Tharizdun (/θɑːrˈɪzdʌn/ thar-IZ-dun)
Tharizdun
Description
Tharizdun's appearance is lost to time. None now alive have seen him, and the gods who sealed him away do not share their secrets. Tharizdun is a whisper in the minds of his followers, an eye watching them from behind and beyond their senses. If a creature of Tharizdun incarnates in the world, it is a black void, a malevolent darkness that swallows all and grasps its enemies with loathsome tentacles. Judging by his children, it can be inferred that Tharizdun has some demonic appearance, but what that would be is unknown.Appearance, Manifestations
Unlike most deities of Oerth, who take humanoid shape, Tharizdun appears as a dark, amorphous form reminiscent of a sentient sphere of annihilation. Contact with the deity brings insanity and death, and no accurate surviving descriptions or depictions of him remain.Relationships & History
Tharizdun is hated by nearly all other gods, who would gladly put aside their differences to stop the Dark God from escaping his demiplane prison. Rao, god of light, is particularly opposed to Tharizdun. Rao's followers believe that the Crook of Rao was originally crafted by that god for the purpose of banishing Tharizdun's dark forces. Boccob, god of magic, actively opposes Tharizdun and works to ensure that he remains imprisoned. The power of magic is very gradually waning in the world of Oerth, and Boccob suspects that Tharizdun is responsible. Tharizdun has no allies among the gods. The evil Archomentals, five powerful beings believed to be his offspring, are possible allies in his plots.Tharizdun was a long-forgotten interloper god from before all existence. Tharizdun is older than the Universe and possibly all universes. He & Lord AO are the originals, wihereas AO was for creation for others, Tharizdun is for himself. He knows he can destroy all that exists so he has full control. During the Dawn War, he created the Abyss, an act for which he was imprisoned by the gods. His followers hoped to set him free. This seems to be why the 333 Gems of Tharizdun are so important.
History
Only the evilest of scholars know parts of the history of the Chained God. The Book of Vile Darkness hints at his origins, but it has only part of the truth. What follows is based on that foul lore; any more is known only by the most ancient of gods. Tharizdun incarnated with the other gods at the beginning of the universe. He traveled the formless voids, seeking great power. At some point, in the blackest heart of the universe, he found it. What this power was, it is unknown. It is said that Tharizdun found the crawling chaos at the core of the cosmos, and from it extracted a single shard of pure Evil. Whatever the cause, Tharizdun gained unfathomable power, power so great that he surpassed all his godly brethren. But in the process, he lost his mind and his body, becoming a thing of madness and death. Seeking to bring more horror to the universe, Tharizdun created the Abyss. It is said that he planted the shard of Evil in the fabric of reality, and that it burrowed within, drawing a yawning hole down with it. The demons that sprang forth were of shapes unknown to modern beings, but they must have resembled the most ancient demons known. Examples like the sibriex allow scholars to infer they were things of slime and scarred flesh, covered in mouths and grasping talons. With his foul children, Tharizdun waged war against the other gods. But though he was mighty beyond any of their power, he could not stand up to their combined might. With magic so deep and essential that it has ceased to be magic, the gods threw Tharizdun out of the world, binding him with chains of great strength. But they could not destroy the Abyss; the darkness within the universe accepted it, and it became a plane, like the others that were coalescing at the time. Through his children, Tharizdun spreads his cult. His worshipers give their lives to him, granting him energy that he uses to struggle against his eternal bonds. One day, he will break free.Divine Domains
Tharizdun is master of the mental domains of Trickery and Madness, befitting his origins and cult operations. As a being of pure Chaos and Evil, his clerics also wield those powers. In his incarnation as the Elder Elemental Eye, Tharizdun controls Fire, Water, Air and Earth, ruling them as the primordial force of Elemental Evil.
God of Eternal Darkness, Decay, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, Insanity, and Cold.
Worshipers Alignment: NE, CE
Domain: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Madness
Portfolio: Insanity, entropy
Worshipers: Evil madmen, psychopaths, destructors
Artifacts
The cult of Tharizdun possesses numerous artifacts and lesser magic items sacred to the Dark God, and devotes considerable resources to finding more. Even fragments of destroyed artifacts are priceless to the cult, since clerics cannot receive spells from Tharizdun without being in proximity to such an artifact. Many items crafted more recently are etched with a vortex symbol.
