Nerull
Encyclopedia
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, as well as in the game's default pantheon of deities, Nerull is the Flan
god of death
, darkness, murder
, and the underworld
. He is known as the Reaper, the Foe of All Good, the Hater of Life, and the Bringer of Darkness. His symbol is a skull and scythe.
in Dragon
#71 (1983). Nerull was subsequently detailed in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
(1983), and in Greyhawk Adventures (1988).
His role in the cosmology of the Planescape
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).
(2000).
Nerull is also detailed in the Manual of the Planes
(2001), and Deities and Demigods (2002).
(2004).
Nerull was one of the deities featured in Libris Mortis
(2004).
(2008) for this edition, Nerull has been slain and replaced by the Raven Queen
.
blade made of scarlet energy. His alignment
is Neutral Evil. Nerull is the patron deity of those who seek the greatest evil for their own enjoyment or gain.
Among the Bakluni, Nerull is known as Tharoth the Reaper (This is unofficial Oerth Journal material). He is viewed in this context as a servant of Istus
, in charge of ending mortal lives upon her command.
and Hextor
. He respects Incabulos
, who starts the work that Nerull completes, but has nothing to do with him; their priests do not cooperate unless faced with a common enemy. The Foe of All Good sponsored the ascension of his mortal follower Kyuss
to godhood. He seeks to destroy and reabsorb the power of Mellifleur
, who stole divine energy meant for one of Nerull's own servants. Oddly, Nerull is on neither good, nor bad terms with one of his few competitors: Wee Jas
.
Nerull is said to slay Obad-Hai
every winter.
, either in its outermost layer or its innermost. According to On Hallowed Ground, his realm is called the Crypt and is a city inhabited by the dead and undead. There, Nerull consorts with fiends of all kinds, who wander the realm devouring the shrieking souls trapped under Nerull's power. According to the 3rd edition Manual of the Planes, his realm is Necromanteion, described as a citadel carved from black ice, where the souls of the dead are trapped within the walls, ceilings, and floors. Demonic clerics perform twisted experiments and recite ghastly litanies. Nerull's throne is within a wide hall called the Hidden Temple, and even more unspeakable horrors are said to be buried in tunnels beneath.
Unlike most inhabitants of the Red Prison, Nerull wasn't banished to Carceri; he lives there because he likes it.
do propitiate Nerull with minor rites, begging safe passage for the souls of the dead. Among the Flan and in the Old Faith, Nerull is sometimes considered to be the god of winter.
The Reaper is one of the patrons of the Horned Society
and the White Kingdom
, and thought to be the will that animates the drowned ones.
Those who would become priests of Nerull must undergo an arduous initiation that climaxes in being buried alive for a time.
there. The Midnight Darkness, active in the former Aerdy lands, is led by a mysterious figure known as the Hidden Sickle. Beneath Castle Greyhawk
, followers of Nerull fought a subterranean war with the followers of Vaprak
. In the Hold of the Sea Princes, cultists of Nerull made it their goal to frustrate and destroy Jeon II. This cult has recently been responsible for a series of extremely mysterious, grisly, and above all scary murders of various servants of good; apart from this they've kept themselves extremely secretive.
was still young, beings from the Far Realm
attempted to assert dominance over all reality. They sent minions to destroy the newly sentient, pre-human life that then lived on the surface of the world. Four gods rose to oppose this: Pelor
, Obad-Hai
, Nerull, and Kord
. Pelor and Nerull had yet to form allegiances to Good or Evil in those days; they were most interested in maintaining the balance between Law and Chaos. Kord was just along for the sake of having something to fight. The four gods each sacrificed a part of their power to create an anchor that would sever the ties of the invaders to their unguessable masters, and so were able to defeat them.
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, as well as in the game's default pantheon of deities, Nerull is the Flan
Flan (Greyhawk)
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Flan are a race of humans living in the Flanaess. The Flan peoples were the first humans known to have settled the eastern portion of the continent of Oerik, the Flanaess, which is named for them...
god of 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....
