View source for Merrshaulk (5e)

{{5epointer|Varied}}

{{5e Deity
|name=Merrshaulk
|sorttext=
|title=Master of the Pit
|gender=Male <!-- Male, Female, Androgenous, None, Unstated, Unknown -->
|of=Poison, Dreams <!-- Forests, Waves, etc. -->
|align=Chaotic Evil
|domain=
|plane=Abyss (Smaragd)
|symbol=Cobra Head
|pantheon=Serpent Gods
|worshipers=Yuan-ti
|refs=<ref name="mm5">{{Cite Pub|Monster Manual (5e)|pages=310}}</ref> <ref name="frwmerr">[[forgottenrealms:Merrshaulk|Forgotten Realms Wiki:Merrshaulk]] ''(accessed 2020-06-01)''. &mdash; titles (except Master of the Pit), alignment, portfolio, symbol, body text. (gleaned from previous editions)</ref>
}}

{{blockref|'''Merrshaulk''' was once the chief [[god]] of the reptilian [[yuan-ti]], a [[chaotic evil]] despot who cared little for his followers save that they remained devoted to him<ref>{{cite|last=Greenwood|first=Ed|date=July 2004|accessdate=|title=Serpent Kingdoms|url=|work=|website=|periodical=|issue=|place=|publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|pages=187|quote=|isbn=07-8693-277-5}}</ref> and made frequent, bloody sacrifices of themselves to him. His clerics were known as ''[[vrael olo]]'' (meaning 'favored ones'<ref>''Serpent Kingdoms'' p.10</ref>). His symbol was a cobra's head.<ref name="SK-p188">''Serpent Kingdoms'' p.188</ref>

==History==
Merrshaulk was one of the divine fragments that split off from the [[World Serpent]]. As the World Serpent ceased being actively worshiped by scalykind in favor of its aspects during the [[Days of Thunder]], it was primarily the yuan-ti who took up the worship of Merrshaulk.

When some of the sarrukh of [[Okoth]] were transformed into [[couatl]]s by [[Jazirian]], they warred with their former kin. Despite being outnumbered, the couatls battled the sarrukh to a stalemate, but then Merrshaulk personally fought against Jazirian and killed his fellow World Serpent fragment, causing the couatls to flee.<ref>''Serpent Kingdoms'' p.55</ref>

Merrshaulk eventually entered a period of somnolence and failed to consistently answer the prayers of his priests. He was eventually awakened by the sarrukh emperor [[Pil'it'ith]].<ref name="SK-p60">''Serpent Kingdoms'' p.60</ref> Merrshaulk thanked Pil'it'ith for his service to scalykind and directed him to create a new sarrukh homeland, promising to once more watch over the sarrukh and making Pil'it'ith his [[Chosen]].<ref name="SK-p60" /> Later, in {{Yearlink|-304}}, a charismatic winged snake calling itself [[Sseth]] appeared to the yuan-ti, declaring itself Merrshaulk reborn.<ref name="SK-p188" /> Sseth then became the primary deity of the yuan-ti and Pil'it'ith's subjects, with only a few holdouts of Merrshaulk's faith, stubbornly clinging to the old ways.

After Sseth's ascendancy, Merrshaulk became an [[aspect]] of Sseth for those who did not know of or refused to worship Merrshaulk's 'replacement'<ref name="SK-p188" /> and as a result, when [[Set]] had Sseth imprisoned during the [[Time of Troubles]], Set also took on the guise of Merrshaulk.

==Divine Realm==
Merrshaulk's divine realm was called [[Smaragd]] and was the 74th layer of the [[Abyss]]. The {{5edlc|Bullywug}} god {{5ed|Ramenos}} also slumbered on this layer.<ref>{{cite|last=Baur|first=Wolfgang|date=1994-07-01|accessdate=|title=Planes of Chaos|url=|work=The Book of Chaos|website=|periodical=|issue=|place=|publisher=TSR Inc.|pages=21|quote=|isbn=1560768746}}</ref>

==Worshipers==
Although once the primary deity of the yuan-ti, Merrshaulk came to only be worshiped by the outcasts of that species. These outcasts believed that worshiping Sseth was foolish and decadent.<ref>''Serpent Kingdoms'' p.18</ref> Merrshaulk was also the god worshiped by the [[asabi]] of [[Oreme]], as he was the deity of their sarrukh masters.<ref>''Serpent Kingdoms'' p.34</ref>|<ref name="frwmerr" />}}

==Sources and Notes==
<references />
{{5e Footer|Deity}}
{{navboxes}}
Alignment	Chaotic Evil +
Author	Varied +
Canon	true +
Deific Type	Deity +
Domain	Unstated +
Gender	Male +
Individual	true +
Individuals	True +
Lineage	Deity +
Pantheon	Serpent Gods +
Plane	Abyss (Smaragd) +
Portfolio	Poison + and Dreams +
Publication	Varied +
Symbol	Cobra Head +
Worshipers	Yuan-ti +