Mist and Shadow
First Post
This is the flavor text (part of it) for my take on Demogorgon, from a new "Vile" netbook I'm working on called Mist and Shadow. Tell me if you like?
Demogorgon- Demogorgos, Prince of Demons, Prince of Change,
Horror of the Abyss, the Dread One, King of Chaos, King of Deviants,
Devourer of Deities
* Dread Demogorgon is considered by many to be the most powerful non-Divine denizen of the Abyss (and is rumored to be on equal footing with many Gods), and holds the self-proclaimed title "Prince of Demons" through sheer might alone, both physical and magical. While amongst mortals Demogorgon's existence is known only to madmen and scholars of occult lore, in the Abyss the mere mention of his name strikes fear into the black soul of the cruelest Demon- and rightly so, because for all his power, Demogorgon is utterly mad and completely unpredictable, even by Demon standards, and his ties to the Abyss are the strongest.
Demogorgon had existed since the beginning of the known planes, but his exact origins are shrouded, conflicting and mysterious just like the Demon Prince himself. Most theories suggest Demogorgon was simply the first Tanar'ri to ascend to Demon Prince status and even his twisted, fragmented soul was once a mortal being's. Others claim he came from Outside the known Multiverse, and is bent on remaking it in the alien image of his original home, or that he's the child of the original King of the Abyss who devoured his father to promote Chaos. Some elder texts say Demogorgon was once a Creator God, a wise and benevolent philosopher and scholar involved with the creation of the current Planar order. However, in his effort to understand Existence and all its infinities Demogorgon went mad (and developed his famous multiple personality disorder) and came to the conclusion there is no meaning to life besides Chaos, and in this state of Chaos, only the strong survives. Demogorgon came to see himself as the Herald who will bring the blessed state of constant change to the Multiverse and from the Waters of Life he created his own version of the Prime Material Plane, meant to engulf the other Gods' creations and show them the utter bliss that is Chaos. Through a concentrated effort by the other Creators and after countless Prime Material Worlds were already devoured, Demogorgon was stripped of his divinity and his World was shattered and cast into the Void, where it became the Abyss- a realm of endless Chaos, Evil and horror. Thus, according to this theory, Demogorgon's realm of Abysm is the Core of the Abyss, the polluted seed from which that dark plane sprung, and is the possible key to control the chaotic, war-torn plane. Even these are only theories and rumors, meant to make the alien terror that is Demogorgon somehow easier to understand. The only things certain about the Prince of Demons are his insanity and malice.
Unsurprisingly, despite the fact Demogorgon has held the title "Prince of Demons" seemingly since the beginning of time, he doesn't go unchallenged. Although he eliminated thousands of rivals for his pompous title and position as Lord of the key Abyssal layer of Abysm (as well as a number of lesser realms under the control of constantly-replaced vassals), his most two most persistent contenders continue to
be a thorn in his side for millennia already- crafty Graz'zt, who desires the title "Prince of Demons" to strengthen his own position so he could unite the Abyss and the entire Lower Planes for a war upon the Heavens, and vile Orcus, who wishes to destroy Demogorgon simply out of spite, envy and a dire hatred for the life Demogorgon creates. Demogorgon himself wishes to destroy Graz'zt and Orcus, who are considered to be two of the most powerful Princes of the Abyss, to demonstrate his might and status as the Supreme Demon and drive off any future contenders, as he has much bigger plans on his minds than petty wars with his neighbors. Some say Demogorgon was the mind(s) behind the recent setbacks the two had suffered, in which his own power rose…
Despite his best efforts Demogorgon wasn't able to destroy these two Demon Princes, and spends numerous resources and armies which could possibly tip the scales of the Blood War (of which the law-hating Demogorgon is a fanatical supporter, although amongst the Devils' side he somehow respects Asmodeus as a fellow Creator and views the Fallen Angels' act of rebellion as a first step before their descent to Chaos, of which he wishes to be a tutor) on this pointless, never-ending war. Luckily, such
is the nature of Evil to consume itself…
