Elder Elemental God

(a.k.a. Tharizdun)

Elder Elemental God of Air, Chaos, Earth, Evil, Fire, Madness, Water
The Elder Elemental God, a neutral evil deity of Air, Chaos, Earth, Evil, Fire, Madness, and Water, its followers seek to unravel the fabric of existence through elemental upheaval.

Historical Context

• Origins and Imprisonment: The Elder Elemental God's beginnings are shrouded in myth. Said to have been imprisoned on a distant star by the demoness Lolth, its influence is restricted to specific locations where it can manifest partially, such as beneath the Temple or within certain Underdark enclaves.
• Manifestation: It is believed that this deity once attempted to shape a universe from chaos, only to lose control. Known also as the Elder Elemental Eye, it represents elemental evil in its purest form.

Dogma

The dogma of the Elder Elemental Eye is rooted in a profound belief in the transformative power of elemental chaos. Followers are taught that the world is destined to be engulfed and reshaped by the primal forces of nature—water, earth, fire, and air. Here is a reimagined interpretation of their creed:

• Apocalyptic Vision: The faithful believe in an impending cataclysm, where the unleashed might of the elements will ravage the world. In this future, floods will reclaim lands, earthquakes will shatter the pillars of civilization, fires will cleanse the earth of its impurities, and relentless winds will erase the remnants of order.
• Survival of the Devoted: Within this dogma lies the conviction that only those who have shown true devotion to the Elder Elemental Eye, those who have embraced elemental chaos, will emerge as the architects of the new world. They will be spared from the devastation, not merely as survivors but as chosen heralds of a new order.
• Chaos as Renewal: Followers are taught to see the impending elemental apocalypse not as an end but as a necessary purging—a chance to rid the world of its existing structures and corruption. This dogma celebrates the potential for rebirth and renewal inherent in destruction.
• Embracing Elemental Forces: The clergy and their acolytes are encouraged to commune with and embody the raw energies of the elements. By aligning themselves with these forces, they believe they can hasten the coming of the new world order envisioned by their god.
• Sacrifice and Strength: Sacrifice, both personal and of others, is seen as a vital offering to the Elder Elemental Eye, a way to feed the god's power and accelerate the onset of the elemental apocalypse. The faithful are reminded that strength lies in endurance, in the willingness to face the chaos head-on and to let it reshape them.
• The Path of Destruction: Adherents are called upon to actively work towards the realization of their apocalyptic vision. This involves not just worship and personal transformation but active efforts to undermine the structures of the existing world, to spread chaos, and to invoke elemental disturbances wherever possible.

Clergy of the Elder Elemental God

The clergy of the Elder Elemental God, known as the Servants of the Eye, function under a unique paradigm that blends devotion with a harrowing acceptance of chaos and destruction. Their belief system encourages a direct communion with the primordial forces of nature, seeking to unravel the bonds that hold their deity captive. Here's a closer look at their activities, beliefs, and practices.

• Seek out and activate places of elemental power.
• Perform sacrifices to grant their deity greater influence in the material world.

Worshipers and Clergy

• Diverse Followers: Among its adherents are drow, particularly from House Eilserv, fire giants, and various Underdark entities. More informed cult leaders understand their true allegiance to Tharizdun.
• Cult Activities: Cultists engage in covert operations to expand their influence, infiltrating organizations and exploiting elemental anomalies for ritual purposes.
• Clerical Practices: Priests are devoted to either a single elemental aspect or the combined forces of elemental chaos. Their rituals often involve sacrifices and the creation of elemental nodes to channel their god's power.

Core Beliefs and Practices

• Freedom through Chaos: The overarching goal of the clergy is to release the Elder Elemental God from its extraplanar prison. This mission informs all their actions, from the desecration of sacred sites to the conducting of heinous rituals.
• Elemental Nodes Creation: By performing rituals at sites of raw elemental power, the clergy creates nodes that amplify their god's influence on the material plane. These sites become hallowed grounds for the cult, hidden from the eyes of the uninitiated.
• Sacrificial Rites: Sacrifice, both of followers and captives, is a common practice. These rituals are believed to send power directly to the Elder Elemental God, hastening its return to the world.

Hierarchical Structure and Roles

• Elemental Sect Leaders: At the top of the hierarchy within the clergy are the Elemental Sect Leaders, priests who have shown exceptional devotion or have achieved remarkable feats in the name of their deity.
• Ritual Masters: These individuals are experts in the arcane and forbidden knowledge required to conduct the most potent of rituals, including the creation of elemental nodes and the performing of sacrifices.
• Acolytes and Initiates: New members of the cult, often recruited from those disillusioned with the world's order or those who have experienced great personal loss. They undergo rigorous indoctrination into the cult's dogma.

Dress and Symbols

• Robes and Symbols: The ochre robes, distinguished by the trim's color denoting their elemental alignment, serve not just as a uniform but as a mark of rank within the clergy. The more elaborate the robe, the higher the wearer's standing.
• Sacred Items and Weapons: Beyond the iconic tentacle rods, clergy members may possess other items imbued with elemental power, serving as tools for their rituals or weapons against their foes.

Rituals and Ceremonies

• Communion with the Elements: Beyond sacrifices, the clergy engage in rituals that involve direct communion with the elemental forces, sometimes venturing into dangerous territories to do so.
• Desecration and Consecration: Sites holy to other faiths, particularly those aligned against their deity, are targeted for desecration, while locations potent with elemental energy are consecrated as sacred to the Elder Elemental God.

