Sess’innek
The Glorious Emperor
Planar tanar’ri lord and demipower of dominion [he/him] / CE
Realm: Abyss / Layer 7—Kearackinin / Sess’innek’s Throne
Symbol: Clawed green reptile hand
Ah, little onesss, listen well! Let me tell you of Sess’innek, the six-armed Glorious God-Emperor, the Corrupter, the Bringer of Civilisation! He is no mere demon lord; he is the saviour of our kind, the one who shielded us from the fiends and gave us purpose. His form is a vision of perfection: Six mighty arms, each wielding a blade that drips with the venom of dominion, and wingsss—yes hatchlings, wings like a dragon’s!—that stretch wide behind him, vestigial but glorious nonetheless. His gaze pierces through all swamp mists and straight into the hearts of all who would dare defy him. To look upon Sess’innek’s works is to know your place in his grand design: Beneath his rule, where ssstrength and sssubmission are in perfect balance.
Sess’innek’s philosophy is one of true civilisation, far beyond the lazy stagnation offered by Semuanya. Where the cursed one would prefer us wallow in ignorance and complacency, Sess’innek teaches us to rise above—to dominate, to conquer, to impose our will upon the chaos. He has shown us that strength lies not in paltry survival but in control: control over ourselves, over others, and taking back control over all the lands we claim as our own. The Rule of Tenths—his divine creed—commandsss that one in every ten prisoners be sacrificed to him. These sacrifices are not cruelty; they are offerings that fuel his power and ensure his continued favour. Through Sess’innek’s teachings, we are no longer the prey—we are the predatorsss!
In recent history, Sess’innek has grown even more powerful. When the arrogant prime wizard Mordenkainen dared to breach the sacred seals of Kearackinin, Sess’innek allowed him to live only so that he could spread tales of his might and mercy across the multiverse. The wizard fled like a true coward, but his repulsion proved what we have always known: No force can challenge Sess’innek’s dominion. The sealing of our layer was not an act of retreat but one of strategy—the way for our god-king to focus on perfecting his chosen people without interference from lesser beings. The Lizard Kings are his greatest creation, born of his divine will and egg-forged in the Breeding Groundsss.
The implications of Sess’innek’s actions ripple across Kearackinin like waves through its stagnant waters. By shielding us from the chaos of the Blood War and the meddling of other demon lords, he has created a crucible where only the strongest survive. His philosophy has reshaped our society into one of absolute hierarchy: At its peak stand the mighty Lizard Kings, his chosen rulers; below them are we, their loyal shaman, then the servants; and beneath us lie all others—prey to be hunted or slaves to be broken. Sess’innek’s teachings demand that one day we will spread his will beyond Kearackinin’s borders, bringing civilisation to all who would bow before him—and annihilation to those who refuse. And hatchlings, yesss, that day will come soon.
So rejoice, little ones! For we are blessed to serve Sess’innek—the god-king who offers us purpose in a world of chaos! Through him, we shall rise above all others and take our rightful place as masters of this realm and beyond! Praise be to Sess’innek! May his clawsss never dull and his dominion never falter!
Editor’s Note: This account is clearly biased and reflects only the perspective of a fervent worshipper. While it captures some truths about Sess’innek’s appearance (huge six-armed humanoid lizard with vestigial wings) and philosophy (domination through corrupted civilisation), it omits key facts about his nature as a tanar’ri lord who manipulates lizardfolk petitioners for his own gain. Claims that Mordenkainen fled in fear are exaggerated; records suggest he escaped after observing Sess’innek’s realm rather than engaging directly with him. The “civilisation” Sess’innek offers is a twisted parody focused on tyranny and subjugation rather than genuine advancement. Lastly, while Lizard Kings are indeed powerful creations tied to Sess’innek’s influence, their existence comes at great cost—both to their tribes and to their individuality.
The Waning Planar Influence of Sess’Innek
A Commentary by Julius the Symmetrical
Sess’innek’s isolation has allowed him to impose absolute control over Kearackinin—but at great cost to his influence and relevance in the Abyssal hierarchy. His paranoia isolates him further, leaving him vulnerable to being targeted—or worse, forgotten—by more ambitious demon lords. While he remains a formidable force within his sealed realm, his withdrawal from the cut and thrust of Abyssal politics (such as the Council of Despair) and limits his ability to expand or defend against external threats should they arise.
