Sess'innek

The Scaled Tyrant, Lord of Dominion, Conqueror of Civilization

Sess'innek, the tanar'ri lord of domination and civilization, stands as a dark and ambitious force among the pantheon of deities influencing the lizardfolk. Revered by tribes drawn to conquest and control, Sess'innek embodies the chaotic ambition of turning primal instincts into structured but ruthless dominance. His power challenges the neutrality of Semuanya, the lizardfolk’s traditional deity of survival and propagation, and represents a volatile alternative path for the lizardfolk race. Essence of Sess'innek

The Tanar'ri Lord of Civilization and Dominion

Sess'innek is a demon lord who appeals to lizardfolk seeking strength through control and societal hierarchy. He promises power, expansion, and glory to those willing to embrace chaos and dominate others.

Core Tenets

Sess'innek’s philosophy demands complete submission to power, the elimination of the weak, and the transformation of lizardfolk society into militaristic civilizations.

• Domination: Only those with strength deserve to lead. Weakness must be purged.
• Conquest: Civilization grows through the subjugation of others, extending Sess'innek’s influence.
• Sacrifice: Blood offerings secure his favor and grant strength to his followers.

Manifestation

Sess'innek’s avatar is a terrifying amalgamation of reptilian features, embodying both the primal strength and the twisted refinement of his ideals.

• Appearance: A monstrous, six-armed lizard king with a towering form, scales glowing faintly with abyssal energy. His claws are sharp enough to carve through stone, and his reptilian eyes burn with malicious intelligence.
• Weapons: Sess'innek wields an enormous barbed trident in one hand and uses his other claws to rend flesh.
• Presence: His mere appearance fills creatures with awe and dread, forcing weaker beings into submission or flight.

Worship of Sess'innek

"Sess'innek’s will turns beasts into kings and slaves into soil."

Followers

Sess'innek’s worshipers are typically found in lizardfolk tribes that reject Semuanya’s neutrality in favor of aggressive expansion and militarization.

Who Worships Him?

• Lizard Kings: Sess'innek’s favored agents, often the rulers of his worshiping tribes. These half-demonic lizardfolk are imbued with fiendish power and dominate their tribes with an iron claw.
• Shamans and Cultists: Lizardfolk shamans who turn away from Semuanya often lead small cults, performing bloody rites in Sess'innek’s name.
• Disaffected Youth: Younger lizardfolk, drawn by Sess'innek’s promise of power and a glorious future, form the bulk of his newer followers.

Places of Worship

Worship of Sess'innek takes place in hidden temples, fetid caves, or ancient ruins reclaimed by nature.

"The claws of Sess'innek carve empires into the wilds."

Shrines and Symbols

• His followers construct altars adorned with green clawed hands carved into stone or wood.
• Blood offerings are poured into ceremonial basins, often accompanied by chants invoking conquest.

Rituals and Practices

• Sacrifices: Humanoids and rival lizardfolk are often sacrificed to Sess'innek, their blood spilled to secure his favor.
• Rites of Strength: Followers undergo brutal trials to prove their worth, such as fighting swamp beasts or each other to the death.
• Creation of Lizard Kings: Sess'innek’s most devout followers may ascend to become Lizard Kings, half-demonic beings who rule tribes with tyrannical efficiency.

Sess'innek vs. Semuanya

Philosophical Divide

Sess'innek and Semuanya represent opposing philosophies for lizardfolk

• Sess'innek: Chaos and civilization through dominance, conquest, and expansion.
• Semuanya: Neutrality and survival through adaptation, reproduction, and self-preservation.

"Civilization rises on the bones of the vanquished."

Conflict Among Tribes

• Tribes loyal to Sess'innek often war with those following Semuanya, believing the latter’s ideals are weak and stagnant.
• Internal strife within neutral tribes is common, as Sess'innek’s followers seek to convert or overthrow their kin.

