Khurgorbaeyag

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Khurgorbaeyag is the goblin deity of Slavery, Oppression, and Morale. He acts as a trusted lieutenant of Maglubiyet though he secretly harbors a desire to rule the goblin pantheon himself. His symbol is a whip with red and yellow stripes.

Publication history

Khurgorbaeyag was first detailed in Roger E. Moore's article "The Humanoids: All About Kobolds, Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Gnolls," in Dragon #63 (TSR, 1982).^[1]

Khurgorbaeyag was detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.^[2] His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).^[3]

Description

Khurgorbaeyag appears as a large (9 feet tall) muscular goblin with flame-red skin, speckled with orange and yellow scales. He wears scale mail and carries a whip.

Aspects

Khurgorbaeyag communicates with his priests through omens which may manifest as the cracking of a whip, glowing bars of light, or the abrupt onset of depression.

Relationships

Nomog-Geaya, god of the hobgoblins, is Khurgorbaeyag's chief rival amongst the goblin gods and both try to outdo each other to win favor with Maglubiyet. Khurgorbaeyag once received aid from Hruggek, god of the bugbears, in a fight against the orcish gods and so considers him an ally. One of Khurgorbaeyag's chief proxies is a powerful goblin warrior named Lagdor Blooddrinker.

Realm

Khurgorbaeyag lives in Maglubiyet's realm of Clangor on the plane of Acheron, so that Maglubiyet can better keep an eye on him. He makes his home there in the largest goblin city, Shetring, where his greatest temple is located.

Dogma

Khurgorbaeyag believes his troops in the afterlife, the goblin spirits, must fight all the harder against their orcish rivals in order to compensate for the laziness and clumsiness of the hobgoblins. Khurgorbaeyag devotes his attention to the goblin race in particular (as oppose to goblinoids in general) and teaches that the oppression of humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, and halflings is the best route to ensure the safety of goblinkind.

Worshippers

Clergy

Khurgorbaeyag's shamans and priests are strictly regimented. They strive to capture foes in combat rather than kill them in order to acquire more slaves for their tribe. Khurgorbaeyag's shamans work in fair harmony with bugbear priests.

Priests of Khurgorbaeyag wear red scale mail and war helmets. They carry whips, which is their god's holy symbol. The wolf is considered by Khurgorbaeyag's priests to be a holy animal and they often keep them as pets.

Rituals

Ritual public torture is known as "instruction" among the followers of Khurgorbaeyag, as it is intended to instruct slaves as to their proper place in the world. Joint ceremonies involving both goblins and bugbears are not uncommon.

Temples

Temples to Khurgorbaeyag often have bugbear guards.

Holy days

As with Maglubiyet, Khurgorbaeyag's holy days are the nights of the new moons.

In the Forgotten Realms

At least one tribe of goblins on the Chultan peninsula in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting worship an aspect of Khurgorbaeyag that manifests as a powerful dinosaur. These goblins (known as batiri) call him Kuro and believe that he owns the jungle.

References

Additional reading

• Baur, Wolfgang. Planes of Law: Acheron (TSR, 1995).
• Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:
• Lowder, James, and Jean Rabe. The Jungles of Chult (TSR, 1993).