Innoruuk, Prince of Hate

Hate as creation

Nearly every dark elf calls Innoruuk “Father.” His followers believe hate is the creative force of the universe, that love and kindness are tools for those too ignorant or cowardly to take what they want, and that if they could hate hard enough they could destroy Norrath.

Sources: Allakhazam: Innoruuk · Library of Erudin: Innoruuk

Three hundred years

In a decrepit tower above the decaying alleys of his plane, Innoruuk stoked his hatred of the gods who had left him out of their pact. Then he struck. From Takish-Hiz he stole the first elven king and queen and, in his realm of pain, slowly tore them apart in body and mind for three hundred years.

He rebuilt what remained in his own image, a twisted mockery of Tunare’s children, and dropped these Teir’Dal into the underworld of Norrath. The manual says plainly that this sowed the seeds of his final revenge.

Sources: Library of Erudin: “The History of Norrath” (original EverQuest manual text) · Library of Erudin: EverQuest RPG Player’s Handbook: History of Norrath (2002)

His bargains

His reach did not stop with elves. On Kunark, the iksar emperor Venril Sathir abandoned his own creator, Cazic-Thule, and made a pact with Innoruuk, feeding the weak, sick and elderly of his empire to Innoruuk’s Cauldron of Souls in exchange for the secret of lichdom.

His daughter, Lanys T’Vyl, led the dark elf army at Bloody Kithicor.

Sources: Allakhazam: Venril Sathir · Library of Erudin: Battle of Bloody Kithicor

Who he is

The RPG Handbook calls Innoruuk the father of the dark elves and champion of destruction, rated orderly evil. He appears as a gaunt, hunched dark elf with a clear gleam of hate in both eyes. His favored weapon is the rapier, and he rules the Plane of Hate. Rallos Zek and Cazic-Thule are his allies, and Quellious, Mithaniel Marr and Erollisi Marr are chief among his enemies. A White Wolf sourcebook on the Plane of Hate says he was left out of the first creation because Brell and the other gods were too powerful to oppose directly, though his fury “burned hotter than the fires of Solusek Ro.”

Sources: Library of Erudin: EverQuest RPG Player’s Handbook — Innoruuk (White Wolf, 2002) · Library of Erudin: Innoruuk (Plane of Hate — Chapter One: History)

The Moon of Blood

An official Verant article, “Hate is Born,” describes his holiest night. The Moon of Blood comes once every twenty-seven months, and on it every follower of Innoruuk must murder a good being. Dark elf nobles have their own tradition that night: they choose a commoner to mate with and then sacrifice them to their god. The same text appears in the official profile of Lanys T’Vyl, his daughter.

Sources: Library of Erudin: Innoruuk (Hate is Born; Lanys T`Vyl character profile)

Temples and faithful in the game

Neriak is the heart of his faith, but not the only place he’s worshipped. Players meet Ulazia W’Selo, who says all Teir’Dal pay him homage and those who don’t are heretics who “surely must die.” Noxhil V`Sek of the Dead says that once the Teir’Dal have the second half of the scroll of G’han, “all Norrath shall be enveloped by His glorious hate.” Priestess Zaxun sends a worshipper to the Spires of Innoruuk. A White Wolf Freeport sourcebook describes the Church of the Dismal Rage, home to Freeport’s growing number of clerics of Innoruuk. On Kunark, the Crypt of Nadox under Broken Skull Rock holds shrines to Innoruuk, god of the Broken Skull troll clan.

Sources: Library of Erudin: Innoruuk (4th Race of Elves; Scroll of G’han; Dearest Brother; Church of the Dismal Rage; Into the Depths of: The Crypt of Nadox)

Defeated in the Plane of Time

In the Plane of Time, players fight Innoruuk himself. He opens with “If you thought you knew what hate was before, I have one last lesson to teach you!” and falls with “This cannot be... I will return... somehow, in some way...” Ritald, at Dulak’s Harbor, worries that Innoruuk’s voice has faded to “merely a whisper.”

Sources: Library of Erudin: Innoruuk (Innoruuk, Plane of Time; Ritald, Dulak’s Harbor)