Pantheon The Nerathian History & The Nerath Timeline The current year for our campaign is set during the year 103AE. Inspired By Gary Gygax

Are the gods of The Known World using the people as puppets in some great game or are the religions of the world being used by the people to control and manipulate others? Whatever the truth, the importance of religion across The Azure Sea cannot be understated.
Here are articles on the major worshipped deities of the world.

Good Deities

The Changebringer - Atroa (NG)
Atroa goes by the names of The Sad Maiden, the Bringer of Spring, Herald of Storms, Wind-Daughter, Provider, Shy One, & First Sister. Atroa is the goddess of Spring, the East Wind, and Renewal. She appears as a fresh-faced blonde woman, often with an eagle perching upon her shoulder. With her sling Windstorm, she can strike the most distant foe, and with Readying's Dawn, her spherical glass talisman, she is able to melt all ice in sight. Atroa is revered by farmers and others who depend on the land's bounty.

As Goddess of Spring, Atroa is the invigorating breath that awakens the world from its slumber. She gifts the world with new love and new life, renews old friendships, and plucks the heartstrings of lovers, travelers, and poets. The Sad Maiden promotes spring as a time for burying old feuds, repairing old items, and eliminating old biases.

Spring, like the dawn, presages great things; Atroa urges her followers to look to the future with open minds and hearts in order to enjoy them to the fullest. They believe in taking responsibility for what they have began, and nurturing what they have planted. It is a great sin in Atroa's faith to allow a plant to die because of neglect, or to allow a child to go hungry. They believe in the basic good of all people. Celibacy is frowned upon by Atroa, who encourages marriages and pregnancies. Pregnant priestesses of Atroa are considered the holiest of them all.

The Changebringer - Avandra (CG)
Also known as "She who makes the path," the Changebringer champions freedom, travel, trade, and adventure across the lands. Her will heralds open frontiers, and her call beckons her followers to discover that which awaits them beyond the known. This nature leads to few temples in direct civilization dedicated to the Changebringer, but they often can be found off the beaten path and near roads well traveled. Her worship is common among merchants, free spirits, and adventurers, with tavern cheers calling to her honor as a bringer of luck and fortune.

She is often depicted as a young woman of dark complexion and long, light brown hair that cascades to form the road left behind her. Most art shows her in constant motion, trailblazing and ever leading into the unknown.

The Changebringer's holy day is New Dawn, and takes place the first day of the first month, when the old year gives way to the new. The day of New Dawn is celebrated with a grand midnight feast that commonly features a short play that celebrates the changes of the past year.

The Platinum Dragon - Bahamut (LG)
Known as the Platinum Dragon, King of the Metallic Dragons, Grandfather of Dragons, Lord of the North Wind, the Dragon King, Justicemaker & Draco Paladin. Bahamut is depicted as a massive, long and sinuous dragon with silver-white scales and blue, catlike eyes. According to Complete Divine and Races of the Dragon, the exact colour of Bahamut's eyes is hard to specify and may depend on Bahamut's mood, ranging from sky-blue to frosty indigo.

About a quarter of the time, Bahamut wanders the lands in the shape of a human or some other guise. He is said to have been encountered as a frail old hermit, with the seven great golden wyrms that accompany him disguised as seven canaries singing sweetly nearby.

Bahamut is a fierce enemy of Tiamat, his evil sister and twin. Bahamut is very stern and disapproving of evil. He accepts no excuses for foul deeds. On the other hand, he is very compassionate, and has boundless empathy for the weak and downtrodden. He urges his followers to promote good, but to let people fight their own battles when they can, providing healing, information, or temporary safe refuge rather than fighting alongside those who can fight for themselves. Bahamut's own greatest priority is his endless war with his sister Tiamat. He opposes all her schemes, answering them move for move. He values wisdom, knowledge, prophecies, and song. For a dragon, he is neither vain nor greedy.

Creator of the Elves, The Protector - Corellon Larethian (CG)
Corellon Larethian is the leader of the elven pantheon, and the god of Magic, Music, Arts, Crafts, Poetry, and Warfare. He is the creator and preserver of the elven race, and governs those things held in the highest esteem among elves. Corellon may appear as an elf of either gender (though usually he appears as male) often bearing the traditional weapons of the elves, the bow and the sword.

