Kord (Greyhawk)

Articleissues
primarysources = October 2007
citations missing = February 2008

Greyhawk Deity


caption=
fgcolor=#fff
bgcolor=#000
fgcolor=#fff
name=Kord
title=The Brawler
home=Heroic Domains of Ysgard
power=Intermediate
alignment=Chaotic Good
portfolio=Athletics, Sports, Brawling, Strength, Courage
domains=Chaos, Good, Luck, Strength (Plus Competition from Complete Divine)
alias=none
super=none

In the "World of Greyhawk" campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the "Dungeons & Dragons" roleplaying game, Kord is the Suel god of Athletics, Sports, Brawling, Strength, and Courage. He is known as the Brawler. His symbol is an eight-pointed star composed of spears and maces.

Publication history

Lenard Lakofka created Kord.Fact|date=July 2008

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

Kord was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in the "World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting" (1983), by Gary Gygax. [Gygax, Gary. "World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting" (TSR, 1983)]

Kord was further detailed by Lenard Lakofka in "Dragon" #87 (1984), in the article "Gods of the Suel Pantheon." [Lakofka, Lenard. "Gods of the Suel Pantheon." Dragon" #87 (TSR, 1984)]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

Kord was one of the deities described in the "From the Ashes" set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign, [Sargent, Carl. "From the Ashes" (TSR, 1992)] and appeared again in "Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins" (1998). [Moore, Roger E. "Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins" (TSR, 1998)]

Kord is described as one of the good deities that celestials can serve in the supplement "Warriors of Heaven" (1999). [Perkins, Christopher. "Warriors of Heaven" (TSR, 1999)]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

Kord appears as one of the deities described in the Players Handbook for this edition (2000). [Tweet, Jonathan, Cook, Monte, Williams, Skip. "Player's Handbook" (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)] Kord's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the "Living Greyhawk Gazetteer" (2000). [Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. "Living Greyhawk Gazetteer" (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)]

Kord is also detailed in "Deities and Demigods" (2002). [Redman, Rich, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. "Deities and Demigods" (Wizards of the Coast, 2002)]

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

Kord appears in the revised Players Handbook for this edition (2003). [Tweet, Jonathan, Cook, Monte, Williams, Skip. "Player's Handbook" (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)] His priesthood is detailed for this edition in "Complete Divine" (2004). [Noonan, David. "Complete Divine" (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)]

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

Kord appears as one of the deities described in the Players Handbook for this edition (2008). [Heinsoo, Rob, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt. "Player's Handbook". (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)] In this edition of D&D, the symbol of Kord was changed to a fist holding a bolt of lightning with a greatsword projecting upwards out of the fist. Kord is now an unaligned god rather than a chaotic good god, as in other editions.

Description

Kord is depicted as a hugely muscular man with a red beard and long red hair. He wears a fighting girdle made from a red dragon's hide, gauntlets from a white dragon's hide, and boots from a blue dragon's hide. He wields the greatsword "Kelmar" in battle.

Relationships

Kord is the son of Phaulkon and Syrul, and the grandson of Lendor. He is a foe of dragonkind, especially lawful evil dragons.

Clergy and temples

Temples to Kord are most common in the Barbarian States of the Thillonrian Peninsula and other temples to the Brawler can be found in Alhaster and throughout Keoland. One of the most prominent temples, known as the Hall of the Mighty, was founded by a young cleric from the barbarian state of Vika named Yav Lightbringer; the same cleric who eventually became the High Priest of Kord. Incredibly devoted to Kord and his ideals, Yav spent a majority of his life distributing a leaflet which brought many men and women to worship Kord.

References

Additional reading

*Brown, Anne. "Player's Guide to Greyhawk" (TSR, 1998).
*Gygax, Gary, and Frank Mentzer. "The Temple of Elemental Evil" (TSR, 1985).
*Reynolds, Sean K. "The Scarlet Brotherhood" (TSR, 1999).
*Living Greyhawk Journal no. 3 - "Gods of Oerth"