Lament for Lost Tharizdun is a book bound in black scaly hide, written in silver ink on black paper. Merely reading this text is damaging to the mind of any but the mad followers of Tharizdun. It is presumed to have been written by one of his followers after the deity's banishment.
Tharizdun's followers seek to reclaim the 333 Gems of Tharizdun, a collection of gemstones sacred to the Dark One, sacrificed to him by cultists in ages past. Mostly looted or sold off after Tharizdun's imprisonment, they have spread across the world by traders unaware of their connection to that evil deity.
The Spear of Sorrow, a cursed polearm seven feet in length and carved entirely from black stone, is sacred to Tharizdun. Its purpose is to locate and restore that god's ancient and forgotten temples and awaken his sleeping guardians.
Druniazth, the Claw of Tharizdun, is a sword made from black ruinite metal by cultists centuries after his banishment. Its purpose is to spread a prophecy of Tharizdun's return, and ultimately to unleash him upon the world.
The Weeping Hexgram, discovered near the Ziggurat of Black in the year 576 CY, is a ten foot diameter black iron ring inset with a bowed hexagram, which seeps blood when exposed to sunlight. In 581 CY, a paladin of Heironeous broke the ring into three pieces.
Over a thousand years ago, Tharizdun gifted the Scorpion Crown to Shattados, king of the empire of Sulm.
Holy Books & Codes
Tenets
Tharizdun's followers follow only a few tenets:- Submit wholly to the Chained God's bidding.
- Spread chaos and destruction in the Chained God's name.
- Suffer the demon to enter the world and bring it closer to the Chained God.
- Offer yourself to the Chained God when the time comes.
- Spread Elemental Evil to the rest of elementkind.
- Bring the elements to their greatest heights.
- Tear down order where you find it among the elements.
Dogma
The name "Tharizdun" is known only to the few clerics and high priests of Tharizdun that exist, spread when the Eye appears to them in their dreams. The rest of his cult know him under his other names, with the Elder Elemental Eye being a specific cult of the Elemental Planes and their vassals. One secret of the cult is that Tharizdun's power is increasing measurably. Over gradual millennia, his cultists have begun wielding more divine power, suggesting to outsiders that Tharizdun is breaking free only slowly; however, this is a trick, and in fact his clerics deliberately mask their power to prevent opponents from realizing that Tharizdun is able to grant full divine magic. Another secret, this one much more serious, is that Tharizdun has appeared in the world in a very limited Aspect form. This Aspect of Tharizdun took the form of a claw-like thing that lunged from a portal in the Temple of Elemental Evil. Blessedly, the portal clamped shut shortly afterward, and the claw-thing reformed into a mere greater demon. But it indicates that Tharizdun has shattered at least one of his chains, allowing him to move a single terrible arm. The final secret of the cult of Tharizdun is one spoken only within the deepest pits of the Temple of Elemental Evil. It regards what happens when many mind flayer elder brains meet in a single place, an event that has not taken place since the illithid empire fell untold eons ago. When this happens, they arrange themselves in a spiral, or an inverted ziggurat. The Chained God then speaks to them, and they behold his true form. In this way, the mind flayers of old were instructed in the design and construction of objects that could, if brought together in a similar manner, free the Chained God from his prison. The search for these artifacts of Tharizdun is the primary goal of the highest of high priests of the Chained God.Allies of the Faith
Primary among the allies of Tharizdun's cultists are the demons. Violent and chaotic as they are, the will of Tharizdun compels them subtly to act in ways that favor the cult's aims. This extends even to the machinations of the demon lords. Among those who recognize the connection between the Chained God and the Elder Elemental Eye, the powers of Elemental Evil are considered great allies. Imix, the Lord of Evil Fire; Ogremoch, the Prince of Evil Earth; Olhydra, the Princess of Evil Water; and Yan-C-Bin, the Prince of Evil Air - all secretly serve Tharizdun, even if they themselves do not know it. To the most knowledgeable and powerful of the cult, all outer aberrations are seen as incarnations of Tharizdun's power. Though the mind flayers are the most impressionable and easiest to remind of the old bond with the Chained God, even the mercurial beholders can be convinced of Tharizdun's rulership.Enemies of the Faith
