Iuz (EYE-ooze)

The followers of Iuz claim him to be the cambion son of the demon lord Graz'zt and the powerful wizard Iggwilv.
A century ago, he rose to power by uniting the fractious lands north of the Lake of Unknown Depths. In the time of his youth the fiefdoms vied to inherit lands from Furyondy which extended into the far north. After Iuz' father, a despot of the Howling Hills, died under mysterious circumstances. His son (of questionable origin) inherited his lands. Iuz, quickly partnered with neighboring warlords, then slew them, taking their lands and followers as his own. Within a decade, he had control of all of the country, which had become to be known as the Land of Iuz, by allying with a neighboring band and then taking over as that leader predictably fell in battle.
Refugees fled to Furyondy, telling stories of the most ghastly abominations. Iuz’s capital city, Dorakaa, was a charnel house, with a road of skulls being constructed from there to the Howling Hills. Watchtowers along the road were entered by chained slaves, who never saw the light of day again. From the towers, acrid clouds of smoke belched out across the barren plains. Burning beacons proclaimed to all Oerik that Iuz had a kingdom and sought further conquest.
Iuz continued to expand and threatened Furyondy when in 505 CY, he vanished. The kingdom left without it's ruler struggled to stay together. However, within the last few years whispers are spreading from the Lands of Iuz that he has returned, not as an old man, but instead as a god.

Priesthood

The clerics of Iuz are a fanatical lot, always seeking to increase their own power while obeying the whims of the Old One. Within the Empire of Iuz, his clerics hold positions of respect and power, proudly displaying their holy symbols and demanding obedience from the common folk and other lesser creatures. Clerics of Iuz usually dress in gray robes adorned with bones. Most learn to use the greatsword, although weapons that cause tremendous pain—such as whips and flails—are not uncommon.
Furthermore, Iuz encourages treachery among his faithful as a means of rooting out the comfortable and the weak. The weak must be exploited, tortured, and stripped of hope. The strong must be constantly wary of betrayal by their underlings. Pain is power, and inflicting pain demonstrates power best. Crush those beneath you. Iuz must be obeyed, and those who defy him will know absolute pain. Iuz’s clerics inflict cruelty and torture upon all who oppose them.
Iuz tolerates no less than fanaticism and complete obedience. His clerics constantly try to outdo each other in their acts of cruelty and evil. They show their superiority over all other beings by hunting for trophies; rare finds such as unicorns or paladins are truly prized. The clerics create spells and magic items of terrible power and evil nature, and travel the world to commit acts of evil and search out Iuz’s enemies. Iuz is served directly by the Boneheart—two tiers (Greater and Lesser) of six advisers each (clerics and wizards), and by the Boneshadow, six spies and evildoers who roam the world.

Type

Religious, Divine Host

Alternative Names

His Most Profane Eminence, Lord of Pain, Fiend of the North, Child of the Evil One, Master of the Dread and Awful Presences, Iuz the Evil, The Old One