, darkness, murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, and the underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
. He is known as the Reaper, the Foe of All Good, the Hater of Life, and the Bringer of Darkness. His symbol is a skull and scythe.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
Nerull was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in "The Deities and Demigods of the World of Greyhawk" by Gary GygaxGary 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....
in Dragon
Dragon (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...
#71 (1983). Nerull was subsequently detailed in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
World 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), and in Greyhawk Adventures (1988).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Nerull was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign, and appeared again in Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins (1998).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 (1996).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
Nerull appears as one of the deities described in the Players Handbook for this edition (2000). Nerull's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk GazetteerLiving 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).
Nerull is also detailed in the Manual of the Planes
Manual of the Planes
The Manual of the Planes is a manual for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. This text addresses the planar cosmology of the game universe....
(2001), and Deities and Demigods (2002).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
Nerull appears in the revised Players Handbook for this edition (2003). His priesthood is detailed for this edition in Complete DivineComplete 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).
Nerull was one of the deities featured 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...
(2004).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
As mentioned in the Manual of the PlanesManual of the Planes
The Manual of the Planes is a manual for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. This text addresses the planar cosmology of the game universe....
(2008) for this edition, Nerull has been slain and replaced by the Raven Queen
Raven Queen
In the 4th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Raven Queen is the Unaligned Goddess of Death, and Doom. as well as the Seasonal Goddess of Winter. Her real name was long forgotten.-Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition :...
.
Description
Nerull is usually seen as a black-robed skeleton, with a rust-red body and green, ropy hair. He carries a staff called "Lifecutter" that at his command grows a scytheScythe
A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
blade made of scarlet energy. His alignment
Alignment (role-playing games)
In some role-playing games, alignment is a categorisation of the moral and ethical perspective of the player characters, non-player characters, monsters, and societies in the game....
is Neutral Evil. Nerull is the patron deity of those who seek the greatest evil for their own enjoyment or gain.
Other aspects
Among the Bakluni, Nerull is known as Tharoth the Reaper (This is unofficial Oerth Journal material). He is viewed in this context as a servant of Istus
Istus
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Istus is the goddess of Fate, Destiny, Divination, the Future, and Honesty. She is known as the Lady of Our Fate and the Colorless and All-Colored...
, in charge of ending mortal lives upon her command.
Relationships
Nerull has tenuous alliances with FaluzureFaluzure
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Faluzure is the dragon deity of Energy Draining, Undeath, Decay, and Exhaustion. "Faluzure" is also sometimes spelled "Falazure". His symbol is a draconic skull....
and Hextor
Hextor
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, Hextor is the Oeridian god of war, discord, massacres, conflict, fitness, and tyranny....
. He respects Incabulos
Incabulos
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Incabulos is the god of Plagues, Sickness, Famine, Nightmares, Drought, and Disasters...
, who starts the work that Nerull completes, but has nothing to do with him; their priests do not cooperate unless faced with a common enemy. The Foe of All Good sponsored the ascension of his mortal follower Kyuss
Kyuss (Greyhawk)
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Kyuss is a demigod concerned with the creation and mastery of the Undead...
to godhood. He seeks to destroy and reabsorb the power of Mellifleur
Mellifleur
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Mellifleur is the god of lichdom and magic. Mellifleur is also known as the "Lichlord."His symbol is a crystal vial held in a skeletal hand, with a ring on its fourth finger.-Publication history:...
, who stole divine energy meant for one of Nerull's own servants. Oddly, Nerull is on neither good, nor bad terms with one of his few competitors: Wee Jas
Wee Jas
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Wee Jas is the Suel goddess of Magic, Death, Vanity, and Law...
.
Nerull is said to slay Obad-Hai
Obad-Hai
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Obad-Hai is the god of Nature, Woodlands, Hunting, and Beasts, one of the most ancient known. He is often called the Shalm....
every winter.
Realm
Nerull dwells in CarceriCarceri
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Carceri is a neutral evil-aligned plane of existence...
