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Deskari

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Deskari
The demonic rune of Deskari.
(Deity)

Titles
Lord of the Locust Host
Demon Lord of Infestation and Locusts
Usher of the Apocalypse
Locust Lord
Locust
Adjective
Deskaran
Realm
Alignment
Areas of Concern
Chasms
Infestation
Locusts
Worshipers
Demons and denizens of the Worldwound,
Sarkoris Kellid cultists,
fallen crusaders
doomsayers, and worms that walk
Cleric Alignments (1E)
Domains (1E)
Chaos, Destruction, Evil, War
Subdomains (1E)
Blood, Catastrophe, Demon, Tactics
Favored Weapon
Symbol
Bloody locust wings
Sacred Animal
Sacred Colors
Green, red
Source: City of Locusts, pg(s). 70ff. (1E)
Lost Omens World Guide, pg(s). 27, 29 (2E)
Deskari
Deskari in his true form.
(Creature)

Type
Outsider
(chaotic, demon, earth, evil, extraplanar)
CR
29
Environment
Alignment
Adjective
Deskaran
Source: City of Locusts, pg(s). 88

Deskari (pronounced des-KAR-ee)1 was the demon lord of infestation and locusts who was killed by adventurers in 4718 AR at the conclusion of the Fifth Mendevian Crusade.234

Appearance

Deskari appeared as a horrible beast, human from the waist up, and locust-like below. Semi-solid wings—composed of clouds of locusts—protruded from his human back, and he carried the terrible scythe Riftcarver in his fleshy hands.5

Unholy symbol

Deskari's unholy symbol was a pair of crossed locust wings dripping with blood.6

History

Deskari was the son of Pazuzu and an unnamed giant insect demon.7 He was born fully formed when Pazuzu breathed his first breath on the Material Plane. In his early years, Deskari lived in High M'Vania, sheltered by his father, until he developed his own cult on the Material Plane and seized his own Abyssal realm, becoming a demon lord.589

Deskari had been interested in the barbarian nation of Sarkoris since he discovered the strange thinness of the planar barrier between it and his own realm. His cult grew and built many secret temples in the Northmounds, and few Sarkorians realised that they were worshipping anything different from the numerous other religions in the country. Deskari's avatar and his followers were driven into the Lake of Mists and Veils by the god Aroden in one of his many miraculous deeds in 4433 AR.1011121314

In 4600 AR, the witch Areelu Vorlesh, having discovered the same thinness between Sarkoris and Deskari's realm, pledged her loyalty to him. In 4606 AR, emboldened by Aroden's death and the coming of the Age of Lost Omens, Deskari opened the Worldwound, laying waste to central Sarkoris.151371617

In 4714 AR, after spending a century killing and terrorising the people of Sarkoris and Mendev in the Worldwound, Deskari began his plan to expand the Worldwound to encompass the rest of Golarion. His plan was stopped by a small band of heroes who closed the Worldwound and destroyed Deskari for good.183

Relationships

Deskari in action wielding Riftcarver.

Being a child of two demons, Deskari disdained the other demon lords who originated as mortals, and respected those that predated mortal sin, or those that were once qlippoth lords.8

Baphomet

Deskari was allied with his fellow demon lord Baphomet and their followers worked effectively together in the Worldwound on Golarion.8

Izyagna

Deskari maintained a rivalry with the nascent demon lord Izyagna, presumably associated with their insect-oriented portfolios. As Izyagna serves Lamashtu, this rivalry never escalated due to Deskari's reluctance to invoke the wrath of the Mother of Monsters.8

Pazuzu

The Abyssal mating of Pazuzu with a giant demon resembling an insect resulted in the 'hatching' of Deskari; Pazuzu is thus considered the 'father' of Deskari. Under the protection of his father, Deskari rose in power within the Outer Rifts eventually attaining full demon lord status himself. Deskari admired Pazuzu and they maintained cordial relations with each other. Although Deskari and Pazuzu were similar in levels of power, Deskari maintained a modicum of subservience to his father and Deskari's success brought credit to Pazuzu. Deskari's mother's name is unknown and she clearly was destroyed at some point as Deskari created his brutal scythe, Riftcarver, from her remains.8

Cult and worshipers

Deskari's cult was most powerful in the lands that once made up the realm of Sarkoris. Outside of the Worldwound, his cults spread into other northern nations infecting the nearby lands of Mendev, Numeria, and Brevoy, where they pretended to be devotees of Calistria.519

Many of Deskari's cultists worshipped him in the hope of being rewarded when he was to rule over the world, but Deskari saw them as no more than pawns. The smart cultists that realised this, grafted demonic flesh onto themselves or sold their souls so they would become demons after death.8

Religious text

Deskari's unholy text was One Thousand Voices in My Flesh, the first-person account of a human priest who was infested with Deskari's eggs and heard his many voices until he committed suicide.8

References

Paizo published a major article about Deskari in City of Locusts and a Bestiary article.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. Erik Mona, et al. “Appendices” in Campaign Setting, 246. Paizo Inc., 2008
  2. Erik Mona, et al. “Chapter 3: Religion” in Campaign Setting, 176. Paizo Inc., 2008
  3. 3.0 3.1 Erik Mona, et al. Broken Lands” in World Guide, 27. Paizo Inc., 2019
  4. Erik Mona, et al. Broken Lands” in World Guide, 29. Paizo Inc., 2019
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 James Jacobs. Demon Lords of Golarion” in Descent into Midnight, 61. Paizo Inc., 2009
  6. James Jacobs, et al. “Bestiary” in City of Locusts, 89. Paizo Inc., 2014
  7. 7.0 7.1 James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 232. Paizo Inc., 2011
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Sean K Reynolds. Deskari” in City of Locusts, 70–75. Paizo Inc., 2014
  9. Richard Pett. “Wrath of the Righteous Treasures” in City of Locusts, 63. Paizo Inc., 2014
  10. F. Wesley Schneider. “Continuing the Campaign” in Shadows of Gallowspire, 69. Paizo Inc., 2011
  11. James Jacobs, et al. The Worldwound, inside back cover. Paizo Inc., 2013
  12. Erik Mona. Aroden, the Last Azlanti” in A Song of Silver, 70. Paizo Inc., 2015
  13. 13.0 13.1 Richard Pett. “City of Locusts” in City of Locusts, 7. Paizo Inc., 2014
  14. Wolfgang Baur, et al. Sarkoris” in Lost Kingdoms, 45. Paizo Inc., 2012
  15. Wolfgang Baur, et al. Sarkoris” in Lost Kingdoms, 46. Paizo Inc., 2012
  16. Erik Mona, et al. “Chapter 3: Religion” in Campaign Setting, 174. Paizo Inc., 2008
  17. James Jacobs. “At Your Door” in Lords of Chaos, Book of the Damned Volume 2, 63. Paizo Inc., 2010
  18. James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 199. Paizo Inc., 2011
  19. James Jacobs. “Lords of the Abyss” in Lords of Chaos, Book of the Damned Volume 2, 14. Paizo Inc., 2010