Corellon desires to protect and preserve the elven race, return to his people their lost artistic heritage, and to thwart the schemes of the drow and the Orcs. This also means guarding against the corruption within that resulted in the creation of the drow. Corellon is surprisingly humble, for a regent of his stature. In large elven cities such as Antaros, temples to Corellon Larethian may be alabaster wonders with soaring spires. In smaller communities, they may be built among the branches of a large tree. Most temples are happy to lend aid to traveling elves and any other race that plans to do harm to the drow.

Lord of the Undersea - Deep Sashelas (CG)
Deep Sashelas is the elven god of the ocean, and the patron deity of the alugach (aquatic elves). He is also a god of Creation, Knowledge, Beauty, and Magic. The Tritons often pay homage to Deep Sashelas. Deep Sashelas is worshipped in undersea coral temples. His domains are Chaos, Elf, Good, Knowledge, Ocean, Water.

The Everlight - Sarenrae (NG)
Goddess of compassion and redemption, her message is one of understanding and optimism in even the darkest of places. She believes the corrupt can be redeemed, a mindset that led to a betrayal by the Lord of the Hells that left most of her following destroyed in the Calamity. Only recently has her faith been rediscovered, and her temples returned to prominence. The Everlight's followers are often rural healers and community philosophers, becoming a voice of reason and empathy in angry and cynical times.

Those who rise to bring her words back to the light unearth her image from ruined temples, or create new art to inspire others with her message. The Everlight is represented as a beautiful, strong woman of dark skin and light hair, rising on a pair of ivory angel wings.

The Everlight's holy day has been long forgotten, and her followers have yet to decide when her festival should be held, and what the festivities should be. The debate has gone on for years, and no great miracles have yet been performed to unify the squabbling clerics.

Ehlonna of the Forests, Goddess of the Woodlands - Ehlonna (NG)
Ehlonna is the goddess of Forests, Woodlands, Flora, Fauna, and Fertility. Ehlonna is known to the elves as "Ehlenestra." Ehlonna is variously depicted as an elven or human woman, and often associates with unicorns and other sylvan creatures. When in human form, Ehlonna appears as a dark-haired human woman, but as Ehlenestra, she appears as a golden-haired elven maiden. Her eyes are deep blue or startling violet. Her garments may be the practical garb of a ranger or the rich gown of an elven princess. She carries a longbow that always hits its target. Her human aspect has special powers over horses, while as Ehlenestra she has similar command over unicorns.

Temples to Ehlonna are usually camouflaged lodges in sylvan settings, although small shrines often exist in villages.

The Joker, the Watchful Protector - Garl Glittergold (NG)
Garl Glittergold is the patron deity of gnomes. Garl is depicted as a handsome, golden-skinned gnome with sparkling gemstones for eyes. He wears a flowing silk cloak and usually a substantial amount of gold decoration.

Temples to the Priceless Gem are unassuming and often hidden. They are normally worked caves just beneath the surface, in the heart of a gnomish community. They are usually circular with a domed ceiling divided into four quadrants, the walls and ceilings decorated in gold leaf and studded with gold nuggets when this can be afforded. Comedians, illusionists, and other entertainers use the space to bring joy and laughter to the faithful. Priests there are usually glad to help traveling gnomes in need.

The Brawler, the Watchful Protector - Kord (CG)
Kord is the god of Athletics, Sports, Brawling, Strength, and Courage. Kord is depicted as a hugely muscular man standing nine feet tall, with a red beard and long red hair. He wears a fighting girdle made from a red dragon's hide, gauntlets from a white dragon's hide, and boots from a blue dragon's hide. He wields the greatsword Kelmar in battle; he also carries an ordinary two-handed sword that he may wield in one hand while Kelmar is dancing. Kord is sometimes depicted by his urbanized faithful as a more civilized athlete or wrestler.

Temples to Kord often resemble arenas filled with practice spaces and galleries where combat can be observed. They may also include baths, gymnasiums, trophy halls, and statues of Kord. The largest of Kord's temples is in the Champion's District of Keymouth. Kord has a tendency to go into berserk rages in the heat of battle from which he cannot be roused by anyone. In such a fugue, he will attack friend or foe alike.

The Soul Forger, Dwarf-Father - Moradin (LG)
Moradin is the chief deity of the Dwarves. Moradin appears as a stern male dwarf twenty feet in height. He has powerful musculature, particularly in his upper body. His beard is long and flowing, reaching to his knees; it is depicted as either snow-white or coal-black. Moradin dresses plainly, wearing furs and the leather leggings and aprons of a humble smith. On his forearms are his only concession to vanity, a pair of pure gold bracers. In battle he wears dwarven plate and carries a large shield. His large, glowing war hammer is named Soulhammer. A pure white radiance of divine power radiates from the Dwarf-father, though he can suppress this at will.

