Urxehl

Urxehl

(Deity)

Titles

The Trollfather,
Lord of Storms,
Father Urxehl

Realm

Verakivhan, Outer Rifts

Alignment

Chaotic evil

Areas of Concern

Natural disasters
Storms
Trolls

Worshipers

Trolls, druids, those who live in fear of natural disasters

Follower Alignments (1E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (1E)

Chaos, Evil, Fire, Weather

Subdomains (1E)

Ash, Catastrophe, Demon, Storms

Favored Weapon

greatclub

Symbol

Storm cloud with lightning

Sacred Animal

Bear

Sacred Colors

Brown, green

Images of Urxehl

Source: Book of the Damned, pg(s). 100

Urxehl (pronounced URK-zhell) is the demon lord of storms and disasters, worshiped by the trolls as their patron. His religious symbol is that of a storm cloud being pierced by a lightning bolt.

Background and beliefs

Urxehl is only pleased when witnessing extreme natural disasters; he can control storms and forest fires on a whim. Trolls believe that Urxehl created the world and placed them there in order to torment them. In a strange twist, Urxehl actually despises the trolls with whom he shares his form caring little for anything but wanton destruction. He gave trolls the power of regeneration so that he could inflict countless cruelties upon them over and over again. They say he sends terrible forest fires (one of the few things of which trolls are truly afraid) and populates their territories with annoying humans and ogres, simply as torture. Urxehl is also said to act in more indirect ways by sending dreamers visions of forest infernos in order to inspire them to commit arson themselves.

Home

Urxehl dwells in Verakivhan, a realm of constantly burning forests, lashed by fierce storms and a special rain which only further feeds the flames.

Appearance

Urxehl appears as a gigantic troll with wicked horns, nearly 20 feet in height, with a long, barbed tongue and rust-red skin. He loathes his appearance due to its resemblance to the trolls he despises. This often leads him to furious fits of brutal self-harm in futile attempts to remake his form into something different, although his regeneration invariably returns him to his previous state.

Cult and worshippers

Urxehl's primary and most devout worshipers, despite his hatred for them, are the trolls. In part, his hatred is the reason for the trolls' fervent worship of him. The knowledge of the contempt in which Urxehl holds them creates a profound need among trolls to earn his respect, despite knowing that he will never give it to them.

Urxehl's wily troll priests ape their master in using fire as a whip to control their troll congregations through fear, and ensure their divine capability adequately protects them from fire.

Urxehl's followers are common in the River Kingdoms where trolls are numerous and angry. Another center of worship lies in distant Vudra, among the Mistshaper trolls; led by a gigantic female named Xelnud, this tribe claims to fulfill Urxehl's desires by planning the destruction of all civilization and returning the world to the brutal state of the Age of Darkness.

Among other species, Urxehl's worship tends to focus on his role as a patron of storms and natural disasters. Notably, his cult is absent from the storm-wracked coasts surrounding the Eye of Abendego, fueling speculation that whatever power generated the perpetual hurricane is one that even the Trollfather must respect.

Alarmingly, especially to more mainstream druids, Urxehl numbers some human druids in his followers who worship his power over storms and natural disasters; these druids are primarily chaotic neutral and neutral evil. These druids are considered heretics by their fellows, and the two groups tend to clash when they meet. Due to Urxehl's hatred of his troll worshippers, some philosophers have argued that these druids, not the trolls, are Urxehl's true faithful.

Augurs

Some devout trolls are said to be blessed by the Trollfather in the gift of augury, although they practice it in a very particular and, some think, disturbing way. These soothsayers disembowel themselves and read the future in their own entrails, trusting in their own powers of regeneration to keep them from dying. Augurs such as this can be found in the anarchic Varisian city of Kaer Maga and in the Vile Fortress of eastern Vudra.

References

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