Vaprak
| Vaprak | ||
|---|---|---|
| Taloned Hand | ||
| Aliases | The Destroyer | |
| Alignment | Chaotic Evil | |
| Divine Rank | Lesser Deity | |
| Pantheon | Giant, Orc or Demon Prince | |
| Portfolio | Ogres, Oni, Trolls, Combat, Greed, Destruction, Savagery | |
| Domains | 3E: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, War | |
| Home Plane | Shatterstone (Abyss) | |
| Worshippers | Ogres, Oni, Trolls, Orcs (4e only) | |
| Favoured Weapon | Greatclub or Unarmed Strike | |
Vaprak is a lesser deity of the monstrous races in Dungeons & Dragons. Patron god of Ogres, Trolls and their various kinsfolk, this minor entity has never been a great power in his own right; he's been described across the editions as either a lesser deity stumbling along awe-struck in the shadows of the Giant gods, a Demon Prince, or, in the World Axis cosmology, as an Exarch who bows his head in respect to the savagery of Gruumsh, the Orc God.
The Destroyer first appeared in 1980's Deities & Demigods splatbook; it then took 12 years for him to be upgraded in Monster Mythology, which finally presented details on his priesthood. He later made appearances for the Forgotten Realms in 1995's "Giantcraft", and then for Planescape in "On Hallowed Ground" one year later. When Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition came to be, Vaprak was described briefly in "Defenders of the Faith" (2000) and later had his priesthood written up in 2004's "Complete Divine". In 4th edition, "Vaprak the Rapacious" (see below) appeared in "The Plane Above".
A savage, elemental, monstrous humanoid, Vaprak's visage combines the most horrible aspects of both ogres and trolls, both of whom worship him as their progenitor-god. Vaprak's priests wear blood red plate mail and war helms. They must be ferocious and constantly on the look out for opportunities to fight. They must devour all they can, but remain physically fit. They often exercise by ritually bashing one another with clubs, which helps determine rank in their violent society. One curious rite practiced among the ogres of one tribe is the "Six Day Night," where ambitious tribesmen demonstrate their loyalty to Vaprak and their tribal leader by being placed in a dark cavern for six days with no food and only a small amount of water. If the initiate survives this ordeal, his status is greatly increased.
Vaprak holds the other giantish gods in awe and respect, however, and fears that his races may abandon him to worship them. He is not a planner or a thinker; he merely destroys, ferociously, as quickly as he can, urging his followers to do the same. Ironically, Vaprak is regarded with disdain by the giants - even Grolantor, the selfish, stupid and savage god of the Hill Giants, holds more respect from his kin; it is reputed that Vaprak was conceived when an unusually large, but hideously ugly, she-ogre witch used illusions to beguile Annam, the giant progenitor god, into coupling with her, and his embarrassed disgust at this trick has caused him to refute his bastard son. However, in 5e the myths were changed around so that ogres and trolls had their origin when Anaam's wife Othea cheated on him (which she was wont to do) with Vaprak.
The Destroyer lairs in Shatterstone, the 524th Layer of the Abyss, where he dwells in a rude cave at the base of a great cliff.
Vaprak is reputed to possess a trio of sons; Agmori (or Anmori, sources differ), Hakuni and Muaj, who are the progenitors of the Oni races.
In 5th edition, he ironically gained in power; no longer holding the giant gods in awe, now he actively attempts to subvert the giant races to his worship, finding a particular in-road amongst the ranks of the frost giants, offering them greater power and the regeneration of a troll in exchange for worship, ultimately creating the deformed, multi-appendaged horrors loathed as Everlasting Ones. At least, this is how he is described in "Volo's Guide to Monsters".
Vaprak the Rapacious[edit]
In the World Axis cosmology, Vaprak is known as Vaprak the Rapacious, and he is no longer associated with ogres, or at least that role is vastly diminished. Instead, he is now the patron god of trolls, and an exarch in service to Gruumsh in his eternal struggles to claim Chernoggar from Bane. Strong as Bahgtru, but tougher and much smarter, the malevolent troll-god known as the King Eater relishes in bloodshed, destruction and the sowing of terror. His moniker comes from his love of materializing in the Prime Material, Feywild or Shadowfell to devour kings who have been upholding the lights of civilisation, snuffing out points of light to sow terror amongst mortal races. Considered the most accessible of Gruumsh's patrons, Vaprak isn't picky about his followers; anyone willing to help him slaughter and terrorize is a good follower, in his eyes, and he has a cunning that few others of Gruumsh's exarches can match.
Vaprak the Rapacious is detailed in the 4e splatbook "The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea", where he is statted on pages 154-155.
Jammudaru[edit]
| Jammudaru | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cauldron filled with a sickly green and black bubbling liquid | ||
| Aliases | Prince of Nightmares, Vaprak | |
| Alignment | Chaotic Evil | |
| Divine Rank | Initiate Immortal | |
| Pantheon | Mystaran (Entropy) | |
| Portfolio | Ogres, torture, vengeance, nightmares | |
| Domains | Entropy, Chaos, Evil, Destruction, Vengeance | |
| Worshippers | Humanoids | |
| Favoured Weapon | Greataxe | |
In the Mystara setting, Vaprak is an alias for the Immortal named Jammudaru.
History[edit]
Jammudaru was once an ogre that survived a curse placed on him by an adventurer, and became a slimy horror. Seeking revenge he sought out the adventurer and his party, and boiled them alive in cauldron of green slime and bubbling tar before eating them. Following this he went on a massive campaign of terror and destruction, killing other adventurers and innocents in the same way. Eventually this attracted the attention of the entropic Immortal, who helped him ascend to the Sphere of Entropy.
Appearance[edit]
Jammudaru appears as a huge, bulky, ogre-like humanoid, with an acidic skin that looks like pond scum. His only facial feature is a vague maw.
Personality[edit]
Jammudaru is a hateful being, inspiring others to extraordinary acts of violence, to seek revenge, and inflict torture on others. He likes plunging innocent people into horrific nightmares, which is where he earned his moniker. He has only enemies, the most notable ones being Halav, who hates most patrons of the humanoids, Kagyar, who despises how he has others destroy great works of craftsmanship and art, and Tarastia, who despises how he insists other pursue senseless and unjust vengeance.