Temples to Moradin are always underground and carved from solid rock, but never set in unworked natural caverns. Hammers and anvils, the symbols of Moradin, are the dominant themes, as are statues of Moradin All-Father. At the centre of every temple to Moradin is a vast forge. This forge is more than just a workplace but also a telinom, a sacred area. Dwarven forges rely not only on hammers and muscle but also on power derived from water and wind, thus fusing all four of the classical elements. If the flame in the forge (which is protected by a permanent wall of fire effect) ever goes out, the temple must be abandoned or torn down stone by stone. Usually a new temple is built on another site, but occasionally the previous temple is rebuilt and reconsecrated.

The Sun Father - Pelor (NG)
Pelor is the god of the Sun, Light, Strength, and Healing. He is known as the Shining One, and the Sun Father. He is known as the creator of much that is good. Pelor is said to ride a mighty ki-rin named Star Thought, summoning eagles and destroying evil with bolts of light. He is depicted as an older man with wild golden hair and beard, dressed in robes of shining white. Pelor opposes all evil deities and his followers avoid neutral deities with teachings counter to Pelor's. Pelor particularly loathes Tharizdun, having played a role in the Dark God's imprisonment, and Nerull.

Pelor is a popular deity, much-beloved by the commonfolk. He is particularly revered in the the Western Commonlands. Pelor's temples are tall, with large windows; many are stained-glass cathedrals. They are arranged so that the sun shines into most of the rooms during the day, and many feature large courtyards. They tend to be airy and blindingly white. Temple trappings are typically yellow or gold. They are always kept clean. Many Pelorian temples have hospital wings.

Pholtus of the Blinding Light - Pholtus (LG)
Pholtus of the Blinding Light is the god of Light, Resolution, Law, Order, Inflexibility, the Sun, and the Moons. Pholtus himself appears as a tall, slender man with pale skin, flowing white hair and bright blue eyes burning with the fires of devotion. He always wears a silky white gown and a cassock trimmed with gold and silver, embroidered with suns and moons. The centre of the church of Pholtus in The Azure Sea is in Keymouth. Buildings consecrated to Pholtus are white. Services include many brightly burning candles, long sermons and choruses of the worshipers' anthem, "O Blinding Light".

The Protector and Provider - Yondalla (LG)
Yondalla is represented as a strong female halfling with red-golden hair, looking determined and proud. She dresses in green, yellow, and brown, and carries a shield. Yondalla has two aspects that the Halflings speak of in front of others: the Provider and the Protector. As the Provider, she is a goddess of fertility and growing things, of birth and youth. She can make barren things fertile and increase the growing rate of plants and animals to any speed she chooses. She can equally easily make fertile things barren, if she chooses. She can age, wither, and slay as easily as she can create, though it takes much to drive her to do this.

As Protector, Yondalla wards off evil influences and intrusions and gives Halflings the strength and determination to defend themselves. In this aspect, Yondalla most often uses her illusionist abilities to protect her worshippers. Yondalla smiles upon her followers when they aid and help others and respect the dead. She frowns upon sacrifices and killing fellow Halflings. Her sacred animal is the dove,

Neutral Deities

The Earth Mother - Beory (N)
Beory is the goddess of the Earth, Nature, and Rain. She is also known as the Earth Mother.

Beory is considered to be a manifestation of the earth itself. She does not care for anything else, and mortals or other deities only concern her if they threaten the earth. She is distant even from her own clerics, who wander the earth to experience the different parts of the world. They spend their time communing with nature and often associate with druids.

Archmage of the Gods - Boccob (N)
Boccob is the god of Magic, Arcane Knowledge, Balance, and Foresight. He is known as the Uncaring, the Lord of All Magics, and the Archmage of the Deities. All times and places are open to him, and he has visited many alternate realities and planes unknown to the wisest of sages, places even the Elder Evils avoid.

Boccob is usually portrayed as a middle-aged man with white hair wearing purple robes decorated with golden runes. He carries the very first staff of the magi with him at all times. In addition, the Lord of All Magics knows every spell ever created and can travel to any time and dimension. He is the possessor of the only magical library that contains a copy of every potion, spell, and magic item in existence.

