Zuoken
Encyclopedia
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, Zuoken is the Baklunish
god of Physical and Mental Mastery. His symbol is a striking fist.
(1983), by Gary Gygax
.
Zuoken was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes
set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign.
Zuoken's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
(2000). Zuoken is further detailed in the Expanded Psionics Handbook (2004). Zuoken's priesthood is detailed for 3rd edition in Complete Divine
(2004).
. He is allied with Delleb
.
, though he was released by adventurers in 597 CY.
s, or search for psionic artifacts such as the Orb of Gerendelik. They attack the monks of the Scarlet Brotherhood whenever possible. Until 597 CY, their consuming quest was to locate and rescue their deity from his prison.
Zuoken sends a thought slayer as his herald. His planar allies are rasts, couatls, and huge elementals of any type.
A typical cleric of Zuoken wears light, plain-colored clothing decorated only with a simple sash bearing Zuoken's striking fist symbol. They spend their days practicing their arts, meditating, and spreading the word about the value of perfection, although they may do this while completing quests for their deity.
invaders. Though he was the lone survivor, they were successful. After inspiring an entire generation of new monks, Zuoken traveled to the Pinnacles of Azor'alq where he passed the tests needed to become a demigod. It is said that Zuoken ascended to the heavens on the moon's silvery staircase.
Many centuries later, Zuoken met Zagig Yragerne and Kelanen
in the Outer Planes. They parted as friends.
. His followers discovered that his essence was being held somewhere in the central Flanaess
. Though the exact location is uncertain, Zuoken's faithful continued to seek their master.
The truth of the matter is that Zuoken was one of the nine demigods that the mad archmage Zagig Yragerne captured and imprisoned beneath Castle Greyhawk
as part of Zagig's plot to achieve godhood. While the other eight prisoners were released around 570 after the release of Iuz
, Zuoken would remain imprisoned until 597, when he was finally released after an attempt by a similacrum of the witch-queen Iggwilv
to attain full sentience in a scheme centering around Zagig's Godtrap.
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...
for 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, Zuoken is the Baklunish
Baklunish
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the Baklunish are a race of humans inhabiting the Flanaess, as well as regions of Oerik further west....
god of Physical and Mental Mastery. His symbol is a striking fist.
Publication history
Zuoken was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game SettingWorld of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
The World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting and the World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting are two closely related publications from TSR, Inc. that detail the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
(1983), by 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....
.
Zuoken was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes
From the Ashes (Dungeons & Dragons)
From the Ashes is a supplement for Dungeons & Dragonss World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It was published in 1992 by TSR as a boxed set of materials...
set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign.
Zuoken's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is a sourcebook for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Despite the title, the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is not exclusive to the Living Greyhawk Campaign...
(2000). Zuoken is further detailed in the Expanded Psionics Handbook (2004). Zuoken's priesthood is detailed for 3rd edition in Complete Divine
Complete Divine
Complete Divine is a supplemental rulebook for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast...
(2004).
Relationships
Zuoken is a servant power of the goddess Xan YaeXan Yae
Xan Yae is a fictional goddess from the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting, Xan Yae is the goddess of Twilight, Shadows, Stealth, and Mental Power worshiped by some of the Baklunish people who inhabit the fictional lands of Flanaess and Oerik....
. He is allied with Delleb
Delleb
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Delleb is the Oeridian god of Reason, Intellect, and Study. His symbol is a phoenix-feather quill, or an open book.-Creative Origins:...
.
Realm
Until 505 CY, Zuoken dwelled in an isolated realm in the Outer Planes. Since then he has been imprisoned in the central FlanaessFlanaess
The Flanaess is the eastern part of the continent of Oerik, one of the four continents of the fictional world of Oerth in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. The Flanaess has been the setting of dozens of adventures published between the 1970s...
, though he was released by adventurers in 597 CY.
Dogma
Zuoken encourages his followers to be disciplined and serene masters of both their bodies and minds. Zuoken's faithful are instructed to become adept in unarmed martial arts before graduating to weapons, as weapons are seen as an unwelcome distraction for beginning students. Zuoken's followers contemplate both sides of an issue before coming to a harmonious conclusion, for harmony is a prerequisite to perfection.Worshipers
Zuoken's followers are almost always monks or psionicists, and the most powerful are both. The god sends his followers into the world to improve themselves and advance the cause of psionics (known as Edel, the Gift of Fate, in the Baklunish tongue). They may rescue psionic families from their superstitious neighbors, hunt down illithidIllithid
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, illithids are monstrous humanoid aberrations with psionic powers. In a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, they live in the moist caverns and cities of the enormous Underdark...
s, or search for psionic artifacts such as the Orb of Gerendelik. They attack the monks of the Scarlet Brotherhood whenever possible. Until 597 CY, their consuming quest was to locate and rescue their deity from his prison.
