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Message: <blockquote data-quote="chatdemon" data-source="post: 36361" data-attributes="member: 228">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 myversion of Kyuss, who was a gifted, but low level Cleric of Wee Jas untilhis 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 townof Jasidan church structure in the ancient Suloise empire) had becomefrustrated in her attempts to ferret out information for her dark masters(the church of Nerull in Vecna's empire to the east) by infiltrating theJasidan church heirarchy. Quite simply, she lacked the faith and devotion tolearning the Jasidan way to reach the ranks within the church that wouldgrant her access to the secrets that Nerull's clergy were seeking. She foundthat by seducing (literally and figuratively) the young and talented clericAsternin, of the little known Eowen house.(Kyuss is a title/nickname, fromthe 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 soby the Keoish early in the reign of that kingdom for the fact that mostundesirables in the Sheldomar and Lortmils were slowly being driven into theSuss and Pomarj.) It is a heresy punishable by execution by fire to utterAsternin Eowen's true name now).and basically offering him access toknowledge beyond that of any of the temple libraries, he was more thanwilling to take wine with her and spill even the most gaurded secrets of thefaith. In exchange for being Nerull's eyes and ears, Kyuss became wildlypowerful and influential in the church, and succeeded in overturning a lotof the canon law that forbade dabbling in the art of necromancy (these lawshave since been reinstated by the Jasidan church, but the damage is done, asa lot of the lore uncovered during Kyuss's time is still floating around formortal wizards to play with.). He and Olandra presided over what is known inSuloise history as the 30 Year Nightmare, where the towns of Zeltra andZinbyle were plagued by undead and other vile monsters and necromancers andcorrupt Jasidan clerics terrorized the northeastern reaches of the Suelempire. The pinnacle of Kyuss's dabbling in Necromancy was the creation ofthe Dreaded Sons, but this was also to be his downfall. The first batch oftrue Sons of Kyuss went about terrorizing and ransacking the town of Zeltra,eventually coming upon the Hall of Shining Echoes, the temple of Lydia thathoused the Sun Maiden sect of Lydian Paladins (see my article on the Suelrelic Lightbringer for more info on the Sun Maidens,<a href="http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1774" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1774</a> ). TheClergy of that temple lost more than half their numbers destroying theabominations, but afterward, their leader, Sabien, rallied them intostorming the Ruby Palace (Wee Jas temple in Zeltra) and defeating Kyuss andOlandra once and for all. Late that night, after a bloody battle through thehalls of the Jasidan temple, Sabien herself weilded the holy spearLightbringer and slayed the now insane necromancer as he attempted tochannel the power of his Goddess, who had become disgusted with his heresyand denied his pleas for divine aid. Olandra was spared, for sheconvincingly lied and claimed that she was a mere student of the magicalarts from the eastern empire who had been forced to serve Kyuss against herwill. She was taken to the Kendeen pass and given a weeks rations, and toldto never return to the Empire again, but she was spared.Things slowly gotback to normal in Zeltra and the surrounding countryside, and the name ofAsternin of Eowen was eventually forgotten by the Suloise people.But not by Nerull.Pleased with Kyuss's performance as a necromancer, but concerned about hismisplaced loyalty, Nerull intercepted Kyuss's soul as it travelled to theHalls of the Dead in Wee Jas' celestial palace. Nerull revealed Olandra'streachery 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 itwould cost him dearly, as he would be ever forbidden entry to the Halls ofthe Dead. Nerull explained though that should Kyuss accept his offer andshow his loyalty to a new master by having his vengeance on not onlyOlandra, but on Sabien and the other Sun Maidens, that Kyuss would sitbeside him in his divine palace, and rule all practitioners of necromancy onOerth, forever. Kyuss, obviously, accepted, and returned to Oerth as thefirst Revenant, stalking and killing both Olandra and Sabien. After killingthe Lydian paladin, Kyuss set the Hall of Shining Echoes ablaze, and set offfor the eastern empire, to report his success to Nerull's clergy there andbestow the holy spear Lightbringer, which he had captured, upon theirchurch. He never set foot east of the Crystalmists again however. Halfwayacross the Kendeen Pass, Kyuss was confronted by the Solar Mikarli (anascended Sun Maiden Paladin, the highest servant of Lydia, and ahero-goddess in her own right), who destroyed the creature and retrieved thespear. Kyuss had, however, fulfilled his end of the bargain, and wasrewarded with his own ascension to divine status, where he has remained as adark patron for those who dabble in necromancy and undeath ever since.Kyuss and his clergy are despised by Wee Jas' church, who will capture themand try them on charges of heresy against the Suel Pantheon. This usuallyleads to a quick but formal execution.The usually mild mannered and peaceful followers of Lydia (including andespecially the Sun Maiden sect in the modern flanaess) are not so kind as togrant Kyuss's followers a trial. Any displaying or professing loyalty to thedark godling or his faith are attacked on sight and killed</blockquote>

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