Boccob's temples are generally tall, round towers. Some temples of Boccob are guarded by pious templars who combine arcane magic with martial training. Services performed by Boccob's temples include the identification of magical items and other divination spells.

The Far Wanderer, The Star Wanderer - Celestian (N)
Celestian is the god of Stars, Space, and Wanderers. Celestian often appears as a tall, lean man of middle years, wearing black garments set with his symbol, often worked in jewels (diamond, amethyst, sapphire, emerald, topaz, jacinth and ruby) that shine like distant suns. His smooth skin and his eyes are ebony. His voice is a cold and unearthly whisper, which carries well despite its softness, but he seldom speaks.

He has power over meteors, comets, asteroids, and similar bodies, and some influence over light and weather. He can summon astral devas to serve him. Celestian shrines are located in the country, away from city lights, and are often built upon mountain peaks or hilltops with a clear view of the sky. There are Celestian hospices throughout the depths of space, tended to by priests who have decided to stay in one place for a time. They give shelter, food, air, and advice, appreciating donations, though there is no set schedule of fees. They may give directions and help travellers find work.

The Lone Wolf - Fenmarel Mestarine (CN)
Fenmarel Mestarine is the elven deity of the Grugach (Wild Elves), Outcasts, Scapegoats, and Solitude. Fenmarel Mestarine appears as an elf clad in leaves and scraps of clothing. Like a Cloak of Elvenkind, his skin changes colour to match his immediate environment. He is eternally sullen and serious. He has no interest in communicating with members of other pantheons or non-elves unless absolutely necessary, and when he does speak he is usually bitter and cynical.

Although he tries to avoid commitments of any sort, the Lone Wolf always abides by his word, no matter how reluctantly it is given. Fenmarel watches over the elven borders in disappearing woodlands, jungles, and similar environments, not unlike what Corellon Larethian does in more sizable homelands. Of all the elven races, Fenmarel takes a keen interest mainly in the grugach, hidden deep within the thickest thickets of the Fearwyd Weald.

The Lady of Our Fate - Istus (N)
Istus is the goddess of Fate, Destiny, Divination, the Future, and Honesty. Istus is aloof from mortals and immortals alike, concerning herself only with the fate of the universe. She is depicted in three separate ways: as an old crone, as a mature and haughty noble dame, and as a cold and unfeeling young maiden. She carries a golden spindle, with which she spins the future into the present, thus weaving the web of fate.

Her largest church in the civilised world is The Most Holy Hall of our Lady of Fate in the town of Feymouth.

The Prince of Swords - Kelanen (N)
Kelanen is the hero-deity of Swords, Sword Skills, and Balance. Kelanen is traditionally depicted as a fair-skinned human male bearing a silvery scar on the right side of his face, though he can appear in any humanoid form. His true form is slender and sinewy, just under six feet in height. He wears elfin chain mail and prefers garments of gray or blue gray, wearing ornaments of silver or platinum.

Kelanen is always accompanied by his intelligent swords, Swiftdoom and Sureguard. The most famous temple to Kelanen stands in the Champion's District of Keymouth.

Prince of Time - Lendor (N)
Lendor is the god of Time, Tedium, Patience, and Study. Lendor is a distant deity who has withdrawn from the affairs of the world to care for larger issues. He considers himself superior to other deities, especially his children. He has the ability to banish or undo the magic of any his brood.

Lendor is depicted as a husky older man with flowing hair and a long beard of white. He wields a flaming sword named Afterglow. He sometimes manifests as a silver dragon or a female elf. Lendor is said to have started the flow of time at the birth of the universe with a single blow from Afterglow.

The Laughing God - Olidammara (CN)
Olidammara is the god of Music, Revels, Wine, Rogues, Humor, and Tricks. He is often called the Laughing Rogue. Olidammara is one of the more eccentric of the gods. The Laughing Rogue is often involved in good-natured schemes involving the other gods (less good-natured for the more evil deities), with repercussions that can make life difficult for his faithful. He has few proper priests, but is held in high regard in almost all non-evil regions of the lands.

Olidammara commonly appears as a slender young man with olive skin, merry green eyes, chestnut hair, and a rakish beard. His magical mask allows him to take any form, however. His favoured musical instrument, the Kanteel of the Oldest, can conjure illusions and real matter and shape the emotions of those who listen to its sounds as if they were moist clay.

