Yugoloths: Do They Have an Identity Beyond the Blood War?

[Shemeska]

The 'loths had a massive amount of detail and in-game history fleshed out during 2e, and late 3.x played with a lot of that planar prehistory in which the 'loths created the other original fiend races (the obyriths and ancient baatorians). Unfortunately 4e nuked them as a fiendish race entirely, and 5e when it has given them attention has virtually ignored their earlier, highly detailed material presented in Planescape (or outright contradicted it, such as the MM suggesting that they were created by Asmodeus and night hags, when in Planescape the 'loths vastly predate both of those) in favor of a mix of 1e and watered down 4e content.

I hope that things improve and that rich lore is taken into consideration, but for the moment it's not being touched. MToF for instance at first reading from me doesn't appear to specifically reference any history from Planescape for any of the fiend races, 'loths, demons, devils, etc. The Oinoloth is also reduced from the unique, godlike ruler of Khin-Oin to a CR12 generic yugoloth, and the book doubles down on 'all tieflings are only devil-blooded like in 4e'. I'm puzzled and disappointed to say the least that while 5e has seemed to want to make an outreach to prior settings, at least for Planescape it has mostly ignored or contradicted that setting's lore. There's ways to rectify that obviously, but the design focus thus far for the 5e planes has very much not favored Planescape content.

Personally I'd present the planar content in MToF as a mixture of Mordenkainen having been wrong as a mortal regarding the history of the planes, or since the book was in-game stolen and presented by Shemeshka the Marauder, Sigil's best yugoloth had every incentive to joyously lie and fabricate false content that botched actual history and utterly downplayed the yugoloths. That's what I'd go with, otherwise you'd have to assume that the original Planescape sources just weren't considered.

And if you have the time to read a few thousand pages of fiction, my storyhour here on Enworld since 2003 or so is focused on yugoloth politics with a heavy dose of planar prehistory. A number of unique yugoloths, high rank arcanaloths, ultroloths, and specific baernaloths comprise the primary villains from the campaign.

 

[Satyrn]

They were the evil puppet masters of the entire Multiverse in Planescape. I can't remember what book it was, but it stated they did in fact start Armageddon in the distant mythical past where they united all the fiends and nearly wiped out the Upper Planes. But the Demons and Devils turned on each other and started the Blood War so the Upper Planes were saved. The Yugoloths are the ones who eventually want to unite both sides of the Blood War again, so they can bring about Armageddon a second time and win. Though they're interested is having the Blood War continue because it ensures that the Fiendish forces get stronger and stronger, through constant training.

The elders of the Yugoloths the Baernoloths (whose ranks include Anthraxus and the General of Gehenna) are ancient evils who aim to bring more evil and misery across the planes, and are playing a very long game... Remember they come from the Gray Waste of Hades a plane that drains colour and emotions like caring away, and can spread like a disease.

Another thing is you should totally trust the friendly Arcanoloth Akin, who's a shopkeeper in Sigil, he's a much nicer guy than Shemeshka ever was...

Well.

Now I have a better understanding why the demons and devils in my megadungeon are fighting an endless game of King of the Castle just beneath the city: A Yugoloth organized it.

Thank you.

 

[iserith]

I generally follow the Planescape lore that was already mentioned (and because I'm running a Planescape game right now) and usually treat them as mercenary types who will work for anyone willing to pay what they want. In my current campaign, there's a recurring mezzoloth NPC with a vicious trident for hire named Forkheet. "Forkheet" is also the only word it knows and is its answer to any question. If the PCs need extra muscle for a mission, Forkheet is up for it, but it only accepts payment in the form of children's teeth (which are kind of hard to obtain).

 

[Shemeska]

The elders of the Yugoloths the Baernoloths (whose ranks include Anthraxus and the General of Gehenna) are ancient evils who aim to bring more evil and misery across the planes, and are playing a very long game... Remember they come from the Gray Waste of Hades a plane that drains colour and emotions like caring away, and can spread like a disease.

Just to clarify, Anthraxus and the General of Gehenna aren't baernaloths. Anthraxus was originally an arcanaloth who became a unique being via a bargain with a cabal of night hags, and once free of his contractual servitude to them he eventually rose to become Oinoloth (and was changed even more by obtaining that position/title). The General of Gehenna is more or less a mystery, though the one fact that seems solid is that they may have been the first yugoloth to obtain the rank of ultroloth.

