Panzuriel
Encyclopedia
In many campaign setting
s for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
, Panzuriel is a deity of murder, confusion, subversion, and evil creatures of the sea. His symbol is a left footprint, a kraken's head, or a squid eye surrounded by nine tentacles.
(1992), including details about his priesthood.
Panzuriel appears in 3rd edition in Defenders of the Faith
(2000). He is detailed in Dragon
#334 (2005) in the article "The Ecology of the Kraken".
Panzuriel may also manifest as a giant octopus.
by Deep Sashelas
and Procan
. Bitter and enraged at his banishment, he directs his minions to work against sea elves
and the servants of Procan and other sea deities opposed to his works.
Panzuriel is sometimes said to be the father of Laogzed
, the product of his coupling with a reptilian demon.
.
, merrows
, sahuagin
, scrags
, and vodyanoi. His worship is also growing among kopru
, kuo-toa
, and sea hags
.
In order to become a cleric of Panzuriel, worshipers must sacrifice a sea elf in a ceremony known as the Endless Revenging.
Raiding and slaughter are the only rites that Panzuriel demands, however.
, but only in the extreme depths.
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...
s 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...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, Panzuriel is a deity of murder, confusion, subversion, and evil creatures of the sea. His symbol is a left footprint, a kraken's head, or a squid eye surrounded by nine tentacles.
Publication history
Panzuriel was first detailed in the book Monster MythologyMonster 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.
Panzuriel appears in 3rd edition 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). He is detailed 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...
#334 (2005) in the article "The Ecology of the Kraken".
Description
Panzuriel manifests as a hunchbacked old humanoid figure with gills and green, scaly skin, which fades to yellow on his underbelly. His left leg ends in a crystalline foot, and he grasps a staff in his taloned hands to support himself as he limps onto dry land. He has shining green eyes.Panzuriel may also manifest as a giant octopus.
Relationships
In prehistoric times, Panzuriel's influence was banished from the Prime Material PlanePrime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
by Deep Sashelas
Deep Sashelas
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Deep Sashelas is the elf patron deity of aquatic elves. He is also a god of creation, knowledge, beauty, and magic...
and Procan
Procan
Procan is a fictional deity in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Procan is the Oeridian god of seas, sea life, salt, sea weather, and navigation...
. Bitter and enraged at his banishment, he directs his minions to work against sea elves
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
and the servants of Procan and other sea deities opposed to his works.
Panzuriel is sometimes said to be the father of Laogzed
Laogzed
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Laogzed is the deity worshipped by reptilian troglodyte race. Its symbol is an oozing toad-lizard, or a lizard's head. Laogzed's sacred animal is the toad.-Publishing history:...
, the product of his coupling with a reptilian demon.
Realm
Panzuriel's realm of Rezuriel, described as a stinking, fetid, briny pool, is located in Niflheim, the second gloom of the Gray WasteGray Waste
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Gray Waste is a strongly evil aligned plane of existence...
.
Dogma
Panzuriel seeks to lay havoc and waste to the seas, seeking revenge, torture, and murder of all his enemies.Worshippers
Panzuriel is most commonly worshipped by evil aquatic races, such as koalinths, krakensKraken (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the kraken is a large, ocean-dwelling magical beast. It is akin to a squid the size of a house. It is almost 80 feet long and 60 feet tall and wide. Its body is similar to that of a squid, with a ring of tentacles surrounding a mouth connected to...
, merrows
Ogre (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ogres are a lesser race of giants, rather being simply large brutes with clubs. An aquatic subrace of ogres is known as "merrow." D&D ogres are also closely related to the race of ogre magi, a smarter race with blue skin and great magical abilities...
, sahuagin
Sahuagin
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the sahuagin are a fish-like monstrous humanoid species that live in oceans, seas, underground lakes, and underwater caves. Sahuagin speak their native tongue . With higher intelligence scores, they can also speak two bonus languages, usually...
, scrags
Troll (Dungeons & Dragons)
Trolls are fictional monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Dungeon Masters can use them as enemies or allies of the player characters.-Publication history:...
, and vodyanoi. His worship is also growing among kopru
Kopru
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the kopru are an evil race of amphibious, mind-controlling creatures. They are classified as monstrous humanoids, with the aquatic subtype.-Publication history:...
, kuo-toa
Kuo-toa
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the kuo-toa are fish-like monstrous humanoids that dwell in the Underdark, and in the sea.-Publication history:...
, and sea hags
Hag (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, hags are witchlike beings that use magic to spread havoc and destruction, and slay all whom they encounter.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
.
Clergy
Panzuriel's shamans and priests are, for the most part, mere rabble raised from a variety of different races. Their chief duty involves attacking all who opproach them, particularly aquatic elves. They sacrifice all magic items they acquire to their deity (although kraken priests are exempt from this commandment).In order to become a cleric of Panzuriel, worshipers must sacrifice a sea elf in a ceremony known as the Endless Revenging.
Temples
The temples of Panzuriel are huge cave complexes or simple stone circles surrounding tentacled idols. Krakens sometimes force their slaves to toil for centuries creating trenches deep enough to uncover portals leading to Panzuriel's stygian realm.Rituals
Prayers to Panzuriel take the form of droning chants which surface sailors, hearing them murmuring from the depths, call the "Wail of the Severed God."Raiding and slaughter are the only rites that Panzuriel demands, however.
Creation
Although Panzuriel's worshippers generally have no creation myths of their own, other sources attribute to Panzuriel a protean creative power. According to myth, Panzuriel acts with the other gods to strengthen the evil races of the sea. Because the others accept Panzuriel's help, they grow increasingly under his control.The Banishment of Panzuriel
It is said that Deep Sashelas battled Panzuriel in personal combat, severing his foot before banishing him from the mortal plane. This foot, unnoticed by the gods, settled on the ocean floor and has allowed the wicked god to slowly, over the eons, to reestablish his presence 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...
, but only in the extreme depths.
Additional reading
- Boyd, Eric L. Demihuman Deities. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.