Dagon

Archfiend

Dagon
Dagon, Prince of the Depths, as depicted in Monster Manual 2 (2009).
Title:	Prince of the Depths
Home plane:	Abyss
Power level:	Demon lord
Gender:	Male
Alignment:	Chaotic Evil
Superior:	None

Dagon is an obyrith demon lord, also called Prince of the Depths. As one of the oldest demon lords in existence, Dagon is said to possess vast and forbidden knowledge.

Description

Dagon appears as a colossal-sized eel with the leering fanged face of a deep-underwater fish. Numerous suckered tentacles cover his body, two of which ends in finger-like digits tipped with long sharp talons.

Relationships

Dagon and Demogorgon have an alliance of sorts, and it is rumored that Demogorgon gained his power and influence from the unspeakable knowledge he has gleaned from the Lord of the Depths.

Other than his alliance with Demogorgon, Dagon has few allies, and fewer enemies, for most other demon lords prefer to leave Dagon alone in his deep realm; those who do not are now dead. He is allied with the evil archomental Olhydra, and the two may have spawned twin daughters. Despite being an isolationist, many demons, lords or otherwise, pay tribute to Dagon in the hopes of gaining information about the Abyss from him, as he is also revered throughout the Abyss as a great sage and oracle. Dagon does have one active rival, the relatively minor demon lord Lascer, who poses little threat to the Lord of the Depths.

Though Dagon has followers among the kuo-toa, the feelings of their patron goddess, Blibdoolpoolp, are unknown on this matter.

Realm

Dagon's realm, known as Shadowsea, is the 89th layer of the Abyss. Shadowsea is an underwater realm with a seabed dotted with ruined cities, but without a surface. At certain points, if one ascends or swims upward, he will find himself surfacing on the 88th layer, which is the Gaping Maw of Demogorgon.

Worshippers

Dagon is served by aquatic demons, especially wastriliths and the obyrith uzollrus. He is worshipped by aquatic races such as kraken, chuul, sea hags, water nagas, and kuo-toa.

History

Dagon is one of the few obyrith lords that are still in power in the Abyss, mainly from his isolationist nature and his sheer might. The hostile nature of his realm also protects him from any invasion attempts by rivals. When the Queen of Chaos tried to rally the obyriths in the war against Law, Dagon was one of those who refused her call, and one of the few who escaped her resultant wrath, mostly because the Queen feared his power. After the fall of the obyriths, Dagon remained as he always was, safe and secure in his deep realm.

The outcast Dagon

The demon lord Dagon should not be confused with the exiled devil of the same name, who dwells on Avernus, first layer of Baator. Originally known as Jaqon, Asmodeus forcibly changed Jaqon's name to Dagon to thwart attempts to summon the offender. The original, in turn, took this as a grave insult.

Publishing history

Dagon is first mentioned in the first edition Monster Manual II, where it is said in passing that he rules a liquid layer dominated by marine dretch, hezrou, kraken, and horrible fish-monsters.

Creative Origins

Dagon was the name of a Semitic god, originally apparently of agriculture, who was worshiped in large parts of the Near- and Middle East, including, according to the Bible, in the temple that Samson brought down around him. Dagon's place of worship also figures in accounts surrounding the Ark of the Covenant. It's thought that the mythological Dagon did not gain his piscine atributes until the god was adopted by the mainly maritime Phonecians. The name and form was later appropriated by H.P. Lovecraft for one of the Great Old Ones in the Cthulhu Mythos in his 1917 short story of the same name. It was Lovecraft's treatent of the mythology that influenced the final deity in Dungeons and Dragons.

Bibliography

• Greenwood, Ed. "Nine Hells Revisited." Dragon #91. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984.

• Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.

• Jacobs, James. "Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Dagon." Dragon #349. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2006.

• Jansing, Eric, and Kevin Baase. "Princes of Elemental Evil: The Archomentals." Dragon #347. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2006.

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

———. Fiendish Codex I: The Lost Annals. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006. Available online:[1]

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic	Type	Description	Product	Page/Card/Image
Dagon (Demon Prince)	Deity		Dragon magazine #347	39
Dagon (Demon Prince)	Deity		Dungeon magazine #019	4
Dagon (Demon Prince)	Deity		Living Greyhawk Gazetteer	153
Dagon (Demon Prince)	Deity		Monster Manual 2, AD&D 1e	35
Dagon (Demon Prince)	Deity		Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e	65
Dagon (Demon Prince)	Deity		Pathfinder Chronicles: Campaign Setting, Pathfinder 1e	173, 174
Dagon (Devil)	Non-player character		Dragon magazine #075	19
Dagon (Devil)	Non-player character		Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e	112