Conflicting information concerning Zath / Yezud

[David St-Michel]

In the Player's Handbook, it is written that Zath is a god of purity.

online, it's suggested that Zath is a disgusting, vile god of poison and disease. He rewards people with suffering and death.

So... which one's right?

 

[flatscan]

"Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view." — Obi-Wan Kenobi

:wink:

 

[VincentDarlage]

In the Player's Handbook, it is written that Zath is a god of purity.

online, it's suggested that Zath is a disgusting, vile god of poison and disease. He rewards people with suffering and death.

So... which one's right?

What is the online source?

According to L. Sprage de Camp, Zath is a god of purity. This is established in Conan and the Spider God.

I can't comment on the online source because I don't know what source you are using.

I would suggest that since de Camp invented Zath, his version is probably the correct one. Which makes the game book correct (both the core book and Shadizar).

 

[PrinceYyrkoon]

He must have the wrong Zath.

 

[David St-Michel]

Wait, lemme check :

http://aoc.wikia.com/wiki/Zath

http://aoc.wikia.com/wiki/Yezud

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/zath.htm

 

[VincentDarlage]

Well, the AoC people got a lot of things wrong, so let's go with the author of the book which first featured Zath. God of purity.

 

[David St-Michel]

Gotcha.

So no "trying to enslave humanity with ginormous spiders dripping with venom".

 

[flatscan]

I, personally, would use the "trying to enslave humanity with ginormous spiders dripping with venom," in my game. It just doesn't make sense to me the Zamorans, of all people, have a religion of worshiping anything "pure." Of course I haven't, and won't, read de Camp's novel but like I intimated with the above Star Wars quote, one man's god is another man's devil, especially during the Hyborian Age. Maybe the Zamoran priests idea of purity is something completely counter to an Aquilonians for example.

I guess my main advice would be, use whatever version works best for your game.

 

[VincentDarlage]

Were it me, I just wouldn't use Zath at all. Howard says there is a spider-god, but doesn't name it or say much about it. Roy Thomas named the spider god in Yezud Omm.

I would make up my own Spider-God, my own religion, in Yezud.

But, if I were to use Zath, I would use de Camp's Zath, because it is correct. But, as I said, I wouldn't use Zath. I would make up my own because I really didn't care much for Conan and the Spider-God.

 

[thulsa]

I, personally, would use the "trying to enslave humanity with ginormous spiders dripping with venom," in my game.

Me too!

This was one of the most fun/cool adventures I ever created/converted and ran:

http://hyboria.xoth.net/adventures/hd3_the_city_of_the_spider_god.pdf

- thulsa

 

[Scorpion13]

I love sending giant spiders after my players, so for me, Zath is evil. Dont mean he cant be pure too. Remember this IS Zamora we're talking about. Id be surprised if there werent a few dozen different cults about Zath alone that treat him in a different way.

 

[David St-Michel]

hmm... pure and evil...

...well, thanks for the info and the suggestions.