Zuoken sends a thought slayer as his herald. His planar allies are rasts, couatls, and huge elementals of any type.
Clergy
Zuoken's clerics watch over psionic creatures, keeping them safe and offering mental training to those who show aptitude. Their favored weapon is the nunchaku. They study at the feet of a master, with their training consisting of long dialogues between the master and students punctuated by intense physical training and martial arts practice.A typical cleric of Zuoken wears light, plain-colored clothing decorated only with a simple sash bearing Zuoken's striking fist symbol. They spend their days practicing their arts, meditating, and spreading the word about the value of perfection, although they may do this while completing quests for their deity.
Temples
Zuoken's temples are typically far from civilization, but are commonly known of by those who seek training in psionics. They are often guarded by an order of monks known as the Fists of Zuoken.Rituals
Prayers to Zuoken are short and poetic, often using a strange sentence structure that tends to confuse noninitiates. A common beginning to a prayer is "Zuoken, me to the pinnacle take..."History
In the early decades of the Baklunish-Suloise Wars, Zuoken was a mortal servant of Xan Yae who had mastered both martial arts (his unarmed style was called da'shon, or "falling hail") and psionics. With 38 other monks, all unarmed, he held off a crucial mountain pass for three days and nights against a vastly numerically superior army of SuloiseSuloise
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Suloise, also known as the "Suel," are one of the major races of humans inhabiting the Flanaess....
invaders. Though he was the lone survivor, they were successful. After inspiring an entire generation of new monks, Zuoken traveled to the Pinnacles of Azor'alq where he passed the tests needed to become a demigod. It is said that Zuoken ascended to the heavens on the moon's silvery staircase.
Many centuries later, Zuoken met Zagig Yragerne and Kelanen
Kelanen
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Kelanen is the hero-deity of Swords, Sword Skills, and Balance...
in the Outer Planes. They parted as friends.
Zuoken's imprisonment
In 505 CY, Zuoken stopped manifesting to his followers on OerthOerth
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...
. His followers discovered that his essence was being held somewhere in the central Flanaess
Flanaess
The Flanaess is the eastern part of the continent of Oerik, one of the four continents of the fictional world of Oerth in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. The Flanaess has been the setting of dozens of adventures published between the 1970s...
. Though the exact location is uncertain, Zuoken's faithful continued to seek their master.
The truth of the matter is that Zuoken was one of the nine demigods that the mad archmage Zagig Yragerne captured and imprisoned beneath Castle Greyhawk
Castle Greyhawk
Castle Greyhawk is one of the central dungeon settings in the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Castle was originally developed by Gary Gygax for his own campaign and later detailed for publication...
as part of Zagig's plot to achieve godhood. While the other eight prisoners were released around 570 after the release of Iuz
Iuz
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Iuz is the chaotic evil demigod of Deceit, Evil, Oppression, Pain, and Wickedness. Iuz is variously called "The Old One" and "Old Wicked," among other titles. Unlike most Greyhawk deities, Iuz makes his home on...
, Zuoken would remain imprisoned until 597, when he was finally released after an attempt by a similacrum of the witch-queen Iggwilv
Iggwilv
Iggwilv is a fictional wizard from the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. She was created by Gary Gygax and was named one of the greatest villains in D&D history in the final issue of Dragon....
to attain full sentience in a scheme centering around Zagig's Godtrap.
Additional reading
- Bulmahn, JasonJason Bulmahn-Career:Jason Bulmahn became the managing editor of Dragon in 2004 and is now the lead designer of Paizo Publishing and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The Beta version of the Pathfinder RPG received the gold ENnie award for "best free product or web enhancement" in 2008...
, James Jacobs, and 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...
. Expedition to the Ruins of GreyhawkExpedition to the Ruins of GreyhawkExpedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk is an adventure book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The adventure is set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting, specifically in and around Castle Greyhawk and its dungeons. As such, it is an update to the...
(Wizards of the CoastWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, 2007).