Демогоргон

Демогоргон (англ. Demogorgon) — один из самых могущественных князей демонов в системе Dungeons and Dragons. Он известен под титулом «Князь Демонов», который дал себе сам за силу и влияние, что признаётся как смертными, так и демонами. Демогоргон назван одним из величайших злодеев в последнем бумажном номере журнала «Dragon».

Происхождение имени

Имя «Демогоргон» происходит от упоминающегося в ранних христианских источниках прозвища языческого божества или демона, чьё настоящее имя нельзя произносить. Предположительно оно состоит из греческих корней др.-гр. δαίμων («даймон», что означает «дух», а в христианской раннесредневековой традиции приобрело значение «демон») и др.-гр. Γοργών («горгон» — «мрачный») или др.-гр. γοργός («горгос» — «быстрый»). Сущность, именуемая Демогоргоном, присутствует в «Потерянном рае» Джона Мильтона, «Неистовом Роланде» Лудовико Ариосто, «Королеве фей» Эдмунда Спенсера и «Освобождённом Прометее» Перси Шелли.

История публикаций

Впервые Демогоргон появился в первой редакции D&D в книге «Eldritch Wizardry» 1976 года. В следующем году он был включён в «Monster Manual» для AD&D, а в 1986 году — в «D&D Immortal Rules» (Basic D&D). Во второй редакции AD&D Демогоргон описывается как божество в книге «Monster Mythology» 1992 года.

Демогоргон широко описывается в третьей редакции D&D, снова став из божества князем демонов. Он впервые появился в этой редакции в книге «Book of Vile Darkness» (2002 год), затем в «Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss» (2006 год). Наиболее подробное описание Демогоргона помещено в колонке «Demonomicon of Iggwilv» журнала «Dragon» в № 357 (2007 год).

Демогоргон стал одним из немногих повелителей демонов, упомянутых в «Monster Manual» четвёртой редакции (2008 год). Подробнее он описан в «Monster Manual 2» (2009 год), на обложке которого помещено его изображение.

Physical description

Demogorgon appears as an 18-foot-tall (5.5 m), reptilian (or amphibious) hermaphroditic tanar’ri with a somewhat humanoid form. Two mandrill heads sprout from his twin snake-like necks, and his arms end in long tentacles. His two heads have individual minds, called Aameul (the left head) and Hethradiah (the right head). One of Demogorgon’s best-kept secrets, even from his cultists and minions, is that his two personas strive to dominate (and even kill) each other, but are unable to because they are aspects of one another. Despite this duality, many of Demogorgon’s plots revolve around either permanently separating or uniting these two personas. According to kopru legends, Demogorgon has two mothers, which account for his twin personas. His blue-green skin is plated with snake-like scales, his body and legs are those of a giant lizard, and his thick tail is forked. His appearance testifies to his command of cold-blooded things such as serpents, reptiles, and octopi.

In the 3E sourcebook Book of Vile Darkness, he is erroneously described and depicted as having hyena heads instead of mandrill heads.

Demogorgon can charm enemies or drive enemies insane with his gaze, depending on which head’s eyes are met; if both heads lock their gazes on a single target simultaneously, Demogorgon can hypnotize foes. His whip-like tail has the ability to drain the life energy right out of a living foe. His tentacles cause living creatures to rot away, as if by some sort of rapid leprosy. Because each head is a separate personality that each controls his body, Demogorgon may act twice as often during combat as he should be able to.

Relationships

His title as Prince of Demons is contested and somewhat misleading in that in the chaos of the Abyss there are no official titles and positions. He holds this title through sheer power and the fact no other demon has been able to prove themselves his superior and wrest the name from him. Demogorgon is also known as Lord of All That Swims in Darkness.

The hatred between Orcus and Demogorgon is legendary. He is also a dedicated foe of both Graz'zt and Fraz-Urb'luu. Some of his allies include the Succubus Queen Malcanthet; the currently imprisoned Shami-Amourae was his former consort. In Gary Gygax's Gord the Rogue series, he is the brother of another demon lord called «Mandrillagon.»

One of Demogorgon’s spawn with Malcanthet is the monstrous Arendagrost. According to WG7 he has a son with a mortal woman, the cambion Drumorg.

Demogorgon and the ancient and powerful obyrith Dagon have a sort of alliance. Demogorgon often travels to the domain of the elder demon lord to speak to him and try to gain knowledge and secrets from him or seek his vast wisdom for counsel.

Realm

Demogorgon lives on the 88th layer of the Abyss, known as Abysm, the Brine Flats, or Gaping Maw. This is a layer consisting of a great sea of briny water broken by tall, sharp, ugly, rocky prominences rising out of the endless murky water into a sky of yellow mist. Demogorgon’s palace is two twin towers shaped very roughly like tightly coiled serpents that are covered with sharp, ugly fin-like features and spines, and crowned at the top with skull-shaped minarets. The two towers are linked by a bridge near the top. Beneath the fortress are reefs and caverns where aboleths, kraken and ixitxachitl dwell, constantly warring with each other and worshipping Demogorgon in his palace above. His towers are said to extend so far beneath the sea that it connects to the layer beneath him where he speaks with the obyrith lord Dagon.

Numerous isles dot the layer, but they all resemble Demogorgon’s palace: twin rookeries rising straight out of the sea and into the sky. The only significant landmass of the layer is a vast jungle-covered continent. Here, Demogorgon’s capital city of Lemoriax is located.

Cult of Demogorgon

Demogorgon’s cult is small compared to «true» deities, but much larger than those of most fiends. He is worshiped not only by evil humans, but also by the intelligent rays known as ixitxachitl. Cultists of Demogorgon who are not already demons are often among the most mentally disturbed members of their races.

Demogorgon in various campaign settings

Demogorgon in Dragonlance

Demogorgon made an early appearance in the Dragonlance campaign setting in Dragon #85, in the short story «A Stone’s Throw Away» by Roger E Moore. The story describes Tasselhoff Burrfoot inadvertently defeating an evil wizard who had temporarily placed Demogorgon under his power.

Demogorgon in Greyhawk

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting, Demogorgon sometimes goes by the ancient name "Ahmon-Ibor, " or «the Sibilant Beast.» He is responsible for corrupting the paladin Sir Kargoth and transforming him and thirteen of his fellow Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom into Oerth's first death knights.

Demogorgon in other media

Baldur’s Gate

In the computer role-playing game Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, it is possible to make a sacrifice to Demogorgon, thus summoning some demons with no wish to be friendly. In the expansion pack Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, an avatar of Demogorgon appears imprisoned in the dungeon known as Watcher’s Keep. The player’s standard quest is to seal the dungeon in order to keep Demogorgon imprisoned, but the player can also destroy Demogorgon’s avatar, sending him back to the Abyss.

The character has very little dialogue compared to most other bosses; his single spoken line is performed by Jim Cummings.

NetHack

In the game NetHack, Demogorgon is probably the most difficult demon in the game, as he wields a fearsome combination of stunning, poisoning, disease, and damage attacks not seen in other demons. However, he does not have a fixed place in the game, and is generally only seen when other major demons summon him (a small probability per turn). This means that he is relatively easy to avoid if the player is not deliberately baiting him.