General of Gehenna
Encyclopedia
The General of Gehenna is a powerful yugoloth
, in the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game.
race. From the Crawling City, the General manipulates the warring sides of the Blood War
against one another.
It is unknown whether or not the General of Gehenna qualifies as an altraloth.
. The General spoke with the larvae, imprinting dark magic into their minds before having his minions herd them into the Abyss
and Baator
, where they evolved into the respective races of those planes.
Other sources imply that it wasn't the tanar'ri and baatezu that are created in this way, but their predecessors, the ancient baatorian
s and the obyrith
s. For it is the baatorians, not the later-born baatezu, who form from larvae. Fiendish Codex I recounts (page 147) that the obyrith lord Bechard
claims his people did not originate in the Abyss
, but originated elsewhere after abandoning a race of fiendish creators.
Before leaving their children to their fates, the yugoloths whispered the names of each newborn fiend into the ear of a twisted, warped fallen celestial
known as the Maeldur Et Kavurik. This hideous behemoth has the unique ability to open pathways between the planes for those whose name it knows. Unknown to the fiends, the Maeldur is the source of their power to teleport between planes of existence. That power is hostage to the yugoloths for as long as the Maeldur remains in their hands.
Yugoloth
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, yugoloths are neutral evil natives of the lower planes of the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna and the Gray Waste of Hades...
, in the Dungeons & Dragons
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...
roleplaying game.
Publication history
The General of Gehenna was first mentioned in Hellbound: The Blood War (1996).Description
Said to be the very first ultroloth, the General of Gehenna is the mysterious master of the yugolothYugoloth
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, yugoloths are neutral evil natives of the lower planes of the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna and the Gray Waste of Hades...
race. From the Crawling City, the General manipulates the warring sides of the Blood War
Blood War
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the Blood War is an eternal conflict between the fiends of the Lower planes. The Tanar'ri are the demonic forces of the Abyss, an evil plane of chaos. Representing the equally evil but lawful realm of Baator are the Baatezu, the dominant caste of...
against one another.
It is unknown whether or not the General of Gehenna qualifies as an altraloth.
Myths and legends
According to one legend, it was the General of Gehenna who created the tanar'ri and baatezu from the "impurities" within the yugoloth race using an gem-artifact known as the Heart of Darkness. According to the story, the law and chaos inherent within the yugoloths was projected into squirming larvae of the Gray WasteGray Waste
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Gray Waste is a strongly evil aligned plane of existence...
. The General spoke with the larvae, imprinting dark magic into their minds before having his minions herd them into the Abyss
Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Abyss or more fully, the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, is a chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons cosmology, used in the Planescape...
and Baator
Baator
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
, where they evolved into the respective races of those planes.
Other sources imply that it wasn't the tanar'ri and baatezu that are created in this way, but their predecessors, the ancient baatorian
Baator
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
s and the obyrith
Obyrith
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, an obyrith is a member of an ancient race of demons that predate the tanar'ri. All obyriths have monstrous forms which can drive mad anyone who dares look at them.-Publication history:...
s. For it is the baatorians, not the later-born baatezu, who form from larvae. Fiendish Codex I recounts (page 147) that the obyrith lord Bechard
Bechard (Dungeons & Dragons)
Bechard the Rotting Husk is a demon lord, in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Publication history:Bechard was one of many demon lords that was mentioned only by name in a list in the original Monster Manual II ....
claims his people did not originate in the Abyss
Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Abyss or more fully, the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, is a chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons cosmology, used in the Planescape...
, but originated elsewhere after abandoning a race of fiendish creators.
Before leaving their children to their fates, the yugoloths whispered the names of each newborn fiend into the ear of a twisted, warped fallen celestial
Celestial (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, celestials are a class of creatures and monsters known as outsiders who are of wholly good alignment....
known as the Maeldur Et Kavurik. This hideous behemoth has the unique ability to open pathways between the planes for those whose name it knows. Unknown to the fiends, the Maeldur is the source of their power to teleport between planes of existence. That power is hostage to the yugoloths for as long as the Maeldur remains in their hands.
Additional reading
- Bonny, Ed. "Pox of the Planes." DragonDragon (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...
Annual #2. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1997.
- Grubb, JeffJeff GrubbJeff Grubb is an author and game designer. He has worked on a number of computer and role-playing games and has written a number of successful novels, short stories and comics...
, Bruce R. Cordell, and David NoonanDavid NoonanDavid Noonan may refer to:* A former candidate for the 2003 Ontario provincial election* David Noonan , London artist* David Noonan , designer for the Dungeons & Dragons game...
. Manual of the PlanesManual of the PlanesThe Manual of the Planes is a manual for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. This text addresses the planar cosmology of the game universe....
. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
- Jacobs, James, Erik MonaErik Mona-Career:Erik Mona served as the editor-in-chief of Dragon magazine since 2004 and Dungeon magazine from 2004 to 2006; at the time, both magazines were published by Paizo Publishing, until the license through Wizards of the Coast expired in September 2007...
, and Ed Stark. Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the AbyssFiendish Codex I: Hordes of the AbyssFiendish 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:...
. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.
- McComb, ColinColin McCombColin McComb is an American writer and game designer born in Evanston, Illinois. He is married to musician Robin Moulder. They currently live in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, with their two children...
. Faces of Evil: The Fiends. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1997.