Fraz-Urb'luu

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Fraz-Urb'luu is a demon lord, sometimes known as the "Prince of Deception." In Gary Gygax's Gord novels, Fraz-Urb'luu is alternately called Var-Az-Hloo.

Description

Fraz-Urb'luu is a large beast over eighteen feet in height, with a muscular gorilla-like body, a goblin-like head, a greyish-white coloration, and two vast batlike wings.

Relationships

Fraz-Urb'luu is one of the most hated of the Abyssal lords, as several demon lords are still smarting from the memory of their past "audiences" with the Prince of Deception. Some of Fraz-Urb'luu's enemies include Graz'zt, Demogorgon, and Ugudenk, the writhing obyrith Lord of Worms and Hungry Parasites.

The Prince of Deception had also sworn revenge against all of humanity for his imprisonment and humiliation, for it was Zagyg (at the time a mere human) who was responsible for his confinement and loss of status.

History

The demon prince Fraz-Urb'luu was one of the first tanar'ri to rise to power in the Abyss after the fall of the obyriths. Although he was never the most powerful of the demon princes, his vast intellect has enabled him to outlive countless rivals. Fraz-Urb'luu eventually mastered the art of summoning, to the point where he could forcibly summon other demon lords into his court in order to humiliate and degrade them for his own amusement. Fraz-Urb'luu's staff and his control of every aspect of his layer discouraged any retaliatory strikes against him from his revenge-seeking "guests," so they conspired for a more subtle punishment.

These demon lords fashioned an artifact called the Ichor Lance, which they gave to the mad archmage Zagig Yragerne. Zagig summoned Fraz-Urb'luu and tried to use the lance on the Prince of Deception. Fraz-Urb'luu seized the lance and used his power to disjoin the artifact. However, as a side effect of destroying the lance, the demon prince lost all of his innate magical powers, which enabled Zagyg to imprison the demon prince in a bas-relief in the dungeon beneath Castle Greyhawk. For centuries, many adventurers in the dungeon were destroyed after speaking to this imprisoned form. The demon recently managed to escape by tricking a wizard and a cleric into freeing him. He then transported these fools, probably Erac's Cousin and his adventuring companion Ayelerarch, back to the fiend's domain on the Abyss and enslaved them.

Realm

Fraz'Urb'luu rules the 176th layer of the Abyss. This realm, called Hollow's Heart, had reverted in Fraz-Urb'luu's absence to a wasteland of white dust under a black, starless sky. Various minor demon nobles had moved into Hollow's Heart during his imprisonment in order to stake out their own territories. Upon his return, Fraz-Urb'luu began the process of driving these squatters out of his domain.

At the height of his power, the demon lord could control the features and terrains of his layer at a whim, creating mountains and gorges within seconds. However, this required the use of the powerful Staff of Fraz-Urb'luu, which was stolen at the time of his imprisonment and has since been sundered into several pieces, all of which are scattered across the various planes of existence. The Prince of Deception therefore now focuses his attention on searching for his staff so that he may regain full control over his realm.

References

• Gygax, Gary. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (TSR, 1982).
  • Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II (TSR, 1983).
• Jacobs, James. "The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Fraz-Urb'luu." Dragon #333 (Paizo Publishing, 2005).
• Jacobs, James, Erik Mona, and Ed Stark. Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (Wizards of the Coast, 2006).
• Niles, Douglas, and Carl Sargent. "The Lich Staff." The City of Greyhawk (TSR, 1989).
• Kuntz, Robert J and Douglas J Behringer. "Robilar Remembers: Erac's Cousin." Oerth Journal Vol. 1 #5 (Council of Greyhawk, 1997).
• McComb, Colin. Faces of Evil: The Fiends (TSR, 1997).