Derro

Greyhawk Creature

Derro
A typical derro, as depicted in Underdark (2003). Art by Vance Kovacs.
General information
Alignment:	Chaotic evil
Type:	Monstrous humanoid
First appearance:	Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth

The derro are a species of monstrous humanoids descended from enslaved dwarves and humans magically crossbred by the ancient Suel. They first appeared in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Edition module Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth.

Ecology

The derro are a strange and sadistic race; furthermore, they are clever, stealthy, and murderously insane. It is very common for a derro to devote themself to some strange quest, such as collecting only certain types of gemstones for a magical device or slaying as many members of a particular race as possible. Other derro are assigned specific missions by powerful derro savants. These mission-driven derro might join a company of comrades to fulfill their irrational goals.

Environment

Derro are widespread and are likely to be found in small tribes throughout the Underdark. Derro warrens exist in many drow and duergar cities, and independent derro strongholds lie in the deepest reaches of the Underdark. Derro scouts and marauders search the areas near and around their settlements for victims to enslave and torment.

The majority of derro dwell beneath the Sea of Dust, their ancient homeland, but derro communities are now found beneath the Hellfurnace Mountains, in Zahind, in the Abbor-Alz hills, in the Domain of Greyhawk, and in the Rakers, the Griffs, and the Corusk Mountains.

A major derro enclave is rumored to be located beneath the Forgotten City of the ancient Suel. The Honeycombed Halls of the Diirinken is another significant derro community.

Typical physical characteristics

Derro appear to be degenerate dwarves, dwarflike humans, or some hybrid of the two. They average four feet in height. Their rough skin is white with bluish undertones and spotted with short tufts of coarse hair. Derro hair is straight and tends to be tan or pale yellow. Their eyes are most disturbing, lacking visible pupils.

Alignment

Derro are usually chaotic evil.

Society

All members of a derro tribe share a common tribal name, origin, history, dialect, and culture; most often they are extended families whose tribal name is taken from their savant leader or patron deity.

Males and females are roughly equal in derro society. Derro tribes keep slaves, usually humans, orcs, or dwarves, treating them barbarically. Humans and derro can successfully interbreed, always producing derro offspring. Derro and dwarves can also interbreed; their children are sterile males of great strength.

Religion

The gods of the derro include Diirinka and Diinkarazan, though few other than the illithids know about the latter deity. Local pantheons typically worship minor demigods as well - a derro god of death and a god of war are common. Some derro tribes have turned to other deities; these renegades are hunted down by the faithful of Diirinka at every opportunity. Tribes of derro worshiping Beltar can be found beneath the Rakers, the Griffs, and the Corusk Mountains. A tribe in Sterich ruled by the loremistress Eldrua has converted to the worship of Orcus.

Language

The derro language, called Derrosh, has roots in Ancient Suloise and Dwarvish. Most derro are also proficient in Drow, Orc, Dwarvish, and Common.

History

The derro were created circa -1219 CY after the Imperial Congress of the Suel Imperium, following much debate, gave their official approval. The derro were intended to be a race of slaves meant to serve as miners, bred from human and dwarven prisoners and slaves using horrific magic. The Suel name for them was thurgamazar, or "little miners." The current name from them, derro, is derived from the Flan phrase dwur-rohoi, or "twisted dwarves."

Fortubo was so outraged by this abuse of magic and sapient beings that he virtually abandoned humanity, joining the dwarven pantheon in protest.

The derro inherited magical prowess from their Suloise ancestors as well as a covetous streak from the dwarves. They remained slaves until the Rain of Colorless Fire destroyed the Suloise Empire, leaving the derro tunnels and mines intact. The derro viewed the Rain as a great liberation, gathering under the leadership of their savants and slowly spreading into the Flanaess as far as the Thillonrian Peninsula.

The komazar bredthralls were an attempt by the Scarlet Brotherhood at replicating the ancient Suel creation of the derro.

Publishing history

The Derro "were cut from the Greyhawk appendix to the Monstrous Compendium (MC5) for lack of space."

External link

• Derro at SRD.org.

References

Bibliography

• Brown, Richard, W. and Anne Brown. WGA3 Flames of the Falcon. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1990. Item code TSR9302. ISBN 0-88038-882-X
• Cordell, Bruce R., Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel and Jeff Quick. Underdark. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2003. Item code 88581.
• Gygax, Gary. S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1982. Item code TSR9061.
• Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983. Item code TSR2016.

———. Sea of Death. Delavan, WI: New Infinities, 1987.

• Jacobs, James. "Headless." Dungeon #89. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
• Miller, Steve. The Doomgrinder. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998. Item code TSR9581.
• Moore, Roger E. "Legacies of the Suel Imperium." Dragon #241. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1997.
• Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992. Item code TSR1064.
• Sargent, Carl. DMGR4 Monster Mythology. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992. Item code TSR2128.
• Beach, Tim. Doug Stewart, ed. Monstrous Manual. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993. Item code TSR2140. ISBN 1-56076-619-0
• Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet and Skip Williams. Monster Manual. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000. Item code 17755.

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
Clanbooks of the Doomgrinder Derro	Item	Book,	LT3 The Doomgrinder	48
Derro Savant	Monster		LT3 The Doomgrinder	2, 5, 10, 31-43, 45, 48
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		LT2 Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad	46
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		DMGR4 - Monster Mythology	14, 59, 60, 65
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Dragon magazine #191	22, 65, 67
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Dragon magazine #241	39, 40, 41, 42, 43
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Dragon magazine #276	84
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Dungeon magazine #070	65
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Dungeon magazine #077	48
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess	67
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		From the Ashes: Campaign Book	29, 36, 37
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		From the Ashes: Monstrous Compendium Insert	Insert (Dwarf, Derro)
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		GDQ1-7 Queen of the Spiders	125
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e	57
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Living Greyhawk Gazetteer	18, 171
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Monstrous Manual, AD&D 2e	96, 97
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Monstrous Manual, AD&D 2e (Premium Edition)	96, 97
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Monster Manual 1, D&D 3.5e (Premium Edition)	49
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Monster Manual 2, AD&D 1e	42
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, D&D 5e	158-159
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Player's Guide to Greyhawk	38, 39, 50
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, Book Two	10
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		Slavers, AD&D 2e	61, 125
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		The Adventure Begins	38, 64, 79
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		LT3 The Doomgrinder	IBC, 2-7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 28-48
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		The Scarlet Brotherhood	3, 12, 22, 25, 82, 87
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		LT1 The Star Cairns	2, 3, 23, 25-29, 37
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		WGA3 Flames of the Falcon	35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 59, 60
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		WGR1 Greyhawk Ruins	89-90
Derro {Dwur-rhoi, Dwurroh, Thurgamazar}	Monster		WGR3 Rary the Traitor	34, 35, 38, 40
Derrosh	Verbal communication	Language,	Dragon magazine #241	42
Diirinken, Halls of (Derro)	Kingdom		Dragon magazine #241	43
Diirinken, Halls of (Derro)	Kingdom		From the Ashes: Campaign Book	37
Diirinken, Halls of (Derro)	Kingdom		Player's Guide to Greyhawk	50
Dwarf, Derro	Monster		Reference	SEE Derro (Dwur-rhoi) (Dwurroh) (Thurgamazar)