I was reading an interniew with Gary Gygax[sorry , I can't remember exactly where on the net] in which he answered several questions about the Greyhawk setting. He suggested that he'd planned to give the Bakluni a seperate pantheon , to distinguish them from the Eastern Oerikians of the Flanaess. He just never got around to detailing it. He did discuss a gog[whose name escapes me] connected with the Rain of Colorless Fire. Does anyone know where this interview is posted. I'm kicking myself for not writing it down.
As far as I can recall[I'm in Iraq, without my WoG source material] the Baklunish gods were: Istus, Zuoken, Xan Yae, Al'Akbar, Moquol, Geshtai, Daoud, and possibly Azor'Alq[not sure who he was-referenced in GH Adventures hardback]. I think someone out there [RPGA -in Polyhedron mag?] had suggested aspects of Incabulos and Boccob, as well. Both of them were listed as 'common' gods in the 1983 boxed set, unless I am mistaken. Does anyone out there have any to add to the list? Or perhaps some commentary on the gods I have listed?
Now, I know Oerth is packed with deities already, but I think a few additions might be in order . These 'new' gods would be worshipped exclusively by the Baklunish, and largely unknown in the East. I was thinking of adding[for my own campaign-to start soon] a few gods from the Sandstorm supplement. Aurifar is a N sun god, and could be an aspect of Pelor[did Eril Mona already do that with the Bright Desert?]. Haku is a CG deity of travel and freedom, a sort of idealized nomad. I';d say he fits the Paynims well. Zoser is a wild , destructive god , associated with whirlwinds. His followers are militant dervishes. All these gods seem to fit the Central Asian/ Middle Eastern feel of the Baklunish. I think adding just a handful of gods[or aspects of the common gods] would go a long way toward making the Bakluni more distinct
The original, Gary Gygax-created Baklunish gods were:
Istus
Xan Yae
Geshtai
Zuoken
Al'Akbar existed as the namesake of the Cup and Talisman, but wasn't officially made a demigod until 1998's Greyhawk Player's Guide. Azor'alq was mentioned in Greyhawk Adventures, but wasn't made a hero-god until the Living Greyhawk Journal made him one. Daoud was the namesake of a magic item, but wasn't made a hero-god until the Living Greyhawk Journal made him one.
Mouqol is new to the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer.
Incabulos was given a Baklunish name by a fan called Immaculate Image on the greytalk mailing list.
Quote:
It should be noted that Incabulos is known to the Bakluni as Sevelkhar the Waster, Master of Famine and Drought, the Poisoner of Wells. In the Bakluni culture, Sevelkhar is the eternal opponent of Geshtai, and both are viewed as subservient to Istus, Our Lady of Fate. This is contrary to actuality of course, as Incabulos is one of the few Greater Powers of the Flanaess, an equal of Istus, and vastly more powerful than Geshtai, a Lesser Power.
Boccob's Baklunish name is Al'Zarad, according to a recent Dragon article. Pelor's Baklunish name is Al'Asran, according to Gary Holian's Paladins of Greyhawk articles that appeared in the Living Greyhawk Journal/Dungeon Magazine. Nerull doesn't have an official Baklunish name, but old Oerth Journals call him Tharoth the Reaper.
Aurifar is an ancient Flan name for Pelor, according to the Bright Sands download. The Baklunish wouldn't use it.
Al'Akbar, LG demigod of guardianship, faithfulness, dignity, duty. Heaven/Mertion/Soqed Hezi
Al'Asran (Pelor), NG greater god of sun, light, strength, healing. Elysium/Thalasia/The Fortress of the Sun
Al'Zarad (Boccob), N greater god of magic, arcane knowledge, foresight, balance. Outlands/The Library of Lore
Azor'alq, NG hero-god of light, purity, courage, strength. Prime Material Plane/Greyspace/Oerth (The Pinnacles of Azor'Alq)
Daoud, N hero-god of humility, clarity, immediacy. Prime Material Plane/Greyspace/Oerth (Wanders Baklunish lands)
Geshtai, N lesser goddess of lakes, rivers, well, streams. Outlands/Nature's Rest
Istus N greater goddess of fate, destiny, divination, future, honesty. Outlands/The Web of Fate (or the Demiplane of Time)
Mouqol, N lesser god of trade, negotiation, ventures, appraisal, reciprocity. Outlands/The Marketplace Eternal (The Eternal Bazaar)
Sevelkhar the Waster (Incabulos) - NE greater god of plagues, famine, nightmares, drought, disasters. Hades/Oinos/Gholgorahk, The Socket of Woe
Tharoth the Reaper (Nerull) NE greater god of death, darkness, murder, underworld. Carceri/Agathys/Necromanteion
Xan Yae, N lesser goddess of twilight, shadows, stealth, mental power. Outlands/The Tower of Iron Will
Zuoken, N demigod of physical and mental mastery. Prime Material Plane/Greyspace/Oerth (The Flanaess - imprisoned beneath Castle Greyhawk)
The Baklunish also revere the elemental pantheon.
