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Tharizdun (pronounced: /θɑːrˈɪzdʌnthar-IZ-dun[10]), also known as The Chained God and The Elder Elemental Eye,[1] 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.[4]

Light must be snuffed, perfection decayed, order dissolved, and minds fragmented.
— An inscription in one of Tharizdun's black pyramids.[7]

Description[]

Tharizdun appeared as an amorphous, roiling pitch-blackness.[7]

Personality[]

Tharizdun was not simply neutral evil; his evil transcended law and chaos, reflecting a primal nature so ancient it went back to the early days of the Great Wheel cosmology.[11]

Dogma[]

Tharizdun 3e

Tharizdun's symbol

Tharizdun's exact dogma is unknown, as the ages he was imprisoned in the Abyss along with his own growing insanity left him unable to communicate in a meaningful manner. Even when he appeared to his followers, he only spoke to them in the form of a shrieking babble that was impossible for mortals to comprehend. The following are his assumed teachings, followed by his cults.[1]

Channel power to the Chained God, so he can break his chains. Retrieve lost relics and shrines to the Chained God. Pursue the obliteration of the world, in anticipation of the Chained God's liberation
— [1]

Worshipers[]

Tharizdun was one of the evil deities within the Oerthly, Dawn War,[12][13] and Exandrian pantheons.[14] He was worshiped only by mad people.[13]

History[]

Ancient History[]

In the time when the multiverse was young, Tharizdun was a power hungry deity who was not happy with the idea of sharing the multiverse with the other gods, and for a long time he searched for something that would give him an edge against them.[15] In those times, he joined his fellow Oerthian deity Pelor and a Nerathian deity, Ioun, who were also interested to discover the secrets of the multiverse. They eventually found the Living Gate, that separated the Far Realm from the Astral Sea. The three gods peered through it, learning terrible secrets that changed them forever, among them the weapon he was searching for.[16][17][18]

Some time later, when the gods were fighting the primordials during the initial stages of what would be known later as the Dawn War, Tharizdun returned, killed the guardian of the Living Gate and opened it, releasing corruptive energy from the Far Realm into the multiverse.[16][17][18] From the Far Realm he retrieved a "seed of chaos" from a dead universe, the Shard of Pure Evil of the obyriths. Through the shard, the obyriths changed his mind and spirit, corrupting him in an instant, driving the deity to madness.[19]

But the obyriths' plan to seize the celestial realms controlled by Tharizdun and his kind was met with resistance and a twist they had not anticipated. The obyriths demanded Tharizdun to plant the seed of evil within the Astral Sea, promising him total dominion of that realm in exchange for his fealty. Even within his madness, Tharizdun recognized that his fellow gods would turn on him before he could fully seize the power the obyriths promised. Instead, the mad god traveled to the farthest reaches of the cosmos, planting the seed of evil in a primordial expanse of the churning Elemental Chaos, which he hoped to seize as his own.[19]

This seed eventually grew into the Abyss, and though the act gained him great power, the other gods of the multiverse temporarily put aside their differences in order to imprison him.[15][20]

Modern History[]

In 1340 DR, a cult of Tharizdun formed in western Chessenta. It hired bandits, consorted with demons, and caused much havoc before an alliance of forces destroyed it. Some credit the fact that Tharizdun did not gain a permanent foothold on Toril to the personal intervention of the goddess Mystra.[21]

A new cult of Tharizdun was formed by the plague demon Murmur in 1479 DR after a burnt portion of its corpse was discovered by the Firestorm Cabal in Akanûl. It possessed Leheren, one of the members of the Cabal, and created a secret order within the order devoted to freeing Tharizdun and releasing him on the continent of Faerûn.[22]

At roughly the same time, the last of the Sabrak clan of dwarves discovered an intrusion of the Abyssal Plague in a temple of Ghaunadaur in the mountains south of Easting and devised a way to transform victims of the plague into plague demons with which they hoped to create an army that would fight for the Elder Elemental Eye.[20][23]

In the late 15th century DR, several cults dedicated to the Elder Elemental Eye arose in the Dessarin Valley trying to summon the Princes of Elemental Evil.[24]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

