Kurtulmak
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, Kurtulmak (meaning "to survive" in Turkish) is the chief deity worshipped by the kobold
race. He is a member of the default pantheon.
Kurtulmak is the god of War and Mining. The other main god worshipped by the kobold
s is Gaknulak
the god of Protection, Stealth, Trickery, and Traps. A lesser-known kobold demigod is Dakarnok.
Kurtulmak lives in the underground realm of "Draukari" on Avernus, the first layer of the plane
of Baator
.
Kurtulmak was detailed in the book Monster Mythology
(1992), including details about his priesthood. His role in the cosmology of the Planescape
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground
(1996).
Kurtulmak was described briefly in Defenders of the Faith
(2000). Kurtulmak is detailed in Deities and Demigods (2002). His priesthood is detailed for 3rd edition in Complete Divine
(2004).
with steel scales. His tail has a poisoned stinger on its tip, and he also wields a spear. He exudes an aura of fear, causing foes to flee in panic.
s to make war upon gnomes
, in retaliation for a prank the gnomish deity Garl Glittergold
pulled on him. Kurtulmak is known to have neither compassion nor a sense of humour.
.
s are sacrificed to Kurtulmak monthly (under the crescent moon) in a gory ceremony.
Prayers to Kutulmak have a rhythmic quality to them that can easily be recited while swinging a pickaxe. Prayers can also take the form of battle cries and promises of revenge. "By the point of Kurtulmak's spear and the tip of his poisonous tail, I will see every member of your family perish."
by an army of thieves shortly after she had laid a clutch of eggs. Badly injured and with her lair heavily damaged, she caused one of her eggs to hatch, thus creating Kurtulmak. The newly-hatched godling quickly began creating a defensive perimeter of traps and restoring the caverns. During the process, Kurtulmak found an egg of Tiamat's that had fallen away from the nest and, deeming it had been away for too long to ever hatch naturally, used his magic to cause it to hatch, thus producing miniature versions of himself - the first Kobolds.
deity was hosting Asmodeus
.
In a second version of the myth, featured in Dragon magazine's "Ecology of the Kobold", Kurtulmak decided to carve out a great cavern and rig it to collapse, whereupon he would then play a great jest; he would invite all of the other racial deities to the cavern for a feast, whereupon he would tell them the tale of "The Violation of Tiamat's Lair." At the tale's end, he would pull out an ornate stone trigger and bury the assembled deities alive. The subsequent turn of events differs on whether the myth's teller is a kobold or a gnome, but either way Garl Glittergold stumbled across Kurtulmak's cavern and pulled the trigger, burying the God of the Kobolds in his own trap. The kobold version insists that Garl Glittergold did so because he was jealous of Kurtulmak's creation, whilst the gnomish version claims that Garl admired Kurtulmak's work and pulled the keystone out simply to see if it worked, soon forgetting all about the event.
A third version of this story is found in the book Races of the Dragon
. When Io
gave the secret of creation to the first true dragons, the first dragon to use that secret was Caesinsjach, a green dragon. The first kobold was Kurtulmak. Because he was the first, he was much larger than any of his kin. Because of this Caesinsjach commanded her kobolds though Kurtulmak. Naturally he ascended to a position of leadership.
When Caesinsjach told the kobolds to mine for precious metal, Kurtulmak invented the pickaxe. When she ordered them to tile her lair with gold, Kurtulmak minted the first draconic coin. And when she told them to mine precious stones, Kurtulmak taught himself sorcery to divine where minerals were located.
When Caesinsjach's lair was finished and she had become the wealthiest dragon in creation she let the kobolds go free.
In emulation of his former mistress. Kurtulmak immediately began mining a lair for himself. Although he never asked for help he nonetheless received it. Every kobold he ever worked with came to his aid.
Kurtulmak found a spot with a near limitless supply of metal ore and precious stones. With Kurtulmak commanding the operation, it quickly became the most structurally sound and resourcefully designed mine the world had ever seen. Kurtulmak called it Darastrixhurthi, a fortress fit for dragons. Nothing rivaled it.
