King of Ghouls
Encyclopedia
The King of Ghouls is a malevolent undead creature turned demigod (as of version 3.5) created for the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He is sometimes known as "Doresain."
magazine adventure "Kingdom of the Ghouls" by Wolfgang Baur, where he was the major villain and was named Doresain, Master of the White Kingdom. This "Doresain" wasn't explicitly connected to the earlier King of Ghouls, however, and was said to have been summoned to the Prime Material Plane from either the Negative Energy Plane or the Plane of Shadow.
In 3rd edition's Book of Vile Darkness
, the King of Ghouls was little more than an advanced fiendish
ghoul.
While other unofficial d20 supplements provided alternative statistics for the King, he was promoted to a demigod in Libris Mortis
.
Doresain was given full game statistics as a powerful servant of Orcus in the 4th edition Monster Manual, and a temple of Doresain is described in the 4th edition book Open Grave. Doresain is the primary antagonist of the adventure E2 Kingdom of the Ghouls, who marshals his allies and servitors as he "labors towards the culimatination of a secret project, an undertaking designed to catapult his lord and master [...] into a position of unfettered power over the souls of every creature in existence". He sought to discomfit the Raven Queen and put her divine office of Death in peril, sending his servant Elder Arantham to steal souls from her at Death's Reach in the Shadowfell. Elder Arantham acquired the extremely powerful primordial Timesus, and Doresain oversees the preparations for sending Timesus to Orcus. The player characters must confront Doresain in his palace, although he has already sent the primordial to Orcus using a chaos ship by the time the characters arrive.
, eyes ablaze with a sickly green ghoul light, with hoof-like feet. He wears an elegant coat of supple human flesh and a suit of pale leather armor studded with tiny skulls.
who ruled his own layer of the Abyss until Yeenoghu
invaded. Doresain was forced to swear fealty to the Gnoll
Lord, who apparently still holds sway over the White Kingdom.
that the King of Ghouls sometimes appears to incautious necromancers meddling with the Negative Energy Plane, forcibly converting them into ghouls to create worshippers for himself. Ghouls created directly by Doresain are known as gravetouched ghouls, which differ from standard ghouls in that they retain most of their original abilities. The gravetouched ghoul is, in fact, a templated creature based on the standard ghoul.
As a demigod, the King possesses the unique ability to add the gravetouched ghoul template to creatures to which it is not normally applicable.
. This place is sacred to ghouls, who sometimes try to recreate it on the Prime Material Plane
.
In the 4th Edition D&D statistics provided, he is listed as a Level 24 Soldier (Leader) and is specifically granted the ability Glory of Orcus, indicating he is no longer a servant of Yeenoghu.
Publication history
The King of Ghouls was first mentioned in the first edition Monster Manual under the demon lord Yeenoghu's entry, where the King supposedly paid homage to the gnoll lord. Practically nothing was mentioned about the King of Ghouls until years later in the DungeonDungeon (magazine)
Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...
magazine adventure "Kingdom of the Ghouls" by Wolfgang Baur, where he was the major villain and was named Doresain, Master of the White Kingdom. This "Doresain" wasn't explicitly connected to the earlier King of Ghouls, however, and was said to have been summoned to the Prime Material Plane from either the Negative Energy Plane or the Plane of Shadow.
In 3rd edition's 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 &...
, the King of Ghouls was little more than an advanced fiendish
Fiendish creature
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, fiendish creatures are magical versions of regular creatures which live in the Lower planes.-Publication history:...
ghoul.
While other unofficial d20 supplements provided alternative statistics for the King, he was promoted to a demigod in Libris Mortis
Libris Mortis
Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead is a book which is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game...
.
Doresain was given full game statistics as a powerful servant of Orcus in the 4th edition Monster Manual, and a temple of Doresain is described in the 4th edition book Open Grave. Doresain is the primary antagonist of the adventure E2 Kingdom of the Ghouls, who marshals his allies and servitors as he "labors towards the culimatination of a secret project, an undertaking designed to catapult his lord and master [...] into a position of unfettered power over the souls of every creature in existence". He sought to discomfit the Raven Queen and put her divine office of Death in peril, sending his servant Elder Arantham to steal souls from her at Death's Reach in the Shadowfell. Elder Arantham acquired the extremely powerful primordial Timesus, and Doresain oversees the preparations for sending Timesus to Orcus. The player characters must confront Doresain in his palace, although he has already sent the primordial to Orcus using a chaos ship by the time the characters arrive.
3rd edition
The King of Ghouls is said to appear as an especially thin and wasted ghoulGhoul (Dungeons & Dragons)
For the generic mythological creature, see Ghoul.In the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game, ghouls are monstrous, undead humans who reek of carrion.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, eyes ablaze with a sickly green ghoul light, with hoof-like feet. He wears an elegant coat of supple human flesh and a suit of pale leather armor studded with tiny skulls.
4th edition
Doresain appears as a ghoul, though he stands upright rather than adopting the hunched posture of his subjects. His eyes blaze with a sickly green light. He wears an elegant coat of supple human flesh and a suit of pale leather armor studded with skulls. A crown of bones rests on his bald head, and he wields a staff called Toothlust, formed of the rigid spinal column of some past victim. The staff is topped by a skull, in homage to his lord, Orcus.History
The King of Ghouls was once a vassal of OrcusOrcus (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...
who ruled his own layer of the Abyss until Yeenoghu
Yeenoghu
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Yeenoghu is a Demon Prince, the Demon Lord of Gnolls, and the bestial embodiment of savage butchery. His personal weapon is his dreaded triple flail, created from the bones and skin of a slain god. Yeenoghu commands the obedience of ghouls and ghasts...
invaded. Doresain was forced to swear fealty to the Gnoll
Gnoll
A gnoll or gnole is a fictional humanoid creature - a cross between a gnome and a troll. They first appeared in Lord Dunsany's story in The Book of Wonder: How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art upon the Gnoles and subsequently reappeared in Margaret St. Clair's, The Man Who Sold Rope to the Gnoles...
Lord, who apparently still holds sway over the White Kingdom.
Gravetouched ghouls
It is noted in Libris MortisLibris Mortis
Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead is a book which is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game...
that the King of Ghouls sometimes appears to incautious necromancers meddling with the Negative Energy Plane, forcibly converting them into ghouls to create worshippers for himself. Ghouls created directly by Doresain are known as gravetouched ghouls, which differ from standard ghouls in that they retain most of their original abilities. The gravetouched ghoul is, in fact, a templated creature based on the standard ghoul.
As a demigod, the King possesses the unique ability to add the gravetouched ghoul template to creatures to which it is not normally applicable.
The White Kingdom
The layer of the Abyss where the King of Ghouls resides is known as the White KingdomWhite Kingdom
The White Kingdom is a layer of the Abyss in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game ruled by Doresain, also known as the King of Ghouls...
. This place is sacred to ghouls, who sometimes try to recreate it on the Prime Material Plane
Prime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
.
4th Edition
In 4th Edition, Doresain serves Orcus once again, as an exarch of Orcus. He rules the White Kingdom, which has been apparently relocated to somewhere within Thanatos. He also has a staff of bones called Toothlust, which is topped with a skull. Stats can be found for him in the Monster Manual.In the 4th Edition D&D statistics provided, he is listed as a Level 24 Soldier (Leader) and is specifically granted the ability Glory of Orcus, indicating he is no longer a servant of Yeenoghu.