius.
Azeroth’s Evil Dead (Brain-eaters)
FREQUENCY: Common
NO. APPEARING: 2d10
ARMOR CLASS: 8
MOVE: 9
HIT DICE: 2+2
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
THAC0: 18
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE / ATT.: 1d2/1d2; 1d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSE: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Low (3-5)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
APPEARANCE: Azeroth’s brain-eaters appear as any other zombie through any stage of decomposition. Fresh ones sport seeping wounds and are covered in blood. Older versions appear as emancipated corpses with leathery flesh clinging to their skeletal frames. What separates them from normal zombies is their ability to talk. While they aren’t known to engage in conversation frequently, they are known to chant "BRAAAAAINS!" as they attack victims.
COMBAT: Brain-eaters attack foes with two fist strikes for 1d2 points of damage and a bite for 1d4 points of damage. Anyone bitten by a brain-eater must make a saving throw vs. poison or die in 1d4 turns. Anyone who perishes from a failed saving throw rises on the following round as a new brain-eater, and will begin to attack any living creature within sight, including former comrades. {Yes, rent Return of the Living Dead for fun combat ideas.}
A brain-eater is difficult to kill with melee weapons, for their bodies are immune to physical damage in a sense. The hit dice is considered hit points for the brain. While normal attacks will cut up or smash their bodies and sever limbs, they continue to attack no matter how much damage they take. For each 10 points of damage, a limb is severed {determine randomly}. After all limbs are severed, the fifth limb is the head, which kills the brain-eater. A sever roll on a vorpal or sharpness weapon also kills a brain-eater. The easiest way to destroy one of these monstrosities is for characters to make a called shot to the head (normal –4 to hit penalty). This damage is deducted from the "brain" hit points and will kill the brain-eater when they reach zero. Naturally, obliteration by fire, lightning, disintegration or acid are also good ideas, and rendering them totally immobile {say, under a ton of rock} will prevent further rampage.
MODE OF CREATION: Brain-eaters are made by cabalists of Azeroth. The cabalist will take a group of victims and infect them with rabies. He will then starve them until the rabies infection has driven the victims mad. The cabalist then uses certain unspeakable methods to inspire cannibalism in the victims, and allow them to feast upon their fellows until all are destroyed but one. While this horrid feast in under way, the cabalist performs a power ritual that traps the dieing victims’ souls into a specially prepared gem that is later fashioned to his staff. The skull of the last surviving victim becomes the cabalist’s controlling talisman for the others, who rise to become zombies. If the power ritual roll fails, they are still transformed but the caster can in no way control them; hungry, they then immediately attack the caster.
Shub-Niggurath’s Slime Ghouls
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 2d8
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 12
HIT DICE: 3+3
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
THAC0: 18
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE / ATT.: 1d4/ 1d4, 1d6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Paralyzation, nausea, unholy sputem, rot grub
SPECIAL DEFENSE: Normal undead immunities, fire resistance
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Semi (5-7)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
APPEARANCE: Slime ghouls are very hideous creatures to behold. They look much like normal ghouls; long talons, long barbed tongues, and putrid flesh. Their flesh however is extremely water-logged and they are constantly dripping a foul, pus-ridden blackish ichor that smells quite funky. Their corpses are also infested with many writhing rot grubs.
COMBAT: In melee, slime ghouls attack with a claw/ claw and bite routine for 1d4/ 1d4, 1d6 points of damage. Anyone hit by these attacks in a round must make a save vs. paralyzation (-1 for two hits, -2 for three hits) or be paralyzed for 1d6 rounds. Slime ghouls stink with such foulness, anyone with a 10' radius is subjected to a stinking cloud type effect (save vs. poison instead of spell). Once per turn, they can regurgitate a toxic liquid from their stomachs. This putrid liquid causes 2d4 points of damage to non-evil beings. Lastly, their bodies are infested by their creators with rot grubs. 1d4 of them can attack a person in melee with the slime ghoul each round, if a physical attack from either combatant scores a hit. Their attack effect is exactly like that of a normal living rot grub.