Garl Glittergold was not pleased. While his gnomes
were playing useless games, the kobolds were busy working and were ready to emerge as a dominant race. And so with a wave of his hand, Garl collapsed Kurtulmak's mine, crushing all the kobolds inside. The other gods demanded an explanation but no deity came forward to reverse the damage done. Io, realising that no god would help, searched the souls of those who died to find Kurtulmak still clinging to life. Even buried under the mountain he would not give up on his people. Io gave Kurtulmak a choice. He would empower Kurtulmak with the strength to rebuild the mine, or he would make the mighty kobold a champion of his people for all eternity. In this latter case, the loss of Darastrixhurthi would remain, but the memory of what happened would never be forgotten.
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, Kurtulmak (meaning "to survive" in Turkish) is the chief deity worshipped by the kobold
Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...
race. He is a member of the default pantheon.
Kurtulmak is the god of War and Mining. The other main god worshipped by the kobold
Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...
s is Gaknulak
Gaknulak
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Gaknulak is the kobold deity of Protection, Stealth, Trickery, and Traps...
the god of Protection, Stealth, Trickery, and Traps. A lesser-known kobold demigod is Dakarnok.
Kurtulmak lives in the underground realm of "Draukari" on Avernus, the first layer of the plane
Outer Plane
In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, an Outer Plane is one of a number of general types of planes of existence. They can also be referred to as godly planes, spiritual planes or divine planes. The Outer Planes are home to beings such as deities and otherworldly creatures such as...
of 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...
.
Publication history
Kurtulmak was first fully detailed in Deities and Demigods (1980).Kurtulmak was detailed in the book Monster Mythology
Monster Mythology
Monster Mythology is a sourcebook for the second edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Released by TSR in 1992 and written by Carl Sargent, with interior illustrations by Terry Dykstra, John and Laura Lakey, and Keith Parkinson, Monster Mythology was released as a companion volume for...
(1992), including details about his priesthood. His role in the cosmology of the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground
On Hallowed Ground
On Hallowed Ground is an accessory book for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, for the Planescape campaign setting.-Contents:This book contains information about deities' planar domains from 20 separate pantheons...
(1996).
Kurtulmak was described briefly in Defenders of the Faith
Defenders of the Faith (Dungeons & Dragons)
Defenders of the Faith: A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins is an optional rulebook for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons, and notable for its trade paperback format.-Contents:...
(2000). Kurtulmak is detailed in Deities and Demigods (2002). His 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).
Description
Kurtulmak appears as a 5 feet (1.5 m) koboldKobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...
with steel scales. His tail has a poisoned stinger on its tip, and he also wields a spear. He exudes an aura of fear, causing foes to flee in panic.
Dogma
Kurtulmak tirelessly drives koboldKobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...
s to make war upon gnomes
Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters. Some speculate that they are closely related to dwarves; however, gnomes are more tolerant of other races and of magic, and are skilled with illusions...
, in retaliation for a prank the gnomish deity Garl Glittergold
Garl Glittergold
Garl Glittergold is the patron deity of gnomes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, and a member of the game's default pantheon of deities. His symbol is a gold nugget.-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition :...
pulled on him. Kurtulmak is known to have neither compassion nor a sense of humour.
Clergy
Kurtulmak's priests wear orange scale mail and iron helms. His sacred animal is the rookRook (bird)
The Rook is a member of the Corvidae family in the passerine order of birds. Named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the species name frugilegus is Latin for "food-gathering"....
.
Temples
Kurtulmak is worshipped at the crescent moon in cave temples. His temples are carved out of earth and used to house adepts, clerics, and the tribes's most valuable treasures. These temples are protected with small, twisting tunnels and a staggering array of deadly traps.Rituals
The enemies of koboldKobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...
s are sacrificed to Kurtulmak monthly (under the crescent moon) in a gory ceremony.
Prayers to Kutulmak have a rhythmic quality to them that can easily be recited while swinging a pickaxe. Prayers can also take the form of battle cries and promises of revenge. "By the point of Kurtulmak's spear and the tip of his poisonous tail, I will see every member of your family perish."
The Violation of Tiamat's Lair
In the kobold creation myth, Kurtulmak—and all kobolds by extension—owes his existence to an assault launched on TiamatTiamat (Dungeons & Dragons)
Tiamat is the name of a powerful draconic goddess in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The name is taken from Tiamat, a goddess in ancient Mesopotamian mythology who is substantially different ....
by an army of thieves shortly after she had laid a clutch of eggs. Badly injured and with her lair heavily damaged, she caused one of her eggs to hatch, thus creating Kurtulmak. The newly-hatched godling quickly began creating a defensive perimeter of traps and restoring the caverns. During the process, Kurtulmak found an egg of Tiamat's that had fallen away from the nest and, deeming it had been away for too long to ever hatch naturally, used his magic to cause it to hatch, thus producing miniature versions of himself - the first Kobolds.
