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, Scahrossar is the goddess of Pain, Torture, Sadism, and Cruelty. Her favored weapon is the whip.

Publication history

Scahrossar was mentioned in third edition in 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 &...

(2002).

Description

Scahrossar is depicted as a woman wearing tight black studded leather that conceals even her face. She holds a whip and a hook. She is selfish, domineering, and cruel.

The Book of Vile Darkness says the deities described in that book are "fairly minor," in comparison to Erythnul

Erythnul

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Erythnul is the Oeridian god of hate, envy, malice, panic, ugliness, and slaughter. He is known as the Many, and is worshipped by many gnoll,...

 (an intermediate god) and Vecna

Vecna

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Vecna was a powerful wizard who became a lich. He was eventually destroyed, and his left hand and left eye were the only parts of his body to survive...

 (a very recently ascended lesser god). Because their counterparts in the Book of Exalted Deeds are explicitly of demigod level, it seems likely that Scahrossar is as well.

Relationships

Scahrossar is the sister of Olidammara

Olidammara

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Olidammara is the god of Music, Revels, Wine, Rogues, Humor, and Tricks. He is often called the Laughing Rogue.Olidammara is one of the more...

, but the two deities have nothing to do with each other. Their relationship is only noted in the most obscure of religious texts.

Clergy

Scahrossar's clerics dress as their mistress does, preferring to hide their identities with leather or iron masks. They are all sadists who prefer to cause pain rather than actually kill, and most are masochists as well. They devise new torments and devices in their spare time.

Temples

Temples to Scahrossar are hidden behind false facades, often businesses such as bakeries, dairies, or curiosity shops used as fronts, with the inner sanctums accessible through secret doors, soundproofed so that the screams of agony are not heard by the uninitiated. Though the priests tend to be scrupulous about cleanliness, their duties are so messy that it is almost impossible for spots of blood, stray teeth, and the like not to be missed in their daily housekeeping.

Altars to the Mistress of Exquisite Pain are baroque affairs made of spikes, spines, clamps, and chains.

Rituals

Scahrossar's sacrificial victims often take days to die as they're slowly tortured to death. Scarhossar's priests often use healer's arts to prolong their suffering.

Creative origins

Scahrossar was created by Monte Cook

Monte Cook

Monte Cook is a professional table-top role-playing game designer and writer. He is married to Sue Weinlein Cook.-Roleplaying:Cook has been a professional game designer since 1988, working primarily on role-playing games. Much of his early work was for Iron Crown Enterprises as an editor and writer...

in his 2002 book, Book of Vile Darkness. She is very similar to the Finnish/Forgotten Realms goddess Loviatar.