Hordes of the Abyss: Q&A

[RangerWickett]

I can see why Ereshkigal and Nergal aren't Demon Lords, because they're actually Sumerian deities...

Ereshkigal being a primal goddess of darkness and the underworld and likely a greater deity, and Nergal likely being and intermediate deity.

In fact the demon lords off that list with a no, are mostly deities and don't apply to being demon lords.

I just wanted to comment that I actually could have used stats for Nergal and Ereshkigal. In my modern fantasy game, the PCs managed (with the aid of 4 NPCs who died in the process) to take down Namtar, a lesser Sumerian god, and messenger of Nergal and Ereshkigal. I wouldn't use them for D&D, but something about Sumerian demons makes them just perfect for modern fantasy horror.

 

[Shemeska]

You're right about Nergal. In fact, he was in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting under the Untheric Pantheon. He died during the Orcgate Wars, in fact. Well, died in FR only that is.

*nod* Only his manifest Avatar on Toril was killed. Nergal for various reasons just never reestablished any divine presence in FR (presumably because after his avatar's death the Imaskari barrier prevented him doing so). He was still happily lording over his domain of Nergaltos on the first layer of the Gray Waste.

 

[BryonD]

Nice attitude.

The book had three authors and a bunch of editors.

--Erik

I said "they".

"They" = WotC.

And the irony in the post still speaks for itself.

 

[BOZ]

I copy & pasted the following list from the wiki list, so it might be a little hard to read.

I'm just looking at the Appendix for this, so the "not listed" might be mentioned elsewhere.
(Especially the Deities & the destroyed.)

it's not too hard to read. was there another part of the list for destroyed demon lords, or are you just saying they were not listed in the appendix at all?

new? / Kardum

so, we have at least one new lord named Kardum? did the appendix list any more lords who were not on that wiki list?

well, given that the lords left off the appendix seem to have been skipped for a good reason, or were just too obscure to bother with in the first place, i am *quite pleased*.

 

[BOZ]

Wow.

The art gallery sold me on the book.

i didn't need the art to sell the book to me, but it sure doesn't hurt.

glad to see Orcus put some weight back on, and demogorgon got his heads on straight.

Yes, yes! (Now, I vaguely remember the talk it's from ToEE PC game, is that so?)

The titles in WotC's art gallery are messed up.
Zuggtmoy's in page 3, last row, 3rd pic. (Yochlol)
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/fc1_gallery/98469.jpg

yep, Zugg's appearance was retooled using the image from the ToEE PC game. at first i was like, "what? she's supposed to be butt-ugly mo-fugly!" but then, well, the new look kind of grew on me. like a fungus.

That looks like a pattern; dead lords don't get on the list. Makes sense.

yep, that does make sense. at first i thought Argolcheir and Zanassu were skipped because they were FR lords, but then Eltab is listed, so i realized it must just be that they're dead. maybe they will get a mention somewhere else in the book - Zanassu at least? it won't be a major thing if they're not mentioned though.

Is there at least a brief mention of him in Yeenoghu's entry, though? Possibly just as the King of Ghouls?

if not, it sure would be a strange omission...

This one's kinda puzzling; it just seems odd that all the other MMII lords get a mention except for Nergal and Eresh. I guess that the fact that they were also Mesopotamian deities (and, in Nergal's case, an exiled devil) was a big deal.

perhaps, but not necessarily. i mean, Orcus, Demogorgon, Dagon, and a number of others were named after real-world gods. i guess the authors and/or editors decided to simplify matters in this case, though.

Indeed. I'd still love to see someone do something with Nql one of these days. That name is just too bizarre to pass up.

indeed! i just want to know how to pronounce it. "uncool"? "nickwill"? "inkwell"? "nah-quell"? "NyQuil"?

Actually, that's what the Encyclopedia Magica volume 2 said, not Eldritch Wizardry. It just occured to me that the wording was probably changed to fit TSR's standards.

indeed! i'm pretty sure the original text said "Demon" rather than "Fiend". just remember, at that time in TSR's history certain texts were being called the "Fiendomicon of Iggwilv". just breaks your heart...

 

[Kesh]

Is there at least a brief mention of him in Yeenoghu's entry, though? Possibly just as the King of Ghouls?

Sure is. In fact, you can see it right here! The big Y got himself into the latest round of Excerpts on the site.

Though I prefer the BoVD artwork, it's good to see a new writeup. Also, I'm not terribly familiar with Maure Castle, but there's mention of it in the excerpt entry that talks about the other demon involved:

The enigmatic leader of the Maure family once represented his most powerful cult among humanity at the time, yet internal strife caused by rival demon lord Malcanthet saw to the ruin of this resource. Today, Yeenoghu counts the Queen of Succubi as one of his greatest enemies and periodically raids her realm. He is always turned back by her defenses, but one day he hopes to gain enough allies to see to her ruin.

 

[coyote6]

Can't wait for the book.

Though Yeenoghu's stats don't increase my love of the new stat block format. His "first action" in almost every combat is to use bull's strength on himself, and "the statistics above take that into account" -- that's annoying. Between dispels, disjunctions, and anti-magic, spells are going to go off a lot. I know it's easier for me to remember to add +2 or +3 than remember to subtract -2 or -3, never mind wondering whether his base Strength is really 26 or 30. And spending a round buffing one's self in a fight can be bad for one's health when one doesn't have an entire party for cover.

 

[Ripzerai]

if not, it sure would be a strange omission...

As Kesh pointed out, he does indeed get a mention in Yeenoghu's entry (and his layer has an official name now: the White Kingdom). I'm guessing he's not on the list because he's not a demon.

And, if you want to get clinical, he's dead. At least, as a ghoul, his heart's not beating.

It's a shame that they couldn't think of a better name for Yeenoghu's layer than "Yeenoghu's Realm," though, especially considering that On Hallowed Ground gave it a beautiful and vivid name - the Seeping Woods (OHG, page 49).

indeed! i just want to know how to pronounce it. "uncool"? "nickwill"? "inkwell"? "nah-quell"? "NyQuil"?

"Uncle" (I said, smiling).

 

[demiurge1138]

so, we have at least one new lord named Kardum? did the appendix list any more lords who were not on that wiki list?

Kadum was one of the Titans in the Scarred Lands. Maybe it's a reference.

Demiurge out.

 

[BogusMagus]

This is an omission from the table only, as she receives a full write-up in the book.

--Eric

How stupid of me!
I even posted this myself;

Malacanthet: Queen of the Succubi. Tanar’ri. Rules? Shendilavri (570th)(Somehow, she and her layer are missing from Appendix 1&2.). Served by Incubi, Succubi, Lilitus.