Demonically Illiterate; Who's this Demogorgon guy?

[Rechan]

So, I'm doing some research for my next campaign. And I keep getting pointed to Demogorgon. He's the Bad Fellow in an AP, has his name all over the Isle of Dread, worshipped by Lizardfolk/Trogs/Yaun-ti/Kopru, aquatic monsters love him... And I know zip about him.

I haven't payed attention to the Arch Devils and Demon Princes until very recently, so I just don't know this guy, aside from him having two baboon heads.

What are his goals? What is his 'schtick'? And why do aquatic races worship this guy and not Dagon, the aquatic Cthulu monster demon guy?

 

[Alzrius]

This might help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demogorgon_(Dungeons_&_Dragons)

Demogorgon's "schtick" is that he's the Prince of Demons. He's the most powerful and influential demon lord in the Abyss (though many, particularly Orcus and Graz'zt, contest this fiercely). His goals are rather non-specific, because he's already at the top of the demonic food chain, such as it is. He wants power and more power. Each of his heads wants to devour/destroy the other and become the sole entity.

Evil aquatic races worship him because that's his thing - it's what he's specifically the demon lord of, beyond being the Prince of Demons. Likewise, in game, Dagon is largely taking a back seat in planar politics, wanting to be more of a power-behind-the-throne. Dagon deals with Demogorgon directly, and played a large part in Demogorgon's rule over evil aquatic creatures.

 

[chaotix42]

Demogorgon was the first tanar'ri ever born from the Abyss, spawned from the "primal fears of mortal souls." (Demonomicon of Demogorgon, Dragon #357)

Demogorgon's two heads do not share the same mind, and their names are Aameul and Hethradiah. Aameul is the more sophisticated and cunning of the two, while Hethradiah is all fury and savage rage. Both are highly intelligent and knowledgeable, and they frequently plot against one another for singular control of their shared body.

Demogorgon is worshipped by aquatic creatures for numerous reasons. In 3e he had the aquatic type, for one. His realm is the 88th layer of the Abyss, known as Gaping Maw. A vast portion of the layer is comprised of the churning waters of the Abyssian Ocean, and a single continent known as the Screaming Jungle provides the majority of the non-aquatic demonic populace with a place to call home. Even then where the jungle and ocean meet stretches a vast marshland known as the Brine Flats. All sorts of aquatic creatures makes this realm their home. Besides this, Demogorgon is just as reptilian as he is simian, so depraved lizardfolk and troglodytes fit right in. His legs are quite like those of a lizard or dinosaur, and his tentacled arms and tails are covered in spikes and scales. He'll appear as a peversion of some other reptilian god, subverting the faith of a group of people, and over time convert them to the worship of Demogorgon's true image. Finally, Demogorgon is straight up alien and monstrous. He counts few humanoids among his faithful, so beastial humanoids and similar intelligent creatures are far more likely to be found paying homage to him.

 

[Rechan]

This might help

Actually, I read that before I made this post, because the wiki entry just isn't helpful.

And judging by the two responses, he doesn't really... well, want anything. Aside from the vague and all consuming answer of "Power". I just don't see... "Why" he is used in Savage Tide if he's got no aims or goals, or well, anything. He's just worshiped by evil humanoids. That's it?

I just don't see his point. Graz'zt is seductive and wants to weedle more power, gets all kinda cultists. Orcus wants to be god of the Dead and he has all kinds of undead. And Demogorgon is... a mishmash of stuff. I mean, if the gnoll demon fellow wasn't around, you could say Demogorgon is savagery and bestial might, but I can't.
​

 

[Orius]

Orcus is pleased by your ignorance.

He also suggests you ignore that stuff about "most powerful" and "first" of demons as the deceitful propaganda that it is.

 

[Alzrius]

Actually, I read that before I made this post, because the wiki entry just isn't helpful.​

No, it's not, but you sounded like you didn't have much else to go on.

And judging by the two responses, he doesn't really... well, want anything. Aside from the vague and all consuming answer of "Power". I just don't see... "Why" he is used in Savage Tide if he's got no aims or goals, or well, anything. He's just worshiped by evil humanoids. That's it?

Again, when you're at the top of the power structure, it's hard to look upward and want more. Demogorgon has, in a manner of speaking, largely ascended as far as he can. He doesn't (seem to) have any desire to become a deity, and he's already the strongest demon lord.

The Savage Tide is a result of the fact that his two heads have distinctive personalities, and hate having to share power with each other. Hethradiah (the right head) wants to use the influx of power from the Savage Tide to absorb Aameul (the left head), which will not only make Hethradiah the sole remaining personality, but will make him even stronger than Demogorgon is now.

In other words, Demogorgon's only goal is that each of his component halves wants to destroy the other and rule without sharing.​

 

[pawsplay]

Demogorgon achieved his position through a combination of raw power and an ability to focus his chaotic minds on the future. He is very cunning. Essentially, his desire for power is completely boundless. Each head desires sole control of his body, but even this simple goal is forestalled by his desire to completely dominate the Abyss, which in turn can be used to conquer other realms. Ultimately, he would like to destroy or enslave each deity in turn. His driving desire is that the entire universe respond to his every whim. As a creature of chaos and evil, no other being, force, or necessity should stop him from pursuing his impulses. If he wants waffles for breakfast, but he has to sink a continent to do it, so be it. The fact that he allows anyone or anything to exist outside his rulership is torture to him. He is miserable from aeons of not destroying Bahamut every time he thinks about him. He is tortured by the need to plot, to wait, to be cunning. Yet his patience to plot, and wait, and strategize is endless, thorouhgly inhuman.

As far as a particular personality goes, he has a fondness for wild beasts and savagery, he likes to tinker with magical items and artifacts and can create them with great skill, and he seems to take a particular delight in impersonating other entities and tricking their worshippers. He seems to disdain the idea that anyone could worship anything other than him, but then, he would disdain anyone who worshipped him for being worshipful.

 

[Rechan]

Orcus is pleased by your ignorance.

Clark isn't that bad a guy.

 

[Rechan]

Thanks for the explanations.

If I'm going to use this as the "evil force" acting upon the new continent, I'll definitely need to tinker with it a little bit, but this might very well serve my purposes.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

If Demogorgon is all that powerful, he needs a clear goal what he wants to be next. Prince of Demons is all nice and dandy, but there are still Devils and the Gods around - he has to defeat or command them, too!

If Orcus wants to be God of Death and Undead - well, Demogorgon should aim for the entire pantheon!