Kostchtchie
Kostchtchie | |
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(Deity) | |
Titles | The Deathless Frost, Demon Lord of Cold and Giants, formerly The Deathless while mortal |
Adjective | Kostchtchie |
Realm | Jhuvumirak, the Abyss |
Alignment | Chaotic evil |
Areas of Concern | Cold Giants Revenge |
Worshipers | Frost giants, Iobarian cults, ettins, hill giants, ogres, white dragons |
Cleric Alignments (1E) | |
Domains (1E) | Chaos, Evil, Strength, War |
Subdomains (1E) | Demon, Ferocity, Ice, Tactics |
Favored Weapon | Warhammer |
Symbol | Icy rune-carved hammer |
Sacred Animal | Polar bear |
Sacred Colors | Blue, white |
Images of Kostchtchie | |
Source: Bestiary 4, pg(s). 48 |
Kostchtchie | |
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(Creature) | |
Type | Outsider (chaotic, cold, demon, evil, extraplanar) |
CR | 26 |
Environment | Any cold (Abyss) |
Alignment | |
Adjective | Kostchtchie |
Images of Kostchtchie | |
Source: Bestiary 4, pg(s). 48 |
Born a mortal man of Ulfen stock before being cursed, Kostchtchie (pronounced KOSH-chuh-chai[1] or kosh-TIK-ti-kai[2]) is now the demon lord of giants and biting cold.[3] His unholy symbol is an ice-rimed, rune-carved warhammer.[4]
History
Kostchtchie was not always a demon: once he was an Ulfen man from the land of Iobaria[5] who hated women and giants and had a violent temper.[6] His father raised him barbarically, forcing him to slaughter his own mother and sister, but in time, the savage Kostchtchie murdered his father as well. Much of the rest of his mortal life is lost in myth and fable. The next event of which scholars are certain, is the beginning of his unholy ascendency.[3][4]
Kostchtchie sought immortality by forcing a bargain with the Witch Queen Baba Yaga. As is often the case with such arrangements, Kostchtchie's wish for immortality was twisted by the evil crone, and he found himself transformed into the demonic form of the thing that he hated most: a giant.[7][6] Baba Yaga also hid an element of his mortal soul in a torc, known as the Torc of Kostchtchie.[4] The defeated Kostchtchie then fled to the Abyss to lick his wounds and, since that time, Kostchtchie has turned his hatred towards Baba Yaga and humanity itself.[5] He wages constant war on the tribes of Iobaria, and seeks to conquer and destroy the nation of Irrisen, ruled by the many daughters of Baba Yaga herself.[6] His interest in Irrisen is associated with the recovery of the Torc that holds part of his soul as he considers the Torc may cure his deformity while maintaining his immortality.[4] While he sometimes campaigns by proxy, Kostchtchie prefers to enter combat in person.[8][6] For example, according to the eponymous Record of Truan Iolavai, he took personal interest in Iolavai's investigation of Hask-Ultharan in the great pine forest of Iobaria.[9]
Home
Kostchtchie's home is Skyscar, a huge castle hewn out of a mountain within the Abyssal realm of Jhuvumirak,[4] which he took when he defeated Sithhud in battle.[10]
Appearance
While he was once a man, it is very hard to see any trace of humanity in Kostchtchie's current form. He appears as an immense frost giant with legs perversely twisted and an obscenely muscular frame. His head is small, looking very strange compared to his hulking body. Two tiny, pure white eyes look out from above a massive white beard woven with the skulls of kings and defeated champions of other faiths.[3][4] He always wields his massive adamantine warhammer.[4]
Cult and worshipers
Kostchtchie's main worshipers are frost giants who have turned from the worship of their traditional deities, particularly Thremyr, and instead embraced the demonic as being a more aggressive philosophy.[4] Some claim that these frost giant worshipers of Kostchtchie are even more war-like and blood-thirsty than their already fearsome frost giant kin. Despite his general hatred of humans, Kostchtchie does have many human worshipers, particularly in the western reaches of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. They pray for the day when he will finally bring destruction upon their most hated enemy, the realm of Irrisen.[3] He also has worshippers in Iobaria and the Crown of the World.[4]
Unholy text
Kostchtchie's unholy text is The Tale of the Deathless Frost usually written in spiralling runes on stone, making it very heavy. To overcome this problem, the short stories are often learnt and told orally. It contains a history of Kostchtchie's ascent to immortal power, where the story of Baba Yaga is twisted from the truth. It also contains his three commandments to his faithful:[11]
- Avenge Yourself Times Three
- Bow to No Woman
- Kill All Witches
Relations with other religions
Inimical relationships
Neutral relationships
- Lamashtu
- Kostchtchie avoids Lamashtu due to her greater power and so takes no side in Lamashtu's war with Pazuzu.[12]
- Nocticula
- Kostchtchie desires Nocticula with a passion and wants to conquer to make her his concubine.[12]
External links
- Wikipedia:Koschei (real-world fictional character)
- Wikipedia:Kostchtchie (Dungeons & Dragons character)
References
There is a major article regarding Kostchtchie in Maiden, Mother, Crone.
For additional resources, see the Meta page.
- ↑ Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 247. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1
- ↑ Dennis Baker et al. (2013). Bestiary 4, p. 49. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-575-4
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 James Jacobs. (2009). Demon Lords of Golarion. Descent into Midnight, p. 60. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-131-2
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 James Jacobs. (2010). Lords of Chaos, p. 19. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-250-0
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Adam Daigle. (2013). Baba Yaga. The Witch Queen's Revenge, p. 73. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-497-9
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 James Jacobs et al. (2011). The Inner Sea World Guide, p. 232. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-269-2
- ↑ James Jacobs. (2010). Lords of Chaos, p. 8. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-250-0
- ↑ Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 174. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1
- ↑ Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 154. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1
- ↑ James Jacobs. (2010). Lords of Chaos, p. 39. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-250-0
- ↑ Sean K Reynolds. (2013). "Kostchtchie". Maiden, Mother, Crone, p. 65. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-494-8
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 Sean K Reynolds. (2013). "Kostchtchie". Maiden, Mother, Crone, p. 66. Paizo Inc. ISBN 978-1-60125-494-8
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