In the Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

 rolelaying game, Kerzit is a minor demon lord

Demon lord (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demon lords are demons who have gained great power and established a position of preeminence among demonkind. Each demon lord has a unique appearance and set of abilities. Most control at least one layer of the Abyss...

. He is bound to a spellbook/artifact called the Tome of the Black Heart, which is currently owned by the notorious mage Eli Tomorast from the World of Greyhawk campaign setting

Campaign setting

A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...

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Publication history

Kerzit made his debut in the game's first edition adventure Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure

Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure

Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure by Robert J. Kuntz and Gary Gygax is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, published by TSR, Inc. in 1984. It originally bore the code "WG5" and was intended for use with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition rules...

. Kerzit was mentioned again 20 years later in Dungeon magazine

Dungeon (magazine)

Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...

 #112 in the adventure "Maure Castle," which is an update to the original adventure. Kerzit is also mentioned in Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss

Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss

Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Chapter 1: Demonic Lore:...

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Description

Kerzit appears as 12+ foot tall bipedal ursine creature. The creature’s head is something like a wolf, with menacing silver eyes and black toothed jaws that drool a grayish fluid. Its body is covered with matted black fur that seethes with vermin. The creature has four arms; the upper arms are long octopus tentacles while the lower are chitinous, multi-jointed, almost insectoid arms with serrated edges. Its feet are like wolf paws, but with polished black talons.

History

Little is known about Kerzit's origins, except he is a minor demon lord (supposedly created by other, more powerful demon lords) bounded to the Tome of the Black Heart. This tome enable its current owner to summon Kerzit, but at the same time, sacrifices must be made to the demon if any of the tome's more powerful spells and rituals are to be accessed. The tome's current owner, Eli Tomorast, while exploring the infamous Maure Castle, set up a cult which worshipped Kerzit, thus ensuring that he has a steady supply of sacrifices to the fiend. Kerzit's temple and fane is located in one of the dungeon levels of the castle itself. It is not known what may happen should the Tome be destroyed, but it is suggested that in such an event, Kerzit will fly into a rage and go on a destructive rampage.