Demogorgon is creative and innovative, in a twisted, insane and somehow child-like way. He revels in creating new things (or twisting, bending and breaking existing things into "wondrous" new shapes to fit his whims) and observing the results, although in his dementia he cannot create nothing of value, only evil, ugly and corrupt things. His curiosity is infinite and he doesn't care how much harm his creations do to themselves or to others- he revels in the corruption they bring. Demogorgon actually views himself as a herald of some sort, a harbinger of physical and mental twisting and truly wicked change. Demogorgon's realm of Abysm provides endless crafting material for his twisted experiments, and many vile horrors sprung from its churning Waters of Life. Amongst his known creations (both mortal and Demonic), fashioned of mortal flesh, souls, inanimate material and the pure Chaos and Evil of the Abyss, are Demon Rays (who worship Demogorgon as a god), Death Knights (another reason for Orcus' intense hatred for Demogorgon), Hezrous, Retrievers and possibly even the first Balors! He also created at least two Demon Lords, Jubilex- an avatar of ultimate change, lacking any fixed form of his own, and Mandrill (a savage, baboon-like Lord created through Demogorgon's use of the Eidolon spell). Demogorgon is hermaphrodite (although referred to as male) but he prefers to create his "siblings" from scratch, although he does have a few children of his own (a tiny number compared to Graz'zt spawn) collectively called the Demigorgon, who share some characteristics with their father like tentacles, forked tail, scaled flesh and dementia (alongside countless possible Chaotic gifts).
Many scholars have gone mad trying to define Demogorgon's fractured minds. He is considered by many to be a complete madman, a true manifestation of Chaos. The truth is that there is some method behind Demogorgon's unpredictable behavior. His twin minds are simply composed of a gestalt of different personalities, with two dominant ones and a plethora of minor personae which surface only rarely. Some whisper these personalities are a manifestation of the countless souls Demogorgon had devoured during the eons, including that of his own his own "father" the lost King of the Abyss. His two major personalities, calling themselves Aameul (the Beast) and Hethradiah (the Creator), are mostly similar in characteristics although generally one can say Aameul is more bloodthirsty and downright sadistic while Hethradiah is more distant, calculating and sometimes can even be bargained with (until bloodthirsty Aameul takes over). Through the co-operation between Hethradiah's thinking and Aameul's boldness Demogorgon has forged an empire. Their constant struggle for domination of each other with short-sighted, petty Aameul actually seeking to completely part with Hethradiah, fuels the gestalt horror's curiosity.
Demogorgon has been known to wear a great many shapes, as varied as Chaos itself, and some say even the form most commonly associated with him- that of a great baboon-headed demon- is but a facade placed upon his true form by the minds of mortals lest they go mad from the mere sight and UNDERSTANDING. In the Abyss and beyond he was known to appear under the guises of a two headed version of one of the inhuman races who usually worship him (such as rogue Mind Flayers and Kuo Toa), a snake-headed Marilith and a handsome human male wearing lavish robes, with enchanting eyes and a high collar covering his neck, meant to hide a hideous lump. Although Demogorgon mostly sees mortal affairs as beneath him, occasionally (perhaps when a corruptor aspect of his deranged mind is dominant) he relishes in taking mortal form and sowing madness and chaos in the Prime. Demogorgon's most usual appearance (said to be to his true form) is alien and grotesque even by the Abyss' standards. He is 18 feet tall, and has two baboon-like heads, constantly snarling and drooling. In other times he was known to possess the heads of hyenas, snakes and other fell beasts. His body is long and thin, covered in slimy, blue-green scales, which carry several ugly scars inflicted by weapons of the Divine. The dark shapes of maggots are constantly seen crawling beneath his skin, but the Prince of Demons doesn't seem to be bothered. Demogorgon's necks are long and whirling like twin serpents, and he has a pair of thin yet massively powerful tentacles instead of arms. His tail is forked and he constantly whips it with anticipation. Demogorgon's voice constantly shifts in sound and tone as he speaks, from a Demon's deep baritone to a jester's mad laughter to a little girl's soft weeping. Some say these are the voices of all the poor souls he devoured during the eons he lorded over the Abyss. Demogorgon can also communicate telepathically with all intelligent creatures within 120 feet.