The Storm Lord - Procan (CN)
Procan is an ancient, primal god. He is wild and tempestuous; he can be benevolent or malevolent at turns, but generally cares nothing for humanity unless carefully propitiated - and perhaps not even then. He's the embodiment of mercurial winds and uncertain fate. He is greedy and possessive of the wealth that comes to his domain, whether from deliberate offerings or sunken ships. He's an elder god, almost like a titan, though he roams the cosmos freely. Procan is portrayed as a muscular man with blue-green skin and hair. His eyes are golden, glinting like sunken treasure. He carries a large spear dripping with seaweed.

Any port city will have at least a small shrine to Procan. Seaton, Keymouth, and Ambercove all have temples to the deity. Keymouth's cathedral is particularly large. The Cathedral of Procan in Antaros is famed for its incredible decorations, including arabesques, symbols of Procan, anchors, and chains all carved from stone. In the centre is a towering 20 foot high statue of the god himself. The cathedral's walls stand over a hundred feet high.

The Trickster, The Magpie - Quorlinn (N)
Quorlinn is the Kenku deity of Trickery, Disguise, and Thievery. Quorlinn appears as a typical Kenku wearing a black mask and fairly non-descript clothing. Quorlinn is a likable, roguish trickster. He has a tinge of malice about him at times, but he has also aided races other than his own. He spends much of his time whining about the responsibilities imposed upon him by a race he didn't choose to have created in his image. Quorlinn is easily irritated, bad-tempered, snappy, and fickle, but not actually evil. He whines constantly about the responsibility of caring for the Kenku, complaining that it weighs him down. He is not uncaring, however. Quorlinn teaches disguise, magic, and thievery to help the Kenku survive, for he fears he is too weak to protect them himself.

The Unlooked For - Ralishaz (CN)
Ralishaz is the god of Chance, Ill Luck, Misfortune, and Insanity. Ralishaz's appearance constantly shifts and changes, one moment beautiful the next hideous, one moment male the next female, or any other such combination of opposites. Ralishaz shuns the other gods, although he doesn't appear to harbour any particular hatred for any one of them.

The Breeder - Semuanya (N)
Semuanya appears as a large Lizardfolk warrior of indeterminate gender wielding a great club with sharp shells at the tip. During times of peace, Lizardfolk call her the Breeder; during times of hardship they call him the Watcher or the Seeker. Semuanya is an aspect of the "World Serpent" deity worshiped in different forms by the various reptilian races.

Semuanya is solely devoted to the survival and propagation of the Lizardfolk race, and is completely neutral in alignment. If something is not directly related to survival or propagation, Semuanya considers it irrelevant.

The Great Guildmaster, The Money Counter - Zilchus (LN)
Zilchus is a popular god, depicted as a well-dressed man of plain appearance. He is middle-aged, with greying-brown hair and eyes, tanned skin, and a dignified demeanor, and depicted as smiling. His clothing is expensive without being ostentatious. He carries a gold purse and a flail with which to chastise the dishonest. Though he has little time for frivolous pursuits, he is knowledgeable about such matters because such knowledge helps him influence others.

Zilchus teaches that the desire for power, prestige, influence, and money can be overwhelming in the world of mortals, but this desire must be tamed in one's own life so that it can be more easily exploited in others. The profit motive is viewed as something that improves the quality of all endeavours. Zilchus' favored weapon is the dagger.

The All-Seeing, The Knowing Mistress - Ioun (N)
Ioun is the goddess of knowledge, skill, and prophecy. Ioun's avatar appears as an older woman with long, wavy silver hair. Her olive skin is weathered and wrinkled around her almond shaped eyes with purple irises. She wears blue and white robes that tumble out from her form in tendrils of parchment. Sages, seers, and tacticians revere her, as do all who live by their knowledge and mental power. Libraries and wizard academies are built in her name.

The Matron of Ravens - The Raven Queen (LN)
Master over the skein of fate and the mistress of winter, the Matron of Ravens stands as the god of death. Her gaze follows and marks the end of each mortal life, watching over the transition between life and death and ensuring the natural transition is undefiled. Many funerals call to her blessing in hopes that she will protect the deceased from the terrible curse of undeath. Those who keep ancient lore believe the Matron of Ravens was once mortal herself, and is the only known mortal to have ascended. Her rise instantly obliterated the previous, now-forgotten god of death, and the other gods quickly and fearfully destroyed the secrets to the rites of ascension.

