Kezef

Kezef, called the Chaos Hound and the Ravager of Heavens, and sometime referred to as Kesef,^[2] was one of the three Elder Eternal Evils of Faerûn.^[1]^[3]

Description[]

Kezef appeared as a huge mastiff that was little more than sinew and jet-black bone covered in ratty, maggot-riddled fur, with a rat-like tail and malevolent, unearthly red eyes. His footprints burned into the ground as he walked, and the yellow-green pus constantly oozing from his maggots pooled in such depressions.^[1]

Personality[]

Abilities[]

Activities[]

He was a unique being who roamed the Outer Planes constantly hunting the Faithful, which were the souls of those who had chosen to venerate one god above all others. He had no taste for the Faithless or the False, and was sickened by the taste of the spirits of the still-living. When Kezef destroyed one of the Faithful, the maggots that made up his pelt swarmed away from his jet-boned skeleton to devour the corpse. The gorged creatures then milled slowly over Kezef's body, making him appear bloated. Any of the Faithful who were eaten in this fashion were forever and truly destroyed, beyond even the recall of the gods.^[1]

Kezef relished the scent of hatred, and he sometimes paused and became substantial so that he could savor a particularly juicy emotional scent. In his wake, he left screaming nightmares particularly cherished by Dendar the Night Serpent. He was nauseated by the scent of cloying, reckless happiness.^[1]

History[]

Kezef was one of the primordial beings who appeared at the dawn of time, after the creation of Realmspace,^[4] although a few sages believed he was instead a creation of the god Jergal, who during a fit of madness created Kezef to deny the other gods the souls of their followers. Some believe that it was this event what eventually drove Jergal to step down from godhood as a penance.^[1]

Centuries ago, an alliance of Faerûnian gods chased Kezef across the Barrens of Doom and Despair to stop him from festering the souls of the Faithful, and when he was finally surrounded, the gods bet Kezef he could not break a leash forged by Gond the Wonderbringer. Kezef allowed Gond to place a short length of sturdy chain around his neck in exchange for Tyr placing his right hand in the Chaos Hound's slavering jaws. Gond anchored the chain miles deep in the floor of the Barrens' caves, and Mystra wrapped the beast in an unbreakable, glowing curtain of magical energy that automatically repaired itself. From these two traps, Kezef could not escape, and no one could reach him. When Kezef discovered he was truly fettered, he bit off Tyr's hand and feasted on its divine essence for centuries as he strove to free himself.^[1]^[5]^{[note 1]} After imprisoning him, the gods forbade traffic by deity or mortal with the beast.^[1]

Kezef was eventually freed by Cyric's machinations, to once again hunt the souls of mortals and gods alike.^[1]

Having been double-crossed by Mask, the Chaos Hound spent every moment hunting down the elusive Lord of Shadows, chasing Mask across the planes.^[1] Mask eventually managed to successfully trap Kezef once more.^[6]

After the Second Sundering, mortal warlocks began to seek out Kezef to make pacts with him in exchange of arcane powers.^[7]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

↑ Since 2^nd edition, Forgotten Realms sourcebooks have stated that Tyr lost his hand to Kezef the Chaos Hound. Since 1^st edition, core sourcebooks have instead recounted the real-world myth of Tyr losing his hand to the monstrous beast Fenris Wolf, who was the offspring of Loki. While the 3^rd-edition sourcebook Faiths and Pantheons states that Tyr lost the hand in battle with Kezef, all earlier and later sources claim that it was rather a test of strength of will, and the most detailed version of the story was elaborated in full in Champions of Ruin. In that Realmsian tale, Gond created chains with which to bind Kezef, and Mystra enchanted them. The gods made a deal with Kezef that they would lift a ban against him if Kezef could successfully escape from bonds. He only agreed to be bound if Tyr would insert his hand into the hound's maw. Tyr agreed, and Kezef bit his hand off, consuming it slowly over centuries. This tale undoubtedly was inspired by the real-world myth, which differs in that the evil canine was Fenris Wolf, the chains were created by the dwarves, and the gods involved were Tyr and the rest of the Aesir. Champions of Ruin goes on to explain that Kezef was later freed from his bonds by Cyric.
In the planar multiverse in which the world of Toril is found, the Norse pantheon canonically exists, and Tyr is stated in multiple FR sources to be the same individual as the Norse deity and to make one of his two divine realms in Asgard with the rest of that pantheon. Also, in core 1^st edition and Planescape settings, Fenris Wolf is an entity still bound on an island outside of Asgard, so both Fenris Wolf and Kezef the Chaos Hound must coexist in the D&D multiverse, with one bound and the other free.
Ultimately, as this is a wiki for the Forgotten Realms setting, we assume that the story of Tyr's loss of his hand to Kezef is the true tale, and that the version told by the Asgardians must simply be a legend, likely inspired by a similar tale about another evil, primordial canine, although it is certainly possible that the alternative is true.

