Demogorgon (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
, Demogorgon is a powerful demon prince
. He is known as the Prince of Demons
, a self-proclaimed title he holds by virtue of his power and influence; which in turn, is a title acknowledged by both mortals and his fellow demons. Demogorgon was also named as one of the greatest villains in D&D history by the final issue of Dragon
.
Demogorgon
, which was first spoken of by Christian scholars as a being whose very name is taboo. A creature named Demogorgon is featured in John Milton
's Paradise Lost
, Lodovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso
, Spenser's Faerie Queene and Percy Bysshe Shelley
's Prometheus Unbound, although the D&D Demogorgon's appearance and history may not be based on any of these sources.
(1976).
set (1986).
(1992).
(2002). He also appeared in Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss
(2006). He was featured in the Demonomicon of Iggwilv column in Dragon
#357 (2007).
heads sprout from his twin snake-like necks, and his arms end in long tentacles. His two heads have individual minds, called Aameul (the left head) and Hethradiah (the right head). One of Demogorgon's best-kept secrets, even from his cultists and minions, is that his two personas strive to dominate (and even kill) each other, but are unable to because they are aspects of one another. Despite this duality, many of Demogorgon's plots revolve around either permanently separating or uniting these two personas. According to kopru legends, Demogorgon has two mothers, which account for his twin personas. His blue-green skin is plated with snake-like scales, his body and legs are those of a giant lizard, and his thick tail is forked. His appearance testifies to his command of cold-blooded things such as serpents, reptiles, and octopi.
In the 3E sourcebook Book of Vile Darkness
, he is erroneously described and depicted as having hyena heads instead of mandrill heads.
Demogorgon can charm enemies or drive enemies insane with his gaze, depending on which head's eyes are met; if both heads lock their gazes on a single target simultaneously, Demogorgon can hypnotize foes. His whip-like tail has the ability to drain the life energy right out of a living foe. His tentacles cause living creatures to rot away, as if by some sort of rapid leprosy. Because each head is a separate personality that each controls his body, Demogorgon may act twice as often during combat as he should be able to.
The hatred between Orcus
and Demogorgon is legendary. He is also a dedicated foe of both Graz'zt
and Fraz-Urb'luu
. Some of his allies include the Succubus Queen Malcanthet
; the currently imprisoned Shami-Amourae
was his former consort. In Gary Gygax
's Gord the Rogue
series, he is the brother of another demon lord called "Mandrillagon." He is served by the minor demon lord Abraxas
that controls the 17th layer (Death's Reward) and was allied with demon lord Ilsidahur
who control the 90th layer, just near the Demogorgon's ream.
One of Demogorgon's spawn with Malcanthet is the monstrous Arendagrost. According to WG7
he has a son with a mortal woman, the cambion Drumorg.
Demogorgon and the ancient and powerful obyrith Dagon
have a sort of alliance. Demogorgon often travels to the domain of the elder demon lord to speak to him and try to gain knowledge and secrets from him or seek his vast wisdom for counsel.
and ixitxachitl
dwell, constantly warring with each other and worshipping Demogorgon in his palace above. His towers are said to extend so far beneath the sea that it connects to the layer beneath him where he speaks with the obyrith lord Dagon.
Numerous isles dot the layer, but they all resemble Demogorgon's palace: twin rookeries rising straight out of the sea and into the sky. The only significant landmass of the layer is a vast jungle-covered continent. Here, Demogorgon's capital city of Lemoriax is located.
. Cultists of Demogorgon who are not already demons are often among the most mentally disturbed members of their races.
The following beings are some of Demogorgon's most infamous servants:
campaign setting
in Dragon #85, in the short story "A Stone's Throw Away" by Roger E Moore. The story describes Tasselhoff Burrfoot inadvertently defeating an evil wizard who had temporarily placed Demogorgon under his power.
, Demogorgon sometimes goes by the ancient name "Ahmon-Ibor," or "the Sibilant Beast." He is responsible for corrupting the paladin
Sir Kargoth and transforming him and thirteen of his fellow Knight Protectors
of the Great Kingdom
into Oerth
's first death knights.
, it is possible to make a sacrifice to Demogorgon, thus summoning some demons with no wish to be friendly.
In the expansion pack Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
, an avatar
of Demogorgon appears imprisoned in the dungeon known as Watcher's Keep. The player's standard quest is to seal the dungeon in order to keep Demogorgon imprisoned, but the player can also destroy Demogorgon's avatar, sending him back to the Abyss.