The baernaloths themselves aren't necessarily actually yugoloths. They're the oldest fiend race in existence, having formed from the raw substance of primal Evil before the Waste was touched/contaminated by either Law or Chaos. They created the yugoloths as servitors (telling them that they were their chosen children, when honestly they're most likely just disposable puppets with delusions of grandeur), and later instructed them in the process that purged them of Law and Chaos and led to the creation of the obyriths and ancient baatorians who they seeded into the nascent Abyss and Baator (and arguably created those two planes in the process). Prior to creating the other fiend races, one of the baernaloths (or a fusion of three of them) known as Apomps the Triple Aspected split from his siblings and created the gehreleths/demodands (the 'loths claim he did so in flawed imitation of them, and the demodands claim the 'loths were in imitation of them). Apomps was exiled for this and the plane of Carceri formed around him and his creations.

Only three baernaloths have been named in print: Apomps the Triple Aspected, Daru Ib Shamiq, and Harishek Ap Thulkesh the Blind Clockmaker (the last one I wrote).

2e provided stats for the baern, though it stated that most of the baern had eventually succumbed to the spiritual wasting of their own native plane and fallen largely into a state of torpor where they no longer cared to do much of anything and abandoned their creations and their original plans for reality. However a group of "mad baernaloths" known as The Demented avoided this and continued to act as multiversal puppetmasters, acting as "advisors" wanted or otherwise, to the various unique yugoloths. Only Harishek Ap Thulkesh is named as a member of this group, though I'd probably include Daru as well. Based on the flavor text the 2e baern stats don't really apply and they're probably godlike in nature.

They're mentioned in late 3.x as well in text that confirms their nature as having created the obyriths. 4e made them bodyguards for the Oinoloth, which I can't understand where that was coming from (and of note it was not the intention of the author of the 4e text in question to have presented them as such, but development changes, etc). 5e I haven't noticed them so far, but given the content in MToF I don't expect continuity with their 2e and 3.x content.

 

[jaelis]

Maybe someone should write up a series of short texts, that abstracts information about yugoloths from all the different monster and planar books out there. That would make a nice reference.

We could call it Yugoloths! The Abridged Series.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Just to clarify, Anthraxus and the General of Gehenna aren't baernaloths. Anthraxus was originally an arcanaloth who became a unique being via a bargain with a cabal of night hags, and once free of his contractual servitude to them he eventually rose to become Oinoloth (and was changed even more by obtaining that position/title). The General of Gehenna is more or less a mystery, though the one fact that seems solid is that they may have been the first yugoloth to obtain the rank of ultroloth.

Yeah I remember the details are fuzzy since it been years. And then there was that article about "Altroloths" as well.

Of course when one finds themselves in Sigil, make sure you talk to Akin first. He's the trustworthy one...

 

[Shemeska]

Of course when one finds themselves in Sigil, make sure you talk to Akin first. He's the trustworthy one...

I absolutely refuse to dignify that with a response.

... but I'm sure that AskShemeshka on twitter will likely rant about it later

 

[dave2008]

I figured there was probably more to them in Planescape, but what about other settings?

Plus, 5E separated Yugoloths from Demons again, but also made them merely the rogue product of Asmodeus' commission to the Night Hags, so they don't even have their Planescape hook anymore. Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes also presents Oinoloths as just another kind of Yugoloth rather than a title.

I would be careful assuming that bit about Asmo and the Hags is canon. I don't recall how it was written in 5e, but 4e was pretty good about saying something to the effect of: "this is one version of the story." By doing so they left themselves some wiggle room.

 

[dave2008]

Just to clarify, Anthraxus and the General of Gehenna aren't baernaloths. Anthraxus was originally an arcanaloth who became a unique being via a bargain with a cabal of night hags, and once free of his contractual servitude to them he eventually rose to become Oinoloth (and was changed even more by obtaining that position/title). The General of Gehenna is more or less a mystery, though the one fact that seems solid is that they may have been the first yugoloth to obtain the rank of ultroloth.

Stop your 2e and GoG propganda! There is: "...but a single daemon master and lord of the Middle Planes. Known by the title of oinodaemon, he is a unique individual of great power. The present oinodaemon is Anthraxus the Decayed, and it is to him that all daemons (in theory) pay homage."

 

[Hexmage-EN]

I have to wonder why the 5E designers brought back the Yugoloths as a distinct fiend race if they don't intend to utilize the pre-4E lore for them or give them something new to do.