Who's the Evilest God of All?

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

zombiegleemax

Oct 04, 2006 3:56:40
Among the evil Greyhawk deities, who do you think is vilest, most putred, disgusting, nefarious, and wicked of them all? Vecna? Nerull? Iuz? Incabulos? Wastri (he's not foolling anyone)?

[damn wotc for not having a poll option]
#2

todesherr

Oct 04, 2006 4:29:11
Among the evil Greyhawk deities, who do you think is vilest, most putred, disgusting, nefarious, and wicked of them all? Vecna? Nerull? Iuz? Incabulos? Wastri (he's not foolling anyone)?

[damn wotc for not having a poll option]

Nerull wins hands down...the Foe of All Life, the Reaper...Ius ***** in his breeches when he thinks Nerull's priests are directing their attention towards him....
#3

Mortepierre

Oct 04, 2006 7:33:50
Tharizdun.

All the other "evil" gods are afraid he'll return. That alone speaks volume about the guy.
#4

the_ubbergeek

Oct 04, 2006 9:31:33
Even Nerull? o.o

Well, Tharizdun was something Chtuluesque, or I am wrong? I mean, he was not evil in the common sense... Just a destructive force, entity.
#5

Sysane

Oct 04, 2006 12:20:56
Tharizdun.

All the other "evil" gods are afraid he'll return. That alone speaks volume about the guy.

I second Tharizdun. The guy has two classic adventures written for him (Temple of Elemental Evil & Return of The Temple of Elemental Evil).
#6

zombiegleemax

Oct 04, 2006 13:17:33
I second Tharizdun. The guy has two classic adventures written for him (Temple of Elemental Evil & Return of The Temple of Elemental Evil).

I'd have to agree, Nerull hates all life but would still rule over the souls of the damned. Tharizdun wants to see the destruction of all existence.
#7

Elendur

Oct 04, 2006 14:24:54
I second Tharizdun. The guy has two classic adventures written for him (Temple of Elemental Evil & Return of The Temple of Elemental Evil).

Not to mention Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun. And, if you buy the EEE connection, G3 as well.
#8

orodruin

Oct 04, 2006 15:42:54
Even Nerull? o.o

Well, Tharizdun was something Chtuluesque, or I am wrong? I mean, he was not evil in the common sense... Just a destructive force, entity.

In Gary Gygax's original Greyhawk boxed set, Tharizdun was the greater god of "eternal darkness" and "decay". Where all the other gods' alignments were listed as the standard LG, LN, LE etc., Tharizdun's alignment was just... E.

So yeah, I'd say he was evil.

Oh, and in the novels, Nerull was pretty much his devoted henchman.
#9

qstor

Oct 04, 2006 18:46:31
I'd say Iuz

Mike
#10

crag

Oct 04, 2006 22:04:04
Personal choice Tharizdun but here is my rationale:
Vecna and Iuz although sadists (esp. Iuz) are essentially self-centered self-promoters, goal is to acquire personal power.

Nerull is the ultimate outsider, despite his power and neccessary function he is almost entirely isolated, goal is too bring life into his domain and thereby isolate his detractors.

Incabulos for all his horror and randomness does espouse a darwinist philosophy, ultimately as he sees it for the benefit of creation again much like Nerull he is shunned due to short-sighted compassion which explains Nerull and Incabulos "common ground".

Wastri is simply the supremacist and ofcourse since the amphibians recognize his superiority, they are superior, destined under his leadership to conquer the inferiors.

But the one thing all these evil gods have are motives, seen through their world view, even if it is warped and completely self-serving. They have goals and attributes that can be appealed too, negotiation is possible even if it is only flattering their immense ego's.

My choice is Tharizdun; the reason all others hate him is the fact he has no rationale, no design other then oblivion even his own, negotiation of any kind is meaningless. Tharizdun doesn't even "hate or care about evil" his uncaring impersonal attitude toward creation is the most frightening aspect of any deity within GH.

For Tharizdun, actions or goals mean nothing, he doesn't care if it is Vecna's and Iuz's tyranical world wide empires, Nerull's undead utopia, Incabulos darwinists survivors, Wastri amphibian conquerors, Infernal planar torment or blissful ascended planes, if it exists it must be destroyed. Without any malice Tharizdun would render everyone's,Gods included, struggle for any goal even personal existence as a worthless cosmic joke.

Now that is EVIL with flair, gotta love Tharizdun ;)
#11

todesherr

Oct 05, 2006 0:44:16
Personal choice Tharizdun but here is my rationale:
Vecna and Iuz although sadists (esp. Iuz) are essentially self-centered self-promoters, goal is to acquire personal power.

Nerull is the ultimate outsider, despite his power and neccessary function he is almost entirely isolated, goal is too bring life into his domain and thereby isolate his detractors.

Incabulos for all his horror and randomness does espouse a darwinist philosophy, ultimately as he sees it for the benefit of creation again much like Nerull he is shunned due to short-sighted compassion which explains Nerull and Incabulos "common ground".

Wastri is simply the supremacist and ofcourse since the amphibians recognize his superiority, they are superior, destined under his leadership to conquer the inferiors.

But the one thing all these evil gods have are motives, seen through their world view, even if it is warped and completely self-serving. They have goals and attributes that can be appealed too, negotiation is possible even if it is only flattering their immense ego's.

My choice is Tharizdun; the reason all others hate him is the fact he has no rationale, no design other then oblivion even his own, negotiation of any kind is meaningless. Tharizdun doesn't even "hate or care about evil" his uncaring impersonal attitude toward creation is the most frightening aspect of any deity within GH.

