Yeenoghu not open content?

[The Traveler]

In his recent ENWorld chat, Chris Pramas laments that Yeenoghu isn't open content.

However, I recently picked up the print version of Monte's adventure, the Demon God's Fane. In the appendix on the title antagonist, Yeenoghu is mentioned in passing.

I know Orcus is open content because his name (and connection with death) are public domain due to the mythological references. That keeps Necromancer Games covered.

What about Yeenoghu, though? Seems Monte at the very least got away with mentioning him by name.

 

[Aaron L]

All those poor gnolls...

 

[rounser]

The Blood Wars may not have got him, but not even a Demon Lord can withstand the power of Intellectual Property Laws...

...at least, not to my gnolledge.

 

[Wolfspider]

Mr. Pramas could always use a gnome de guerre when referring to the Gnoll God....

 

[The Traveler]

Well, what I'm asking here is was it a snafu when Monte mentioned Yeenoghu in Demon God's Fane, or might the gnoll demon prince actually be fair game should Chris Pramas want to write about him?

 

[Psion]

There is this funny thing called distinctive likeness. Mentioning the name Yeenoghu is a far cry different than writing an adventure about a demon lord with a flail that is followed by a horde of hyena-headed humanoids.

 

[The Traveler]

How about mentioning Yeenoghu in the same context that the D&D products do? IE Monte mentioned Yeenoghu as a demon lord to compare his creation, Ochremesk to.

I mean, as nearly as I can tell, the name Yeenoghu was a creation of 1E D&D (as opposed to the name Orcus, which as I said existed beforehand).

 

[maddman75]

He also appears in the spell Strength of Yeenoghu in Evil. I know it refers to him as a powerful demon, and possible relates him to gnolls.

 

[Voadam]

I am not aware of Yeenoghu being open content, and Pramas did a lot of research on the planar names so I would think he is correct. Unless a historical reference to the name can be found I think Evil and Monte may have made a little technical mistake in including the name in d20 products. I have not done a search myself on the name though so gary Gygax might have a historical or literary basis for Yeenoghu as he did for most of the princes (Demogorgon, Asmodeus, Geryon) or Yeenoghu and Jubilex may have been whole cloth creations.

BTW how do you pronounce Yeenoghu? I always said Yeenog in my head but looking at it again in print that doesn't seem accurate.

 

[Erik Mona]

There's no mythological basis for Yeenoghu that I was able to dig up in the several months of research I did for both Legions of Hell and (especially) Armies of the Abyss. That is why you won't see his name in Armies, though the book does namedrop Demogorgon, Orcus, and a few others from occult lore.

For the record, I'm pretty sure Gygax invented Graz'zt, Fraz-urb'lu, Juiblex, and Lolth from whole cloth as well (though the latter's name seems to be a bastardization of Lilith, which makes a certain amount of sense).

Orcus, Pazuzu, Baphomet, Demogorgon, and Kostchtchie all come from real world occult lore or literature and their names, but probably not their details, are fair game. Minor rules for worshipping all of these figures appear in the just-released Armies of the Abyss, by the way, should you be interested in things demoniac.

--Erik