Few existing visual depictions of the Matron of Ravens herself exist, with many temples merely using the raven as a symbol of her blessing. Those that do depict her, however, reveal a tall, pale woman wrapped in dangling black linens, her onyx-black hair straight and never ending, her face obscured by a white, porcelain mask.

The Matron of Ravens' holy day is the Night of Ascension, celebrating her apotheosis. The actual date of the goddess’s rise to divinity is unclear, but the Night of Ascension is nonetheless celebrated on the thirteenth day of the tenth month. Many people see this cheery celebration of the dead to be unnerving and macabre, but the Raven’s followers believe the honored dead would rather be venerated with cheer, not misery.

The Matron of Ravens is also considered by some the winter patron to the holiday of Winter’s Crest: the celebration in Exandria of freedom, celebrated on the 20th day of the eleventh month. Most, however, see this holiday belonging to the people of the land, and recognize no pertaining divine worship.

Evil Deities

The Dark Mother - Beltar (CE)
Though often depicted as a haglike human female, Beltar is known to also appear as a beholder, red dragon, or marilith. Beltar hates nearly everything, even other deities. Beltar was formerly a goddess of earth and mines, but was supplanted by other gods (as well as nonhuman deities such as Moradin and Garl Glittergold, according to Complete Divine), until her only worshipers were nonhuman slaves. It is perhaps for this reason that dwarves and gnomes number amongst her greatest enemies. Beltar will often take mates in her various forms, but few survive, as she eats them afterward, as well as any young born from such a union.

The Sea Mother, the Whip of Whips - Blibdoolpoolp (NE)
Blibdoolpoolp is the deity worshipped by the kuo toa race. She is also known as the "Sea Mother." Blibdoolpoolp usually takes the form of a 20-foot tall nude human female, with a lobster's head and claws in place of humanoid parts. At close range, her gaze causes insanity.

The Hag - Cegilune (NE)
Cegilune is the hag deity of Larvae, Hags, and the Moon. She is the patron goddess of all hags, including night hags. Cegilune appears as a filthy hag with yellow-brown skin. She may also appear as a young human or elf woman, or as a homely old lady. Very rarely, she'll manifest as a scruffy orc or goblinoid woman. In all of her forms, she carries a small iron pot.

Cegilune's favoured weapon is the quarterstaff. She is worshiped in grisly shrines near the cauldrons of her followers.

He Who Never Sleeps - Gruumsh (CE)
Gruumsh, also known as Gruumsh One-Eye, is the patron deity of the Orcs, who regard him as the god of Conquest, Survival, Strength, and Territory. Gruumsh appears as a powerful orc with one eye. A figure of fury and driven cruelty, Gruumsh rules the Orcs with brute power. His favoured weapon is the spear.

The Herald of Hell - Hextor (LE)
Hextor is the god of War, Discord, Massacres, Conflict, Fitness, and Tyranny. Hextor is often depicted as a hideous, grey skinned, six-armed humanoid bearing two large tusks jutting from its lower jaw wearing armour clad with skulls. He wields a weapon in each hand: a spiked flail, a battle axe, a battle pick, a longsword, a mace, and a falchion. His other form is that of an athletic young male, with dark hair and light skin.

Places dedicated to the worship of Hextor tend to be dark, bloody, and grim.

Lord of Evil - Iuz (CE)
Iuz is the demigod of Deceit, Evil, Oppression, Pain, and Wickedness. Iuz is variously called "the Old One" and "Old Wicked," among other titles. Iuz was originally a strikingly handsome cambion. In the epic battle that resulted from Graz'zt striking out against Iggwilv in a bid for freedom, Iuz's handsome form was split into two "halves." He can either appear in the form of a gnarled, old human male, or as a bloated, red-skinned demonic figure. In his demonic form, he is seven feet tall, with reddish skin, pointed ears, and long, steely fingers. In his human form, he is barely five feet in height, and can attack with a disgusting spittle that withers all that it touches.

Iuz's places of worship are small and secret things. Iuz's temples and shrines must be old, filthy, and dark. His altars are built of bones and include many skulls. In forbidding wilderness terrain, far from the eyes of the forces of Good, Iuz maintains sites for mass rituals, sacrifices, and other foul deeds.

