Anthraxus

D&D Deity
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name=Anthraxus
title=The Decayed, [former] the Oinoloth
home=Gray Waste
power=Altraloth
alignment=Neutral Evil
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In the "Dungeons & Dragons" role-playing game, Anthraxus the Decayed is a powerful altraloth, a unique magically augmented yugoloth. Anthraxus was once the Oinoloth, the lord of the Wasting Tower of Khin-Oin, a position and title held by one of the most powerful of the yugoloth race.

Description

Anthraxus appears as a tall man with a ram's head, badly ravaged by disease.

Worshipers

Anthraxus's mortal cultists are marked with deforming diseases as a sign of their faith. On ritual occasions, they wear white robes and capes, with red sashes about their chests and waists.

Clergy

Anthraxus' priests, called "degogs", dress in bright red robes with black hoods and sashes. Higher ranking priests wear black robes and hoods with red and gold sashes. The chief of the high priests is called the "archdegog". Particularly favored archdegogs are transformed by Anthraxus to become an aspect or puppet of their god.

Temples

Shrines to Anthraxus, called "conventicles", are found in hidden, subterranean areas, and involve flaming pentacles and blood-red swords thrust into the altars. They're often built around volcanic vents. Statues of deformed cultists and yugoloths of various castes are common, as well as statues of Anthraxus himself.

Rituals

Cultists of Anthraxus sacrifice young humans with all the qualities they dislike: youth, beauty, health, innocence, and so on. Cult ceremonies involve candles and long, droning chants with low, ominous tones of despair. Burning censers release thick yellow vapors into the air.

Artifacts

Anthraxus formerly wielded a powerful artifact called the "Staff of the Lower Planes". Among other uses, it was capable of polymorphing fiends into larvae of the Gray Waste. Since his loss of status however, he appears to have lost the artifact, and a number of unique yugoloths are currently searching the lower planes for its location.

History

Anthraxus was originally an ultroloth transformed by night hags to eliminate a swarm of meddlesome paladins from the Knights of the Planes-Militant, an ancient order based in the Seven Heavens. When Anthraxus had fulfilled his contract, he immediately wrested control of Khin-Oin from its previous owner (who some believe to be currently imprisoned in a mysterious abandoned city of dark stone and lead in the caverns near the Vault of the Drow) to become the ruling Oinoloth. He ruled for centuries, but he was either violently ousted by Mydianchlarus or convinced to leave of his own accord by a seductive lie or secret that only Mydianchlarus knew. He now roams the Lower Planes, searching for work among the gods of evil. He is still practically a god himself.

References

*Bonny, Edward. "Pox of the Planes." "Dragon Annual" #2 (TSR, 1997).

*Brown, Russell. "Mellorn Hospitality." "Dungeon" #107, (Paizo Publishing, 2004).

*Emerich, Richard W. "The Dark Conventicle." "Dungeon" #11 (TSR, 1988).

*Grubb, Jeff. "Manual of the Planes" (TSR, 1987).

*Gygax, Gary. "Monster Manual II" (TSR, 1983).

*McComb, Colin. "" (TSR, 1997).
**McComb, Colin, Dale Donovan, and Monte Cook. "Planes of Conflict" (TSR, 1995).

*Williams, Skip. "Swords of the Iron Legion" (TSR, 1988).

*Wissel, Christopher. "Diplomacy." "Dungeon" #144, (Paizo Publishing, 2007).