Velsharoon
Encyclopedia
Velsharoon the Archmage of Necromancy, also known as the Vaunted, is a fictional deity of the Forgotten Realms
Dungeons & Dragons
campaign setting
. Velsharoon is the undead
demigod of necromancy
, necromancers, evil liches
, lichdom and undeath. He is seen as a successor to Myrkul
, and is worshipped by many liches and evil mages—who themselves command legions of zombies
, skeletons
and wights
—as well as members of the Cult of the Dragon
. Velsharoon teaches that nirvana is achieved through gaining the power, longevity and knowledge of the state between life
and death
.
(1990) by Ed Greenwood
, as a wizard rumored to be seeking godhood. Velsharoon is further detailed in Powers & Pantheons (1997), in which his quest for godhood was confirmed to have been successful.
(2002).
Velsharoon wields a staff known as the "Skull Staff of the Necromancer", which is an Imaskari artifact. In Faerûn
, amongst his places of worship, Velsharoon has two temples that have been built in his honour by his followers, one named the Crypt of the Arisen Army, which is ruled by Baron Vjurn Blacktower, and The Order of One Thousand Nightmares, which is controlled by a secret cabal of necromancers devoted to him. He also has a fair number of followers in Halruaa to the south.
The priests of the Vaunted are referred to as Necrophants.
of the Red Wizards of Thay, whose rival was Szass Tam, the heinous Zulkir of Necromancy. His many enemies, besides the ruling Red Wizards, included the archmages Halder of Delzimmer, Omm Hlandar of Halruaa, The Simbul of Aglarond, and Elminster of Shadowdale. After leaving Thay, the arch-necromancer appeared in Halruaa, where he and a Halruaan elder fought over the country turning their battlefield into a desolate ruin. Ultimately, he entered the Plains of Purple Dust, north of Raurin, where he set up a tower and began exploring ruins of ancient Imaskar. He discovered in a very old ruin a set of texts penned by the Storm Lord Talos, requiring the blood of adventurers, which would allow him to achieve immortality and divinity; however, after achieving godhood the astute Velsharoon was swift to realize that the Storm Lord would exploit his newfound divinity for his own purposes, ultimately destroying Velsharoon.
Velsharoon was one of the most powerful archmages in Faerun, having developed many powerful magics which allowed him to replicate the abilities of other undead, and allowed him to command greater undead; such as liches and vampires.
. Talos was furious at this betrayal, and attempted to act in vengeance. However, he was stopped by Mystra
.
. He despises the new god Cyric
and all his followers, loathes Kelemvor and Jergal for their opposition of undeath, and is in constant feuds with other demigods.
Velsharoon has currently struck alliances with other deities of undeath, and it is rumored that he is currently seeking the Crown of Horns
.
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
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...
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...
. Velsharoon is the undead
Undead (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, undead is a classification of monsters that can be encountered by player characters. Undead creatures are most often once-living creatures, which have been animated by spiritual or supernatural forces....
demigod of necromancy
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
, necromancers, evil liches
Lich (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lich is an undead creature; a spellcaster who seeks to defy death by magical means.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, lichdom and undeath. He is seen as a successor to Myrkul
Myrkul
Myrkul was the fictional Lord of the Dead in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting based upon the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Further aliases of Myrkul include the Reaper and Old Lord Skull. His symbol is a skull against a black field, known to occur in nightmares of many of the...
, and is worshipped by many liches and evil mages—who themselves command legions of zombies
Zombie (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the zombie is an undead creature, usually created by applying a template to another creature.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, skeletons
Skeleton (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the skeleton is an undead creature, usually created by applying a template to another creature.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
and wights
Wight (Dungeons & Dragons)
A wight is an undead creature in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Publication history:The wight takes its inspiration from the barrow-wights in the world of Middle-earth created by J. R. R...
—as well as members of the Cult of the Dragon
Cult of the Dragon
The Cult of the Dragon is a fictional, semi-religious, evil organization in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The cult worships dragons, believing they will rule the world in the future and will keep them as monarchs next in line. Sammaster, a mage...
. Velsharoon teaches that nirvana is achieved through gaining the power, longevity and knowledge of the state between life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Velsharoon was first mentioned in the adventure module Halls of the High KingHalls of the High King
Halls of the High King is an adventure module for the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1990) by Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
, as a wizard rumored to be seeking godhood. Velsharoon is further detailed in Powers & Pantheons (1997), in which his quest for godhood was confirmed to have been successful.
