Pazuzu (pronounced: /pɑːˈzuːzuː/ pa-ZOO-zoo[4]) was a powerful demon lord and one of the eldest and most reprehensible of them. He was also called the Dark Angel of the Four Winds and the Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms. He held sway over all evil flying creatures, even among the different layers of the Abyss.[1][2]
Tongue plucked raw from gaping maw
Blood from vein let fall like rain
Behold these eyes, your bloody prize
And now the fall from vaulted hall
These bones! This flesh! Consume it all!
Pazuzu! Pazuzu! Pazuzu!
Description[]
Pazuzu was described as being tall and well-proportioned with unmistakably demonic features, such as avian feet, four wings that both smoked and gleamed with oil, and most notably, a feral bird's beak on an otherwise handsome face.[1]
Personality[]
He was fond of corrupting mortals, especially the innocent and honest. He enjoyed offering aid that at first appeared beneficial, but which ultimately spelled doom on the victim in the long run. His favorite prizes were the most pure and Pazuzu believed the living world provided the best opportunity for such prey.[2]
Powers[]
He could breathe swarms of locusts and acidic, poisonous clouds. He also had low-light vision and blindsight.[1][2]
Pazuzu spoke Abyssal, Auran, and Common, and his communication skills also extended to a weaker form of telepathy.[1]
Possessions[]
He wielded a powerful magic greatsword that granted him great speed.[1]
Realm[]
Pazuzu's home was the 1st layer of the Abyss, called Pazunia, known as the Plain of Infinite Portals or the Palace of 1,001 Closets. It was a place of harsh terrain with portal access through the many pits on its surface.[6]
Relationships[]
Pazuzu had a personal guard called the Six Wings of Pazrael at his command. They comprised of six Balors, who commanded hundreds of advanced vrocks. His personal guard would travel with the lord when he was scouting other realms.[7]
His constant search for naive targets outside the Abyss caused him to have few true enemies among the other demon lords. However, one such lord, Lamashtu, Pazuzu's one-time lover, was his only real foe, though he thought little of her. Lamashtu once betrayed Pazuzu, so he blinded her and imprisoned her on the 503rd layer of the Abyss, called Torremor. Torremor was once Pazuzu's realm before Lamashtu seized control. The Winged Prince watched as Lamashtu ruled, begging for influence wherever she might find it.[2]
According to the Demonomicon of Iggwilv and Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, Graz'zt was perhaps Pazuzu's most notable enemy. Graz'zt alone took umbrage at Pazuzu's claim to dominion over the skies of the Abyss, though the Prince of Tyrants never took action against him beyond the occasional insult.[1][8]
He was said to be on good terms with daemons (also known as yugoloths) and the dukes of the Nine Hells.[9]
Worshipers[]
Throughout his thousands of years of existence, Pazuzu perfected his craft of seduction through benevolent means. Under the guise of Imdugud, Pazrael, and Typhon, the Corrupter would answer the hard-sought prayers of mortals, granting them blessings and salvation, all the while leading them further and further down the path to hell—or rather, his abyssal plane. The victims remained as unwitting accomplices to the spreading of Pazuzu's cults and worship.[2]
Pazuzu was the lord of all evil flying creatures. His worshipers included kenku,[1] harpies, gargoyles, manticores, wyverns, and sometimes evil fey or dragons. His temples lay in areas unreachable by those incapable of flight: in wildernesses, atop cliffs, or on mountain peaks.[7] Some tanar'ri priests were known to pledge themselves to the service of his Pazrael aspect.[10]
Pazuzu might also answer anyone who uttered his name, or one of his aliases, three times in succession. This type of summons formed a link between the demon lord and the victim, across any distance or the planes. This link provided Pazuzu with the ability to read the thoughts of the summoner, determine their intentions, and appear directly beside them at will. Pazuzu typically granted aid at much cost to the victim, and would grant this aid repeatedly, establishing a dependence on Pazuzu's services. Through one victim, the Corrupter could reach others, spreading through whole communities.[1][2]
History[]
Pazuzu was among the oldest of beings, predating the Abyss itself. He was a primordial, called an obyrith. As such, Pazuzu manipulated the god Tharizdun, causing the interloping god to create the Abyss. The Winged One was also responsible for the corruption of the angel Asmodeus. Seen as his ultimate prize, Pazuzu corrupted the one-time servant of the lawful gods and convinced the angel to turn on those he served. This corruption and Pazuzu's further aid led to victory, though only Asmodeus and the other obyriths knew of the demon lord's help. This costly aid was yet to be paid by the fallen angel.[2]
The Lord of Corruption was also instrumental in bringing the Blood War to fruition. Playing both sides through his connection to Asmodeus, Pazuzu maintained a balance of strength between the devils and demons, prolonging the endless war. Both Asmodeus, and a group called the Queen's Conclave, used the Blood War for their own ends.[2]
Around −30,400 DR, the Aearee-Quor, decimated by a wasting plague inflicted on them by followers of the demon lord Yeenoghu, in desperation turned to the worship of Pazuzu, under his guise of the demon Pazrael, for salvation, bringing his cult to Toril in the following years.[11]
Appendix[]
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See Also[]
Background[]
Pazuzu is based on the Mesopotamian god of the same name.
Further Reading[]
- Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). Planes of Chaos. Edited by Michele Carter. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1560768746.
- Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- Monte Cook (2003-01-17). Yet More Archfiends (Zipped PDF). Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-08-16. Retrieved on 2009-10-07.
- Eric Cagle (March 2005). “The Ecology of the Kenku”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #329 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 68–72.
- Mike Mearls, Brian R. James, Steve Townshend (July 2010). Demonomicon. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 132–133. ISBN 978-0786954926.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Ed Stark, James Jacobs, Erik Mona (June 13, 2006). Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 76–77. ISBN 0-7869-3919-2.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Mike Mearls, Brian R. James, Steve Townshend (July 2010). Demonomicon. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 132–133. ISBN 978-0786954926.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 41. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- ↑ Frank Mentzer (January 1985). “Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #93 (TSR, Inc.), p. 28.
- ↑ James Jacobs (March 2005). “The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Pazuzu: Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #329 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 56.
- ↑ Ed Stark, James Jacobs, Erik Mona (June 13, 2006). Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 113–117. ISBN 0-7869-3919-2.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Monte Cook (2003-01-17). Yet More Archfiends (Zipped PDF). Wizards of the Coast. pp. 6–7. Archived from the original on 2016-08-16. Retrieved on 2009-10-07.
- ↑ James Jacobs (March 2005). “The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Pazuzu: Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #329 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 60.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 41. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- ↑ Colin McComb (July 1996). “The Chant of the War”. In Ray Vallese ed. Hellbound: The Blood War (TSR, Inc.), p. 51. ISBN 0-7869-0407-0.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.