{{Divinité des Royaumes Oubliés|fgcolor=#fff
|image=
|bgcolor=#000
|fgcolor=#fff
|nom= Orcus
|titre= Le Prince des Morts-Vivants
|résidence= Abysses
|niveau de puissance= Seigneur Démon
|alignement= Chaotique Mauvais
|portfolio= Morts-vivants
|domaines= 
|alias= Ténébreux
|supérieur= Aucun
}}
Dans le jeu de rôle Donjons & Dragons, '''Orcus''' est un prince démon des Royaumes oubliés.

Orcus est un démon très ancien, luttant pour le contrôle du plan des Abysses). Orcus est un démon égoiste, ne s'occupant pas de ses fidèles, car il vise à propager la misère et le mal. Orcus possède un artefact appelé la Baguette d'Orcus, capable de tuer n'importe quel être à son contact, ainsi qu'une épée mystique.

Orcus débuta son existence en tant que simple mortel sur le Plan Primaire. C'était un sorcier ou un prêtre maléfique. A sa mort, son âme arriva dans les Abysses, et Orcus commença son existence de larve. Il grimpa l'échelle du pouvoir démoniaque pendant plusieurs milliers d'années, devenant mane, dretch, rutterkin, vrock, puis glabrezu, nalfeshnee, et finalement un balor.
A partir de là, il devint un Seigneur démon, le Prince des Morts-Vivants, règnant sur la Couche de Thanatos, le Ventre de la Mort.

Affamé de pouvoir, il désira devenir réellement le Prince des Démons, un titre tenu par Demogorgon, et aussi recherché par Graz'zt. Il devint donc leur ennemi, et atteignit le statut divin.

Peu de temps après, Orcus fut assassiné par la demi-déesse Pandémonium, décrétant que Orcus n'avait jamais existé.

==Description==

Orcus a des pattes de chèvre, une tête de bélier, un corps bouffi, des ailes de chauve-souris et une longue queue.

==Symbole==

Son symbole est une masse d'arme donc la tête est un crâne humain.

==Dogme==

Promettez votre âme à Orcus, mangez sa chair et buvez son sang, et à travers lui, vous gagnerez la vie éternelle. La pitié est un luxe que personne ne vaut. La souffrance et le tourment sont l'essence qui donneront le pouvoir à l'ascension d'Orcus. Les dévôts plongeront le monde dans une vague de non-mort, et même les dieux périront.

==Clergé==

{{D&D Deity|fgcolor=#fff|
image=<!--  Commented out because image was deleted: thumb|center|200px|Orcus, emerging from a gate created by his followers. From the cover of ''[[The Mines of Bloodstone''. Art by Keith Parkinson.]] -->|
caption=|
bgcolor=#000|
fgcolor=#fff|
name=Orcus|
title=Prince of the Undead|
home=Abyss|
power=Demon lord|

alignment=Chaotic Evil|
portfolio=Undead|
domains=|
alias=Tenebrous|
super=None|
caption=|
}}
'''Orcus''' is the demon prince, and lord of the undead in many Orcus of Roman mythology. His symbol is a mace with a human skull as the head. Orcus was also named as one of the greatest villains in D&D history by the final issue of ''Dragon''.<ref></ref>

==Publication history==
Orcus is one of the most detailed demon lords of the Dungeons and Dragons game and one of a small handful to be detailed in every edition of the game.

===Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)===
Orcus made his first appearance in Eldritch Wizardry supplement<ref></ref><ref> </ref> for the original (white box) Dungeons and Dragons game (1976). He is described as a grossly fat demon lord with goat-like head and legs, holding the wand of death (Orcus' Wand).

===Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)===
Orcus, Prince of the undead, was given coverage in the 1st Edition AD&D Gygax, Gary. ''TSR, Abyss.

===Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)===
Orcus appeared in the Immortal Rules set, in the DM's Guide to Immortals (1986).

===Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)===
For the 2nd Edition of the game, Orcus suffered the same fate as many other demons and was not included as part of the core game. He did resurface as part of the Planescape line of products and much of his current history and details were established then.  His return was the central theme of the ''Dead Gods'' mega adventure (1997).<ref>Cook, Monte. ''Dead Gods'' (TSR, 1997).</ref>

===Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)===
As of 3rd Edition, Orcus made his first appearance in Dungeon #89 in the adventure "Headless" (November 2001)<ref>Jacobs, James. ''Dungeon'' #89 (Paizo Publishing, 2001)</ref>, and later in the Book of Vile Darkness (2002).<ref>*Cook, Monte. ''Book of Vile Darkness'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).</ref> Orcus' reappearance in the rules was even used as a selling point for the book (among others) and his image was featured in the online art gallery previews<ref></ref>. Orcus was detailed as one of the gods for the Ghostwalk campaign setting (2003).<ref>Cook, Monte, and Sean K. Reynolds., (Wizards of the Coast), 2003</ref>
Ocrus's aspect was detailed in the Miniatures Handbook (2003).

