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{{Greyhawk Deity|fgcolor=#fff|
bgcolor=#000|
fgcolor=#fff|
image=|
caption=|
name=Graz'zt|
title=The Dark Prince, Prince of Shadows, Lord of Tyrants, Despots, Guile, and Debauchery|
home=The Abyss|
power=Demon lord|
alignment=Chaotic Evil|
portfolio=|
domains=|
alias=|
super=none|
}}
'''Graz'zt''' is one of the most powerful fiends in the [[Abyss]]. Though weilding great martial and magical skill, Graz'zt's greatest weapons are his mastery of seduction and guile. He entertains the notion that he is the most cunning and intelligent creature in the Abyss; indeed, there are few who could possibly contest such a claim.

Graz'zt combines military might with arcane power and a crafty, demented genius mind to dominate three layers of the Abyss, known collectively as [[Azzagrat]]. 

==Description==
Standing nine feet tall, Graz'zt appears as a lithe, muscular humanoid. His skin shines like polished obsidian, and his eyes glitter with malevolent green light. He has yellowed fangs, pointed ears, and six slender fingers decorating each hand. He is sometimes described as having six small black horns half-hidden amid his thick black hair. These fiendish traits are apparent, regardless of whatever form Graz'zt chooses to take. He is considered among the comeliest [[demon lord]]s of the Abyss, and dresses in the most expensive and elegant finery on the entire plane.

==Relationships==
The Dark Prince is a deeply sexual, erotic being. He is known on many worlds only in legend, as a dark figure who visits witches and sorcerers, granting them sexual favors as well as magical powers. As a result, his female consorts have populated the multiverse with a depraved host of half-fiend children. Some learn of their father's identity and delve into the Abyss, hoping to usurp his power. His dark elf son, [[Athux]], leads Graz'zt's demonic army, while his daughter [[Thraxxia]] serves as a private assassin.

For a time, Graz'zt was trapped on the Material Plane by the witch-queen [[Iggwilv]], who used his insight to elevate her own power. Eventually, she succumbed to the Dark Prince's charms, and their story was made infamous by the product of their romance: the vile demigod [[Iuz]]. Graz'zt ultimately returned to the Abyss, but rumors abound that he did, in fact, fall in love with his captor. In [[Gary Gygax's]] [[Gord the Rogue]] novels, prior to his capture by Iggwilv, Graz'zt ruled his realm with his queen and consort, a demonness named [[Elazalag]].

Ancient texts claim that [[Pale Night]] is the mother of Graz'zt, [[Lupercio]], and [[Vucarik in Chains]], which would also make him related to those demons. The demoness [[Rhyxali]] is rumored to be his sister.

The god [[Raxivort]] was once a servant of the Dark Prince. He stole powerful artifacts from Graz'zt and escaped to the howling chasms of [[Pandemonium]], where he became the divine patron of rodents and bats. Raxivort even has his own chosen race, a goblinoid horde known as the [[xvart]]s.

Through his own schemings and mischief, Graz'zt has become the chief enemy of [http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Waukeen Waukeen], the ''Forgotten Realms'' goddess of Wealth and Merchantry. The deity bargained for safe passage across Zelatar with information regarding a secret horde of treasure. Graz'zt readily accepted the offer, but betrayed Waukeen as soon as she arrived in the Abyss. His goal was to usurp her power.  Imprisoned in the Argent Palace, the goddess was forced to witness profane celebrations held in her honor. Her rescue is detailed in the module ''[[For Duty or Deity]]''.

But even the wrath of a god cannot compare to the hatred and spite of the Dark Prince's chief rivals, [[Demogorgon]] and [[Orcus]]. The violence of the eternal war between these three demons rivals that of the [[Blood War]], and costs them unthinkable resources that could be put to use in the battles against the baatezu. Graz'zt covets Demogorgon's title as the [[Prince of Demons]] above all else, and throws army after army at his most hated enemy in hopes of claiming it.

Graz'zt has made enemies of many other lords of the Abyss as well, including [[Baphomet]],  [[Yeenoghu]], [[Malcanthet]], [[Kostchtchie]], and [[Socothbenoth]]. Thanks to the efforts of his son Athux, he recently overthrew the demon prince [[Adimarchus]], who ruled Occipitus, the 507th layer of the Abyss, though he has yet to actually conquer that particular layer.