, either in its outermost layer or its innermost. According to On Hallowed Ground, his realm is called the Crypt and is a city inhabited by the dead and undead. There, Nerull consorts with fiends of all kinds, who wander the realm devouring the shrieking souls trapped under Nerull's power. According to the 3rd edition Manual of the Planes, his realm is Necromanteion, described as a citadel carved from black ice, where the souls of the dead are trapped within the walls, ceilings, and floors. Demonic clerics perform twisted experiments and recite ghastly litanies. Nerull's throne is within a wide hall called the Hidden Temple, and even more unspeakable horrors are said to be buried in tunnels beneath.
Unlike most inhabitants of the Red Prison, Nerull wasn't banished to Carceri; he lives there because he likes it.
Dogma
Nerull's faithful believe they will be rewarded for acts of murder, for every living thing is an abomination in the eyes of the Reaper.Worshippers
Nerull is the patron deity of those who seek the greatest evil for their own enjoyment or gain. Most common folk do not worship or propitiate him, although they fear him greatly. It is believed that any form of appeasement will merely draw his attention, something that is at all costs to be avoided by the sensible. Nerull seems, in fact, to draw power from the very avoidance of his name. Some of the peasants of the former Great KingdomGreat Kingdom
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Great Kingdom, or the Great Kingdom of Aerdy, refers to an empire that varied in size at various points in its history.-History:...
do propitiate Nerull with minor rites, begging safe passage for the souls of the dead. Among the Flan and in the Old Faith, Nerull is sometimes considered to be the god of winter.
The Reaper is one of the patrons of the Horned Society
Horned Society
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Horned Society is a secret society devoted to evil and Devil worship...
and the White Kingdom
White 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...
, and thought to be the will that animates the drowned ones.
Clergy
Nerull's clerics are feared throughout the lands as cold, calculating murderers. Named clerics of He Who Revels in the Slaying of the Living include Delglath, Jipzinker, Andrade Mirrius, Guiliana Mortidus, and Nezmajen. They are secretive and often solitary. When not in disguise, they dress in the same rust-red hue as the bones of their god.Those who would become priests of Nerull must undergo an arduous initiation that climaxes in being buried alive for a time.
Temples
Nerull's temples are hidden and usually subterranean except in the most evil lands, as befits the god of darkness and the underworld. One place vile enough to openly host sizable temples of the Foe of All Good is Rel Astra. Well known cults of Nerull include the Shriven Sickle in Greyhawk, which seeks, among other things, to undermine the church of Saint CuthbertSaint Cuthbert (Dungeons & Dragons)
In some versions of the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game, Saint Cuthbert of the Cudgel is the combative deity of Wisdom, Dedication, and Zeal...
there. The Midnight Darkness, active in the former Aerdy lands, is led by a mysterious figure known as the Hidden Sickle. 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...
, followers of Nerull fought a subterranean war with the followers of Vaprak
Vaprak
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Vaprak is the deity worshiped by ogres and trolls. Vaprak is also known as "The Destroyer." His symbol is a taloned hand.-Publication history:...
. In the Hold of the Sea Princes, cultists of Nerull made it their goal to frustrate and destroy Jeon II. This cult has recently been responsible for a series of extremely mysterious, grisly, and above all scary murders of various servants of good; apart from this they've kept themselves extremely secretive.
Rituals
Services to Nerull are ghastly things performed in absolute blackness, featuring litanies of fear and suffering. Murder is done as an homage to the Reaper.Holy days
Nerull has few known holy days:- The Blood Moon Festival. This night, on Coldeven 11Greyhawk CalendarThe Greyhawk Calendar is a fictional calendar used in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game...
, is particularly sacred to Nerull.
Artifacts
Relics associated with dread Nerull include the Mace and Talisman of Krevell, named for one of his most infamous priests.Quadripartite
When the 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...
was still young, beings from the Far Realm
Far Realm
The Far Realm is a plane found in various settings in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Creative origins:The Far Realm is a mix of horror, madness, and Lovecraftian geometries....
attempted to assert dominance over all reality. They sent minions to destroy the newly sentient, pre-human life that then lived on the surface of the world. Four gods rose to oppose this: Pelor
Pelor
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Pelor is the god of the Sun, Light, Strength, and Healing. Pelor is also a prominent member of the third edition of the game's default pantheon, and is a popular choice among player character clerics because he...