The Wormgod - Kyuss (NE)
Kyuss is a demigod concerned with the Creation and Mastery of the Undead. In his divine form, Kyuss appears as a towering humanoid shaped entirely of green Kyuss worms, with two blazing eyes peering from beneath the hood of his ragged cloak. Clerics of Kyuss raid graveyards to create undead, selling their creations or letting them run wild. The more powerful ones seek to create new kinds of undead and seek lichdom or some other form of undeath for themselves. They seek to free their master, and travel to various places holy to their faith.

The Spider Queen - Lolth (CE)
Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders, is a demon lord and the chief goddess of the Drow. She displays formidable power and great cruelty with an affection for arachnids. Goddess of Darkness, Drow, Evil, and Spiders, Lolth has, through deceit and domination, garnered the ears of the dark elves and eventually established herself as their foremost deity, keeping them under her thumb by creating a society in which only the strong survive and her priestesses are strongest.

Lolth usually appears in two forms: Drow and arachnid. In Drow form, the Spider Queen appears as an "exquisitely beautiful" female dark elf, sometimes covered in clinging spiders. In her arachnid form, Lolth takes the appearance of a giant black widow spider with the head of a female Drow or human peering from between the eight spider-eyes. Sometimes, the two foremost pair of her spider-legs are actually humanoid arms. Lolth has sworn vengeance against Corellon Larethian and his people. Lolth is personally served by a race of shapeshifting demons called the yochlol. In their natural form, yochlol resemble molten blobs of wax with large, glaring red eyes. Ranking just below yochlols are the myrlochar or soul spiders, arachnid-shaped demons who glow with a greenish hue.

Greatest among Lolth's servants are the Proxies of Lolth, spidery monstrosities with the heads of beautiful drow maidens. They are granted the powers of demigods. Lolth is worshipped in underground marble temples or fanes. They are large and imposing, dominating and overshadowing the communities in which they are built. They are defended by priestesses, soldiers, and often spiders of various kinds. Dark lore and potent magics are stored within.

The Battle Lord - Maglubiyet (NE)
Maglubiyet is the chief deity of Goblins, norkers, and hobgoblins. He is a god of war and leadership who rules over the goblin pantheon with an iron fist. Maglubiyet appears as a giant (11 feet tall), black-skinned goblin with flaming eyes, powerfully-muscled arms and sharp talons. He wields a mighty coal-black battle axe that constantly drips blood.

From his throne of flaming iron, Maglubiyet commands the souls of Goblins, hobgoblins, and worgs to wage eternal war against the orcish petitioners of Gruumsh. He also employs baatezu, barghests, and yugoloths as mercenaries and commanders to bolster his armies. Maglubiyet is worshiped in cave temples where sacrifices of hearts are made to him monthly.

The Reaper - Nerull (NE)
Nerull is the god of Death, Darkness, Murder, and the Underworld. Nerull is usually seen as a black-robed skeleton with a rust-red body and green, ropy hair. He carries a staff called Lifecutter that at his command grows a scythe blade made of scarlet energy. He flies through the skies, slaying the living and undead alike, crumbling them to dust with a mere touch of his bony finger.

Nerull's temples are hidden and usually subterranean except in the most evil lands, as befits the god of darkness and the underworld. In the Hold of the Sea Princes, cultists of Nerull made it their goal to frustrate and destroy the Cerulean Empire. This cult has recently been responsible for a series of extremely mysterious, grisly, and above all scary murders of various servants of good; apart from this they've kept themselves extremely secretive.

Prince of the Undead - Orcus (CE)
Orcus is the Demon Prince of the Undead. Orcus is typically described as having the head and legs of a goat, although with ram-like horns, a bloated body, bat-like wings, and a long tail. Orcus cares for nothing save himself—not even his devotees and undead servants—and focuses only on spreading misery and evil. One of his most identifiable symbols is the Wand of Orcus, a skull-topped artefact with the power to slay any living being. Orcus also once wielded a powerful artefact known as the Orcusword.

The cult of Orcus is mainly composed of twisted creatures with a morbid fascination with the undead, such as necromancers, as well as creatures deliberately seeking the path to undeath, such as would-be liches and Vampires. They often wear macabre costumes decorated with bones and skulls.

The Banished One - Panzuriel (NE)
Panzuriel is a deity of Murder, Confusion, Subversion, and evil creatures of the sea. Panzuirel manifests as a hunchbacked old humanoid figure with gills and green, scaly skin, which fades to yellow on his underbelly. His left leg ends in a crystalline foot, and he grasps a staff in his taloned hands to support himself as he limps onto dry land. He has shining green eyes. Panzuriel may also manifest as a giant octopus. In prehistoric times, Panzuriel's influence was banished from the Prime Material Plane by Deep Sashelas and Procan. Bitter and enraged at his banishment, he directs his minions to work against Alugach and the servants of Procan and other sea deities opposed to his works.

