| Game background | |
|---|---|
| Title(s) | The Night Lord, the Blade in the Darkness, the Stalker Below |
| Home plane | Bleak Eternity of Gehenna |
| Power level | Intermediate |
| Alignment | Neutral Evil |
| Portfolio | Darkness, thieves |
| Domains | Chaos, Evil, Trickery (also Darkness and Orc in Forgotten Realms) |
| Superior | Gruumsh |
| Design details | |
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Shargaas is the orc deity of darkness, night, stealth, thieves, and the undead. His symbol is a skull on a red crescent moon.
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Shargaas was first detailed in Roger E. Moore's article "The Half-Orc Point of View," in Dragon #62 (TSR, 1982).[1] In Dragon #92 (December 1984), Gary Gygax indicated this as one of the deities legal for the Greyhawk setting.[2] He also appeared in the original Unearthed Arcana (1985).[3]
Shargaas was detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.[4] His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).[5]
Shargaas's role in the Forgotten Realms is revisited in Faiths and Pantheons (2002).[6]
In many campaign settings, the orcish pantheon of gods consists of the leader Gruumsh, as well as Bahgtru, Ilneval, Luthic, Shargaas, and Yurtrus.
Shargaas the Night Lord lives in the Night Below, a tremendous cavern system below Krangath, the deepest layer of the plane of Gehenna. It is said that his caves extend infinitely, and are darker than the blackest night. There no creature has sight but Shargaas himself and his orcish spirit servants.
Shargaas' priests wear red and black leather armor and leather caps. His sacred animal is the bat. His holy days are on the new moons. Stolen items are sacrificed to him monthly.
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