, Obad-Hai
Obad-Hai
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Obad-Hai is the god of Nature, Woodlands, Hunting, and Beasts, one of the most ancient known. He is often called the Shalm....
, Nerull, and Kord
Kord
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third and fourth editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Kord is the Suel god of Athletics, Sports, Storms, Brawling, Strength, and Courage...
. Pelor and Nerull had yet to form allegiances to Good or Evil in those days; they were most interested in maintaining the balance between Law and Chaos. Kord was just along for the sake of having something to fight. The four gods each sacrificed a part of their power to create an anchor that would sever the ties of the invaders to their unguessable masters, and so were able to defeat them.
Death
The Sorcerer-Queen known as The Raven Queen led a rebellion of tormented souls, slew Nerull, and claimed his portfolio.Additional reading
- Aperlo, Peter E. "Quadripartite." DungeonDungeonA dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
#99. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2003. - Bass, Walter M., Jack Barker, Roy Rowe, Louis Prosperi, and Tom Prusa. Treasures of Greyhawk. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, Inc., 1992. ISBN 1-56076-366-3.
- Brown, Anne. Player's Guide to Greyhawk (TSR, 1998).
- 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
- Decker, Jesse. "The Spire of Long Shadows." DungeonDungeonA dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
#130. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2006. - Findley, NigelNigel FindleyNigel D Findley was a game designer, editor, and an author of science fiction and fantasy novels and role-playing games .-Biography:Nigel Findley was born in Venezuela, in 1959...
. Greyspace. (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....
, 1992). - Gygax, GaryGary GygaxErnest 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....
, and Frank MentzerFrank MentzerJacob Franklin "Frank" Mentzer III , is an American fantasy author and game designer best known for his work on early materials for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He was a performing folk musician from 1968 to 1975, and played one concert at the White House during the...
. The Temple of Elemental Evil (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....
, 1985). - Haley, Jason H. "The Allure of Evil." 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...
#361. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2007. Available online: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20071112 - Menge, Eric. "Power Groups: Druids of the Old Faith." Wizards of the Coast. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2008. Available online:http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgpg/20080122a
- Mobley, Blake, and Timothy B. Brown. Greyhawk Ruins. Lake Geneva, WI: 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....
, 1990 . ISBN = 0-88038-860-9. - Mona, Erik. "Baklunish Delights (Part One)." Oerth Journal #3. Council of Greyhawk, 1996. Available online:http://www.greyhawkonline.com/canonfire/OJ_03.pdf
- Niles, Douglas, and Carl SargentCarl SargentCarl L. Sargent is a British author of several roleplaying game-based products and novels.-Early career:...
. The City of GreyhawkThe City of GreyhawkThe City of Greyhawk is an boxed set accessory published in 1989 for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1989. - Reynolds, Sean K., Frederick WeiningFrederick WeiningFrederick Weining is among those credited for design of the Dungeons & Dragons Gazetteer and the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, both published by Wizards of the Coast. He has also authored or co-authored a number of Greyhawk articles for the Living Greyhawk Journal, the Oerth Journal, and...
, 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...
. "Blood of Heroes." Living Greyhawk JournalLiving Greyhawk JournalThe Living Greyhawk Journal was a periodical published by the Role-Playing Games Association as a stand-alone magazine from 2000 to 2004. The publication was intended to supplement the RPGA's Living Greyhawk campaign, though many consider the content within to be canon for the Greyhawk setting in...
#3. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001. - Iuz the EvilIuz the EvilIuz the Evil is a sourcebook for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game that describes the realms of the evil demi-god Iuz in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting...
. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993. - Ivid the Undying. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, unpublished. Available online: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads
- Living Greyhawk Journal no. 3 - "Gods of Oerth"