Syrul

The Forked Tongue, the Night Hag, Oathbreaker

Syrul
Syrul, as depicted in Dragon #88 (1984).
General information
Portfolio:	Lies, Deceit, Treachery, False Promises
Home:	Gray Waste of Hades
Alignment:	Neutral evil (lawful evil tendencies)
Gender:	Female
Class:	Cleric 3, illusionist 15, assassin 11, monk 11
Superior:	None
Rules items
Domains:	Domination, Evil, Knowledge, Mind, Trickery

Syrul (pronounced "SIGH-rul") is the Suel goddess of Lies, Deceit, Treachery, and False Promises. Her holy symbol is a forked tongue.

Description

Syrul is described as a smelly, dirty, old hag dressed in tattered clothing. However, this is but an illusion, as her true form is nondescript. She wields Small Lie (a poisonous dagger crafted from the horn of an evil unicorn, and Harsh Truth (a rod of withering made from the crystallized soul of a gold dragon). She is often seen upon Flamedevil, her nightmare mount. Syrul is immune to all illusions and deceptions. She is 5 feet and 6 inches tall.

Relationships

Though Syrul is the mother of Kord by Phaulkon, her only true ally among the Suel pantheon is Pyremius. She is also allied with Kurell. She has been a foe of Delleb since long before the Invoked Devastation. She has few other foes, as she is skilled at deception and flattery. She avoids associating with most members of her pantheon, however, suspecting them of hiding something from her.

Realm

Syrul's realm in Khalas is called the Castle of Ugly Truth. Her realm in the Gray Waste is called the Castle of Beautiful Lies.

Dogma

Syrul teaches her forktongues to protect their knowledge by shielding it with lies. They are taught that their tongues are potentially more deadly than any blade. They alternately tell truths and lies as is convenient, and know that betraying a fool is probably the best gift they can be given.

Worshipers

Syrul's faith is strongest in the Scarlet Brotherhood, though established places of worship can also be found in Ahlissa, the lands of the Frost Barbarians, Lendore Isle, the Lordship of the Isles, the Pomarj, Rel Astra, the Dominion of the Sea Barons, the Hold of the Sea Princes, and Stonehold.

Syrul is prayed to by those who need to warp or conceal the truth, including lawyers, hagglers, fortune-tellers, illusionists, politicians, unfaithful lovers, flatterers, and seducers. Her followers are welcome to tell the truth and keep promises if they choose, for this makes their lies all the more believable.

When they reach "name" level, the Syrul personally visits all Scarlet Brotherhood assassins through a vision, granting them a vision and a blessing. It is not known if the other gods consider this a violation of their non-intervention pact, or if they even know of it.

There are rumors of an order of church-affiliated assassins specializing in disguise.

Syrul is the patron of skulks, and is rumored to have played a part in their creation.

Clergy

Syrul's holy symbol, as depicted in The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999).

Syrul's priests are expert liars, and often use this skill to create as much havoc as possible, be it in embassies, markets, fortune-telling booths, or courtrooms. Many of her priests work as actors, writing and performing in plays that slander the high and mighty. They are sometimes employed by leaders to misdirect foreign dignitaries and spies. Their favored weapon is the dagger.

Priests of Syrul have developed a "doublespeak" language similar to thieves' cant that allows them to have secret conversations in the open while seeming to talk about something else entirely. Syrul's followers are called "forktongues," priests of 4th level and above are "perjurers," 6th level priests are "fabulists," and 10th level priests are "equivocators." On ceremonial occasions, Syrul's clerics wear golden robes adorned with a large forked-tongue symbol. The inner lining of these robes is black or dark brown. They also carry elaborate wooden staves containing daggers concealed inside. Their holy symbols resemble forked tongues made of red metal, preferrably red gold or rusted iron.

Temples

Hesuel Ilshar is a major center of Syrul's cult. Outside the Scarlet Brotherhood lands, few of Syrul's temples are in the open. Most major cities in the Flanaess have a small shrine to Syrul somewhere in the thieves' quarter. Her temples are made of gnarled wood and tortured stone, carved with weird designs that seem to change depending on the angle from which they are seen. Unusual paintings with optical tricks hang from the walls. From the ceiling hang wooden disks with pleasant images on one side and macabre images on the other.

Rituals and holy days

Syrul's forktongues hold the 11th day of each month sacred. On that day, they are forbidden from telling the exact truth about anything. Younger priests keep silent on this day, watching their elders to see how this is done. Those clerics who break this taboo are punished by having their legs broken and set wrong.

References

Bibliography

• Brown, Anne. Player's Guide. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
• Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:[1]
• Gygax, Gary, and Frank Mentzer. The Temple of Elemental Evil. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1985.
• Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K. Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
• Lakofka, Lenard. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon." Dragon #88. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1984.
• Reynolds, Sean K. The Scarlet Brotherhood. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1999.
• Sargent, Carl. Ivid the Undying. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995. Published online. PDF by William Allman with maps. Original RTF archived:Wizards.com. WGR7 or WGRx

  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
Black Opal of Syrul	Item	Artifact,	The Scarlet Brotherhood	27, 86
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e	25, 67, 68, 79, 105
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Living Greyhawk Gazetteer	21, 44, 68, 70, 87, 91, 96, 98, 100, 108, 174, 181, 183
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Living Greyhawk Journal #3	18, 20
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Oerth Journal #07	4
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Oerth Journal #11	53
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Oerth Journal #18	5
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Oerth Journal #22	22
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Oerth Journal #23	10
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Oerth Journal #25	46,47,50
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Oerth Journal #27	6,33,35
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Escape from Scant, RPGA	3, 8
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Rashtai's Brother, RPGA, RPGA	4, 10
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Player's Guide to Greyhawk	20, 21
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil	120
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	The Scarlet Brotherhood	9-11, 14, 17, 27, 78-80, 86
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	WGR6 City of Skulls	8
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983)	64
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Bastion of Faith	42
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Dragon magazine #087	24, 26
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Dragon magazine #088	8, 9
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Dragon magazine #089	21
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Dragon magazine #090	3
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Dragon magazine #241	47, 48, 52
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Dragon magazine #256	48
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Dragon magazine #263	48, 50
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Dragon magazine #299	102, 103
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	From the Ashes: References Card	#4
Syrul	Deity	Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, Worshipped by: Human (Suel),	Ivid the Undying	6, 97
Syrul, Shrine of (Sornhill)	Building	Shrine,	Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e	79
Syrul, Symbol of	Item	Artifact,	Escape from Scant, RPGA	8
Syrul, Temple of (Hesuel Ilshar)	Building	Temple,	The Scarlet Brotherhood	26
Syrulite	People Group	People,	Rashtai's Brother, RPGA, RPGA	4