Zhawar Orlysse

Greyhawk Character

Zhawar Orlysse
Zhawar Orlysse, as depicted on the cover of Dungeon #77 (1999). Art by Stephen A. Daniele.
General info
Home:	Suel Imperium
Alignment:	Neutral Evil
Gender:	Male
Species:	Suel Lich (former Suel human)
Class:	Wizard 25
Dates
Age:	1000+

Zhawar Orlysse is a Suel lich, a wizard who learned how to transform himself into black fiery energy that hops from body to body to survive.

Description

Zhawar Orlysse resembles a normal human with coarse, leathery skin and eyes that glow with black fire. He has long black hair, a beard, and an Oeridian complexion. In his true form, Orlysse is a vaguely humanoid shape composed entirely of black energy.

Relationships

Orlysse has two henchmen, the efreet Brix and Brax, as well as warrior shades and various undead minions in his stronghold. He is currently wearing the body of a vile necromancer whose name was Sord Azaphel; Azaphel's identity is entirely overwritten by the spirit of Zhawar Orlysse.

History

Born before the Rain of Colorless Fire, Zhawar Orlysse considered himself to be a rival of the wizard Keraptis. He became so obsessed with Keraptis, in fact, that he built himself a trap-filled dungeon and eventually convinced himself that he was Keraptis.

Orlysse was also a scholar of the ancient Torhoon, and stocked his dungeon with their artifacts and even their corpses, which he reanimated as undead. He used Torhoon magics to create the demiplane of Devastus.

A letter addressed to Zhawar Orlysse can be found beneath White Plume Mountain in the adventure Return to White Plume Mountain, with a spell enclosed designed to infect Orlysse with a complete imprint of the real Keraptis's mind.

Bibliography

• Cordell, Bruce R. Return to White Plume Mountain. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1999. p. 23.

• Miller, Andy. "Ex Keraptis Cum Amore." Dungeon #77. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999.