Slime ghouls have the normal undead immunities from charms, poisons, and death magic. Due to their water-logged bodies, they are very resistant to fire damage. Normal fire has no effect, magical fire is at +1 for saving throws, -1 per damage die. Cold based magic effects them as a slow spell. Strangely, water-destroying effects {ie. Transmute water to dust, evaporate, part water} affect them as if they were considered to be water elementals.
MODE OF CREATION: Slime ghouls are created by cabalists of Shub-Niggurath performing a sacrifice in conjunction with a power ritual. The hapless victim is staved to the brink of death; when they are in their last moments, the cabalist smothers them in a concoction of slime. They then perform a power ritual to trap their souls in a receptacle to be fashioned to the cabalist’s staff, and the empty corpse rises to serve the cabalist.
Yog-Sothoth's Vampiric Breeders
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 8; 2
MOVE: 18
HIT DICE: 5+5
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
THAC0: 16
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE / ATT.: 1d4+1/ 1d4+1, 1d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSE: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Very (14-16)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
APPEARANCE: Vampiric breeders have two distinct forms. Both are human in nature; one being quite beautiful, the other quite horrific. When a vampiric breeder is being subtle, it appears as a very attractive human or Tanu female {this depends on the original victim’s race; other races cannot be successfully transformed}. When threaten, they look the undead creatures they are; a rotten corpse of a woman that has a grotesque wound on their stomach, as if something tore its way out from the inside of their womb.
COMBAT: When a vampiric breeder is in its beautiful form it is AC: 8 and has no physical attack form. It is not, however, defenseless. It may charm person at will through its gaze, or cast a suggestion at will through its voice. Most horrific is its ability to drain life force in the form of a charisma drain by kissing ( one point per kiss, one kiss each round, no save) a being that has succumbed to its charms. A victim can make a Wisdom check at ½ score each round to notice the drain. Allies will notice something’s up after 3 such drains, for as more charisma is drained from a victim, they become disfigured and start to take on a ghastly undead vistage. Drained charisma will return only by use of a heal or restoration spell. When attacking in its hideous form, they are AC: 2 and can claw for 1d4+1 points of damage each and bite for 1d4 points of damage plus a save vs. poison or lose a point of charisma {as above}. They cannot use their charm or suggestion abilities while in this form. Anyone drained of all their charisma becomes a extremely decomposed looking juju zombie under the control of the vampiric breeder. When a party encounters a vampiric breeder, they are usually accompanied by juju zombies and/or charmed adventurers.
MODE OF CREATION: Vampiric breeders are made by cabalists of Yog-Sothoth, from the remains of captive human women who where used to mother cambion offspring. After the cambion’s birthing slays the mother, the cabalist performs a power ritual which includes the creation of a vessel that will trap the soul of the dead mother. The cabalist fashions the vessel to their staff so they can control the newly created undead monster. Should the vampiric breeder ever regain the vessel, they become a renevent, who will rest only after they destroy both the cabalist and the cambion offspring.
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the other Dark Gods…
DRAX
Overlord of the Infernal Circles, Supremus Diabolae of the Western Kingdom of Greyhawk, He Whose Name Should Not Be Spoken
Also a mortal born on Lankhmar, Drax was an Illrigger for the cult of Death Incarnate. At some point during his early adventures with Andraxas, Drax came into possession of a cursed ring which permanently changed his skin color to a pale, reptilian green. It was his unusual appearance coupled with an evil alignment that got he and Andraxas into so much trouble with the knightly orders on Greyhawk. Drax took it all in stride, however, and turned his misfortune into just another humorous aspect of his trickster personality. The enmity or mistrust in others simply gave him another reason to contend against them, and send another person to the court of his god.
Drax also had a long memory, and never forgot a face or forgave a slight. Thus did he return on his own to Avernus to get revenge on the deity Tiamat for her anger and enforced quests of his younger days. It was she he slew in single combat for his godhead, taking her place among the ranks of Hells Dukes.
