chatdemon
First Post
As part of my continuing presentation of some custom Greyhawk material, to give ideas on how to adapt homebrew ideas to a published setting, or vice versa, here is my
version of Kyuss, who was a gifted, but low level Cleric of Wee Jas until
his temptation by Nerull, and later ascension to godhood.
Note: The following dissertation is in no way supported by any 'canon' material, and is simply my homebrew story of how this god rose to prominence.
Olandra, a Cleric of Nerull working 'undercover' in Zeltra (the central town
of Jasidan church structure in the ancient Suloise empire) had become
frustrated in her attempts to ferret out information for her dark masters
(the church of Nerull in Vecna's empire to the east) by infiltrating the
Jasidan church heirarchy. Quite simply, she lacked the faith and devotion to
learning the Jasidan way to reach the ranks within the church that would
grant her access to the secrets that Nerull's clergy were seeking. She found
that by seducing (literally and figuratively) the young and talented cleric
Asternin, of the little known Eowen house.(Kyuss is a title/nickname, from
the Suel phrase "kyut suss", meaning "defiant outcast", (which by the way,
is where the Suss Forest got its name in my game, "Outcast Forest" named so
by the Keoish early in the reign of that kingdom for the fact that most
undesirables in the Sheldomar and Lortmils were slowly being driven into the
Suss and Pomarj.) It is a heresy punishable by execution by fire to utter
Asternin Eowen's true name now).and basically offering him access to
knowledge beyond that of any of the temple libraries, he was more than
willing to take wine with her and spill even the most gaurded secrets of the
faith. In exchange for being Nerull's eyes and ears, Kyuss became wildly
powerful and influential in the church, and succeeded in overturning a lot
of the canon law that forbade dabbling in the art of necromancy (these laws
have since been reinstated by the Jasidan church, but the damage is done, as
a lot of the lore uncovered during Kyuss's time is still floating around for
mortal wizards to play with.). He and Olandra presided over what is known in
Suloise history as the 30 Year Nightmare, where the towns of Zeltra and
Zinbyle were plagued by undead and other vile monsters and necromancers and
corrupt Jasidan clerics terrorized the northeastern reaches of the Suel
empire. The pinnacle of Kyuss's dabbling in Necromancy was the creation of
the Dreaded Sons, but this was also to be his downfall. The first batch of
true Sons of Kyuss went about terrorizing and ransacking the town of Zeltra,
eventually coming upon the Hall of Shining Echoes, the temple of Lydia that
housed the Sun Maiden sect of Lydian Paladins (see my article on the Suel
relic Lightbringer for more info on the Sun Maidens,
http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1774 ). The
Clergy of that temple lost more than half their numbers destroying the
abominations, but afterward, their leader, Sabien, rallied them into
storming the Ruby Palace (Wee Jas temple in Zeltra) and defeating Kyuss and
Olandra once and for all. Late that night, after a bloody battle through the
halls of the Jasidan temple, Sabien herself weilded the holy spear
Lightbringer and slayed the now insane necromancer as he attempted to
channel the power of his Goddess, who had become disgusted with his heresy
and denied his pleas for divine aid. Olandra was spared, for she
convincingly lied and claimed that she was a mere student of the magical
arts from the eastern empire who had been forced to serve Kyuss against her
will. She was taken to the Kendeen pass and given a weeks rations, and told
to never return to the Empire again, but she was spared.Things slowly got
back to normal in Zeltra and the surrounding countryside, and the name of
Asternin of Eowen was eventually forgotten by the Suloise people.
But not by Nerull.
Pleased with Kyuss's performance as a necromancer, but concerned about his
misplaced loyalty, Nerull intercepted Kyuss's soul as it travelled to the
Halls of the Dead in Wee Jas' celestial palace. Nerull revealed Olandra's
treachery to Kyuss, who was outraged and dismayed at his lover's duplicity.
Nerull told Kyuss he could grant him vengeance on his betrayer, but that it
would cost him dearly, as he would be ever forbidden entry to the Halls of
the Dead. Nerull explained though that should Kyuss accept his offer and
show his loyalty to a new master by having his vengeance on not only
Olandra, but on Sabien and the other Sun Maidens, that Kyuss would sit
beside him in his divine palace, and rule all practitioners of necromancy on
Oerth, forever. Kyuss, obviously, accepted, and returned to Oerth as the
first Revenant, stalking and killing both Olandra and Sabien. After killing
the Lydian paladin, Kyuss set the Hall of Shining Echoes ablaze, and set off
for the eastern empire, to report his success to Nerull's clergy there and
bestow the holy spear Lightbringer, which he had captured, upon their
church. He never set foot east of the Crystalmists again however. Halfway
across the Kendeen Pass, Kyuss was confronted by the Solar Mikarli (an
ascended Sun Maiden Paladin, the highest servant of Lydia, and a
hero-goddess in her own right), who destroyed the creature and retrieved the
spear. Kyuss had, however, fulfilled his end of the bargain, and was
rewarded with his own ascension to divine status, where he has remained as a
dark patron for those who dabble in necromancy and undeath ever since.
Kyuss and his clergy are despised by Wee Jas' church, who will capture them
and try them on charges of heresy against the Suel Pantheon. This usually
leads to a quick but formal execution.