Hierarchy and Organization

Elemental Sects: The clergy is divided into sects dedicated to different elemental aspects, each with unique practices and attire.

• Air: Adorned in white-trimmed robes, they seek high altitudes for worship.
• Earth: Yellow-trimmed robes and gem-encrusted amulets mark these followers, who delve deep into the earth.
• Fire: Red-trimmed robes and continual flame jewelry signify fire worshipers, who revel in destruction through drought and flame.
• Water: Blue-trimmed robes and seawater jugs are carried by those who venerate water's consuming depths.

Sacred Sites and Temples

• Elemental Nodes: Temples and shrines are strategically placed in areas of potent elemental energy, tailored to the specific aspect they venerate.
• Rituals and Ceremonies
• Elemental Sacraments: Rituals vary widely among the sects but generally involve elemental manipulations and sacrifices to empower the deity and destabilize the natural order.
• Sacrificial Offerings: Both sentient beings and cultists themselves may be offered to the Elder Elemental God in exchange for favors or power.

Mythology and Influence

Show spoiler

The Elder Elemental God, an aspect of Tharizdun, represents a primordial force of chaos and destruction. The Elder Elemental God's lore is filled with tales of manipulation, the quest for liberation, and the eternal struggle against the forces seeking to maintain the cosmic balance. Through its followers, the deity continues to exert a malignant influence, aiming to return to a state of primordial chaos.
The Elder Elemental Eye's enigmatic history intertwines with the lore of the Temple of Elemental Evil, establishing a complex tapestry of divine imprisonment, elemental chaos, and the ceaseless machinations of gods and demigods. The trisected triangle, or the Eye of Fire, serves as an unholy symbol uniting Eclavdra, the drow house Eilservs, and the Temple of Elemental Evil in their worship of this obscured deity. Beneath the Temple of Elemental Evil lie two trapped entities of immense power: Zuggtmoy, the demoness bound by the forces of Good, and the Elder Elemental God, who, attempting to escape his extradimensional prison, became ensnared by the world's anomalies. The Elder Elemental God's plight is further complicated by magical devices found in Lolth's "egg," which correspond to elemental symbols within the Temple and are key to the deity's release—or continued imprisonment.
The Elder Elemental God's manifestation within the Temple's dungeons represents a significant element of the deity's lore. Gygax's writings mention Vilp-akf'cho, an aspect of the Elder Elemental God on Oerth, along with Ghaunadaur on Toril, and an unnamed third aspect, illustrating the deity's multiplanar influence. Vilp-akf'cho's retreat to Unoerth (Oerth's Underdark) under the light of Pelor suggests a vulnerability to the forces of light and good, further complicating its existence between the planes.
Zuggtmoy's decision to adopt the Elemental Evil cult as a facade unwittingly strengthened the imprisoned Elder Elemental God, allowing for a partial manifestation that she and her allies, including Iuz, were unaware of. Their efforts inadvertently bolstered the very power they sought to harness, revealing a layer of irony in the divine drama unfolding beneath the Temple.
The Temple's downfall in 569 at the Battle of Emridy Meadows and Zuggtmoy's subsequent imprisonment did not mark the end of the Elder Elemental God's influence. The construction of a keep in Hommlet to guard against the Temple's resurgence underscores the enduring threat posed by these ancient forces.
The Princes of Elemental Evil, viewing the Elder Elemental Eye as a progenitor deity, are driven by the belief in their ascension to godhood and domination of the Prime Material Plane upon their master's liberation. Unbeknownst to them, their "forebear" is none other than Tharizdun, a revelation that if known, would shatter their ambitions, for Tharizdun's freedom would herald not their rise to power but the obliteration of all existence, including themselves.
This narrative weaves a complex story of deception, ambition, and the perpetual conflict between elemental chaos and the structured cosmos, highlighting the intricate dynamics at play within the pantheon of the Dungeons & Dragons universe.

Holy symbol: an inverted Y within a black metal equilateral triangle, point down
Realm: Demiplane
Domains: Air, Chaos, Earth, Fire, Water

TOEE Elemental Eye Cult by 3orcs

Divine Classification

Intermediate god

Alignment

Neutral evil

Species

Humans of Greyhawk

Quotes & Catchphrases

"All elements serve the Eye."
"The Eye sees all, the faithful endure all."

Clerical Practices of the Elder Elemental Eye Cults

• Fire Cultists: Priests of the fire aspect wield spells that invoke flames, from simple ignition to infernos that consume entire areas. Training emphasizes endurance to heat and fire, teaching acolytes to walk through flames unscathed. Their rituals might include walking across coals or casting items into volcanoes as offerings.
• Earth Cultists: Earth-focused priests manipulate the land, causing tremors, creating stone barriers, and summoning creatures of rock and soil. Their training involves meditation in total darkness underground to attune themselves to the earth's whisper. Rituals often involve burying offerings or shaping earthen figurines to represent desires for fertility or strength.
• Water Cultists: Clerics devoted to water wield spells that summon torrents, control currents, or create ice. Their training includes long periods of isolation beneath water, learning to breathe and move as one with the aquatic realm. Rituals might involve casting offerings into the sea or rivers, or reading omens in the patterns of waves.
• Air Cultists: Priests focusing on air control winds, summon storms, and levitate. Training involves high mountain retreats, learning to withstand and harness gale-force winds. Rituals include releasing birds as messengers or offerings to the sky, or interpreting the sounds of the wind for divinatory purposes.

Elder Elemental symbol by 3orcs