The character has very little dialogue compared to most other bosses; his single spoken line is performed by Jim Cummings
.
, Demogorgon wields a combination of stunning, poisoning, disease, and damage attacks. However, he does not have a fixed place in the game, and is generally only seen when other major demons summon him (a small probability per turn).
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, Demogorgon is a powerful demon prince
Demon lord (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demon lords are demons who have gained great power and established a position of preeminence among demonkind. Each demon lord has a unique appearance and set of abilities. Most control at least one layer of the Abyss...
. He is known as the Prince of Demons
Prince of Demons
Prince of Demons is a title contested by the greatest demon lords of the Abyss, in the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game.-The current Prince of Demons:...
, a self-proclaimed title he holds by virtue of his power and influence; which in turn, is a title acknowledged by both mortals and his fellow demons. Demogorgon was also named as one of the greatest villains in D&D history by the final issue of Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
.
Creative origins
Demogorgon is based on the invented, supposedly pagan god or demonDemon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
Demogorgon
Demogorgon
Demogorgon, although often ascribed to Greek mythology, is actually attributed to a fourth-century scholar, imagined as the name of a pagan god or demon, associated with the underworld and envisaged as a powerful primordial being, whose very name had been taboo.-Etymology:The origins of the name...
, which was first spoken of by Christian scholars as a being whose very name is taboo. A creature named Demogorgon is featured in John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
, Lodovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso
Orlando Furioso
Orlando Furioso is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form until 1532...
, Spenser's Faerie Queene and Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
's Prometheus Unbound, although the D&D Demogorgon's appearance and history may not be based on any of these sources.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
Demogorgon first appeared in the D&D game in Eldritch WizardryEldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry is a supplementary rulebook by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, written for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which included a number of significant additions to the core game.-Contents:...
(1976).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition
Demogorgon appeared in the original Monster Manual (1977).Dungeons & Dragons
Demogorgon appeared in the basic system in the D&D Immortal RulesDungeons & Dragons Immortals Rules
Dungeons & Dragons Immortals Rules is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1986 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
set (1986).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition
Demogorgon was detailed as a deity in Monster MythologyMonster Mythology
Monster Mythology is a sourcebook for the second edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Released by TSR in 1992 and written by Carl Sargent, with interior illustrations by Terry Dykstra, John and Laura Lakey, and Keith Parkinson, Monster Mythology was released as a companion volume for...
(1992).
3rd edition
Demogorgon appeared again as a demon lord in Book of Vile DarknessBook of Vile Darkness
Book of Vile Darkness is an optional supplemental sourcebook for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The book was written by Monte Cook and published by Wizards of the Coast in October 2002. Described as a "detailed look at the nature of evil," it was the first Dungeons &...
(2002). He also appeared in Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss
Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss
Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Chapter 1: Demonic Lore:...
(2006). He was featured in the Demonomicon of Iggwilv column in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#357 (2007).
4th edition
Demogorgon is one of the few demon lords mentioned in the 4th edition Monster Manual (2008). He appears on the cover of the Monster Manual 2 (2009) and is included within.Physical description
Demogorgon appears as an 18 feet (5.5 m), reptilian (or amphibious) hermaphroditic tanar'ri with a somewhat humanoid form. Two mandrillMandrill
The mandrill is a primate of the Old World monkey family, closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the drill. Both the mandrill and the drill were once classified as baboons in genus Papio, but recent research has determined they should be separated into their own genus, Mandrillus...
heads sprout from his twin snake-like necks, and his arms end in long tentacles. His two heads have individual minds, called Aameul (the left head) and Hethradiah (the right head). One of Demogorgon's best-kept secrets, even from his cultists and minions, is that his two personas strive to dominate (and even kill) each other, but are unable to because they are aspects of one another. Despite this duality, many of Demogorgon's plots revolve around either permanently separating or uniting these two personas. According to kopru legends, Demogorgon has two mothers, which account for his twin personas. His blue-green skin is plated with snake-like scales, his body and legs are those of a giant lizard, and his thick tail is forked. His appearance testifies to his command of cold-blooded things such as serpents, reptiles, and octopi.
In the 3E sourcebook Book of Vile Darkness
Book of Vile Darkness
Book of Vile Darkness is an optional supplemental sourcebook for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The book was written by Monte Cook and published by Wizards of the Coast in October 2002. Described as a "detailed look at the nature of evil," it was the first Dungeons &...
, he is erroneously described and depicted as having hyena heads instead of mandrill heads.