All good and lawful things are enemies of Tharizdun, whether they known it or not. Every object that persists without vanishing into component atoms is violently opposed to Tharizdun's will for the universe, which is annihilation. Every kind word or act of friendship is a spear that stabs the heart of Tharizdun and makes his chains stronger. Even undeath, in its own way, fights the power of Tharizdun. Undeath is a total refusal of dissolution at any cost, and though it is incredibly evil, it keeps the universe a little more solid, and Tharizdun's chains a little tougher. The oldest gods all oppose Tharizdun in their own ways, whether they are willing participants or not. Asmodeus never met Tharizdun and unwittingly adds to his power through his evil actions, but by fighting the Blood War the Lord of Hell keeps his servants in check. The gods of Good and Law - especially Pelor, Bahamut, and their ilk - are the greatest enemies of Tharizdun, and their angels and exarchs are oft occupied in battling the horrors the Chained God unleashes upon the universe. Elementals that oppose Elemental Evil fight Tharizdun indirectly, by beating down his temples and severing bonds between his allies. The gith, by killing mind flayers, destroy his most potentially useful servants.Clergy and Temples
Tharizdun has no one papal figure that oversees his domain. The Eaters of Light, the most powerful priests in his cult, are in direct contact with him. The Eye speaks in their dreams, and through their eyes it can see the world it hates. Tharizdun's most famous place of worship is the Temple of Elemental Evil, but similar structures exist in many places. Typically, they will appear normal on the outside, but include some kind of inverted ziggurat at their deepest tiers. They are decorated with images of the cult, getting progressively closer to the dark truth the deeper they get. At the deepest levels, every decoration and surface is solid black. Only the inverted spirals, Elder Elemental Eyes, and strange iconography stand out, painted in blood red.Worshipers, Clergy & Temples
Despite Tharizdun's absence, his cults still persist, seeking ways to communicate with their dark master and free him to wreak havoc once more. Tharizdun's few followers are almost all insane, and those who are not are extremely dangerous. Contact with the imprisoned Dark God is only possible in proximity to one of his remaining artifacts or forgotten unholy sites, and even then his blessings come at the cost of madness. Many cults are unaware that the entity that they worship is Tharizdun. Unable to act upon the world directly, he dispenses his power from cover identities and aspects, such as the Elder Elemental Eye responsible for the infamous Temple of Elemental Evil. Tharizdun's followers are highly secretive, and his temples are well hidden. Many follow him in the optimistic belief that he will spare his loyal servants when he destroys the multiverse. Their goal is to bring together all of his artifacts, and to free the Ebon God from his imprisonment, where he will destroy the multiverse. Although the cult's leaders are fully aware of this, many low-ranking members merely seek revenge against society, and are unaware with the full extent of the Dark God's destruction, should he be freed. Followers place great importance on the number three. For example, there are believed to be 333 Gems of Tharizdun, each an minor unholy artifact. Tharizdun's clerics cannot draw power from him unless they are in contact with an artifact such as these.Clergy
Clerics of Tharizdun cannot gain spells from him in the normal way, due to his imprisonment on some unknown plane. They must be in contact with one of his few holy artifacts, or one of his ancient holy sites.Vestments
His clerics traditionally wear black or purple robes. Clerics of his aspect, the Elder Elemental Eye, typically wear ochre-colored robes, sometimes altered to represent one of the four elements.Hierarchy
Many temples are led by charismatic high priests known as the Witnesses of Tharizdun, who live in opulent surroundings and partake in lavish food, drink, and other base desires at the expense of their underlings. Every cult of Tharizdun has a different structure and set of hierarchy for those under the Witness. The leaders of the cult at the Temple of Elemental Evil are known as the Doomdreamers.Temples
Those forgotten temples which survive are in dark, underground places, kept extremely cold by ancient magic placed by the fanatics who built them. They make heavy use of black stone and an archaic trapezoidal building pattern. Newer temples to Tharizdun exist in the abandoned buildings of cities, disused sewer chambers, and the cellars of converts. A few operate more openly in remote wilderness areas where the locals are too few and too cowardly to challenge them.Rituals
Followers of Tharizdun conduct terrible rituals of sacrifice. Most of their rites involve failed attempts to commune with their deity, or learn the secrets to unlocking the chains that bind him.Orders
