Urdlen
Overview Urdlen is a mindless force of malicious evil and destruction, and epitomises the evil impulses that rule some gnomes and is feared by the rest.
Overview
Urdlen is a mindless force of malicious evil and destruction, and epitomises the evil impulses that rule some gnomes and is feared by the rest. A neuter, genderless being, Urdlen serves as a warning for every gnome to beware the taint of greed that lies at the heart of the gnomish delight in gems and jewellery. Just as Urdlen can burrow into the earth of the Abyss, so can it burrow into the herats and souls of gnomes everywhere. Urdlen thrives on trickery that harms the innocent and the good, and is commonly venerated by evil thieves and fighters, although gnomes of all walks of life have succumbed to its evil taint. Urdlen is the patron of spriggans, who are said to be the twisted offspring of gnomes who succumbed to Urdlen's taint early in their history, and who honour their god and patron through acts of terror.
Description
Urdlen appears as a huge, dead-white furless mole with claws of steel.
Holy symbol
Urdlen's symbol is a clawed white mole emerging from the ground.
Favored weapon
Urdlen relies on the steel claws of its preferred form in battle, which can inflict bleeding wounds as if they were a sword of wounding. Urdlen's priests have selected the claw bracer as their favored weapon.
Realm
World Tree cosmology
In the World Tree cosmology of Realmspace, Urdlen tunnels through the earth below the duergar fortress-plane of Hammergrim, while the rest of the Gnomish pantheon resides on the outer planar realm of Golden Hills. Urdlen tunnels through the ground of Hammergrim, completely unconcerned with it's petitioners who inhabit the tunnels it leaves behind. Those evil gnomish petitioners that revere Urdlen have no society to speak of, and simply pursue their own greed in the ore-rich earth of the fortress-plane. Urdlen maintains a single portal that links its realm with the Abyss.
Great Wheel cosmology
In the Great Wheel cosmology, Urdlen resides within its realm, known as the Worm Realm, which is the 399th of the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. The Worm Realm is a land of twisting, collapsing tunnels filled with evil gnomes, purple worms and other wicked subterranean creatures. According to rumor, Urdlen and the Demon Queen of Fungi, Zuggtmoy have come to an understanding of sorts, though it may be more of a feud: with such chaotic and powerful beings it's difficult to tell the truth of it all.
Worship
From their subterranean warrens, the priests of Urdlen wage an unending war against gnome communities, particularly against the clergy of the other gnome deities. When they're not busy hunting other creatures, priests of Urdlen seek to destroy, steal or deface objects of value, especially gems and works of art. They share their god's love for deadly and evil pranks directed at all creatures, including other gnomes.
In Spelljammer
Urdlen is a member of the Gnomish pantheon and as such is considered native to Realmspace. Priests of Urdlen are able to travel throughout Realmspace without limitation. However, if they leave Realmspace, they cannot recover any spells until they reenter a crystal sphere.
Appendix
Notes
External Links
- Urdlen article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Urdlen article at Greyhawkonline.com, a wiki for the Greyhawk campaign setting.
- Urdlen article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.