Demogorgon can charm enemies or drive enemies insane with his gaze, depending on which head's eyes are met; if both heads lock their gazes on a single target simultaneously, Demogorgon can hypnotize foes. His whip-like tail has the ability to drain the life energy right out of a living foe. His tentacles cause living creatures to rot away, as if by some sort of rapid leprosy. Because each head is a separate personality that each controls his body, Demogorgon may act twice as often during combat as he should be able to.
Relationships
His title as Prince of Demons is contested and somewhat misleading in that in the chaos of the Abyss there are no official titles and positions. He holds this title through sheer power and the fact no other demon has been able to prove themselves his superior and wrest the name from him. Demogorgon is also known as Lord of All That Swims in Darkness.The hatred between Orcus
Orcus (Dungeons & Dragons)
Orcus is the fictional demon prince, and lord of the undead in many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He is named after Orcus of Roman mythology. His symbol is a mace with a human skull as the head...
and Demogorgon is legendary. He is also a dedicated foe of both Graz'zt
Graz'zt
Graz'zt is a demon lord in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, and one of the most powerful demons in the Abyss. Graz'zt, one of the earliest and most famous demons created for Dungeons and Dragons, was named as one of the greatest villains in D&D history by the final print issue of...
and Fraz-Urb'luu
Fraz-Urb'luu
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Fraz-Urb'luu is a demon lord, sometimes known as the "Prince of Deception." In Gary Gygax's Gord novels, Fraz-Urb'luu is alternately called Var-Az-Hloo.-Publication history:...
. Some of his allies include the Succubus Queen Malcanthet
Malcanthet
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Malcanthet is a demon lord. She is also called Queen of Succubi.-Creative origins:...
; the currently imprisoned Shami-Amourae
Shami-Amourae
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Shami-Amourae is a demon lord. She is supposedly the first of the succubi to come into being in the Abyss, along with her fellow "sister" succubi Lynkhab, Xinivrae, and Malcanthet...
was his former consort. In Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
's Gord the Rogue
Gord the Rogue
Gord the Rogue is the protagonist in a series of fantasy novels and short stories written by Gary Gygax. Gygax originally wrote the novels and short stories to promote his World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. After he left TSR, Gygax continued to write...
series, he is the brother of another demon lord called "Mandrillagon." He is served by the minor demon lord Abraxas
Abraxas (Dungeons & Dragons)
Abraxas, known as the Unfathomable, is the demon lord of magic words, arcane secrets, and talismans, in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Publication history:...
that controls the 17th layer (Death's Reward) and was allied with demon lord Ilsidahur
Ilsidahur
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Ilsidahur is a demon lord. Called the Howling King, he claims rulership over the simian demons known as bar-lguras, and is served by nalfeshnees as well.- Publishing history :...
who control the 90th layer, just near the Demogorgon's ream.
One of Demogorgon's spawn with Malcanthet is the monstrous Arendagrost. According to WG7
Castle Greyhawk (module)
Castle Greyhawk is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting. The module bears the code WG7 and was published by TSR, Inc...
he has a son with a mortal woman, the cambion Drumorg.
Demogorgon and the ancient and powerful obyrith Dagon
Dagon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Dagon is a obyrith demon lord, also called Prince of the Depths. His realm is the 89th layer of the Abyss, and is known as Shadowsea...
have a sort of alliance. Demogorgon often travels to the domain of the elder demon lord to speak to him and try to gain knowledge and secrets from him or seek his vast wisdom for counsel.
Realm
Demogorgon lives on the 88th layer of the Abyss, known as Abysm, the Brine Flats, or Gaping Maw. This is a layer consisting of a great sea of briny water broken by tall, sharp, ugly, rocky prominences rising out of the endless murky water into a sky of yellow mist. Demogorgon's palace is two twin towers shaped very roughly like tightly coiled serpents that are covered with sharp, ugly fin-like features and spines, and crowned at the top with skull-shaped minarets. The two towers are linked by a bridge near the top. Beneath the fortress are reefs and caverns where aboleths, krakenKraken (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the kraken is a large, ocean-dwelling magical beast. It is akin to a squid the size of a house. It is almost 80 feet long and 60 feet tall and wide. Its body is similar to that of a squid, with a ring of tentacles surrounding a mouth connected to...
and ixitxachitl
Ixitxachitl
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ixitxachitl are a race of intelligent, aquatic beings that resemble small manta rays with barbed tails. They have an evil disposition and worship evil powers...
dwell, constantly warring with each other and worshipping Demogorgon in his palace above. His towers are said to extend so far beneath the sea that it connects to the layer beneath him where he speaks with the obyrith lord Dagon.