Tharizdun's cult is scattered across the world. Doomdreamers: His most dedicated followers are the Doomdreamers, a high-ranking caste of priests who receive visions from Tharizdun. They collect rare and esoteric knowledge, such as the names of demons. Black Brotherhood: A dangerous offshoot of the Scarlet Brotherhood that follows Tharizdun. The majority of the Scarlet Brotherhood do not worship him, and he is not considered a Suel deity, at least not by the current Brotherhood. However, the Brotherhood intentionally spreads rumors to the contrary, sowing fear and misinformation among their enemies. Midnight Darkness: A cult of assassins dedicated to Nerull, god of death, is secretly led by Karniquaza, a follower of Tharizdun and member of the Scarlet Brotherhood.Known Sects/Cults
The Cult of the Chained God is a nascent cult on several worlds, including Oerth. It is small in scope, but it must be stamped out if the world is to be preserved. Much larger is the Cult of the Elder Elemental Eye, encompassing all of Elemental Evil as well as many material creatures. Their machinations are mostly confined to the Elemental Planes, but given time, they will go farther.Champions and Avatars
The greatest mortal champion of Tharizdun is chosen once every hundred generations from among the most devoted of the cult. This being tears out their eyes and brands the Elder Elemental Eye or the inverted spiral upon their forehead, becoming the Breaker of Chains. The Breaker of Chains then gathers the cult (along with any duped allies they may possess, such as orcs or drow) and assaults the bastions of law and good. They are empowered to bring countless demons into the world of many kinds. Should they succeed in tearing down cities and laying waste to the fields, the Breaker of Chains then assaults the gods themselves, inevitably dying in the process. But each time, they get a little closer to the gods' most private sanctums. What happens when a Breaker of Chains reaches a god is unknown, but the gods will do terrible things to keep that from happening. The sibriexes are thought to be the closest thing demonkind have to champions of the Chained God. Among the oldest of demons, sibriexes rip and tear at the bonds of reality, and have the power to bring more demons into being at a whim. Tharizdun has only one exarch. Shothragot, the Herald, is a colossal black ball of evil and darkness from which creep many cold tentacles. Shothragot spawns many Black Cysts from its body, lesser incarnations of itself that continue its foul rampage. And most egregiously, worlds upon which it appears lose their connection to the gods, leaving them virtually helpless against the Chained God's exarch. No avatars of Tharizdun have ever been encountered, at least not by recorded civilizations. Which is a good thing: should an avatar ever appear, it would mean that Tharizdun had broken his chains.Divine Symbols & Sigils
Symbols and Iconography
Most often, cults of Tharizdun embrace new followers with traditional artwork of the demonic: rams' skulls, bones, and the like. Those deep in the cult might encounter him as the Elder Elemental Eye: an inverted triangle upon an upside-down Y shape. Few beings now alive have seen his true symbol: an inverted ziggurat, a spiral twisting upon itself into oblivion. Depictions of Tharizdun are messy and diverse, owing to the chaotic nature of his cults. But they follow two main themes. Those depicting Tharizdun's power emphasize darkness and rot, and many follow traditional images of Shothragot, his exarch. Those depicting Tharizdun himself do not offer concrete ideas like bone or flesh, but rather shapes: triangles, angular spirals, and other polygons that make up bodies diverse and vast. As the Elder Elemental Eye, Tharizdun is a messily-drawn pillar of energy, depicted as so powerful that its motion cannot be confined to a single shape. Symbol: Black spiral or inverted pyramid Tharizdun's holy symbol is a jagged counterclockwise dark spiral rune known as the Spiral of Decay. Some of his clerics also use a two-tiered inverted ziggurat, known as the Obex. Under the aspect of the Elder Elemental Eye, his holy symbol is a downward-pointing black triangle with an inverted yellow Y within it. His followers under that identity also use a symbol of a golden flaming eye.Tenets of Faith
Tharizdun's followers are united by a single ancient creed, found inscribed within one of his dark pyramids:
"Light must be snuffed, perfection decayed, order dissolved, and minds fragmented."The rest of his religion consists of a sporadic collection of terrible holy texts, secretly guarded even from other sects and detailing terrible rituals and extraplanar horrors. The clergy of Tharizdun preach that all things eventually crumble, and in time Tharizdun's victory over the gods will be complete. Followers place great importance on the number three. For example, there are believed to be 333 Gems of Tharizdun, each an minor unholy artifact. Tharizdun's clerics cannot draw power from him unless they are in contact with an artifact such as these.
