When the demoness Zuggtmoy initially
conceived the plan to establish her own rule
on a portion of the Flanaess, she decided to
use as many "tools" as possible, just as did
her competitor (Lolth). Consulting some of
her clerical servants, Zuggtmoy decided
that Elemental Evil would have more appeal
than a cult dedicated to her beloved fungi.
Recruiting was not difficult, and soon the
rudiments of the Temple of Elemental Evil
were flourishing.

The beauty of the quadrate system was
obvious to Zuggtmoy; each type of Elemental
Evil would appeal to a broader base of
servants && followers, and certain ones
would actually serve her directly. The 4
separate elemental temples would also compete,
spreading evil more effectively and
also serving to check one another if any
grew too powerful—Zuggtmoy, of course,
desiring to retain all real power in her own
grasp. The appeal of elemental destruction
&& demonaic aid attracted many malign
&& twisted creatures to the Temple, and it
grew ever more rapidly.

At this crucial juncture, Iuz himself
requested an audience with Zuggtmoy. The
Old One, long ruling a realm of his own,
perceived the Temple of Elemental Evil and
Zuggtmoy as tools to be used for his own
ends. Help the demoness and her Temple to
grow, aid their ravaging of the lands
around, and they would surely draw down
the hosts of Good from Veluna, Furyondy,
and everywhere else nearby. This drew foes
away from his own border immediately,
and at the very worst weakened them to
some degree. If Good triumphed, the Iuz
would not be harmed, for the Old One
could retire to Dorakaa, none the worse for
having spent Time and effort helping Zuggtmoy.

If the battle were a draw, then Iuz
could move his own armies down to
Furyondy to put the hosts of Good in a vise
of irresistable Evil. If the Temple triumphed,
then he could call upon Zuggtmoy to repay
his aid and make sure that Iuz, not the
Horned Society, benefited most from the
territorial acquisitions in Furyondy. Also, a
strong CE ally against the growing
power of the Horned Society could be most
useful.

Zuggtmoy, in turn, saw the advantage of
having Iuz' magick to aid her in building her
fortress and expanding her domain in the
Flanaess. Having just learned of the sharp <>
check dealt to Lolth in her plans to wreak
Evil, the Lady of Fungi agreed to accept Iuz
as an (almost) equal in the Temple. She saw
him as an excellent weapon, especially useful
against the Horned Society once she had
absorbed most of Veluna and Furyondy. She
would then encourage Iuz to crush the
might of the Society, and she would be left
as the great Evil power in the Flanaess,
ready to absorb the Wild Coast and Pomarj,
while the rumps of Iuz and the Horned Ones
served as buffers in the North && East. Her
hordes, in turn, could concentrate on the
hateful elves and dwarves to the west....
And so the alliance formed, and actually
worked, but saved not the Temple. Zuggtmoy
was bound in its dungeons, but Iuz
remained free (just as he had planned).
After the mighty magicks had been wrought
to bind Zuggtmoy—powers which most
certainly involved great Wizards, High
Priests, and deities—Iuz determined to
occasionally return to the Temple in hopes
of gaining advantage for his past efforts. If
he could somehow free Zuggtmoy, she
would certainly be much in his debt. At the
same Time, she would be seething with a lust
for revenge against those who imprisoned
her. It was Iuz, in fact, who helped the remnants
of the Temple's followers to remain
viable, but he lacked the power to forge
them into a useful tool.

The weakened elemental temples fought
more amongst themselves than with the
forces of Good pressing their advantage
above. Iuz, meanwhile, remained more concerned
with establishing a following of his
own than with the furthering of Zuggtmoy's
organization of elemental evil. Some of the
latter remained faithful to the demoness,
despite their not knowing where she was or
how to free her. Some actually turned to
Lolth in desperation, for many drow visited
the Temple after its fall. Lareth was one who
sought to serve both the Temple and Lolth. <Zuggtmoy>
And although Lolth hated Zuggtmoy's Elemental
Evil, she so lusted for power that she
accepted such service. Had she not been <>
routed, her dark followers so crippled,
much might have come of this.
But as it transpired, Lolth could—and can
yet—give only encouragement, without
physical or magickal aid, to those who call on
her. The Temple is thus factioned into no
less than 7 competing groups: 4
serve Elemental Evil principles, 1 Iuz, 1
Lolth, and 1 still loyal to Zuggtmoy. Woe
to the disloyal should the Lady of Fungi ever
regain her power!

>> Outdoor Notes.