Numerous isles dot the layer, but they all resemble Demogorgon's palace: twin rookeries rising straight out of the sea and into the sky. The only significant landmass of the layer is a vast jungle-covered continent. Here, Demogorgon's capital city of Lemoriax is located.
Cult of Demogorgon
Demogorgon's cult is small compared to "true" deities, but much larger than those of most fiends. He is worshiped not only by evil humans, but also by the intelligent rays known as ixitxachitlIxitxachitl
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ixitxachitl are a race of intelligent, aquatic beings that resemble small manta rays with barbed tails. They have an evil disposition and worship evil powers...
. Cultists of Demogorgon who are not already demons are often among the most mentally disturbed members of their races.
The following beings are some of Demogorgon's most infamous servants:
- Belcheresk was a potent Balor and the Demogorgon's right hand.
- Major Enderan a demon in command of a company of stone giant juju zombies.
- War Secretary-General Gromsfed the Drowned was a huge klurichir 4th warchief who was the chief tactician of Demogorgon.
- Saint Kargoth the Betrayer the first death knightDeath knightIn Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy roleplaying games, a death knight is a mighty warrior animated as an undead creature by the gods of death, evil deities, demon lords, or other malevolent forces.-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition :Charles Stross created the Death Knight for the 1981...
and one of the top Demogorgon's general. - Kazuul the exarch of Demogorgon.
- Archpriest Nulonga was a ancient worshiper of Demogorgon.
- Rozvankee was a female Lich pirate and one of the best monster creator in service of Demogorgon.
- Severik was a potent Balor that command the elite marilith Demogorgon's bodyguard squad.
- Tharak was a ettin clone of Demogorgon and one of his best monster creation.
Demogorgon in Dragonlance
Demogorgon made an early appearance in the DragonlanceDragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
in Dragon #85, in the short story "A Stone's Throw Away" by Roger E Moore. The story describes Tasselhoff Burrfoot inadvertently defeating an evil wizard who had temporarily placed Demogorgon under his power.
Demogorgon in Greyhawk
In the World of Greyhawk campaign settingCampaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
, Demogorgon sometimes goes by the ancient name "Ahmon-Ibor," or "the Sibilant Beast." He is responsible for corrupting the paladin
Paladin (Dungeons & Dragons)
The paladin is one of the standard playable character classes in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The paladin is a holy knight, crusading in the name of good and order, and is a divine spellcaster...
Sir Kargoth and transforming him and thirteen of his fellow Knight Protectors
Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom is the most fabled chivalric order in the Flanaess. Once well-respected, powerful, and influential, the order is now regarded as but a shadow of its former self...
of the Great Kingdom
Great Kingdom
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Great Kingdom, or the Great Kingdom of Aerdy, refers to an empire that varied in size at various points in its history.-History:...
into Oerth
Oerth
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Oerth, pronounced as "Orth" or "oyth", is the name of the fictional planet on which one of the earliest campaign settings, the World of Greyhawk, is located...
's first death knights.
Baldur's Gate
In the computer role-playing game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of AmnBaldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is a computer role-playing game developed by BioWare and released on September 26, 2000. The game is the sequel to Baldur's Gate, and, opening only a few months after the events of the earlier game, continues the story of the player character, whose unique heritage...
, it is possible to make a sacrifice to Demogorgon, thus summoning some demons with no wish to be friendly.
In the expansion pack Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal is the expansion pack for the computer role-playing game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, and is the final chapter in the Baldur's Gate series. It adds a multi-level dungeon called Watcher's Keep to the game and completes the main plot...
, an avatar
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
of Demogorgon appears imprisoned in the dungeon known as Watcher's Keep. The player's standard quest is to seal the dungeon in order to keep Demogorgon imprisoned, but the player can also destroy Demogorgon's avatar, sending him back to the Abyss.
The character has very little dialogue compared to most other bosses; his single spoken line is performed by Jim Cummings
Jim Cummings
James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
.
NetHack
In the game NetHackNetHack
NetHack is a single-player roguelike video game originally released in 1987. It is a descendant of an earlier game called Hack , which is a descendant of Rogue...
, Demogorgon wields a combination of stunning, poisoning, disease, and damage attacks. However, he does not have a fixed place in the game, and is generally only seen when other major demons summon him (a small probability per turn).