Drax fit right in with the smile-while-you-backstab, subversive society of the devil lords, and forged alliances with many of the dukes of the higher circles, most notably Amon the wolf-headed lord, while molding the abishai rabble into a more organized fighting force. He soon earned the enmity of Baalzebub, who would be his most hated foe during his rise {or descent}. Plane by plane, circle by circle, Drax gathered territory and power, until Asmodeus himself stepped in to separate Drax and Baalzebub. Drax wed the Supreme devil lord's own daughter Glasya as a show of peace, but was soon up to his old schemes once more.
The peace would not last forever, of course, and at last, all-out war broke out between Drax and Beelzebub. This time, Asmodeus sided with the older duke, and so Drax set his sights on the most supreme of devils for this imagined betrayal. While a token force of lesser devils performed a distracting action, Drax and a small group of loyal dukes and rebel Pit Fiends fought their way into Asmodeus' own chambers, and slew both the ancient devil lords, who had never expected to actually join the battle themselves. Thus was Drax elevated to his station as ultimate overlord of Hell's Circles.
Worship of Drax is widespread on the world of Greyhawk, and a small percentage of the Tanu do him homage as well, spreading his religion to other spheres. In recent times, however, Drax's duties of overseeing the bickering dukes has taken his attention away from walking the worlds of men, and he is rarely seen on the Prime Material plane.
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DORGON
The Black Prince of Kalevala, Grim Lord of Hades, Most Penetrating Darkness Whose Hand Grasps the Northern Kingdom of Greyhawk.
For a long stretch of time, Dorgon wandered the worlds of men not knowing who he was or where he came from. A huge, grim warrior with no recollection of his past, he traveled alone, greeting those who got in his way with his giant, murderous axe. Then, a chance meeting in a barfight introduced him to Drax and Andraxas, and a kernel of fate was planted. The three stood together against those who sought to capture or slay them, and his weapon arm swept the battlefields of the planes like a scythe through wheat.
His mysterious origins were a puzzle to his comrades as well, as was his huge size and seemingly unearthly strength and stamina. In time, he began manifesting suppressed magical powers, defenses that would spring up at moments of danger. All their questions were answered one day, though, to the surprise of all of them; Dorgon had been cast out of Kalevala, the home of the Finnish gods, for some great offense, whose vileness had caused Ukko, the Father of the Gods there, to expunge its existence from all records. The young godling, a son of Meilliki, goddess of the forests, had his memory torn from him and was thrown down into the worlds of mortals to wander, not knowing his true identity. Strangely, it was Tiamat who revealed the truth to him, as her foe Marduc had made mention of it when the trio dueled him at the dragon-goddess' order. The trio demanded to know what the Babylonian deity had been talking about, and with a laugh, she revealed his past to him.
For a time Dorgon remained withdrawn, not sure how to handle his new power, and the unknown shame that followed him. Eventually, his nature became more savage, and though he remained steadfastly loyal to the two men who did not care about his past, a new & unstoppable killing machine greeted those who opposed him.
When his companions went to seek their fates, Dorgon traveled to the dim realm of Hades, to face the god of the same name. While the truth of Dorgon's offense had never been revealed or recalled by anyone, somehow the Greek deity of the afterworld was involved. Whether this god had somehow been harmed by Dorgon, might actually be his father, or somehow cooperated in the crime was never known; all that mattered not to Dorgon. Thus it was that the Black Prince of Kalevala strode into the dark manse of Hades and drew his axe, and nearly lost his life. But somehow, the great lord of the afterworld was slain, and Dorgon emerged as the new ruler of that plane.
While the conquest of Greyhawk opened new sources of worshippers to Dorgon, he is a distant deity; only those who truly gain his attention may hope to receive the god's assistance. His life in the dismal plane of Hades has changed him, and he has withdrawn into the dark halls of his mansion, and is rarely seen.