Nurgal

Nurgal

(Deity)

Titles

The Shining Scourge
Lord of Senseless War

Realm

Kuthan, Outer Rifts

Alignment

Chaotic evil

Areas of Concern

Deserts
Senseless warfare
The Sun

Worshipers

Dragons, mercenaries, those who fear the sun, warlike desert nomads

Edicts

Wage war in the desert, deny water to your foes

Anathema

Heal a sunburn, change your name

Follower Alignments (1E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (1E)

Chaos, Evil, Fire, Sun

Subdomains (1E)

Ash, Day, Demon, Smoke

Follower Alignments (2E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (2E)

Destruction, dust, fire, sun

Favored Weapon

Heavy mace^1E
Mace^2E

Symbol

Lion jaws around the sun

Sacred Animal

Lion

Sacred Colors

Yellow, orange

Images of Nurgal

Source: Book of the Damned, pg(s). 82–83 (1E)
Lost Omens Gods & Magic, pg(s). 77, 126–127 (2E)

This article is about the demon lord; for the infernal duke, see Nergal.

One of the gods of the Azlanti, the demon lord Nurgal was associated with warfare and the sun. His worship went into major decline in the Age of Darkness. Nurgal is an exception to the usual rule that the sun is associated with benevolent deities and a force for good in the world. For those that fear the sun or enjoy its capability for destruction, the worship of Nurgal beckons.

History

Nurgal's faith was one of the strongest in Azlant, and archaeological studies have found evidence of Nurgal's religious symbol and other representations of the deity. During this time, in divine hierarchy, he was a true god.

During the Eversiege of Aucharan, Nurgal's nemesis Acavna came to the aid of an azata fortress cast adrift into the Maelstrom by Nurgal's forces. They battled atop the fortress, and Acavna emerged victorious. She clove him in two and sent both parts tumbling into the Maelstrom. The lesser half fell into Hell and became the infernal duke Nergal; the greater half plummeted into the Outer Rifts, and became a demon lord that retained the name Nurgal. So a full god became two demigods.

Home

Since falling into the Outer Rifts, Nurgal has claimed the sun-blasted Abyssal realm of Kuthan as his own.

Appearance

Nurgal's head and lower body is that of a golden lion with his midriff that of a tanned, humanoid male. He has a dragon's tail and intense light is emitted from his eyes and mouth.

Nurgal's signature weapon is a heavy mace with a small sun acting as its head. In images of the demon lord, he is invariably wielding this weapon.

Relationships

As a god

Nurgal's nemesis was the moon goddess Acavna, patron of defensive tactics that were employed against his own brutality in warfare.

As a demigod

Nurgal's realm of Kuthan is connected to the Abyssal realm called the Sea of Whispering Sands as that realm was once ruled by Areshkagal, Nurgal's lover. Areshkagal's sister, Aldinach, however, fought and forced Areshkagal into exile in her current realm of the Blood Clefts.

Some rumours paint Nurgal as the half brother of Socothbenoth, the Silken Sin, which contradict his actual history; however, lineage and bloodline might have been muddled by the raw chaos of the Outer Rifts. In any case, this relationship has meant war between the two for all their history.

His lesser half Nergal has maintained a seething jealousy toward Nurgal.

Cult and worshippers

Ancient cults of the god

Nurgal was one of the first deities worshipped by the Azlanti, when they were still barbarous clans vying for land. It is no longer known how they came to learn of or worship Nurgal. Some scholars speculate that it spread from Ninshabur, but neither empire had yet risen to such power that they would have been expected to be in contact with each other.

As these clans became city-states and eventually provinces, wars to decide the borders were constant, creating a ripe field for Nurgal's worship. Much of the senseless slaughter was conducted by armies and mercenaries who followed Nurgal.

After Azlant became an empire, Nurgal's cult held numerous positions of power, and was particularly feared in the long, dry summers of southern Azlant. Some soldiers and mercenaries continued to pray to him before battles, a practice which the Imperial Army's rank-and-file soldiers disapproved of even as it was tolerated by leaders and indulged by secret cabals of officers in regular obediences and rituals to call for aid and success in battle.

Modern cults of the demon lord

In modern Golarion, Nurgal's worship is far less than at the height of his power in ancient Azlant. However, cults of his worshippers are found in the deserts of northern Garund, Qadira, and the ruins of Ninshabur. Surprisingly, considering their susceptibility to sunlight, Nurgal is one of the demon lords most often worshipped by orcs. Their worship tends to emphasise his role as a god of senseless warfare rather than as a sun deity and is most common amongst orcs who dwell in Garund.

External links

• Nergal (real-world deity) on Wikipedia