Demogorgon's symbol is the 8-pointed star of Chaos.
Demogorgon- Demogorgos, Prince of Demons, Prince of Change,
Horror of the Abyss, the Dread One, King of Chaos, King of Deviants,
Devourer of Deities
* Dread Demogorgon is considered by many to be the most powerful non-Divine denizen of the Abyss (and is rumored to be on equal footing with many Gods), and holds the self-proclaimed title "Prince of Demons" through sheer might alone, both physical and magical. While amongst mortals Demogorgon's existence is known only to madmen and scholars of occult lore, in the Abyss the mere mention of his name strikes fear into the black soul of the cruelest Demon- and rightly so, because for all his power, Demogorgon is utterly mad and completely unpredictable, even by Demon standards, and his ties to the Abyss are the strongest.
Demogorgon had existed since the beginning of the known planes, but his exact origins are shrouded, conflicting and mysterious just like the Demon Prince himself. Most theories suggest Demogorgon was simply the first Tanar'ri to ascend to Demon Prince status and even his twisted, fragmented soul was once a mortal being's. Others claim he came from Outside the known Multiverse, and is bent on remaking it in the alien image of his original home, or that he's the child of the original King of the Abyss who devoured his father to promote Chaos. Some elder texts say Demogorgon was once a Creator God, a wise and benevolent philosopher and scholar involved with the creation of the current Planar order. However, in his effort to understand Existence and all its infinities Demogorgon went mad (and developed his famous multiple personality disorder) and came to the conclusion there is no meaning to life besides Chaos, and in this state of Chaos, only the strong survives. Demogorgon came to see himself as the Herald who will bring the blessed state of constant change to the Multiverse and from the Waters of Life he created his own version of the Prime Material Plane, meant to engulf the other Gods' creations and show them the utter bliss that is Chaos. Through a concentrated effort by the other Creators and after countless Prime Material Worlds were already devoured, Demogorgon was stripped of his divinity and his World was shattered and cast into the Void, where it became the Abyss- a realm of endless Chaos, Evil and horror. Thus, according to this theory, Demogorgon's realm of Abysm is the Core of the Abyss, the polluted seed from which that dark plane sprung, and is the possible key to control the chaotic, war-torn plane. Even these are only theories and rumors, meant to make the alien terror that is Demogorgon somehow easier to understand. The only things certain about the Prince of Demons are his insanity and malice.
Unsurprisingly, despite the fact Demogorgon has held the title "Prince of Demons" seemingly since the beginning of time, he doesn't go unchallenged. Although he eliminated thousands of rivals for his pompous title and position as Lord of the key Abyssal layer of Abysm (as well as a number of lesser realms under the control of constantly-replaced vassals), his most two most persistent contenders continue to
be a thorn in his side for millennia already- crafty Graz'zt, who desires the title "Prince of Demons" to strengthen his own position so he could unite the Abyss and the entire Lower Planes for a war upon the Heavens, and vile Orcus, who wishes to destroy Demogorgon simply out of spite, envy and a dire hatred for the life Demogorgon creates. Demogorgon himself wishes to destroy Graz'zt and Orcus, who are considered to be two of the most powerful Princes of the Abyss, to demonstrate his might and status as the Supreme Demon and drive off any future contenders, as he has much bigger plans on his minds than petty wars with his neighbors. Some say Demogorgon was the mind(s) behind the recent setbacks the two had suffered, in which his own power rose…
Despite his best efforts Demogorgon wasn't able to destroy these two Demon Princes, and spends numerous resources and armies which could possibly tip the scales of the Blood War (of which the law-hating Demogorgon is a fanatical supporter, although amongst the Devils' side he somehow respects Asmodeus as a fellow Creator and views the Fallen Angels' act of rebellion as a first step before their descent to Chaos, of which he wishes to be a tutor) on this pointless, never-ending war. Luckily, such
is the nature of Evil to consume itself…