Elemental Pantheon Akadi, N greater goddess of air. Air/The Great Funnel
Ben-Hadar. NG archomental of water. Water/Ssesurgass
Chan. NG archomental of air. Air/Palace of Unseen Contemplation
Cryonax (1). NE archomental of ice. Plane of Ice/The Chiseled Estate
Grumbar, N greater god of earth. Earth/The Great Mountain
Imix (1)(2), NE archomental of fire. Fire/Plane of Burnt Dreams/Temple of Ultimate Consumption
Istishia, N greater god of water. Water/The Sea of Timelessness
Kossuth, N greater god of fire. Fire/The Crimson Pillar
Ogremoch (1). NE archomental of earth. Earth/Stonemire
Olhydra (1). NE archomental of water, Water/Coral Castle of Olhydra
Sunnis. NG archomental of earth. Earth/Sandfall
Yan-C-Bin (1). NE archomental of air. Air/Palace of Solid Air
Zaaman Rul (3). NG archomental of fire. Fire/wanders
(1) Possibly a child of the Elder Elemental God.
(2) Involved with the Temple of Elemental Evil. Perhaps dead in the events surrounding its return.
(3) Son of Imix
The interview you're thinking of is in Oerth Journal #12. The god you're thinking of is Dorgha Torgu, formally a greater god of the elements and now a fallen quasi-deity. Dorgha Torgu is fully described in OJ #12.
Haku and Zoser might make good Baklunish gods. Haku was originally a god from the Al-Qadim campaign setting.
This is a transcript of the original Polyhedron article, which has a Bakluni alias for him. There's also a very interesting article on Xan Yae in Polyhedron #139. (If you want any info from that pm or email me!)
As for the god involved with the RoCF wasn't there also an article which had an avatar of Wee Jas involved?
And you probably know the Baklunish Delights articles (part1, part2) from the early OJs, right?
The prefix Al' means "son of." Al'Akbar is certainly an ascended mortal whose father was Akbar.
With Al'Asran the name for Pelor and Al'Zarad the name for Boccob, would that lead credence that their fathers were Asran and Zarad, respectively. As such, they would be ascended mortals as well.
I don't think that's right. I'm pretty sure "son of" is bin." Al is more like "the."
Al'Akbar is Arabic for "the Greatest." It's a title of Allah. When the cup and talisman artifact was first created (back in The Stragetic Review #7) it wasn't tied to Greyhawk at all, and it was associated specifically with Allah and Islam.
Quote:
Mighty Magic Miscellany
by Neal Healey
The Cup and Talisman of Akbar
This very puissant and holy item is usable only by Dervishes, Rangers, and Paladins. It consists of a golden cup chased with platinum and mithril filigree and many jewels of great price. Lying in the bowl of the chalice is a platinum talisman engraved with an eight-pointed star, and the name of Allah in Kufic script, which is attached to a golden chain with platinum and silver beadwork.
My Arabic is very limited, but those are all correct. I am working on daily basis with the Iraqis, and have picked up some of the language[Arabic , anyway- my Kurdish is just a few words].
You might also be interested in the new Baklunish gods that Tal Meta came up with in his Greyhawk/Runequest .pdfs, which include Jisaraya (goddess of dance and seduction), Kehgya (goddess of the hunt), and Ragniyah (goddess of violence), among many others.
This is pretty cool, I'm surprised I never heard of it before. Some of the other deities are pretty good extensions of the pantheon (although not all the names work for me). The timeline was quite interesting too, very mythic feeling.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Canonfire! is a production of the Thursday Group in assocation with GREYtalk and Canonfire! Enterprises