The usually mild mannered and peaceful followers of Lydia (including and
especially the Sun Maiden sect in the modern flanaess) are not so kind as to
grant Kyuss's followers a trial. Any displaying or professing loyalty to the
dark godling or his faith are attacked on sight and killed
version of Kyuss, who was a gifted, but low level Cleric of Wee Jas until
his temptation by Nerull, and later ascension to godhood.
Note: The following dissertation is in no way supported by any 'canon' material, and is simply my homebrew story of how this god rose to prominence.
Olandra, a Cleric of Nerull working 'undercover' in Zeltra (the central town
of Jasidan church structure in the ancient Suloise empire) had become
frustrated in her attempts to ferret out information for her dark masters
(the church of Nerull in Vecna's empire to the east) by infiltrating the
Jasidan church heirarchy. Quite simply, she lacked the faith and devotion to
learning the Jasidan way to reach the ranks within the church that would
grant her access to the secrets that Nerull's clergy were seeking. She found
that by seducing (literally and figuratively) the young and talented cleric
Asternin, of the little known Eowen house.(Kyuss is a title/nickname, from
the Suel phrase "kyut suss", meaning "defiant outcast", (which by the way,
is where the Suss Forest got its name in my game, "Outcast Forest" named so
by the Keoish early in the reign of that kingdom for the fact that most
undesirables in the Sheldomar and Lortmils were slowly being driven into the
Suss and Pomarj.) It is a heresy punishable by execution by fire to utter
Asternin Eowen's true name now).and basically offering him access to
knowledge beyond that of any of the temple libraries, he was more than
willing to take wine with her and spill even the most gaurded secrets of the
faith. In exchange for being Nerull's eyes and ears, Kyuss became wildly
powerful and influential in the church, and succeeded in overturning a lot
of the canon law that forbade dabbling in the art of necromancy (these laws
have since been reinstated by the Jasidan church, but the damage is done, as
a lot of the lore uncovered during Kyuss's time is still floating around for
mortal wizards to play with.). He and Olandra presided over what is known in
Suloise history as the 30 Year Nightmare, where the towns of Zeltra and
Zinbyle were plagued by undead and other vile monsters and necromancers and
corrupt Jasidan clerics terrorized the northeastern reaches of the Suel
empire. The pinnacle of Kyuss's dabbling in Necromancy was the creation of
the Dreaded Sons, but this was also to be his downfall. The first batch of
true Sons of Kyuss went about terrorizing and ransacking the town of Zeltra,
eventually coming upon the Hall of Shining Echoes, the temple of Lydia that
housed the Sun Maiden sect of Lydian Paladins (see my article on the Suel
relic Lightbringer for more info on the Sun Maidens,
http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1774 ). The
Clergy of that temple lost more than half their numbers destroying the
abominations, but afterward, their leader, Sabien, rallied them into
storming the Ruby Palace (Wee Jas temple in Zeltra) and defeating Kyuss and
Olandra once and for all. Late that night, after a bloody battle through the
halls of the Jasidan temple, Sabien herself weilded the holy spear
Lightbringer and slayed the now insane necromancer as he attempted to
channel the power of his Goddess, who had become disgusted with his heresy
and denied his pleas for divine aid. Olandra was spared, for she
convincingly lied and claimed that she was a mere student of the magical
arts from the eastern empire who had been forced to serve Kyuss against her
will. She was taken to the Kendeen pass and given a weeks rations, and told
to never return to the Empire again, but she was spared.Things slowly got
back to normal in Zeltra and the surrounding countryside, and the name of
Asternin of Eowen was eventually forgotten by the Suloise people.
But not by Nerull.
Pleased with Kyuss's performance as a necromancer, but concerned about his
misplaced loyalty, Nerull intercepted Kyuss's soul as it travelled to the
Halls of the Dead in Wee Jas' celestial palace. Nerull revealed Olandra's
treachery to Kyuss, who was outraged and dismayed at his lover's duplicity.
Nerull told Kyuss he could grant him vengeance on his betrayer, but that it
would cost him dearly, as he would be ever forbidden entry to the Halls of
the Dead. Nerull explained though that should Kyuss accept his offer and
show his loyalty to a new master by having his vengeance on not only
Olandra, but on Sabien and the other Sun Maidens, that Kyuss would sit
beside him in his divine palace, and rule all practitioners of necromancy on
Oerth, forever. Kyuss, obviously, accepted, and returned to Oerth as the
first Revenant, stalking and killing both Olandra and Sabien. After killing
the Lydian paladin, Kyuss set the Hall of Shining Echoes ablaze, and set off
for the eastern empire, to report his success to Nerull's clergy there and
bestow the holy spear Lightbringer, which he had captured, upon their
church. He never set foot east of the Crystalmists again however. Halfway
across the Kendeen Pass, Kyuss was confronted by the Solar Mikarli (an
ascended Sun Maiden Paladin, the highest servant of Lydia, and a
hero-goddess in her own right), who destroyed the creature and retrieved the
spear. Kyuss had, however, fulfilled his end of the bargain, and was
rewarded with his own ascension to divine status, where he has remained as a
dark patron for those who dabble in necromancy and undeath ever since.
Kyuss and his clergy are despised by Wee Jas' church, who will capture them
and try them on charges of heresy against the Suel Pantheon. This usually
leads to a quick but formal execution.
The usually mild mannered and peaceful followers of Lydia (including and
especially the Sun Maiden sect in the modern flanaess) are not so kind as to
grant Kyuss's followers a trial. Any displaying or professing loyalty to the
dark godling or his faith are attacked on sight and killed
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