Orcus - Demon Lord of Undeath

Few names instil dread into the hearts of men, or cause whole rooms to fall silent at their mere mention, than that of Orcus, Demon Lord of Undeath.

His true origins are lost in the mists of time. Some say he made a deal with an ancient evil deity, others that he was a powerful necromancer of the Netheril Empire. Whatever the truth of his origins, upon his death his soul departed the prime material plane and descended into the depths of the abyss. There, he quickly ascended through the ranks of devils and demons to become a Balor Lord.

Upon achieving great abyssal power, Orcus began to assert himself as a force to be reckoned with. He crafted 3 artifacts of power, the sword of orcus, the scythe of Orcus and the wand of Orcus. What powers these artifacts may have had is knowledge long lost.

Armed with these powerful artifacts, Orcus established himself as the Lord of Undeath, an unusual position for a denizen of the Abyss. Nonetheless, Orcus quickly became known as the one to seek out for the secrets of living death.

Yet as his power grew, so to did the number of his enemies. Other denizens of the Abyss eyed him with jealousy or vengeance while even some of the lesser gods looked on his rise to power in fear. Who can say which of these was the one who ultimately brought about his downfall? One thing is clear, as Orcus' power grew, so too did he become more and more complacent.

Whatever fate befell Orcus, he is now a shadow of his former self. His power shattered, his artefacts scattered and lost. His name may still instil fear into the common folk but to many Orcus is a spent force, unable to manifest or assert any influence over them. However, Orcus worship is far from extinct.