Discussion: Devils and Demons in L4W Cosmology

Tomalak · Mar 31, 2010

The adventure I'm planning involved a traditional dungeon, and touches on the Underdark. It doesn't have to extend into the greater Depthworld, but it can, and whether it will is a decision I was holding off on until I got the first adventure complete and running.

TwoHeadsBarking · Mar 31, 2010

Hekates is L4W's version of Hecate/Hekate/however you like to spell it. In Greek mythology, she is a chthonic goddess of things like witchcraft, crossroads, and ghosts. In L4W mythology, she's pretty much the same. The "new" gods (Joven, Lauto, etc.) have pretty much pushed her out of the realm of common knowledge, but she has plans to come back into power. She doesn't have clerics (yet) but she does have at least one warlock, and I think a couple wizards who may or may not follow her call.

Mal Malenkirk · Apr 1, 2010

Okay, I understand your reservations about using Lolth.

How about making Queen Akneth an Ancient Deep (purple) Dragon, instead?

These dragons are notoriously deceptive. Maybe Akneth convinced many of the denizens of the underworld to worship her as a goddess (In which case I should call her Goddes Akneth, I guess!).

Since we have no spider queen goddess, maybe Akneth herself corrupted drows two or three millenia ago while experimenting. What's the origin of Drows in L4W without Lolth, anyway? In essence we could have this ancient deep dragoness replacing lolth for most drow and underdark related fluff. But instead of being a distant godess, she is very much flesh and blood and about to turn her attention to the surface. Akness could have a fondness for spider, explaining their prevalance in drow culture.

ScorpiusRisk · Apr 1, 2010

The origin is that they were elves/eladrin who were exiled from the Imperium and turned to demon worship.

On second read I don't think you were really asking that question. I like this new addition about the dragon. Makes things allot more interesting.

Fragsie · May 7, 2010

A lot of you have probably noticed that a lot of info about l4w's cosmology has been hashed out in this thread and others recently. I've added (still reletively empty) pages to the wiki and I'm slowly going through content and linking it all up. Having just done this on the Myth of Creation page, I've noticed that the mythos doesn't mention Gehenos (or hell) at all. Anyone have some ideas about how it can be added into the myth? Otherwise there's just this other plane floating about out there that came from nowhere :s

ScorpiusRisk · May 7, 2010

Good question.

Reading over what we have on my good friend Asmodeus, I think it should be the first land he conquered. Having been left out of divinty, he wasn't granted his own realm or a place in Elysium.

Now whose realm was this before him? Maybe we should leave that up to a future DM to decide. But it was someone powerful and there's no doubt that it was taken by force.

It's an idea.

Mal Malenkirk · May 8, 2010

What is the origin of Olympus? The gods willed it into existence from the Elysium, I expect. It's kind if the generic Astral Domain genesis, I think.

If Asmodeus is seen as an entity that coulda been a god but was not accepted in the big boys club, having him shape Gehenos out of his will like the gods did is fitting. His first occasion of giving the finger to his rivals; 'Look, I got my own domain, and it's all mine!'.