Panzuriel seeks to lay havoc and waste to the seas, seeking revenge, torture, and murder of all his enemies. The temples of Panzuriel are huge cave complexes or simple stone circles surrounding tentacled idols. Kraken sometimes force their slaves to toil for centuries creating trenches deep enough to uncover portals leading to Panzuriel's stygian realm.

The Great Shark - Sekolah (LE)
Sekolah is a powerful god and the primary deity worshipped by the Sahuagin race, as well as Carcharion. Sekolah resembles a 35-foot long great white shark. He likes to hunt giant squids and other prey that he finds suitably challenging. Sekolah is a rapacious monster who cares nothing, one way or the other, for any race but the Sahuagin. Deep Sashelas hates him in particular, however. The Great Shark permits the sahuagin to form temporary pacts with other evil deities; he cares little as long as he continues to receive regular sacrifices from his priestesses.

Temples to Sekolah are built of stone or coral. The most humble temples, built by Sahuagin in exile, are little more than rude caves. The greatest are decorated with mosaics of sharks and Sahuagin dancing joyfully, decorated with seashells, mother-of-pearl, and actual pearls and featuring windows made from crystal. A large bowl, ideally built beneath a statue of Sekolah, is used for offerings and divination. There are chambers for the priestesses to dwell in, barracks for the guards, eating halls, and libraries filled with shells and tablets inscribed with sacred texts and eel-hide scrolls bearing the history of the settlement.

The Dark God - Tharizdun (NE)
Tharizdun is the god of Eternal Darkness, Decay, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, Insanity, and Cold. He takes the form of a pitch-black, roiling, amorphous form. As the Dark God, he is described as an incorporeal wraithform, black and faceless. He was imprisoned ages ago by a coalition of deities to prevent the destruction of existence itself. Although imprisoned, Tharizdun still has a degree of his original multiverse-threatening power, and still wishes to destroy the entire universe. Should he ever escape from his prison, it is thought that even the most evil of deities work with their good counterparts to return Tharizdun to his prison.

Tharizdun's temples (often in the shape of black ziggurats) are usually hidden, due to necessity. Some say that Tharizdun originated in the Far Realm or in a previous universe. Tharizdun was imprisoned eons ago by the forebears of those beings known as the Great Powers, although it is said that Pelor was also involved. It is said that both good and evil deities worked together to ensure his imprisonment. As the Dark God, Tharizdun is credited with the corruption of the Seelie Court. Tharizdun was imprisoned long ago, but his prison may weaken at times, allowing his influence to creep out into the worlds beyond.

The Chromatic Dragon - Tiamat (LE)
Tiamat is the five-headed queen of the evil chromatic Dragons. She has one head for each of the most common colors of chromatic dragon (black, blue, green, red, white), and each head has the powers of a member of the respective race of dragonkind. Each head's colour continues down her back and sides, eventually blending into three stripes of gray, blue-green, and purple along her hindquarters, becoming muddy brown on her tail. Her underbelly and stubby legs are greenish white blending into the colours on her sides and back. Her fat, bloated body is a blending of various chromatic dragon forms with an appropriately multi-colored hide. Her tail is tipped with a poisonous stinger like that of a wyvern.

Tiamat has also been known to manifest as a dark-haired human sorceress. She is the eternal rival of her brother Bahamut, the ruler of the good metallic Dragons. Tiamat is a greedy, vain, and arrogant goddess who embodies all the strengths of evil dragonkind, and few of their weaknesses. Tiamat is most concerned with spreading evil, defeating good, and propagating chromatic dragons. She never forgives a slight. Although she is not averse to razing the occasional village, her true schemes are subtle and hard to detect. From the shadows she moves her puppets' strings.

The Queen of Evil Dragons demands reverence, homage, supplication, and tribute from her subjects. Temples to Tiamat are often built within the lairs of long-dead Dragons. They are filled with piles of wealth to be sacrificed to the Chromatic Dragon, as well as traps to keep out heretics and the unfaithful. Few dragons keep shrines to her in their own lairs, because they don't wish the goddess to know exactly how much treasure they have, for fear she will demand a greater cut of it.