Zol’grax
Zol’grax, the Flame of Ruin, is an Elder Evil representing the untamable forces of chaos, destruction, and corruption. Known by titles such as The Fire of Madness, The Molten Devourer, and The Chaos Inferno, Zol’grax is a fiery force of indiscriminate ruin, reveling in unmaking order, twisting life into grotesque forms, and burning all creation to ash. Unlike the natural or controlled fire associated with creation, Zol’grax’s flames are purely destructive, embodying a madness that twists and contorts the world into something unrecognizable.
The eyes of Zol’grax are like blazing embers, filled with a chaotic light that seems to consume whatever it gazes upon. Those who meet its gaze feel a wave of chaotic emotions—anger, madness, and despair—all intensified by the flames of its ruinous presence. Its voice, if heard, is said to be a crackling, hissing sound that brings thoughts of madness and destruction to all who listen.
During the invasion, Zol’grax was a significant threat to the Divine Triad’s order, countering Pholtus’s cycles of life with his maddening, endless fire. Pholtus, the god of light and order, was particularly targeted by Zol’grax, as his ordered cycles of creation and destruction went directly against the Elder Evil’s desire for boundless chaos. Mortals, angels, and even dragons who came into contact with Zol’grax’s flames were transformed, becoming beings of unrestrained wrath and destruction.
Though the gods eventually forced Zol’grax back into the Void by sealing the rifts, remnants of his influence persisted in the form of cursed, fiery landscapes and corrupted creatures. His followers remain to spread his flames, working to sow chaos, corrupt the natural world, and defy the gods’ order.
Indulge in Destruction: Zol’grax’s followers are taught to revel in acts of destruction, seeing ruin as a form of worship. They often engage in pyromania, destroying structures and environments as a tribute to their god.
Corrupt and Transform: Followers believe in turning purity into grotesque forms, perverting order into twisted, chaotic versions of itself. This includes manipulating and twisting life, bending it into something horrifying and violent.
Resist Creation and Peace: Zol’grax’s followers avoid acts of peace or growth, seeing these as offenses against chaos. They are taught to despise harmony and act against those who create, nurture, or heal without purpose of ruin.
These beliefs guide Zol’grax’s followers to live as agents of chaos, corrupting, burning, and destroying anything that represents stability or beauty. They reject compassion, viewing it as weakness, and find purpose only in unmaking what others hold dear.
Agents of Corruption: Some followers of Zol’grax are skilled manipulators, using subtle means to twist and pervert the minds of others, encouraging violent and destructive urges. These agents incite anger and rebellion, leading to chaos within groups or communities.
Wasteland Wanderers: Followers who live in the corrupted wastelands and fire-scorched ruins left by Zol’grax’s influence. These wanderers venerate their god by keeping the fires of madness alive, stoking the embers of chaos in barren lands.
Corrupted Beasts and Elementals: Some creatures, such as fire elementals and twisted beasts, have been corrupted by Zol’grax, taking on volatile, chaotic forms. These entities serve as avatars of Zol’grax’s influence, spreading his destructive presence.
Followers of Zol’grax are feared and hated, not only for their acts of destruction but for the corrupting influence they leave behind. They revel in anarchy, seeing their god’s presence in every flame and embracing the madness and rage that accompanies it.
Zol’grax, the Flame of Ruin, remains one of the most feared Elder Evils, his followers acting as agents of fire, chaos, and corruption. The terrifying transformation he brings to landscapes, creatures, and even minds marks him as a cosmic force of ultimate ruin. His legacy lingers in the charred remains of once-thriving places, a stark reminder of the devastation he embodies and the chaos he demands.
Physical Description
Zol’grax appears as a massive, burning entity of living fire and molten flesh, a constantly shifting mass of flame that radiates intense heat and raw chaos. Its form is vaguely humanoid, with jagged edges and a skull-like visage that can change shape as the flames shift. Some describe Zol’grax as a figure of red-hot iron that drips and reforms as liquid fire, with smoke billowing and sparks flying from its constantly shifting shape. When it moves, it leaves trails of ash and molten residue, a destructive path that spreads its corruptive influence.The eyes of Zol’grax are like blazing embers, filled with a chaotic light that seems to consume whatever it gazes upon. Those who meet its gaze feel a wave of chaotic emotions—anger, madness, and despair—all intensified by the flames of its ruinous presence. Its voice, if heard, is said to be a crackling, hissing sound that brings thoughts of madness and destruction to all who listen.
History
Zol’grax emerged into the universe during the Ruination, when the Divine Triad’s conflicts fractured the fabric of reality, creating rifts that allowed Elder Evils to seep in from The Void. The Void, a realm of pure emptiness and anti-life, became the gateway through which Zol’grax and the other Elder Evils began their invasion. Unlike the more consuming forces like The Maw of Nihil, Zol’grax’s presence spread wildfire-like chaos, setting worlds ablaze, turning order into anarchy, and corrupting life into twisted, wrathful forms. Zol’grax’s flames transformed once-thriving regions into desolate, charred landscapes, his essence permeating everything he destroyed.During the invasion, Zol’grax was a significant threat to the Divine Triad’s order, countering Pholtus’s cycles of life with his maddening, endless fire. Pholtus, the god of light and order, was particularly targeted by Zol’grax, as his ordered cycles of creation and destruction went directly against the Elder Evil’s desire for boundless chaos. Mortals, angels, and even dragons who came into contact with Zol’grax’s flames were transformed, becoming beings of unrestrained wrath and destruction.
Though the gods eventually forced Zol’grax back into the Void by sealing the rifts, remnants of his influence persisted in the form of cursed, fiery landscapes and corrupted creatures. His followers remain to spread his flames, working to sow chaos, corrupt the natural world, and defy the gods’ order.