Deity
Tharizdun is a dark, amorphous form. Swirling thoughts of chaos and a million screaming voices go through your head, and you can't look directly at him. As you try to look, you can feel the cold touch of insanity crawling into your head.Temple
Hidden deep underground is a freezing cold cavern, unnaturally cold for the depth you are at. Florescent dark green and blue moss provide a soft light all around. Against the back wall is a black stone trapezoidal structure (the left wall angled slightly more than the right). The entrance is marked by an archway engraved with swirling chaotic patterns. A soft red light shines from within. Inside is a long pentagon shaped hallway, about 70' long. The corridor is approximately 20' wide. The walls are engraved with an almost hypnotic pattern. At the end of the hallway, it opens to a 30'x30' room, with a blackened altar at the end. Above the altar is a glowing red orb that seems to be part of the wall. The altar is bloodied and has numerous scratched and blade marks.Cleric
Tharizdun's priest is a human male, of average height, with wild dark hair, sticking up in all directions. He has a wicked smile and eyes that scream of insanity. He is wearing a black robe with a spiral pattern decorating it. In his hand is a dark wavy dagger.Holidays
The Day of Chaos is a day randomly declared to the Eaters of Light by the Elder Elemental Eye as it comes in their dreams. On these days, the cults of the Chained God and the Eye work to create natural disasters and wars on massive scales. The more death and destruction that happen on those days, the weaker the chains on Tharizdun become.
Once every hundred thousand years, the vast stellar membranes of the universe will form an inverted spiral centered on a single star. The beings living on the planets orbiting the star (for there is always life on one or more of the planets) will then celebrate the Time of Breaking, when every high-placed cultist tries their hardest to kill themselves and as many others as they possibly can. On lower-status worlds, this can mean nothing more than a few hundred dead from mass killings or magical bombings; on worlds where the cult has attained greater power, this can mean an exarch or even an Aspect of Tharizdun incarnating upon the Material Plane.
The followers of Tharizdun are few and secretive, and most people do not even know that he was once worshiped. If he has holy days, they are unknown to all but perhaps some of his followers.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
With his goal of destruction, Tharizdun is Chaotic Evil. Historically, he has been considered Neutral Evil. No beings have encountered Tharizdun for over a millennium, and his alignment can only be inferred from that of his insane followers.
The deity of chaos and destruction.
Character Location
Current Location
Unknown
Tharizdun (pronounced: /θɑːrˈɪzdʌn/ thar-IZ-dun) was a long-forgotten interloper god originating from Oerth who sought to destroy all that is. During the Dawn War, he created the Abyss, an act for which he was imprisoned by the gods. His followers hoped to set him free.
Divine Classification
Supreme Being of Chaos
Alignment
Chaotic Evil
Current Status
Believed to be Chained and Locked up
Current Location
Species
Conditions
Ethnicity
Church/Cult
Family
Children
Current Residence
Unknown
Belief/Deity
Tharizdun
Aligned Organization
Related Reports
- Session 025: Tharizdun Report
- Session 027: The Infamous Bargle Report
- Session 030: The Siblings Affair Report
- Session 048: Unexpected Side Mission in Toril Report
- Session 055: The Siren's Call Report
- Session 058: Kobolds and Conspiracies Report
- Session 060: Was It Ursa the Whole Time? Report
- Session 066: A Wizard and His Spellweavers Report
- Session 067: The Wizard's Cellar Report
- Session 068: Unexpected Side Mission in Eberron Report
- Session 069: The Mark of the Adventurer Report
- Session 074: The Dark Side or Gray Side? Report
5E Statistics
Tharizdun
| Title(s) | The Chained God The Elder Elemental Eye The Dark God The Ebon God He of Eternal Darkness Lord of Decay The Ender The Patient One He Who Waits The Anathema The Father of Elder Evils The Author of Wickedness The Eater of Worlds The Despised The Undoer The Chained God The Lost God Un-Maker The Great One of Old Dark Father The Primordial Thing |
5th Edition Statistics
| Power Level | Intermediate deity |
| Alignment | Chaotic Evil |
| Worshipers | Neutral Evil (Chaotic Evil) Evil madmen, psychopaths, destructors |
| Symbol | Dark/black spiral or inverted ziggurat/pyramid |
| Portfolio | Eternal darkness (Insanity, entropy) |
| Domain(s) | Trickery (Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Madness) |
| Channel Divinity | Invoke duplicity Cloak of shadows |
| Plane | Demiplane of Imprisonment |
| Weapon | Dagger |