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
Velsharoon appears in 3rd edition in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book (2001), and was further described in Faiths and PantheonsFaiths and Pantheons
Faiths and Pantheons is a campaign accessory for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons, for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.-Contents:...
(2002).
Overview
Velsharoon is a Neutral Evil Demipower. His symbol is a crowned laughing lich skull on a solid black hexagon, his divine realm is Death's Embrace in the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, on the layer of Mungoth, and his Third Edition D&D domains are Death, Evil, Magic, and Undeath.Velsharoon wields a staff known as the "Skull Staff of the Necromancer", which is an Imaskari artifact. In Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
, amongst his places of worship, Velsharoon has two temples that have been built in his honour by his followers, one named the Crypt of the Arisen Army, which is ruled by Baron Vjurn Blacktower, and The Order of One Thousand Nightmares, which is controlled by a secret cabal of necromancers devoted to him. He also has a fair number of followers in Halruaa to the south.
The priests of the Vaunted are referred to as Necrophants.
Mortal life
Before his lichdom, Velsharoon (sometimes called "the Vaunted", though not to his face) was a renegade wizardWizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
of the Red Wizards of Thay, whose rival was Szass Tam, the heinous Zulkir of Necromancy. His many enemies, besides the ruling Red Wizards, included the archmages Halder of Delzimmer, Omm Hlandar of Halruaa, The Simbul of Aglarond, and Elminster of Shadowdale. After leaving Thay, the arch-necromancer appeared in Halruaa, where he and a Halruaan elder fought over the country turning their battlefield into a desolate ruin. Ultimately, he entered the Plains of Purple Dust, north of Raurin, where he set up a tower and began exploring ruins of ancient Imaskar. He discovered in a very old ruin a set of texts penned by the Storm Lord Talos, requiring the blood of adventurers, which would allow him to achieve immortality and divinity; however, after achieving godhood the astute Velsharoon was swift to realize that the Storm Lord would exploit his newfound divinity for his own purposes, ultimately destroying Velsharoon.
Velsharoon was one of the most powerful archmages in Faerun, having developed many powerful magics which allowed him to replicate the abilities of other undead, and allowed him to command greater undead; such as liches and vampires.
Lichdom and a change of alliance
After discovering that Talos intended to use him, Velsharoon pledged his allegiance instead to AzuthAzuth
Azuth is a fictional deity in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of D&D. He is the god of mages. His alignment is lawful neutral. The appearance of Azuth seems to be somewhat indistinct, he often manifests simply as an elderly voice or shimmering blue luminescence.Azuth is known as the god of...
. Talos was furious at this betrayal, and attempted to act in vengeance. However, he was stopped by Mystra
Mystra (goddess)
Mystra is a fictional goddess in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.She is the Mistress of Magic and Mother of Mysteries who guides the Weave of magic that envelops the world. She tends to the weave constantly, making possible all the...
.
Relationships
Despite nominally serving Azuth, and, indirectly, Mystra, along with Savras, scheming Velsharoon has renewed his old alliance with Talos, and has also started flirting with Shar and her Shadow WeaveShadow Weave
In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Shadow Weave is a force of magic that is the inverse and opposite of the Weave. The Shadow Weave does not originate from Mystra, but from the dark goddess Shar. A spellcaster who wants to manipulate the...
. He despises the new god Cyric
Cyric
Cyric is a deity in the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting, a branch of Dungeons & Dragons. Cyric has many titles, including the Prince of Lies, the Dark Sun, the Black Sun, the Mad God, and the Lord of Three Crowns...
and all his followers, loathes Kelemvor and Jergal for their opposition of undeath, and is in constant feuds with other demigods.
Velsharoon has currently struck alliances with other deities of undeath, and it is rumored that he is currently seeking the Crown of Horns
Crown of Horns
The Crown of Horns is a fictional evil, intelligent artifact of great power from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
.
Additional reading
- Reynolds, Sean K.Sean K. ReynoldsSean K Reynolds is a professional game designer who has worked on and co-written a number of D&D supplements for Wizards of the Coast, as well as material for other companies. He does not put a period after his middle initial.-Background:...
, Duane Maxwell, and Angel Leigh McCoyAngel Leigh McCoyAngel Leigh McCoy is a game designer and fiction writer based in Seattle, Washington.-Early life and education:Originally from the Midwest, Angel Leigh McCoy grew up delving into fantasy and horror novels and won her first essay contest in 6th grade...
. Magic of FaerûnMagic of FaerûnMagic of Faerûn is an accessory for the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
(TSRTSR, Inc.Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, 2001).