Brutal Rays Of Light

Dark Disciples of Nurgal

Illustration by Luis Perez

Not to be confused with the Infernal Duke Nergal, the Demon Lord Nurgal is one of the few evil deities with the sun in his portfolio. Unlike deities such as Sarenrae who represents the life giving nature of the sun, Nurgal represents its brutal and oppressive heat and ability to kill with too much exposure. We know that Nurgal was worshiped heavily in ancient Azlant but not much else about his followers, so let us take a look at three sects of this Demon Lord.

As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Nurgal. The character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of the Shining Scourge. What character do you make?

For more information on Nurgal

Nurgal’s Pathfinder Wiki Page

Nurgal’s Archives of Nethys Page

Azlant Rising

During the height of the Azlanti civilization Nurgal’s worship was spread far and wide. The sect of Azlant Rising seeks to bring back that lost civilization by returning the worship of the Demon Lord to the masses. Whether there is actually any correlation between Nurgal worship and the rise of Azlant is suspect but that doesn’t stop this sect from pushing that agenda.

This sect began when a now former Pathfinder by the name of Herrod Kalprus found an ancient Azlant library which was attached to a cathedral dedicated to the Demon Lord. His study of the unholy texts corrupted his mind and he began to think of himself as one of the lost Azlanti seeking to rebuild his once glorious empire. He has gathered around him a dozen or so sons and daughters of Azlant who look to help rebuild his empire, even if they have to do it by force.

The Desert Lions

The desert below the land of Geb houses many nomadic tribes who live a difficult life under the beating sun. Many of these tribes are traders and herdsmen, but not all of them live such a peaceful existence. Having to both live with and fear the glaring desert sun the tribe known as the Desert Lions has dedicated itself to the Demon Lord Nurgal seeking protection from its brutal heat.

The Desert Lions is a small and insular tribe, numbering between two and three dozen at any given time. They don’t grow, create, or trade anything of their own. They prefer to take what they need from those who are not under the protection of their demonic patron. Many oases through this lower region of Garund and up through Geb have set up defenses against these raiders. The desert dwarves are a particularly stalwart foe of the Desert Lions.

The Wartorn

The Wartorn are a sect of military instigators. They look for ways to start as many senseless conflicts as possible all over Avistan. Nurgal’s followers are less than subtle and usually use acts of violence to provoke armed incursions. Dressing as members of one military to attack an opposing state is a common tactic. They occasionally work with followers of the Horseman of War, Szuriel, who will use their more subtle nature to sell the Wartorn’s actions, leveraging them into full scale war.

Most of the members of this sect are warriors of some type; fighters, barbarians, antipaladins, and warpriests are most common among them. Status is determined by prowess in battle, although, like many cults of Demon worshipers, their hierarchy is very loose. Acceptance into the group can only happen by proving one’s self in personal combat.

Like the desert sun the Demon Lord’s followers can kill those who forget their power. Who is your disciple of Nurgal? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to the Shining Scourge? Where does their devotion come from? Let me know in the comments.

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