| Category | Higher Powers |
| Power | Cult |
| World | Uezexoch (Abyss) |
| Race | Demon (Demon Lord) |
| Gender | male |
| Alignment | chaotic evil |
| Symbol | |
| Domain | Corruption |
| Enemies | Graz'zt, Lukoon |
| Godhood | 1 War March 984 LE |
Aperoq, a formidable demon lord, rules over the world of Uezexoch. His origins can be traced back to his time as a Gorantin on the world of Bal-Kriav, though the details of this history have largely been obscured. He was subsequently captured by the primordials and transported to a realm within the Piranoth's Steps system. There, Aperoq fell victim to the malevolent influence of the Threads of Damnation, which transformed worlds into conduits for chaos and evil. This infusion of demoniac energy has reshaped Aperoq, rendering him a towering, monstrous, and grotesque figure standing at an imposing 15 feet tall. With the strength of a titan, Aperoq has been known to topple towers with the force of a battering ram.
In the Demon Spawn War, Aperoq commanded the legion Vauquix. This unit went into hiding after the conflict, evading their angelic pursuers to the point where they were presumed destroyed due to internal dissension. Aperoq led the unit deep into the Underdark, eking out a wretched existence for centuries and preying on non-sentient creatures to avoid detection. When forced to eliminate intelligent beings, they did so with stealth and cunning. At the dawn of the Lith-Crillion Era, Aperoq's unit had dwindled to 200 demons and half as many cambions, the latter born from their couplings in the Underdark reaches of Dhark Bolg and Urizigar.
In 666 LE, Aperoq and his minions established Orias Vual, their initial settlement on the surface. Two decades later, he founded the Varelay Empire, naming it after one of his favored concubines. The inception of numerous demon-named locations across Ma'Ohari and the underworld occurred during Aperoq's three-century reign (684 LE - 984 LE).
The two legends explaining why Aperoq abandoned Varelay in 984 LE, thereafter journeying to Abyss where he ascended as a Cult Power and a Demon Lord, remain shrouded in mystery.
Aperoq was drawn back to the Abyss bFy a Lith-Crillion arch-mage named Sapthinal. The arch-mage tricked the demon into using an inter-system gate to the Abyss. Thinking it would allow him to summon more demons to Bal-Kriav, Aperoq attempted to use his summoning powers. However, instead of summoning demons, he was summoned back to the Abyss by a petty demon lord. Aperoq crushed this foolish demon and seized his seat of power. A palace servant is said to have informed the slayer of his master, "This is Uezexoch, here, you keep what you kill." It wasn't long before Aperoq shed his old demon body and assumed a more hulking, bestial form. He had now become a demon lord and ruler of the Abyssal world Uezexoch. His extensive reign on Bal-Kriav had made him a master of intrigue and deception, allowing him to maintain an iron grip on Uezexoch to this day.
Nîr Ralc, of Thrakopolis, excerpt from "Demon Empire of Ma'Ohari"
The other legend likely holds more truth, declaring that on 1 War March 984 LE, Aperoq was summoned to the Abyss to rule over the world Uezexoch. He was appointed a demon prince by Graz'zt. This was done out of necessity, as Graz'zt wanted his former general from the Demon Spawn War to serve as a buffer against forces under Orcus. Aperoq aided his master for nearly two centuries. Once he had amassed sufficient demoniac power over his domain, he turned against Graz'zt and allied with Orcus, but only for as long as it suited his needs.
| Core Worship | Proselytizers |
|---|---|
| Goth-Dyvermoir | |
| Sarengrorn |