Recently Graz'zt has concocted a scheme to revenge himself against [[Lolth]], who rejected his offers of an alliance.

===Vassals===
Graz'zt's most powerful servant is a mysterious, hyper-intelligent demon named [[Verin]]. Like Graz'zt, Verin appears almost human, but his skin is deathly pale, and he constantly oozes spiritual slime. Verin can change his form at will, and often elects a black-skinned mirror image of himself, known as Ztefano. He serves as the Dark Prince's major domo and chief ambassador to the other demon lords.  

Graz'zt is always attended by six powerful lamias, and his marilith escorts, [[Unhath]] and [[Reluhantis]], are never far from his side. When at his palace, the Dark Prince keeps many attractive demons at hand, to feed his ferocious sexual appetite. Bodaks and similar horrors are the only other occupants of the Argent Palace.

Technically, every demon living within Graz'zt's world-spanning empire is considered one of his loyal servants; those who prove otherwise are fed to the carnivorous plants in his perfumed hanging gardens. Noteworthy minions include a hulking goristro named [[Orwantz]], who acts as Graz'zt's personal border control for Azzagrat, and [[Rule-of-Three]], a cambion who meets secretly with other fiends of the Lower Planes, to strategize an attack against the celestials.

==Worshippers==
Although he has not yet achieved divine status, Graz'zt is worshiped by many monstrous races, most notably lamias. Many of his high priests, known as the Chosen, are female, and the rituals they perform are violent and involve themes of darkness and betrayal.

==Myths and legends==
Some sources claim that Graz'zt was the creator of the [[Vashar|Vasharans]], a breed compared to humans as the [[drow]] are compared to [[Elf|elves]]. Deemed cruel and soulless by the gods who created him, the Vasharans' Adam-like ancestor was destroyed. But Graz'zt breathed new life into the corpse, long before he attained his present status. It is a terrifying legacy, for the Vasharans are obsessed with deicide, and destroying all gods has become the reason for their existence.

==Publishing history==
Graz'zt was originally created by Gary Gygax, and first appeared in module S4, ''[[The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth]]'' and in the original ''AD&D'' ''[[Monster Manual II]]''. After leaving TSR, Gygax featured Graz'zt in the [[Gord the Rogue]] novel series. The character has since been expanded upon by other designers.

Various incarnations have appeared over time; in Gygax's Gord the Rogue novels, Graz'zt is known as the Ebon Lord of the [[Abat-Dolor]], a race of demons who all look more or less like him. He ruled over the Abat-Dolor with his queen and consort, Elazalag, until he was captured by the witch queen Iggwilv. After seducing her, the Ebon Lord founded a new mongrel empire, forsaking his kin in an effort to enslave any and all of the demon breeds.

==Bibliography==
*[[Wolfgang Baur|Baur, Wolfgang]], and Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel. ''[[Expedition to the Demonweb Pits]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2007.

*[[Monte Cook|Cook, Monte]]. ''[[Book of Vile Darkness]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.

*Donovan, Dale. ''[[For Duty and Deity]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.

*Greer, Stephen S. "Fiend's Embrace." ''[[Dungeon (magazine)|Dungeon]]'' #121. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2005.

*[[Gary Gygax|Gygax, Gary]]. ''[[Come Endless Darkness]]''. New Infinities, 1988.
*-----. ''[[Dance of Demons]]''. New Infinities, 1988.
*-----. ''[[The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1982.
*-----. ''[[Monster Manual II]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
*-----. ''[[Sea of Death]]''. New Infinities, 1987.

*[[Jacobs, James]]. "Demonomicon of Iggwilv: [[Malcanthet]]." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #353. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007.

*McComb, Colin. ''[[Faces of Evil: The Fiends]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1997.

*Perkins, Chris, and Chris Thomasson. ''[[The Shackled City]]''. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2005.

*[[Sargent, Carl]]. ''[[Iuz the Evil]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.

*Smith, Lester W., and [[Wolfgang Baur]]. ''[[Planes of Chaos]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.

*Stark, Ed, [[James Jacobs]], and [[Erik Mona]]. ''[[Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.

==External link==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graz'zt Graz'zt at Wikipedia].


[[Category:Greyhawk deities]]