JUIBLEX, THE FACELESS ONE
The Oozelord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
orshipers: Aboleth, Humans, Intelligent Oozes, Demons
Domains: Chaos, Evil, Madness
Favored Weapon: Pseudopodia
Home Plane/Domain: The Abyss/The Slime Pits
Divine Rank: 0 (Demon Lord)
Classes: None
Portfolio: Ooze, Pestilence, Insanity, Acid, Demons
Salient Abilities: None
Special Possessions: None
Alternate Domains: Creation, Destruction, Water, Earth
Symbol: A raised, dripping pseudopod
*NOTE: All creatures with any divine status can grant spells from any of their three domains to any worshiper, though they are not capable of many of the other feats of godhood. In order to grant spells, creatures of 0 DR require a sacrifice that varies based on the domain granted and the deity granting it. One sacrifice is enough to grant spells for one week. Making a “sacrifice” is at least a full-round action, and when it requires something's death it must be a coup de grace. Note that one sacrifice may satisfy more than one domain’s requirements (such as sacrificing one Paladin to meet Juiblex’s Law and Chaos requirements), and that you can “store up” sacrifices by making several at once (such as killing two paladins to fulfill Juiblex’s requirements for two weeks)
Among Juiblex’s domains, the following sacrifices are required. Domains marked with an asterisk are alternate domains possible in certain cults or in campaigns ignoring the Divine Rank – Domain link.
Chaos: Sacrifice one sentient being of Lawful alignment
Evil: Sacrifice one sentient being of Good alignment
Madness: Scar yourself with at least five points of acid damage
*Creation: Expand the area of a dumping ground, swamp, or stagnant mire by at least 15 feet.
*Destruction: Destroy one building of at least 15 square feet via application of acid and/or waste
*Water: Bring at least one week’s worth of water to a place that lacks it
*Earth: Defile at least one week’s worth of pure water with the application of waste, mud, etc.
DESCRIPTION
A creature born from the pits of the infernal, Juiblex is the greatest – probably the only – self-described deity of ooze, muck, and filth. He is Chaotic Evil, a fiend whose association with the jellies, oozes, blobs, and puddings of the world has earned him a reputation beyond those creatures, as an insidious, insane force of putrescence.
Juiblex resembles nothing so much as a vast pool of filth with a stench so bad it burns the eyes. He (it?) is capable of rising up to form a pillar out of his semi-fluid mass, though he seems to do that only when attempting to be imposing. No matter his actual form, eyes can be seen throughout the slime, peering out with a malevolent wrath.
DOGMA
Juiblex seems to have little in the way of commandments. He hasn’t been known to speak, yet the cultists who revere him serve him with a perverse sense of reverence.
Many who worship Juiblex do so out of fear of being overcome by him or his forces. Sacrifices in the form of animals and people, and special rites designed to turn people into ooze are all accepted ways to satiate him. Eating the filth of society is also seen as an emulation of this deranged demon lord. None of these seem to actually be commanded, and Juiblex seems happy to rampage senselessly and destroy whatever gets in his way in his insane ramblings. If one makes themselves the enemy of Juiblex, there’s no guarantee that he will extract vengeance. Yet he is far from stupid, biding his time and his power until the time is right to strike for abject pain and anguish, or he looses interest.
CLERGY AND TEMPLES
Those who worship Juiblex do so most often out of a misplaced belief in his abilities. They see him as a creator and destroyer, a source of life and the origin of its end. They see him as a primordial force of consciousness, perhaps representing the very origins of thought. A few take up the role of the oozemaster, even, seeking to become one with their psychotic lord.
There are some who describe the aboleth as being dedicated priests of Juiblex, crediting him with the creation of the muck in which they thrive, and giving to him the honor of every kill and every slave they make. If the aboleth ever have in the past, or do now, worship a different deity, it is unrecorded.
There are occurrences of various slimes, puddings, and oozes also gaining some measure of intelligence and even genius-level wit. Of those that have bothered to communicate, they credit Juiblex with their intelligence.
Temples to Juiblex do not exist in the open. If they occur at all, it is often in areas of great desolation and waste, such as a city dump, a sewer, or a pustulant swamp. Stagnant bodies of underground water also tend to attract worshipers of Juiblex. Most of the time, this is little more than a gathering place for various cultists, oozes, and aboleth, but occasionally, when the cult is powerful, more formidable defenses are created and icons of the faith are prominent. Rarely do these centralized centers last for long, often succumbing to a disease or illness if they are human, and often being chased out of the area of refuse, if they are otherwise.
RITES AND RITUALS
Juiblex’s clerics, as may be expected, normally revolve their rites around the sacrifices. The larger or more important the sacrifice, the more worthy it is of a specific ritual. Often, this includes chanting various odes in abyssal, and frequently a display of adherence by the worshipers coating themselves in filth. Frequently, these rituals are timed so that they coincide with days holy or important to the gods that Juiblex is attempting to pervert, so as to maximize the poignancy of his struggle to have people recognize him as the true deity.
Amongst the aboleth, Juiblex is worshiped in a rather casual way, with the occasional slave being sacrificed or the offhanded prayer of thanks in abyssal. Rarely are any rites accorded to the oozelord, except when the entire colony fears some great ill, or is attempting some great conquest. The aboleth are only as submissive and grateful as they must be to avoid his wrath, in general.
