Throne of the Gods
The Throne of the Gods is a powerful artifact of the World of Greyhawk setting, in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.
Publication history
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The Throne of the Gods first appeared in the fourth supplement to the original D&D rules, Eldritch Wizardry (1976).[1]
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The Throne of the Gods was also mentioned in the original 1979 Dungeon Master's Guide.[2]
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The Throne of the Gods was further developed in 1993's Book of Artifacts.[3]
Description
The Throne is an ornate chair, inlaid with gold and decorated with precious gems and mosaics. It is big enough for a storm giant to sit upon comfortably, and is carved from the heart of a mountain. The Throne protrudes from the rear wall of a 100 foot-diameter cavern, and rest upon a floor of billowing clouds. No magic will work within this chamber, other than the magic abilities of the Throne of the Gods itself.
The Throne is said to exist upon all planes of existence simultaneously, but this article will discuss only its Material Plane aspect (other aspects are not described in canon).
Powers
The Throne of the Gods is said to have the power to grant wishes to both kill the living and to raise the dead, the ability to point the way to lost treasures, to give increased strength, or intelligence, and to uncover hidden truths. If the gods are offended by the request, perhaps because the request is one of arrogance, or because it is unclear, or even for other reasons which only the gods themselves know, then the gods may curse the foolish mortal instead, stripping them of their wit, giving them cursed items that seem to be what they requested, or simply teleporting them away.
History
A group called the Seekers (not explicitly identified with the Seekers of the Arcane) are known to be searching all the lands for signs of the great artifact hidden within ancient religious texts. They've discovered that while one myth says that the Throne of the Gods was created by a forgotten race in order to honor their deities, and yet another myth says the Throne was created by the deities themselves in order to communicate with their servants. Still another says that certain gods actually sat on it during the times they walked the world. Most agree that it is carved from the sides of a great cavern, within the heart of a colossal mountain, but few agree upon the exact mountain. The Seekers have therefore concluded that the Throne somehow moves itself around, periodically manifesting in different places, according to its own inscrutable destiny.
An adventurer named Randyl the Bold is said to have once found the Throne by sheer chance. This bedraggled, sole survivor of an adventuring party stumbled into the cavern of the Throne of the Gods and sat down upon the artifact, only wishing that he was strong enough to escape his present situation. The Throne granted his wish: confused, but bulging with new muscles, Randyl the Bold fled the vicinity. Years later, the Seekers dispatched a wizard named Zatar to question Randyl. Recognizing the throne in Randyl's description for what it was, Zatar eagerly organized a party to follow the same route Randyl had described.
After many months of hard travel and great perils, the group managed to rediscover the Throne, and took note of its complex mosaics of inlaid ivory and gold. The survivors of this luckless expedition reported that, as soon as Zatar touched the Throne, it began to glow with blue light and transformed the greedy Seeker into a babbling idiot, who then proceeded to attack his companions. They were forced to kill Zatar in self-defense. Deciding the throne was too dangerous to risk molesting it any further, the survivors departed.
The Seekers still search for the Throne. There are two "camps" within this organization; Those who still wish to exploit the Throne for themselves, and those who wish to protect it from exploitation by others.
References
- ↑ Gygax, Gary; Blume, Brian (1976), D&D Supplement IV: Eldritch Wizardry, Lake Geneva WI: TSR, pp. 43–44
- ↑ Gygax, Gary (1979), Dungeon Masters Guide, Lake Geneva WI: TSR
- ↑ Cook, David. Book of Artifacts. (TSR, 1993)
Additional reading
- Henson, Dale, and Doug Stewart, eds. Encyclopedia Magica Vol 4. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.