Hello everybody Jorphdan here the PH is silent! Elder Evils… ancient powerful and generally evil
entities. Cults worship them, channeling the far realm to usher in the end of the world.
To destroy all of creation. In this video we’re talking about the Elder Evil Kyuss,
also known as the “Worm that Walks.” His followers hope to usher in the destruction of the world
using his undead creations. The ragnarok of D&D, known to a few as the Age of Worms.
Kyuss was a former demigod who was changed into an elder evil. His true history is a
mystery but there are guesses as to his origin. Most believe he was once a high priest of Orcus,
the demon lord of undeath. By worshiping Orcus Kyuss became a powerful necromancer and learned
to create interesting and new forms of Undead. Famously known for creating the Spawn of Kyuss,
which can be found in the 5e supplement Volo’s Guide to Monsters. This is an undead
plague that has ravaged the Underdark for a very long time. A spawn of Kyuss from a distance looks
like a regular zombie, but the body is full of green worms that help animate the corpse
and can potentially transfer the zombie-like status to others, like a plague.. If one jumps
into your body it will attempt to burrow into your brain, kill you, and now you too
become an undead zombie. Host to these green worms that reproduce within your husk; ready to infect
others. This is a reflection of Orcus’s intent to replace all life with undeath. More info on Orcus
and his role in D&D in the top right corner! Fear not an effect that cures disease or
removes a curse will destroy these worms within your body, saving your life.
Kyuss when still mortal was exiled by his society for generally being really evil
and constantly speaking of end time prophecies. Rather than becoming an outcast he started a cult
and became their prophet. His followers saw him as a servant of the gods. People worshiped out
of fear hoping they would be spared the wrath of these evil deities when the end times came to be.
Classic evil deity move. Kyuss and his followers discovered the ruins of a dead civilization
and Kyuss with his cult took up residence there. Not much is known about the dead culture
except they were six-armed spell weavers. This ruin in the jungle became their new home and
Kyuss ruled as a god king, like a pharaoh. He knew his path was not finished though,
it was his destiny to become a true god. This destiny was solidified when some ancient metal
plates were found which held terrible secrets but also confirmed everything Kyuss had prophesied.
Kyuss studied the metal plates and discovered they were instructions. His followers had dug up a
large stone obelisk known as the Spire of Long Shadows that was linked to a ritual inscribed
on the plates. In order to ascend Kyuss was going to have to pay a terrible price,
the death of his entire cult. He sent out his head priests to murder everyone in their commune.
Then Kyuss himself murdered those priests. With the blood of thousands on his hands he stood
before the great obelisk and recited the words now etched into his mind.
Once finished he stepped onto the stone and his body fused with the obelisk. It is said
at that moment, Kyuss both lost and gained his divinity. What was created was something
far worse than perhaps Kyuss even imagined. Although he eventually does break free and becomes
the 30 foot tall creature composed of writhing maggots held together by pure hatred in the shape
of a tall giant we won’t see that for many centuries. The lore I found clearly states
he steps into the obelisk and is then trapped there. Which made for some adventures in 3rd
edition where a Cult of the Worm that Walks tries to break Kyuss free from his prison.
In the case that the cult is successful they do have states for Kyuss.
Literally Kyuss is a humanoid looking giant that is composed entirely of maggots and worms.
A few monsters show up like this in 5th edition D&D but nothing on the 30 foot scale that is
Kyuss. Kyuss’s mind is fractured and spread out between every worm that is a part of him.
He does have one major feeling that unites all of the worms and that is frustration.
Frustration that he cannot break free and fulfill his destiny of creating the Age
of Worms. An apocalypse of sorts in the worlds of D&D; where all life is dead,
and everything has become food for the worms. To follow and worship Kyuss is to become undeath.
Your body becomes a vessel for worms to feast on. Due to this many of his followers wear masks to
not shock the normals as they prepare for the return of Kyuss. Kyuss and some of his minions
were detailed in the 3.5 supplement “Elder Evils.� Two of them have some really fun descriptions.
Edwin has nothing remaining of his meat and bones, existing as a pile of worms hidden behind a green
cloak and a mask. The Herald of Kyuss is a devoted servant that hides himself magically
behind many different masks, he could be anyone or anything? His normal form is an awful blend of
worm, octopus, and insect. Despite this he is quite eloquent in speech and has great manners.
In 2005 Dungeon Magazine started one of their Adventure Paths. These were full adventures that
went from levels 1-20 for D&D 3.5 but were spread out over a number of issues of the
magazine. I think this is kind of fun. Both the Dungeon Master and the Players don’t really know
where the adventure is going. I don’t think you could pull this off in today’s D&D world.