Beliefs
Zol’grax doesn’t have a coherent philosophy in the traditional sense, but he promotes the spread of chaos, fiery destruction, and corruption wherever his influence reaches. His followers, however, adopt a twisted worldview centered on the belief that order and structure are inherently false, that true freedom lies in chaos, and that only through ruin can something authentic arise.Core Tenets of Zol’grax’s Doctrine:
Embrace and Spread Chaos: Followers of Zol’grax see stability and order as illusions that must be undone. They believe that chaos, fire, and upheaval are the true natural states of existence.Indulge in Destruction: Zol’grax’s followers are taught to revel in acts of destruction, seeing ruin as a form of worship. They often engage in pyromania, destroying structures and environments as a tribute to their god.
Corrupt and Transform: Followers believe in turning purity into grotesque forms, perverting order into twisted, chaotic versions of itself. This includes manipulating and twisting life, bending it into something horrifying and violent.
Resist Creation and Peace: Zol’grax’s followers avoid acts of peace or growth, seeing these as offenses against chaos. They are taught to despise harmony and act against those who create, nurture, or heal without purpose of ruin.
These beliefs guide Zol’grax’s followers to live as agents of chaos, corrupting, burning, and destroying anything that represents stability or beauty. They reject compassion, viewing it as weakness, and find purpose only in unmaking what others hold dear.
Followers
Zol’grax’s followers are often nihilists, pyromaniacs, and anarchists drawn to his philosophy of ruin and chaos. They live to subvert order, spread discord, and burn down established structures. Some of his followers are those corrupted by his influence, having touched the Elder Evil’s fire and now bearing its madness. Others are naturally drawn to chaos, worshiping Zol’grax as a liberator from the stifling bounds of structure and control.Types of Followers:
Cultists of Fire and Chaos: These individuals live for destruction, spreading Zol’grax’s influence by setting fires, creating discord, and spreading madness wherever they go. They are often fanatical and aggressive, enjoying the fear and havoc they inspire.Agents of Corruption: Some followers of Zol’grax are skilled manipulators, using subtle means to twist and pervert the minds of others, encouraging violent and destructive urges. These agents incite anger and rebellion, leading to chaos within groups or communities.
Wasteland Wanderers: Followers who live in the corrupted wastelands and fire-scorched ruins left by Zol’grax’s influence. These wanderers venerate their god by keeping the fires of madness alive, stoking the embers of chaos in barren lands.
Corrupted Beasts and Elementals: Some creatures, such as fire elementals and twisted beasts, have been corrupted by Zol’grax, taking on volatile, chaotic forms. These entities serve as avatars of Zol’grax’s influence, spreading his destructive presence.
Followers of Zol’grax are feared and hated, not only for their acts of destruction but for the corrupting influence they leave behind. They revel in anarchy, seeing their god’s presence in every flame and embracing the madness and rage that accompanies it.
Zol’grax, the Flame of Ruin, remains one of the most feared Elder Evils, his followers acting as agents of fire, chaos, and corruption. The terrifying transformation he brings to landscapes, creatures, and even minds marks him as a cosmic force of ultimate ruin. His legacy lingers in the charred remains of once-thriving places, a stark reminder of the devastation he embodies and the chaos he demands.
Type
Elder EvilTitle(s)
The Fire of MadnessThe Chaos Inferno
The Molten Devourer
Alignment
Chaotic EvilSymbol
A flaming, twisted skullEdicts
unleash chaos and revel in fiery destruction; spread corruption and encourage madness; resist order, stability, and the creation of peaceful structures.Anathema
bring calm or harmony to chaotic situations; protect structures or individuals from devastation, aid in acts of healing or preservation without a purpose of causing further ruin.Areas of Concern
fire, chaos, destruction, corruptionD&D Domains
Death, LightP2 DEVOTEE BENEFITS
Divine Ability
Strength or CharismaDivine Font
harmDivine Sanctification
must choose unholyDivine Skill
IntimidationFavored Weapon
scimitarDomains
chaos, destruction, fire, madnessAlternate Domains
decay, nightmaresCleric Spells
1st: ill omen, 2nd: flaming sphere, 7th: fiery bodyDivine Intercession
Zol’grax rewards those who revel in chaos and fiery destruction, while cursing those who bring stability or calm.Minor Boon: Flame of Corruption
Once per day, you can cast produce flame as an innate divine spell, with the additional effect that any creature hit by the flame takes a -1 status penalty to saves against fear for 1 round.Moderate Boon: Burning Presence
Once per day, you can cast fireball as an innate divine spell. Additionally, while under this effect, you gain a +1 bonus to Intimidation checks to demoralize those who fear fire or chaos.Major Boon: Inferno of Madness
Once per day, you can cast incendiary cloud as an innate divine spell, representing the ultimate chaotic inferno of Zol’grax. All creatures within this cloud must also succeed at a Will save or become confused for 1 round, as the chaotic flames induce fear and madness.Minor Curse: Searing Pain
If you act to bring calm or stability, Zol’grax punishes you with painful, searing heat. You suffer a -1 penalty to all Fortitude saves and take 1 persistent fire damage each round until you cause destruction or chaos.Moderate Curse: Fiery Backlash
Zol’grax withdraws his fiery boon, causing you to be particularly vulnerable to flame. You gain weakness 5 to fire, and each time you are struck by a fire attack, you must succeed at a Will save or become confused for 1 round. This curse can only be lifted by causing notable destruction in Zol’grax’s name.Major Curse: Ashen Decay
Zol’grax leaves you as a hollow, burned-out shell. Your skin becomes charred, and you lose 1 HP per hour as though affected by persistent fire damage, even if you are otherwise healthy. This curse can only be lifted by a massive act of chaos or destruction that significantly alters a community or structure.
Children
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