Orcus was also featured in the non-Wizards' published (an ENnie award winning<ref></ref>) Tome of Horrors (2002) <ref></ref> by Necromancer Games who have also featured Orcus in many of their own products.<ref></ref><ref></ref>  Necromancer Games also uses Orcus as their company mascot<ref></ref> and logo.<ref></ref>  He is also briefly mentioned as the “Prince of Undead” in the Book of Fiends II<ref></ref> by Green Ronin Publishing. 

Other publishers have also used Orcus as either an antagonist or as a deity in their own publications. Goblinoid Games in their Classic Fantasy Review, dedicated to the D&D spin off system OSRIC, introduces a cult of Orcus in their second publication. <ref></ref>

The Demon Prince Orcus in the NetHack computer game is based on the Dungeons and Dragons Orcus, (see Orcus (mythology))<ref></ref>.

===Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)===
Orcus was one of the deities featured in ''Collins, Andy and Bruce R Cordell. (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)</ref> He also played a small role in the ''Tome of Magic: Pact, Shadow, and Truename Magic'' (2006).<ref>Sernett, Matthew, Dave Noonan, Ari Marmell, and Robert J. Schwalb.  (Wizards of the Coast, 2006)</ref>

He was also featured again in the Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss<ref></ref> (2006). He made an appearance in the climax of the "Savage Tide" adventure path in Dungeon #149 (August 2007).

===Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)===
Orcus is the only demon lord detailed in the 4th edition Monster Manual (2008).

==In Game Information==
{{In-universe
| subject = a Greyhawk (Dungeons & Dragons) role-playing game
| described_object = a '''fictional game character'''
| category = 
}}

In many ''Dungeons & Dragons'' books, Orcus has typically been described as having the head and legs of a goat, although with ram-like horns, a bloated body, bat-like wings, and a long tail.

Orcus cares for nothing save himself — not even his devotees and undead servants — and focuses only on spreading misery and evil. One of his most identifiable symbols is the artifact, the ''Wand of Orcus'', a skull-topped wand with the power to slay any living being.  In earlier editions of the game, Orcus also wielded a powerful artifact known as the Orcusword.

===History===
Orcus is a very old demon. Like many of the most powerful demon lords who struggle for power in the Abyss, Orcus started his existence as a mortal on the Prime Plane. He was apparently a wicked spellcaster of some sort, most probably a priest to some dark deity. After his death, his soul, like the souls of all Chaotic Evil mortals, went to the Abyss and Orcus began his afterlife as a lowly larva.

Orcus proceeded to climb through the demonic ranks in the next several thousand years, going from larva to mane, from mane to balor. From there, he ascended to the rank of demon lord, becoming the Prince of the Undead and ruling the layer of Thanatos, the Belly of Death. Even though there are other demon lords aspiring to the title of "Prince of the Undead", Orcus' claim to the title has gone unchallenged for the most part. Ever hungry for more power, Orcus wanted to be recognized as "Demogorgon and coveted also by Graz'zt. As a result, he became the arch-enemy of both demon lords. In time, Orcus also achieved true godhood.

However, shortly after his divine ascension, Orcus was slain by the drow demi-goddess Abyss and locked his wand away in the last layer of Pandemonium. Kiaransalee decreed that Orcus's name be erased from all existence. 

A peculiar combination of events thwarted Kiaransalee's plans. Acererak's tampering with the nature of the Pelion. There, he discovered the ''Last Word'', an utterance so powerful that it can destroy deities. The ''Last Word'' will also eventually kill those who know it unless the being is a true deity. Thus, to restore his lost divinity, Orcus went in search of his wand. During his search, Orcus killed several gods and other powerful entities, including Bwimb, Primus, and Maanzecorian. Orcus' efforts were stymied by a group of adventurers and Orcus was again destroyed, this time by the power of the ''Last Word''. A cabal of greater deities, in response to Tenebrous's predations, has since weakened the ''Last Word'' considerably.