The Demiurge
Of all the Demons that further scar the infinite horror of The Abyss,
none are greater, more mysterious, and more dangerous that the mighty
Demiurge. The Demiurge, also called Demonic Monarchs or Demon Gods, are
the true masters of The Abyss, beings of such magnitude that they stand
as equals to the gods, and surpass the powers of most of the Lords of
the Nine Hells. The degenerate, the insane, the nihilist, and any who
wallow in the pit of utter depravity worship them.
According to ancient and magical texts (that have become increasingly
difficult to find as the centuries have progressed) suggest that the
Demiurge had something to do with the creation of the Prime Material
Planes. Scholars who have read or have secondary sources referring to
these texts state that there are a number of supporting elements behind
this almost blasphemous theory. First, these heretical texts state that
the Demiurge tend to represent the carnal and base aspects of the Prime
Material. While the Elemental Planes represent pure matter, and while
the Negative and Positive planes imbue the other Elemental Planes with
Death or Life respectively, it is in the Demiurge, and much of the
Abyss, that one sees the debased aspect of the Elements. In The Abyss,
and in the Demiurge, the Elements are unwieldy, dedicated to destroying
everything not of them, and ultimately interested in its own survival at
the expense of everything else. Second, these texts point to the fact
that the Demiurge, unlike the Lords of the Nine, possess complete divine
power but have no need for worshippers. The Demiurge's very existence
is based upon the carnal and unholy conditions, desires, and elements of
the entities that inhabit the Prime Material Plane. Third, like The
Abyss, the Prime Material Planes are infinite, stretching further than
even the gods can tell. The Prime is a more benign reflection of The
Abyss, a reflection the Demiurge seeks to shatter or erase, leaving only
The Abyss in the end since the destruction of the Prime would result in
the end of the gods, so these texts claim. These texts, and the
scholars who support them, present the Demiurge as accidental architects
of the Prime, monstrosities that spawned the worlds that spin eternally
and infinitely in the Cosmos. As the profane agents of Chaos, the
Demiurge seek nothing less than to not just return the Prime to the
Chaos from which it accidentally emerged, but to consume the souls of
those that exist in the Prime, condemning them to eternal and
inconceivable torment.
Of course, there are many who discredit this background, who point to it
as nonsense and the ravings of Demon worshippers and lunatics. Among
the greatest of those who challenge these now lost texts are the Devils
of the Nine Hells and the Yugoloths of the Grey Wastes. Still, there is
something unsettlingly sensible to these legends and those who worship
the Demiurge seem strangely silent and eerily unconcerned about the
matter.
It is unknown how many Demiurge exist. A minority of scholars, however,
believes that there are an infinite number of Demiurge, much in the same
way there are said to be an infinite number of Demons and layers of The
Abyss. All of the Demiurge are well known monsters, a few posing as
gods, others presenting themselves as simple Demon Princes. Indeed,
one, the Demon Queen of Spiders, Lolth, is worshipped throughout untold
Prime worlds as the patron goddess of the Dark Elves, or Drow.
So long has Lolth maintained her status as a "pure goddess" that many,
even the oldest gods, forget that she is a Demiurge, and dedicated to
the eventual ruin of the Prime. However, her desire for destruction is
reflected in the sadomasochistic behavior she expects of her Drow.
Another well known Demiurge is the villainous Zuggtymoy. Often referred
to as Queen of Demons, Zuggtymoy is well known for her ties to a dark,
mysterious force that has threatened creation numerous times, having
been used as a pawn to that being’s designs. Despite these assumed
affiliations, Zuggtymoy is a fearsome foe dedicated to the destruction
of the current order for a new, corrupted existence of bizarre, wholly
evil life. For the time being, Zuggtymoy dedicates herself to acts
associated with wild nature and parasites.
A much better known Demiurge, Orcus, styles itself as the Demon Prince
of Undeath. A mighty monster of a Demiurge, Orcus has threatened
countless Primes and even succeeded in transporting one world and
depositing it in some terrible demi-plane where all its inhabitants
became Undead. Orcus' power is continually growing and it's only a
matter of time before he begins to actively supplant established gods.
While Orcus is certainly brilliant, he's not subtle. The sinister
Graz'zt, Demon Prince of the Triple Realm, has that claim. Graz'zt is
an enigma. On one hand, he spends a considerable amount of time seeking
to dominate the Prime Material Plane, but usually through lackeys and
servants, like his son Iuz the Old of Oerth. On the other hand, he's
integrally involved with planar politics, allowing his realms to
function as relatively open cities to all interested in infernal trade.
His true goals a mystery, Graz'zt is almost as adept at intrigue as any
Lord of the Nine, and certainly not to be fooled with by mortals.
Perhaps one of the most terrible of the Demiurge is the Apollion, the
Lord of the Bottomless Pit. Said to have been a Solar of the highest
caliber, even surpassing the infamous Eblis, Apollion is truly a
fearsome being who is in many ways the ultimate destroyer. While gods
like Shiva destroy in an attempt to bring about a new order, Apollion
destroys because it gives him tremendous pleasure to see other suffer.
The Dark Angel possesses enough power to even give Greater gods pause,
but he's not the greatest of the Demiurge.
For all their might, Apollion, Graz'zt, Lolth, Orcus, and Zuggtymoy can
not measure in sheer power and majesty to the greatest of the Demiurge,
the Prince of Demons, Demogorgon. At times referred to as "The
Demiurge", Demogorgon is the most powerful of the Demons, wields the
greatest number of Demonic servants, and poses the greatest threat to
the Prime Material planes. Unlike Lolth and Orcus, Demogorgon is not
interested in revealing itself to mortals. And, unlike Graz'zt,
Demogorgon does not seek to present itself as something it is not.
Demogorgon seeks knowledge and power of matter, hoping to one day use
that knowledge and that power to rend the Prime Material plane into
nothingness. It is the personification of utter, depraved madness and
the ultimate representation of passionate, unbridled evil. Demogorgon
attracts those who seek knowledge and power, hoping to be spared by the
Dread One when it destroys existence.
European (culture)
Flying (attribute)
Haunting (behaviour)