In cutting the layer off from the remainder of the Abyss, Sess’innek has created a fragile dominion—one where he reigns supreme but at the expense of connection and influence. His isolation may protect him—for now—but it also ensures that he stands alone against the rest of the multiverse. In fact, in the short term it appears to be paying dividends—chant goes the tanar’ri lord is something of a demipower these days. No doubt this is due to the extraction of more fear and flattery from his unlucky petitioners.
However, while Sess’innek’s self-imposed isolation has largely cut him off from the intrigues and schemes of other demon lords, but this does not mean that attempts to communicate with him have ceased entirely. The sealed nature of Kearackinin makes contact difficult, and Sess’innek’s paranoia ensures that overtures are ignored or met with hostility. However, the Abyss is a realm of chaos, and chant goes that several Abyssal lords—driven by curiosity, ambition, or malice—have sought to pierce his veil of seclusion.
Sess’innek’s withdrawal has left many Abyssal lords peery of his motives. Some see his isolation as a sign of weakness and have sent expendable minions as emissaries to test his resolve. These attempts are rarely successful—Sess’innek’s control over the gates is virtually absolute, and intruders are swiftly consumed by the swamp. However, such incursions serve as reminders that even in isolation, Sess’innek cannot escape attention completely.
Chant goes that Dagon, who values secrets, views Sess’innek’s sealed plane as a mystery worth unraveling. Dagon is something of an oracle among tanar’ri, and there are rumblings he is unleashing dark whispers to probe Kearackinin’s defences. Such overtures are likely subtle and indirect, as Dagon would avoid provoking Sess’innek’s wrath unnecessarily.
Graz’zt has been known to provoke and undermine Sess’innek for his own amusement. He’s sent spies into Kearackinin before to identify weaknesses in Sess’innek’s defences. The dark scheme involved creating a fake cult to himself which really worshipped Sess’innek without realising. After Graz’zt murdered all the cultists they eventually ended up in Kearackinin as petitioners—allowing Graz’zt to somehow glimpse into the otherwise sealed layer.
While Sess’innek has no known allies among the demon lords, some may see strategic value in aligning with him. For example, an Abyssal lord embroiled in a bitter conflict might seek to leverage Sess’innek’s martial prowess. However, Sess’innek’s distrust of outsiders makes such alliances nearly impossible to forge. His paranoia ensures that any offer is viewed as a potential trap—meaning the approach would have to offer a sweet deal indeed to tempt a reply.
A Warning from the Swamp
Sess’innek’s isolation has made him a mystery even among the chaotic denizens of the Abyss—a god-king hidden behind walls of mist and shadow. Yet this seclusion comes at a cost: while he remains safe from invasion and manipulation, he also grows increasingly estranged from the power plays that define demonic existence.
The Emperor Lizard was once a conqueror, a warlord who revelled in the chaos of the Abyss. But since the sealing of Kearackinin, he has grown more distant, more brooding. The isolation of the Phantom Plane has changed him. Some whisper Sess’innek has become embittered by his self-imposed exile, his fury festering like a wound, that he has turned inward, focusing his divine will entirely on shaping Kearackinin into a reflection of his dark perfection. His power over the swamp has grown absolute, yet this isolation has also made him paranoid. He trusts no one—not even his most loyal lizard kings—and watches all with suspicion.
The sealing has also deepened his hatred for Semuanya, the old god of the lizardfolk. Though Semuanya remains aloof and neutral, effectively ignoring Sess’innek, this has only driven the Emperor Lizard even deeper in his obsession with erasing all traces of Semuanya’s influence.
Canonical References:
- Monster Mythology [2e] p102 (entry on Sess’Innek)
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p49,177 (brief mentions)
- Planes of Chaos Abyss Poster [2e] (brief layer description); Book of Chaos p20,87 (brief mentions)
Other Sources: Jon Winter-Holt; and the excellent as always AuldDragon’s Blog. I have to admit being a little inspired by a certain Hermit Kingdom here on the Prime Material Plane too.