Apep, also known as Apophis,[5] was a serpentine dragon demigod of fire and snakes who was believed by his enemies to be a manifestation of evil[7][11] or chaotic evil.[3] On the world of Toril he was worshiped by beast cults under the aspect Repra,[4] until that aspect was subsumed by the deity Sseth.[12]
Description[]
Apep's body measured roughly 100 feet (30 meters) in length.[7][11]
Personality[]
Apep was said by both his enemies and worshipers to have no creed but destruction. Particularly the destruction of the Pharaonic gods, their temples, their clerics, and their worshipers.[13]
Abilities[]
Apep's avatar form had a poisonous bite, could breath fire, and had a scaly hide that only +3 or greater weapons could injure. Non-magical weaponry would shatter if it struck his hide.[3]
He was capable of creating any potion, scroll, or wand containing a spell from the Fire domain. As well as weapons with the enchantments flaming or flaming burst. But such items could not exceed a value of 4,500 gold pieces.[14]
Some of the many spells Apep's avatar form was capable of casting included the following, with spells related to animals affecting only snakes and other reptiles:[14]
- animal growth, animal shapes, animal trance, blasphemy, burning hands, create undead, creeping doom, desecrate, dispel good, elemental swarm (fire only), eyebite, fire seeds, fire shield, fire storm, greater magic fang, incendiary cloud, magic circle against good, 'magic fang, poison, produce flame, protection from good, resist elements (fire or ice only), shapechange, summon monster IX (as evil spell only), unholy aura, unholy blight, and wall of fire.
Realm[]
Apep dwelled in the Abyss,[3][7] bound to the Wells of Darkness by the Pharaonic pantheon. Each day, a number of worshipers of the pantheon intoned passages from the Books of Overthrowing Apep — collected volumes of true names, mutilation rituals, and power-draining incantations designed to keep him locked away.[7][note 1]
Relationships[]
Apep was served by hordes of demons, most of them sharing fiery or serpentine qualities.[11] He was also served by numerous flame snakes,[3] a species of serpent that were related to him.[15]
He was chiefly an enemy of Pharaonic pantheon, the group of gods that would one day become the Mulhorandi pantheon.[11][16] He was once a servant of the Pharaonic god Set, fighting the goddess Bast on a daily basis in an effort to destroy the solar barge of Re,[13] but Set eventually allied with the rest of the Pharaonic gods against him.[17]
His greatest enemies among the Pharaonic deities were Osiris[3] and Bast.[18]
Worshipers[]
The worshipers of Apep were typically deranged, corrupt, or otherwise evil beings. Worship of him was more cultic than a proper structured religion — his worshipers carried no holy symbols, wore no priestly vestments, and met their fellow cultists only in secrecy. This was all because if any of the Pharaonic gods were to notice their worship of Apep, they would have wrath brought down upon them.[11]
Apep's followers believed that his only creed was destruction and thus the ultimate goal they strove towards was an end to existence.[11]
Most of his worshipers were humans[11] and intelligent snakes, especially the latter under his aspect Repra.[4] A few evil creatures served him as clerics, particularly serpentine creatures, such as dragons, nagas, and yuan-ti.[14] Though worship by yuan-ti occurred on worlds other than Toril.[19] Among openly evil creatures these clerics flaunted their position and power, often constructing elaborate temples to Apep in secluded mountains or deep in deserts. These typically featured multitudes of snakes and serpentine motifs.[14]
In the Domains of Dread, Apep was worshiped in the Island of Terror known as Sebua under the alias Apophis.[2] There a manifestation of Apep stood within a temple dedicated to him, guarding the heart of the domain's darklord.[1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Though this was done by the worshipers of the Pharaonic gods, there is nothing to indicate the practice was similarly carried out by worshipers of the Mulhorandi gods.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Andria Hayday, William W. Connors, Bruce Nesmith, James Lowder (November 1991). Darklords. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 85. ISBN 1-56076-137-7.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Andria Hayday, William W. Connors, Bruce Nesmith, James Lowder (November 1991). Darklords. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 82. ISBN 1-56076-137-7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 James Ward, Robert J. Kuntz (August 1980). Deities & Demigods. Edited by Lawrence Schick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 50. ISBN 0-935696-22-9.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ed Greenwood (October 1981). “Down-to-earth divinity”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #54 (TSR, Inc.), p. 54.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 86. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 63, 299. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Ed Stark, James Jacobs, Erik Mona (June 13, 2006). Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 138. ISBN 0-7869-3919-2.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Skip Williams, Rich Redman, James Wyatt (April 2002). Deities and Demigods. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 136, 141. ISBN 0-7869-2654-6.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Jennifer Clarke-Wilkes, Bruce R. Cordell and JD Wiker (March 2005). Sandstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 47. ISBN 0-7869-3655-X.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1981). “Down-to-earth divinity”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #54 (TSR, Inc.), p. 9.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Skip Williams, Rich Redman, James Wyatt (April 2002). Deities and Demigods. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 141. ISBN 0-7869-2654-6.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (December 1995). “Forgotten Deities: Ssethh/Vaerae”. In Duane Maxwell ed. Polyhedron #114 (TSR, Inc.), p. 20.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Skip Williams, Rich Redman, James Wyatt (April 2002). Deities and Demigods. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 137. ISBN 0-7869-2654-6.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Skip Williams, Rich Redman, James Wyatt (April 2002). Deities and Demigods. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 142. ISBN 0-7869-2654-6.
- ↑ James Ward, Robert J. Kuntz (August 1980). Deities & Demigods. Edited by Lawrence Schick. (TSR, Inc.), p. 51. ISBN 0-935696-22-9.
- ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 84. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 91. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ Skip Williams, Rich Redman, James Wyatt (April 2002). Deities and Demigods. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 143. ISBN 0-7869-2654-6.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, et al. (November 2016). Volo's Guide to Monsters. Edited by Jeremy Crawford, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 94. ISBN 978-0786966011.