The Collapse of Kurtulmak's Hall
Several versions of this myth exist. In the first, Garl Glittergold is said to have collapsed Kurtulmak's Hall while the koboldKobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...
deity was hosting Asmodeus
Asmodeus (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Asmodeus is an Arch-Devil: a lord of the game's version of Hell . There he is the Overlord of the Dukes of Hell...
.
In a second version of the myth, featured in Dragon magazine's "Ecology of the Kobold", Kurtulmak decided to carve out a great cavern and rig it to collapse, whereupon he would then play a great jest; he would invite all of the other racial deities to the cavern for a feast, whereupon he would tell them the tale of "The Violation of Tiamat's Lair." At the tale's end, he would pull out an ornate stone trigger and bury the assembled deities alive. The subsequent turn of events differs on whether the myth's teller is a kobold or a gnome, but either way Garl Glittergold stumbled across Kurtulmak's cavern and pulled the trigger, burying the God of the Kobolds in his own trap. The kobold version insists that Garl Glittergold did so because he was jealous of Kurtulmak's creation, whilst the gnomish version claims that Garl admired Kurtulmak's work and pulled the keystone out simply to see if it worked, soon forgetting all about the event.
A third version of this story is found in the book Races of the Dragon
Races of the Dragon
Races of the Dragon is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:This book contains info on two new races...
. When Io
Io (Dungeons & Dragons)
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Io is the chief deity worshipped by dragons, god of dragonkind, balance, and peace. He is seen by his people as the creator of all things. He is neutral in alignment, but he also contains within him all other alignments...
gave the secret of creation to the first true dragons, the first dragon to use that secret was Caesinsjach, a green dragon. The first kobold was Kurtulmak. Because he was the first, he was much larger than any of his kin. Because of this Caesinsjach commanded her kobolds though Kurtulmak. Naturally he ascended to a position of leadership.
When Caesinsjach told the kobolds to mine for precious metal, Kurtulmak invented the pickaxe. When she ordered them to tile her lair with gold, Kurtulmak minted the first draconic coin. And when she told them to mine precious stones, Kurtulmak taught himself sorcery to divine where minerals were located.
When Caesinsjach's lair was finished and she had become the wealthiest dragon in creation she let the kobolds go free.
In emulation of his former mistress. Kurtulmak immediately began mining a lair for himself. Although he never asked for help he nonetheless received it. Every kobold he ever worked with came to his aid.
Kurtulmak found a spot with a near limitless supply of metal ore and precious stones. With Kurtulmak commanding the operation, it quickly became the most structurally sound and resourcefully designed mine the world had ever seen. Kurtulmak called it Darastrixhurthi, a fortress fit for dragons. Nothing rivaled it.
Garl Glittergold was not pleased. While his gnomes
Gnome (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, gnomes are one of the core races available for play as player characters. Some speculate that they are closely related to dwarves; however, gnomes are more tolerant of other races and of magic, and are skilled with illusions...
were playing useless games, the kobolds were busy working and were ready to emerge as a dominant race. And so with a wave of his hand, Garl collapsed Kurtulmak's mine, crushing all the kobolds inside. The other gods demanded an explanation but no deity came forward to reverse the damage done. Io, realising that no god would help, searched the souls of those who died to find Kurtulmak still clinging to life. Even buried under the mountain he would not give up on his people. Io gave Kurtulmak a choice. He would empower Kurtulmak with the strength to rebuild the mine, or he would make the mighty kobold a champion of his people for all eternity. In this latter case, the loss of Darastrixhurthi would remain, but the memory of what happened would never be forgotten.
Additional reading
- Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online: http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip
- Kestrel, Gwendolyn FM, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, and Kolja Raven Liquette. Races of the DragonRaces of the DragonRaces of the Dragon is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:This book contains info on two new races...
(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...
, 2006) - Moore, Roger E. "The Humanoids." 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...
#63 (TSR, 1982).