MYTHOGRAPHY
Juiblex is one of the many occurrences in myth that we have a being of some sort – usually a powerful outsider of some type – assuming the rank of a deity. Often, they are very powerful, and have sent many emissaries through their various areas of control to the material plane, where they slowly gain a following, usually of a small, cultish nature.
Juiblex is especially frightening in this regard in that his cult is remarkably strong for a creature so alien and harmful to life. One must wonder, then: what makes someone worship a great, thinking blob that will probably end up killing you?
The answer, not surprisingly, lays within the psyche of those who do. The humans who worship Juiblex are often found to be former members of some important church of a deity of earth, life, and wisdom. They, in one way or another, grew distant from the church and its deity. In seeking out some actual representation of the power of life and wisdom, they stumble on Juiblex, who meets all their needs. Often, in the guise of one who is extracting vengeance for being unfairly put down, Juiblex allows those who have been wronged by the world a chance to fight back, and to know that they aren’t alone in their struggle against the oppressors.
Finally, Juiblex is attempting a feat which few demon lords have ever risked…the creation of a race all his own. In granting some sentience to oozes (presumably using high-level magic), he dedicates his power to actually doing something that actual gods are credited with, and often finding that it works surprisingly well.
At the same time, Juiblex is perusing the more common methods of subsuming the role of a deity, including taking control of an already-created race, and acquiring cultists in various prominent lands.
Juiblex is undoubtedly an ancient power, perhaps one of the most ancient of the demon lords. He is slowly, steadily gaining power over the world. Perhaps his ultimate goal is simply to create a species of sentient ooze, and then become the god of that species. Certainly, even the aboleth that worship him see him as more of a welcome tool than as a true god. Other than the occasional brilliant slime, his only truly devout worshipers are the odd humanoid.
LEGENDS
Juiblex is said to hide ancient secrets of magic and power within his alien mind. Some even speculate that he originally hailed from outside of the mutliverse as we know it, sliding in only to carve out his niche in the Abyss.
Because Juiblex is still young as a deity, he hasn’t had the eons to accumulate legends as many other gods have. Still, the aboleth tell the story of their pact with Juiblex, that he has vowed to aid them in their rise from the muck to take a place amongst the most feared species in the world.
Also, human cultists tell of Juiblex’s long lurking in the shadows of the more popular religions in the region, supplying the true power behind the false icons that are more openly worshiped. Often, legends about the original god come to be associated with Juiblex instead.
If the sentient oozes which Juiblex has spawned pay him any homage, it is a kind not yet identified by religious experts.
ETC.
PrC’s:
·
The Oozemaster: See
Masters of the Wild. Juiblex cultists often strive for this prestige class, using the master of mucous as their deity of choice to meet the spellcasting prerequisite.
Weapon
·
Aboleth Tentacle : In all respects, treat this weapon as a normal whip, except that, on a successful hit, the target must also make a Fortitude save (DC 19) or begin to transform over the next 1d4+1 minutes, the skin gradually becoming a clear, slimy membrane. A transformed creature must remain moistened with cool, fresh water or suffer 1d12 points of damage every 10 minutes. A remove disease spell cast before the transformation is complete will restore an afflicted creature to normal. Afterward, however, only a heal or mass heal spell can reverse the change.
The weapon is not considered magical, though a nonproficient user must treat it as a poisoned weapon (rolling a 1 on an attack roll forces a Reflex save of DC 15. If the save is failed, the wielder is affected by the transformation herself.)
Aboleth Tentacle Slime cannot normally be used as a poison. Any user proficient in the use of the whip can also use the Aboleth Tentacle. Though most open markets wouldn’t sell them, their market price in game terms is 1,000 gp.
Template
·
Intelligent Ooze: This template can be applied to any creature of the Ooze subtype, granting it 4d6 points of intelligence. It gains 4 skill points per hit die, plus one skill point per hit die per point of Intelligence modifier. It can also gain feats, one plus one per four hit dice. Intelligent oozes are capable of gaining class levels as well. Unless otherwise stated, an ooze’s favored class is rogue. Intelligent oozes are not immune to mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), and can understand Common or Abyssal (though it usually can’t speak either).
Plot Hooks
·
When Seafood Attacks: Recently, the protective membrane of mucous that surrounds the aboleth that lurk in a nearby swamp has been dissolved, suddenly and without warning. This has caused many of them to start drowning in the water, as well as dissolving as if under the effects of their own transformation power. They have been madly attempting to find the source of this, and a large number have taken to blaming a lack of adherence to Juiblex. Many seek to appease him by doing what they can do help destroy a nearby town and make it part of the swamp. The reality is that something the locals have been dumping into the water has caused the reaction, and even if the aboleth succeed in destroying the town,their problems will not be solved.
·
The Knowledge of Filth: Certain secrets are coming to light in a large city that should not be. Knowledge about the affairs of high-up politicians, stories of murders, rumors of magical experiments gone awry. The high-ups that this evidence incriminates (including politicians, wizards, and town's guards) all want to find who is getting this information and stop it from circulating. They would also like to discover how this entity is getting it's information, as everything has been disposed of ingeniously. Evidence points to a high-priest of a local god of life, though the truth lies with the recent expulsion from that church, who has taken up Juiblex-worship, and has been rewarded with several small, oozey companions that reside in the city dump, just outside the walls, and bring him information. The ex-priest then uses his church's own book-making materials to present the evidence to the city, thinkng he's doing the Right Thing.
*_________*
Worth the extra wait? I hope so. Hopefully the next slightly damp deity won't take so long.