Appearances[]

Novels: Prince of Lies • Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad; Referenced only; Tymora's Luck

References[]

↑ ^1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 Jeff Crook, Wil Upchurch, Eric L. Boyd (May 2005). Champions of Ruin. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 144–147. ISBN 0-7869-3692-4.
↑ Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 103. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.
↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 189–190. ISBN 978-0786906574.
↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 42. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 254. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
↑ Dale Donovan (July 1998). Villains' Lorebook. (TSR, Inc), p. 124. ISBN 0-7869-1236-7.
↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 139. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.

Connections[]

Primordials

Elemental Lords of Toril
Akadi • Bazim-Gorag • Grumbar • Istishia • Kossuth
Miscellaneous Primordials
Achazar • Arambar • Asgorath • Borem • Bwimb • Cirotralech • Dendar • Draunn • Dur-baagal • Entropy • Erek-Hus • Karshimis • Kezef • Maegera • Maram • Nehushta • Petron • Queen of Chaos • Rorn • Telos • Ubtao

[Loss_of_Tyr's_hand-6] Since 2^nd edition, Forgotten Realms sourcebooks have stated that Tyr lost his hand to Kezef the Chaos Hound. Since 1^st edition, core sourcebooks have instead recounted the real-world myth of Tyr losing his hand to the monstrous beast Fenris Wolf, who was the offspring of Loki. While the 3^rd-edition sourcebook Faiths and Pantheons states that Tyr lost the hand in battle with Kezef, all earlier and later sources claim that it was rather a test of strength of will, and the most detailed version of the story was elaborated in full in Champions of Ruin. In that Realmsian tale, Gond created chains with which to bind Kezef, and Mystra enchanted them. The gods made a deal with Kezef that they would lift a ban against him if Kezef could successfully escape from bonds. He only agreed to be bound if Tyr would insert his hand into the hound's maw. Tyr agreed, and Kezef bit his hand off, consuming it slowly over centuries. This tale undoubtedly was inspired by the real-world myth, which differs in that the evil canine was Fenris Wolf, the chains were created by the dwarves, and the gods involved were Tyr and the rest of the Aesir. Champions of Ruin goes on to explain that Kezef was later freed from his bonds by Cyric.
In the planar multiverse in which the world of Toril is found, the Norse pantheon canonically exists, and Tyr is stated in multiple FR sources to be the same individual as the Norse deity and to make one of his two divine realms in Asgard with the rest of that pantheon. Also, in core 1^st edition and Planescape settings, Fenris Wolf is an entity still bound on an island outside of Asgard, so both Fenris Wolf and Kezef the Chaos Hound must coexist in the D&D multiverse, with one bound and the other free.
Ultimately, as this is a wiki for the Forgotten Realms setting, we assume that the story of Tyr's loss of his hand to Kezef is the true tale, and that the version told by the Asgardians must simply be a legend, likely inspired by a similar tale about another evil, primordial canine, although it is certainly possible that the alternative is true.

[CR-1] 1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 Jeff Crook, Wil Upchurch, Eric L. Boyd (May 2005). Champions of Ruin. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 144–147. ISBN 0-7869-3692-4.

[Ty-p103-2] Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (December 1997). Tymora's Luck. (TSR, Inc.), p. 103. ISBN 0-7869-0726-6.

[PP-3] Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 189–190. ISBN 978-0786906574.

[FRCG-p42-4] Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 42. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.

[FRCS3e-p254-5] Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 254. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.

[7] Dale Donovan (July 1998). Villains' Lorebook. (TSR, Inc), p. 124. ISBN 0-7869-1236-7.

[SCAG-p139-8] Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 139. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.

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