Gaknulak was the lawful evil kobold demigod of trickery and trap-setting, as well as stealth and ambushes, but also their god of protection.[1] The crafty demigod was the closest that goblinoids (including the likes of orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears, kobolds, and similar beings) got to an inventive and creative deity.[3]
Description[]
Gaknulak appeared as a 3 feet and 6 inches (1.1 meters) tall, dark-skinned kobold with white hair and a cloak with bulging pockets.[1]
Manifestations[]
Gaknulak's omens were either understated or difficult to decipher (sometimes both). Triggered trap defenses, misplaced objects, and rearranged clothing or weapons could all be subtle clues, challenging his priests to understand them or even detect them at all.[1]
Personality[]
In contrast to his skilled but blindly aggressive and easily tricked master Kurtulmak,[3] Gaknulak was not only highly intelligent, but also supremely pragmatic. In this sense he was a kind of lawful trickster god, a sneaky deity with an aversion for direct confrontation.[1]
Powers[]
Gaknulak moved on land with remarkable speed, flying through the air twice as fast and swimming through water as fast as most maneuvered on the surface. He could cast transmutation and illusion spells, but was immune to illusions himself.
Possessions[]
Gaknulak possessed a magical cauldron from which he could draw several useful objects and diverse resources, including tools and even minor magical items. These were meant for use by the highly intelligent to fool others.[1]
Gaknulak was known to wield a hand axe, his avatar possessing a +3 enchanted one. His avatar also wore two ioun stones (both randomly selected types) and always kept many magical items for the purpose of spying, detecting, and escaping, typically in the form of boots of speed, a wand of magic detection, and a ring of chameleon power. In addition, avatars also had a wand of polymorph for the sake of offense, turning targets into piglets so that they could be eaten.[1]
Divine Realm[]
Gaknulak lived in the realm of Aknuthrak on Khalas, the first layer of the plane known as the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna.[2] Like the other non-human divinities of the Bleak Eternity, it was said he made his home there as a result of not being welcome anywhere else, though in truth he preferred it there.[4]
Activities[]
Gaknulak was a protector god who not only defended his charges but also taught them how to defend themselves, namely through practical trickery. He was always prepared to send an avatar to show them a new means of self-defense through creative innovation.[1]
Relationships[]
Gaknulak was a servant of Kurtulmak, the leader of the kobold pantheon, and did his best to achieve his master's goals through his practical innovations. Kurtulmak himself was a jealous god constantly wary of other deities, tolerating Gaknulak because he had magical control over him.[3]
Gaknulak preferred defense and trickery to direct confrontations regarding other deities and races.[1] While he was an enemy of the entire gnomish pantheon,[3][5][6] he was known to have had his doubts about his superior's attempts at revenge in the past, needing to be dragged into the quarrel.[5]
Worshipers[]
Priests of Gaknulak were first and foremost defenders of their lairs and homelands. They acted as spies and scouts and were experts in constructing defenses, setting traps, and laying all sorts of ambushes. Becoming a priest of Kurtulmak required a certain level of intelligence, and they were skilled in hiding, spotting traps, and setting them in such a way that they would not be detected. Later on, they could make use of low-level illusion spells and cast rainbow pattern.[1]
Gaknulak also had shamans, who sometimes came into conflict with the more war-focused shamans of Kurtulmak. When these branches of kobold religion did cooperate however, the race would become much more dangerous than their size would imply.[3]
History[]
While it was Kurtulmak who first taught the kobolds the skills of ambushing, Gaknulak eventually grew to dominate this sphere.[5]
Once Kurtulmak forced Gaknulak to support him in trying to booby-trap a citadel of the gnome gods. His subordinate's misgivings were soon validated when Kurtulmak, hardly being subtle, was detected immediately by the guards and sent home by the gnome deities after being ridiculously trussed up.[5]
Appendix[]
Further Reading[]
- Tom Prusa (October 1994). “Gorlash Spacescum”. In Jean Rabe ed. Polyhedron #100 (TSR, Inc.), p. 9.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 55. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 174. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 44. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ Colin McComb (December 1995). “Liber Malevolentiae”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Conflict (TSR, Inc.), p. 28. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 54. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 137, 146, 149, 151, 154, 158. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.