For Tharizdun, actions or goals mean nothing, he doesn't care if it is Vecna's and Iuz's tyranical world wide empires, Nerull's undead utopia, Incabulos darwinists survivors, Wastri amphibian conquerors, Infernal planar torment or blissful ascended planes, if it exists it must be destroyed. Without any malice Tharizdun would render everyone's,Gods included, struggle for any goal even personal existence as a worthless cosmic joke.

Now that is EVIL with flair, gotta love Tharizdun ;)

I suppose...but Tharizdun desires oblivion more than anything else, it could be argued that nihilism in itself in not evil...so my vote is still for Nerull
#12

ripvanwormer

Oct 05, 2006 3:05:07
Atroa.

No one suspects the cute ones.
#13

Mortepierre

Oct 05, 2006 4:58:50
Atroa.

No one suspects the cute ones.

:heehee
#14

zombiegleemax

Oct 05, 2006 8:18:03
Not to mention Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun. And, if you buy the EEE connection, G3 as well.

I don't buy it. I still think the whole Tharizdun connection in RttToEE was a plot by the EEE's followers to try to get some good PR so people would take them more seriously. After being defeted twice, they really needed it, not that it helped them. ;)

"No really, you need to be afraid of these ochre robes. We are actually Tharizdunites in disguise. Really, I swear!"
#15

Elendur

Oct 05, 2006 10:15:51
The arguments for Nerull include that he's a greater god, he's neutral evil (so not distracted by any other concerns), and one of this titles is "The Foe of All Good".

He doesn't feature much in the classic mods though, so I haven't had much experience with him.
#16

caeruleus

Oct 09, 2006 11:26:33
The most evil god is Pholtus, because he's got everyone convinced that he's actually good... how sinister is that? ;)
#17

zombiegleemax

Oct 19, 2006 0:29:55
In previous editions, Pholtus, despite being lawful good, could have lawful evil priests. I found that particularly amusing, especially since Pholtus was one of a very exclusive club of deities who could "stomach" followers of an opposed alignment.
#18

zombiegleemax

Oct 28, 2006 0:48:20
I VOTE THRIZDUN!!!!

In the begining, before ALL, there was light and darkness. What kept it in balance was Istus of the Fates.
I played that "It" (tharizdun) was the darkness, and through his so called Imprisionment (which in my opinion, other up and comming individuals jumped tharizdun toghter and stole his power/portfolio and divided it up) other dark greater gods stole his power and fed off it. Example Nerull and Incabulos, ect. Three greater gods of evil were born from his demise. Istus Keeping the balance Broke the Oposite power "Light" into 3 greater gods of good, Pelor ect...

All power comes from somewhere else...execpt tharizdun's...he has always been!

What sums it up the most is that ALL powers do not want his return. Makes you wonder as to why. I think Thrizdun want to get back what is his...
Do we have the courage to help him?
#19

admrvonbek

Nov 07, 2006 19:13:32
Definitly Tharizdun. I've always looked at him as the GH equivilant of Nyralathotep. But keep in mine that he was imprisoned by all the other goods and still weild influence through dark dreams and visons. Very creepy.
#20

omote

Nov 16, 2006 14:39:08
The BIG T ~ all the way. Its hate of everything is evident in its lust for utter destruction.

........................................Omote
FPQ
#21

zombiegleemax

Dec 05, 2006 10:44:07
I second Tharizdun. The guy has two classic adventures written for him (Temple of Elemental Evil & Return of The Temple of Elemental Evil).

There are actually 3. Their is a Forgotten T emple of Tharizdun that is in teh same area as the Lost Caverns of Tsjcanth
#22

extempus

Dec 06, 2006 17:34:04
Here's an interesting question: is Tharizdun truly evil, or simply insane? Of course, desiring to destroy existence is an evil thing, but does he want to do so because he's evil, or does he want to do what others consider evil because he's crazy? In the 1e Manual of the Planes (p. 111), it is said, "If you are looking for a good example of a mad god, Set comes dangerously close." The reason why is that he hopes the pyramid his slaves are constructing will form a separate set of planes between the Nine Hells and Acheron that he can rule. So, if that makes Set a mad god, I have to wonder if Tharizdun is more insane than evil...
#23

OleOneEye

Dec 06, 2006 23:39:50
I view Tharizdun to be a force as much as he is a conscious being. All things that are created will eventually come to their end, and the multiverse is no different. Tharizdun is that which will end the multiverse. He is compelled to destroy all rather than consciously choosing to destroy all.
#24

Elendur

Dec 07, 2006 9:53:46
Like Loremaster Gump says, evil is as evil does.
#25

zombiegleemax

Jan 17, 2007 3:55:05
I view Tharizdun to be a force as much as he is a conscious being. All things that are created will eventually come to their end, and the multiverse is no different. Tharizdun is that which will end the multiverse. He is compelled to destroy all rather than consciously choosing to destroy all.

And he does at the end of Gygax's novel series. ;)
#26

orodruin

Jan 17, 2007 13:18:24
And he does at the end of Gygax's novel series. ;)

Admittedly, with the help of Lord Entropy, who actually seems to fit OleOneEye's description better than Tharizdun.
#27

OleOneEye

Jan 17, 2007 21:39:59
Tharizdun, as per the Gord novels, was rather bland. Lord Entropy, however, was not. I have consciously fused them together.