Sess'innek’s Influence in the World

Role in Lizardfolk Society
Sess'innek’s influence can reshape lizardfolk tribes into structured, militarized societies

• Dominated by Lizard Kings: These rulers use Sess'innek’s teachings to create fear-driven order, often enslaving weaker beings.
• Expansionist Ambitions: Tribes under Sess'innek’s influence may seek to conquer nearby settlements or rival tribes, spreading his worship.
• Magical Innovations: Sess'innek’s shamans experiment with combining lizardfolk natural strengths with fiendish magic, creating deadly new warriors.

Influence in the Fens of Tor
Sess'innek’s presence in the Fens of Tor manifests through his follower Ssarkosh, the Swamp Seer, and the corrupted ruins guarded by the black dragon Vorthlyxx the Shadowed Maw.

• Cult of Sess'innek: Ssarkosh’s cult seeks to resurrect Rasskarth, the ancient lizard king, as a demonic ruler under Sess'innek’s banner.
• Artifacts of Power: Relics linked to Sess'innek, such as his clawed hand symbol, are scattered throughout the ruins, fueling his followers’ rituals.

Secret Hooks (DM Only)

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Adventure Hooks for Players

• Tribal Conflict: Players are hired to mediate or end a conflict between a neutral lizardfolk tribe and one loyal to Sess'innek.
• Rescue the Captives: Sess'innek’s followers have raided a nearby village, taking prisoners for sacrifice. The players must infiltrate the cult’s lair to rescue them.
• The Rise of a Lizard King: A young lizardfolk shaman claims to have been chosen by Sess'innek to become a Lizard King. The players must determine whether to stop the transformation or navigate its consequences.

Secret Hooks

• Ruins of Zyssaneth: Sess'innek’s cult uses these ruins to prepare a ritual that will open a gateway to his layer of the Abyss. Players must stop the ritual before the swamp is overrun with fiendish creatures.
• Corruption of the Fens: Ssarkosh seeks to summon Vorthlyxx to lead an army of lizardfolk in Sess'innek’s name. Players must choose whether to slay the dragon or use it against the cult.
• Fiendish Conversion: The party encounters lizardfolk who are slowly being transformed into demonic hybrids. Can they stop the process, or is it too late?

Sess'innek’s Demonic Power

Abilities as a Deity

Sess'innek’s powers reflect his chaotic nature and his focus on domination:

• Dominion Aura: Sess'innek can instill fear and submission in creatures within 60 feet.
• Conqueror’s Trident: His weapon can reshape terrain into chaotic swamplands, impeding enemies and empowering his minions.
• Fiendish Creation: Sess'innek has the power to imbue lizardfolk with fiendish traits, creating monstrous hybrids to serve him.

His Layer of the Abyss

Sess'innek’s realm is a fetid jungle filled with towering trees, choking vines, and murky swamps, populated by fiendish beasts and loyal lizardfolk souls who serve him for eternity.

Conclusion

Sess'innek offers lizardfolk an alternative path of power, but his influence comes at a cost: chaos, bloodshed, and the corruption of their natural instincts. As a deity of domination and civilization, he provides a compelling antagonist for adventurers, whether through tribal conflict, cult intrigues, or fiendish conspiracies. His presence challenges the players to navigate complex moral and cultural dilemmas while battling the forces of chaos in the world of Greyhawk.

Sess'Innek, Sess'inek

The Scaled Tyrant, Lord of Dominion, Conqueror of Civilization
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: A green, clawed reptilian hand
Plane of Existence: The Abyss (Rarified layer of swamps and fetid jungles)
Portfolio: Civilization, Dominion
Domains: Darkness, Destruction, Tyranny, War, Watery Death

Divine Classification

Demon lord

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

Ruled Locations

• Rasskarth’s tomb-18: The Chamber of Reflected Reverence

Sess'innek Abyss Symbol of the Demon Lord by 3orcs