Demogorgon is creative and innovative, in a twisted, insane and somehow child-like way. He revels in creating new things (or twisting, bending and breaking existing things into "wondrous" new shapes to fit his whims) and observing the results, although in his dementia he cannot create nothing of value, only evil, ugly and corrupt things. His curiosity is infinite and he doesn't care how much harm his creations do to themselves or to others- he revels in the corruption they bring. Demogorgon actually views himself as a herald of some sort, a harbinger of physical and mental twisting and truly wicked change. Demogorgon's realm of Abysm provides endless crafting material for his twisted experiments, and many vile horrors sprung from its churning Waters of Life. Amongst his known creations (both mortal and Demonic), fashioned of mortal flesh, souls, inanimate material and the pure Chaos and Evil of the Abyss, are Demon Rays (who worship Demogorgon as a god), Death Knights (another reason for Orcus' intense hatred for Demogorgon), Hezrous, Retrievers and possibly even the first Balors! He also created at least two Demon Lords, Jubilex- an avatar of ultimate change, lacking any fixed form of his own, and Mandrill (a savage, baboon-like Lord created through Demogorgon's use of the Eidolon spell). Demogorgon is hermaphrodite (although referred to as male) but he prefers to create his "siblings" from scratch, although he does have a few children of his own (a tiny number compared to Graz'zt spawn) collectively called the Demigorgon, who share some characteristics with their father like tentacles, forked tail, scaled flesh and dementia (alongside countless possible Chaotic gifts).
Many scholars have gone mad trying to define Demogorgon's fractured minds. He is considered by many to be a complete madman, a true manifestation of Chaos. The truth is that there is some method behind Demogorgon's unpredictable behavior. His twin minds are simply composed of a gestalt of different personalities, with two dominant ones and a plethora of minor personae which surface only rarely. Some whisper these personalities are a manifestation of the countless souls Demogorgon had devoured during the eons, including that of his own his own "father" the lost King of the Abyss. His two major personalities, calling themselves Aameul (the Beast) and Hethradiah (the Creator), are mostly similar in characteristics although generally one can say Aameul is more bloodthirsty and downright sadistic while Hethradiah is more distant, calculating and sometimes can even be bargained with (until bloodthirsty Aameul takes over). Through the co-operation between Hethradiah's thinking and Aameul's boldness Demogorgon has forged an empire. Their constant struggle for domination of each other with short-sighted, petty Aameul actually seeking to completely part with Hethradiah, fuels the gestalt horror's curiosity.
Demogorgon has been known to wear a great many shapes, as varied as Chaos itself, and some say even the form most commonly associated with him- that of a great baboon-headed demon- is but a facade placed upon his true form by the minds of mortals lest they go mad from the mere sight and UNDERSTANDING. In the Abyss and beyond he was known to appear under the guises of a two headed version of one of the inhuman races who usually worship him (such as rogue Mind Flayers and Kuo Toa), a snake-headed Marilith and a handsome human male wearing lavish robes, with enchanting eyes and a high collar covering his neck, meant to hide a hideous lump. Although Demogorgon mostly sees mortal affairs as beneath him, occasionally (perhaps when a corruptor aspect of his deranged mind is dominant) he relishes in taking mortal form and sowing madness and chaos in the Prime. Demogorgon's most usual appearance (said to be to his true form) is alien and grotesque even by the Abyss' standards. He is 18 feet tall, and has two baboon-like heads, constantly snarling and drooling. In other times he was known to possess the heads of hyenas, snakes and other fell beasts. His body is long and thin, covered in slimy, blue-green scales, which carry several ugly scars inflicted by weapons of the Divine. The dark shapes of maggots are constantly seen crawling beneath his skin, but the Prince of Demons doesn't seem to be bothered. Demogorgon's necks are long and whirling like twin serpents, and he has a pair of thin yet massively powerful tentacles instead of arms. His tail is forked and he constantly whips it with anticipation. Demogorgon's voice constantly shifts in sound and tone as he speaks, from a Demon's deep baritone to a jester's mad laughter to a little girl's soft weeping. Some say these are the voices of all the poor souls he devoured during the eons he lorded over the Abyss. Demogorgon can also communicate telepathically with all intelligent creatures within 120 feet.
Demogorgon's symbol is the 8-pointed star of Chaos.
