Hushaz

Description

Deep within the cavernous depths of the Second Sphere of the Abyss dwells Hushaz, the monstrous demon warlord feared as the Tunnel Tyrant. A towering, musclebound figure with wings powerful enough to shatter stone, Hushaz embodies the raw brutality and chaos of the abyss. His domain lies in endless tunnels, chasms, and subterranean labyrinths, where he rules his legions with absolute dominance.

Hushaz is not merely a beast of strength, but a sovereign tyrant of the underworld’s subterranean wastes. Mortals and demons alike whisper his name in dread, for his hunger for destruction is matched only by his need to prove dominance over all who dwell beneath the surface.

Hushaz is described as a massive, towering demon, his body a fortress of bulging muscles and scaled, stone-like hide. His wings are vast and jagged, strong enough to carry his bulk aloft and powerful enough to shatter through rock and cavern walls with a single beat. His glowing eyes burn with fiery intensity, a constant reminder of his boundless rage and the abyssal flame that fuels his being.

Legends describe him striding through tunnels in a hunched, predatory posture, wings dragging like weapons and fists smashing through walls with contemptuous ease. His presence alone is said to make caverns quake, as if the Abyss itself recoils from its tyrant.

History

Hushaz rose to power during the great abyssal conflicts of the Second Sphere, carving out his dominion by sheer force. He is said to have torn apart rival demon lords with his bare hands, collapsing entire tunnel networks to bury his enemies alive. Over time, his rule solidified, and the title Tunnel Tyrant became synonymous with abyssal supremacy in subterranean warfare.

In mortal lore, miners and deep dwellers tell tales of Hushaz as a looming shadow in the deepest caverns, a punisher of those who dare to dig too deep. Many collapsed mines and vanishing expeditions are attributed to his wrath, either through his direct intervention or the work of his servants.

Personality

Hushaz embodies brutality, domination, and conquest. Unlike more cunning abyssal entities, he relies on fear, raw strength, and overwhelming power to command loyalty. He is impatient, prone to fits of destructive rage, and dismissive of weakness.

Yet beneath his savagery lies an unshakable belief in strength as the ultimate law of the Abyss. To Hushaz, cruelty is not only an expression of power but a necessary tool to cull weakness from his legions. His rule is tyrannical but absolute, and even rival demon lords acknowledge that none command their armies with such sheer authority.

Worshipers

Hushaz’s mortal and abyssal followers revere him as the living embodiment of destruction, chaos, and dominance. To them, cruelty and conquest are sacred acts of devotion. His cultists often consist of:

• Warbands of marauders and raiders, who worship Hushaz through violent conquest.
• Abyssal gladiators and berserkers, who seek his favor in brutal arenas, believing strength in battle earns his blessing.
• Mortals who mine or live underground, who sometimes form hidden cults, offering sacrifices to keep the Tunnel Tyrant from collapsing their tunnels.

Rituals dedicated to Hushaz often involve contests of strength, ritual combat, and sacrifices carried out deep within caverns. His priests — usually brutish warlocks and demonic champions — promise their followers that by proving themselves in destruction, they may share in his abyssal might.

Eternal Rivalry

Hushaz’s greatest foe is Elinyrami, a rival demon lord of the Second Sphere. Their rivalry is legendary, their clashes so destructive that they leave entire caverns shattered and abyssal landscapes reshaped. Where Hushaz embodies brute force and dominance through fear, Elinyrami is a creature of cunning, control, and arcane mastery.

Theirs is not a war of single battles but an eternal cycle of devastation. Hushaz collapses tunnels and reduces cities of demons to rubble, while Elinyrami counters with strategies and enchantments to contain or outmaneuver him. Neither has ever triumphed fully, and their eternal struggle defines much of the chaos that wracks the Second Sphere.

Abilities

• Titanic Strength: Hushaz’s blows can collapse tunnels and shatter rock as though it were brittle glass.
  
• Winged Tyranny: His wings allow him to fly despite his massive size, and their sheer power can unleash concussive blasts in confined spaces.
  
• Aura of Fear: His mere presence fills both mortals and demons with dread, sapping courage and willpower.
  
• Subterranean Dominion: He can sense vibrations and movements in the tunnels of his domain, making ambush nearly impossible.
  
• Demonic Command: His authority over his legions is absolute; few dare to defy him, and his roar alone can rally armies or scatter foes.

Possessions / Relics

A handful relics are attributed directly to Xinon, for his gifts are often cursed traps for his own cult followers and to his enemies who may end up acquiring his gifts from said cultists. 

• Abyssal Flesh Pact: A living symbiotic shadow made manifest from an archfiend. 
  
• The Gauntlets of Shattered Stone: Enormous, jagged gauntlets said to magnify his blows, enabling him to crush even enchanted walls and divine barriers.
  
• The Tunnel Crown: A helm-like relic adorned with stalactite shards, symbolizing his dominion over the Second Sphere’s caverns.

Legacy

Hushaz’s legacy is one of domination through terror. Entire abyssal regions remain marked by his campaigns, collapsed caverns standing as monuments to his fury. Among mortals, his legend survives in cautionary tales of “digging too deep” or venturing into uncharted caves. For abyssal historians, his rivalry with Elinyrami is one of the defining conflicts of the Second Sphere, a struggle that ensures chaos and instability will forever reign beneath the surface.

To his followers, Hushaz is no mere tyrant — he is the abyss made flesh, the eternal force of destruction that proves only strength endures in the darkness.