Adventures
The Elder Elemental EyePrinces of the Apocalypse

External Links[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 James Wyatt (June 2008). Dungeon Master's Guide 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 163. ISBN 978-0-7869-4880-2.
  2. Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 63, 295. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
  3. James Wyatt (June 2008). Dungeon Master's Guide 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 162. ISBN 978-0-7869-4880-2.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Mike Mearls, Brian R. James, Steve Townshend (July 2010). Demonomicon. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 8. ISBN 978-0786954926.
  5. David Noonan (May 2004). Complete Divine. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 121. ISBN 0-7869-3272-4.
  6. Hal Maclean (September 2004). “Seven Deadly Domains”. In Matthew Sernett ed. Dragon #323 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 63.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 David Noonan (April 2002). “Beings of POWER: Four Gods of Greyhawk”. In Jesse Decker ed. Dragon #294 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 31.
  8. Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel (July 2006). Monster Manual IV. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-3920-6.
  9. Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 180. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  10. Frank Mentzer (January 1985). “Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #93 (TSR, Inc.), p. 30.
  11. Jason Bulmahn, James Jacobs, Mike McArtor, Erik Mona, E.Wesley Schneider, Amber Stewart, Jeremy Walker (September 2007). “1d20 Villains: D&D's Most Wanted; Preferably Dead”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #359 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 59.
  12. Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-0786965622.
  13. 13.0 13.1 James Wyatt (June 2008). Dungeon Master's Guide 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 198. ISBN 978-0-7869-4880-2.
  14. Matthew Mercer, James J. Haeck et al. (March 2020). Explorer's Guide to Wildemount. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Hannah Rose, F. Wesley Schneider. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 24. ISBN 978-0-7869-6691-2.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 52. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Mike Mearls, Bruce Cordell, Robin Heinsoo, and Robert J. Schwalb (March 2010). Player's Handbook 3. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 4. ISBN 978-0-7869-5390-5.
  17. 17.0 17.1 James Wyatt (2010). The Gates of Madness. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-4406-4.
  18. 18.0 18.1 Ari Marmell, Robert J. Schwalb (August 2010). Psionic Power. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 95. ISBN 978-0-7869-5560-2.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Mike Mearls, Brian R. James, Steve Townshend (July 2010). Demonomicon. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 7. ISBN 978-0786954926.
  20. 20.0 20.1 Pieter Sleijpen and Chris Sims (2012). The Elder Elemental Eye. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 4.
  21. Bruce R. Cordell (April 2011). Sword of the Gods. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 112. ISBN 978-0-7869-5739-2.
  22. Bruce R. Cordell (April 2011). Sword of the Gods. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7869-5739-2.
  23. Peter Sleijpen & Chris Sims (May 2013). “The Elder Elemental Eye”. Dungeon #214 (Wizards of the Coast) (214)., pp. 66–67.
  24. Richard Baker, et al. (April 2015). Princes of the Apocalypse. Edited by Michele Carter, Stacy Janssen. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 4, 248. ISBN 978-0-7869-6578-6.

Connections[]

The Oerthly pantheon
Powers of Oerth who have influenced the Forgotten Realms
CelestianHewardTharizdunVecna

Deities of the Post–Second Sundering Era
Ao the Overgod
Faerûnian Pantheon
Akadi | Amaunator | Asmodeus | Auril | Azuth | Bane | Beshaba | Bhaal | Chauntea | Cyric | Deneir | Eldath | Gond | Grumbar | Gwaeron | Helm | Hoar | Ilmater | Istishia | Jergal | Kelemvor | Kossuth | Lathander | Leira | Lliira | Loviatar | Malar | Mask | Mielikki | Milil | Myrkul | Mystra | Oghma | Red Knight | Savras | Selûne | Shar | Silvanus | Sune | Talona | Talos | Tempus | Torm | Tymora | Tyr | Umberlee | Valkur | Waukeen
The Morndinsamman
Abbathor | Berronar Truesilver | Clangeddin Silverbeard | Deep Duerra | Dugmaren Brightmantle | Dumathoin | Gorm Gulthyn | Haela Brightaxe | Laduguer | Marthammor Duin | Moradin | Sharindlar | Vergadain
The Seldarine
Aerdrie Faenya | Angharradh | Corellon | Deep Sashelas | Erevan | Fenmarel Mestarine | Hanali Celanil | Labelas Enoreth | Rillifane Rallathil | Sehanine Moonbow | Shevarash | Solonor Thelandira
The Dark Seldarine
Eilistraee | Kiaransalee | Lolth | Selvetarm | Vhaeraun
Yondalla's Children
Arvoreen | Brandobaris | Cyrrollalee | Sheela Peryroyl | Urogalan | Yondalla
Lords of the Golden Hills
Baervan Wildwanderer | Baravar Cloakshadow | Callarduran Smoothhands | Flandal Steelskin | Gaerdal Ironhand | Garl Glittergold | Nebelun | Segojan Earthcaller | Urdlen
Orc Pantheon
Bahgtru | Gruumsh | Ilneval | Luthic | Shargaas | Yurtrus
Mulhorandi pantheon
Anhur | Bast | Geb | Hathor | Horus | Isis | Nephthys | Osiris | Re | Sebek | Set | Thoth
Other gods of Faerûn
Bahamut | Enlil | Finder Wyvernspur | Ghaunadaur | Gilgeam | Lurue | Moander | Nobanion | Raven Queen | Tiamat



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