Yeenoghu

Yeenoghu
Triple-headed flail
Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Divine Rank	Demon Prince
Pantheon	Demonic
Portfolio	Gnolls, Ghouls, Paralysis
Domains	3E: Chaos, Demonic, Evil, Fury
Home Plane	Yeenoghu's Realm (Abyss)
Worshippers	Gnolls, Flinds, Ghouls
Favoured Weapon	Triple Flail (Flail)

Yeenoghu is one of the Demon Princes of the Tanar'ri in Dungeons & Dragons. Hailing all the way back to 1st edition, he is one of the original Demon Princes created by none other than Gary Gygax. His fortunes have risen and fallen over the editions, starting as a powerhouse in 1st and late 2nd edition, fading away in significance in 3rd, and experiencing a restoration in 4th. He is also one of the major deities in the setting of Jizzral.

Yeenoghu's traditional title is as the Demon Prince of Gnolls; he is their master and patron god, although in most editions he only acquired the title by kicking the shit out of their original god, the minor Giant deity Gorellik, and claiming them for himself. This position was strengthened in 5e, when he accidentally created the gnolls - hyenas flock to him, and when they eat his kills, they transform into gnolls, and he's just accepted that this shit happens - instead of pinching his chosen-people off of someone else.

Yeenoghu used to be the patron god of Ghouls in the first two editions as well - which Wolfgang Baur retconned (Dragon, October 1998) as having subjugated their Demon Prince, Doresain. Either way our boy lost control over Doresain in 3rd edition and hasn't recaptured him since.

He has his minions hunt bunny rabbits in Skip Williams' and Jean Rabe's 2e WG10: Child's Play - because that module was just that bad. Yeenoghu hasn't had much of a presence in D&D work compared with, say, Orcus or even Kali.

Yeenoghu's other title is as the Demon Beast of Butchery. Since demons in general are pretty kill-happy, you can get a rough guess of just what kind of slaughter-crazed lunatic that Yeenoghu is in order to stand out for it. However, he's as much Slaanesh as he is Khorne; he relishes torture, mutilation and agonizing death as he does war and slaughter. In fact, it's the best fun to leave enemies dying in hideous pain from shattered skulls, rent bellies or shredded limbs; killing them quick is boring. When not leading one of his endless battles or partaking in torturous sacrifices, he likes to relax in his massive harem, a motley array of races and creatures whose members constantly fluctuate as Yeenoghu acquires new ones and loses old ones; those who don't commit suicide, die of some disease or get murdered by their fellows to stay alive tend to get either raped to death, killed for the hell of it, or end up being eaten when Yeenoghu grows bored or hungry.

His traditional domain is never named, beyond being called "Yeenoghu's Realm". In his 4e Demonomicon entry, it's described as a foul and corrupt wasteland. A blood red sun hangs low in a sickly green sky, illuminating the whole mess, which can be divided into five distinct regions; the Dun Savannah (endless parched savannah with the odd brackish pond, stand of gnarled trees or mobile and hungry killer plant for variety) of the center, the Screaming Peaks (ghoul-infested jaggedly sharp mountains) of the north, a nameless region of salt flats beyond the Screaming Peaks, the poisoned yellow sea of the Cursewallow to the east, and the diseased, toxic creature-infested Seeping Woods of the west. Yeenoghu rules from a filthy city mounted on giant stone wheels, which armies of slaves - demons and mortals alike - labor to drag in an endless patrol around the Dun Savannah, allowing Yeenoghu to complete a circuit of his domain every year.

The Fiendish Codex also had Bechard's Landing, where the weather-controlling Obyrith demon prince Bechard lays dying, telepathically sharing the history of his race before the Tanar'ri and all the priceless secrets it holds with anyone willing to brave the wrath of the Prince of Gnolls to visit him. Yeenoghu himself stops by often, but doesn't grasp the full significance of what he hears. 4e later changed the origins of the Obyrith, and Bechard was quietly forgotten.

Yeenoghu has few allies, which in 4e is because of his tendency - alarming even amongst his own kind - to betray (and usually eat) those who are foolish enough to pact with him. His traditionally greatest rivalry has been with Baphomet.

• 
• 
• 
• 

  Yeenoghu shows some Abyssal Ghouls their place.

• 

  The Demon Prince of Gnolls leads his forces to war.

• 

  Yeenoghu as he appears in 5e.

Ranivorus

Ranivorus
Human head with five snakes coming from the mouth
Aliases	Yeenoghu
Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Divine Rank	Celestial Immortal
Pantheon	Mystaran (Entropy)
Portfolio	Gnolls, hatred, insanity
Worshippers	Gnolls, orcs, goblins, insane beings
Favoured Weapon	Flail

In Mystara, Yeenoghu is the real name of Ranivorus, the patron Immortal of gnolls.

History

Yeenoghu was one of first gnolls created by the Nithians, and proved himself to be a particulary nasty and destructive warleader. In time he came to Thanatos' attention and servitude, and begun to corrupt the upper class of Nithia by spreading hatred and insanity amongst the wizards and rulers. This corruption proved effective, and in order for the pharaoh to stop the insanity, he pledged his loyalty to the very powers that had corrupted them. It was somewhere during this time that he ascended to Immortality in the Sphere of Entropy, sponsored by Thanatos.

Appearance

Ranivorus appears as a huge gnoll with a crunching jaw, clad in black plate mail, carrying two flails.

Personality

Ranivorus is much like he was in life, hateful, destructive, and chaotic. He enjoys, and promotes, whenever humanoids unite into large bands to wreak havoc. He's had no allies since his "apprenticeship" under Thanatos, but has many enemies including, Garal Glitterlode, Halav, Pflarr, and Karaash.