Tharizdun

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Greyhawk Deity

Tharizdun
Title(s)	The Dark God, He of Eternal Darkness
Home Plane	Unknown demiplane
Power Level	Intermediate
Alignment	Neutral Evil
Portfolio	Eternal Darkness, Decay, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, Insanity
Domains	Destruction, Evil, Knowledge
Alias(es)	The Elder Elemental Eye
Superior	none

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Tharizdun is the god of Eternal Darkness, Destruction, Decay, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, and Insanity. He was imprisoned ages ago by a coalition of deities to prevent the destruction of existence itself. Tharizdun is known as the Dark God, and He of Eternal Darkness.

Tharizdun's doctrine is to destroy all and everything encountered (himself included), as he puts it:

The very threads of existence must be torn asunder, then burned, then the ashes scattered, until all is nothing and no one exists to remember existence.

The Dark God has been known to work his will secretly by employing various demons (with or without their knowledge) to do his bidding. Examples of fiends so used include Iuz and Zuggtmoy.

Although imprisoned, Tharizdun still has a degree of his original multiverse-threatening power: he is officially a Divine Rank 11 (out of 20) deity, as of Dragon #294.

[edit] Other aspects

Tharizdun is sometimes worshipped as an entity called the Elder Elemental Eye (a being similar to Ghaunadaur), but few of these worshippers recognize the two as being the same entity.

[edit] Clergy and Temples

Tharizdun's places of worship (usually in the shape of black ziggurats) are usually hidden, due to necessity. Known temples include an ancient temple located in the Yatil Mountains, as well as a more recent temple in the Lortmils, near the Kron Hills. Although not many people in Greyhawk are aware that Tharizdun exists, it is said that public knowledge of one of Tharizdun's ziggurats is enough to "raise an army of paladins" (Dragon #294).