Releasing partial content over a 12 month period seems like a silly idea, but it is kind of fun
in a way. I suppose the 5e equivalent would be Adventure League released scenarios.
Starting in issue 124 of Dungeon Magazine and completing in issue 135 this Adventure Path
dealt with Kyuss and was titled the Age of Worms! The backstory is much of what I described above,
Kyuss gathered followers, killed them, and stepped inside the monolith. Set in Greyhawk,
a dragon lover of Tiamat who was wronged by Tiamat sought out the mythical obelisk to
gain power and protection against his vengeful lover. This dragon named Dragotha broke off the
obelisk and flew it north to his lair. There he spoke with Kyuss and learned how to release him
from the stone. Kyuss promised Dragotha that if he was free Dragotha would live forever. So finishing
the ritual Dragotha released Kyuss. Tiamat soon caught up with Dragotha and murdered him,
but Kyuss true to this word raised Dragotha back from the dead as a powerful dracolich.
Kyuss, now free with a Dracolich pet, began preparations for the “Age of Worms”, the end times.
Dragotha’s lair became known in Greyhawk as the Wormcrawl Fissure, and plenty of creepy crawlies
were pushing forward from there. In an effort to stop this evil a group of druids stole Dragotha’s
phylactery and Dragotha flew away to find it, frightened at the fact he might die, again,
like for reals this time. The rest of the druids were able to push back the worms and
Kyuss into the Wormcrawl Fissure. Binding him once more in the monolith; hopefully forever.
Dragotha never did find his phylactery. The druid cabal that stole it and also reimprisoned Kyuss
faded away over the course of a century. Few alive remember the events of the past.
Dragotha biding his time set in motion a series of events that would once again
free Kyuss and usher in the Age of Worms! It’s a pretty fun adventure and
I wouldn’t mind bringing it to 5th edition. The adventure is a mystery, the PCs have never
really heard of the Age of Worms and everyone they meet that might have knowledge of it or Dragotha
mysteriously are murdered. It’s dangerous to ask too many questions. You’ll end with a push into
the Wormcrawl Fissure to fight Dragotha the dracolich who protects the monolith.
If you are unable to stop Kyuss from returning to this world the only option left is to fight.
Kyuss won’t be easy to destroy and the adventure actually harkens back to another adventure I
love “The Rod of Seven Parts” where you require a very specific weapon to defeat the end boss.
Although no such weapon is written into the adventure directly it is hinted at by the
authors that this might be the best way to finally dispatch Kyuss forever. Perhaps a sun blade to
slice the worm that walks in half. You must enter the monolith to fight or re-capture Kyuss. Into
the magical Spire of Long Shadows, which may or may not be a direct gateway to the Far Realm.
A very fun adventure with levels 1-5 mostly exploring your surroundings in Greyhawk. The
Age of Worms path really begins around levels 5 or 6. I believe you can still buy the adventure from
Paizo. Paizo was the publisher of this Wizards of the Coast magazine during the run of “Age of Worms.�
It would be fantastic if they created an anthology and bundled the whole thing into a PDF you could
buy. The authors did put together a PDF that’s available to help fill in some gaps that were
present in the original publication. They also gave detailed ways to put this campaign into other
settings like Eberron or the Forgotten Realms! In 4th edition dungeons and dragons Kyuss was
considered an Elder Evil. I mentioned in earlier editions he was a demigod that was transformed
into something different. For 5th edition if I had to classify him I’d
say he fits in best with a “Great Old One.” Dragon Magazine 403 has some warlock information on
“Strange Constellations” and the Star Pact that warlocks had in 4th edition D&D. Star Pacts are
basically where Great Old One pacts came from. In 4e lore the stars were sometimes living things, or
power came from the unique alignment of these celestial bodies. When time comes to a close most
of the stars in the night sky will be burned out. A few will remain and these are known as the Elder
Constellations. They were powerful monstrosities which perhaps come from someplace farther than the
Far Realm.. I call this place the Farer Realm. The Worm that Walks in this 4e constellation lore
is not a star but a huge sentient tear in reality. The other side of this is a world of swarming
maggots and worms that goes on forever. An entire plane of reality of worms that gives off an eerie
green light. Somewhere in there Kyuss’s mind is captured, or perhaps he is the demiplane. Imagine
fighting a 30 foot humanoid creature made up of worms only to find that the more you hack away
more worms spring forth from a fissure in the center of the monster’s chest.
You’ll never win unless you close that portal, and stop the Worm that Walks!
Thanks for watching everyone. Will you be using Kyuss in a campaign anytime?
The 3.5 D&D supplement “Elder Evils” has a stat block for him (link in the doobly doo);
but there is also probably a 5e conversion
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