D&D 4E 4e articles on Tharizdun?

[Wrox]

Ecology of the Sharn

Check out Ecology of the Sharn for more 4E lore on Tharizdun

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Ecology of the Sharn)

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

But I think the most info I read on him was the Preview books, although I can't remember of the two which had more regarding him.

Worlds & Monsters, page 64.

 

[doctorhook]

I haven't had the chance to look through it in details, but the Plane Above may have some info. Simply while glancing through it, I at least saw mention of some connection between him and one of the dominions (Pandemonium?) - though I could be just imagining things.

Outside of that, I would be surprised if there wasn't a decent bit of info in the upcoming Demonomicon, given his ties to the Abyss.

I haven't looked at The Plane Above yet, but 4E's Manual of the Planes definitely establishes Pandemonium as Tharizdun's barely-used Astral Dominion.

As for this Lolth-binding-Tharizdun bit, even speaking as a 4on, I think that sounds kinda lame...

 

[Mouseferatu]

As for this Lolth-binding-Tharizdun bit...

Yeah, that doesn't work for me, on a couple different levels.

First, Tharizduun really ought to be a force of nature (or un-nature?) even to the gods. The notion that any single god is largely responsible for keeping him imprisoned doesn't fly; it really needs to be a group thing.

Second, I realize that he's trapped in the Underdark, but honestly... If any single god were responsible, shouldn't it be, I dunno, the god of jailors? (That was always the case in my own envisioning of the cosmos, until I learned that Torog is trapped.)

And third, I don't really care for anything that brings Lolth front-and-center. To me, except amongst the drow (where, of course, she's preeminent), she really ought to be a sneaky, skulking god, scuttling around the periphery of history and the cosmos, and not directly involved in anything except her own schemes.

I really like most of the 4E cosmology/theology, but every now and again there's a major detail that just rings wrong for me. This'd be one of 'em.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Moved to 4e discussion

 

[Starfox]

Tough I've not read the source, having Lolth as Tarizdun's jailer seems like an interesting development for me. Her organic webs could potentially hold him better than rigid steel, and it also gives un axplaination of why Lolth is like she is - no-one could spend much time in Tarizdun's company and not become twisted. Of course, this changes the true nature of Lolth into something of a dutiful victim - quite a different role for her.

As for Lolth handling Tarizdun alone, she probably doesn't have sole responsibility in a crisis, she can call ancient pacts to get help. She handles the day-to-day (or millenia-to-millenia) affairs of holding Tarizdun down.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

As for this Lolth-binding-Tharizdun bit, even speaking as a 4on, I think that sounds kinda lame...

I'll just treat it as drow propaganda.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

There's some older Greyhawk-related lore in an article series about the Cult of Tharizdun.

 

[Orius]

Something about the vagueness surrounding Tharizdun makes that seem that much more mysterious and evil.

That's how I've used him in the background of my campaign. He's an elder god blamed for everything that's gone wrong with the multiverse, and he apparently likes it. He neither takes credit for or denies anything he's blamed for. For example, he's thought to have created humans as a way of mocking elder races like illithids and beholders, and some believe he's the creator of the yugoloths. Like I said, this is really specific to my own campaign and doesn't necessarily go with anything official (I needed an evil elder god in the background cosmology and I just yoinked Tharizdun because it seemed the cool thing to do).

What's this Dawn War? I'm not familiar with 4e cosmology, but it sounds like something I could use.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

What's this Dawn War? I'm not familiar with 4e cosmology, but it sounds like something I could use.

Here's an overview, scroll down a bit to skip the preceding events:
Points of Light Mythic Age