Iyachtu Xvim (Dead)

Iyachtu Xvim was the half-demonic son of Bane and held the title of the lesser deity of fear, hatred, and tyranny. The Godson of Bane was consumed when his father used his body to re-emerge from death, taking Xvim's portfolio as his own.

Description

Xvim's main avatar was a spindly 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall man with glowing green eyes, scaly black and brown skin, and large claws on his hands. The form had long black hair and many observers found it somewhat similar to a troll. He preferred not to wear clothes.

Xvim's avatar wielded the Scimitar of Souls, a powerful scimitar that drained the life from its victims.

When appearing in the Realms, Iyachtu Xvim wrapped his scaled shape in illusions that let everyone see him as a middle-aged human male of average height and bright eyes the color of emeralds. His hair, skin, and features were dark and attractive, appropriate for the god's vanity. After apotheosis, Xvim was able to shape change into the attractive male, instead of wearing illusions. Manifestations

The most common manifestation of the Godson was a large greasy pitch-black cloud with god's green eyes shining through. Each eye was the size of an adult human's head. This manifestation could talk and cast spells at sniveling mortals or shower them with black lightning bolts that singed and burned everything on their way, instead of dealing electricity damage.

Iyachtu Xvim's other manifestation was a 70 feet (21 meters)-long adder as thick as a horse-pulled wagon. Just like other forms, this manifestation had blazing green eyes of the Godson. The giant adder form was not venomous but had a deadly bone tail stinger.

When Xvim communicated with his followers, he sent bats, black dogs, green-eyed black cats, black-and-green moths, flies. He showed favorability through blood hawks and vultures, while sending hematites, black star sapphires, sheens, emeralds, bloodstones, and malachites as an omen.

Personality

Iyachtu is a vain and evil creature who loves death, destruction, and murder, performing these heinous acts with gleeful joy. He is arrogant, cruel, predatory, and following his imprisonment, he begins acting cagier, with more cunning than before. He revels in mortals' pain, suffering, and groveling for mercy. Xvim's goal is total domination.

Before he claims Bane's portfolio, Xvim's avatar is very much mortal and can be destroyed, making him ready and eager to retreat before meeting demise.

Divine Realm

After increasing his divine powers and escaping imprisonment following the Godswar, Xvim establishes his new realm in Chamada, Gehenna, aptly naming it the Bastion of Hate. Xvim's palace is an imposing basalt fortress that stands amid Chamada's flowing lava rivers, overlooking the fiery lava falls of the Second Mount. The Bastion of Hate is protected from the deadly heat of lava rivers. However, the godling creates an opening in one of the palace's walls that leads directly into the lava flow's pool. Iyachtu Xvim uses the molten rock to inflict endless pain and torture on his prisoners for entertainment and extraction of information.

Worshippers

Organizations

The Legion of the Chimera was an evil sect that believed in equality and justice for half-breeds, the belief that let them to venerate Iyachtu Xvim, the half-breed godling son of Bane. The Legion was led by Isair and Madae and operated out of ruins of the Severed Hand that stood in the shadow of the Spine of the World. The cultists often left offerings at the base of Xvim's statue in the hope that he would honor the Legion with his avatar form. Isair wielded a replica of Iyactu's Scimitar of Souls, honoring the deity. The cult was active from circa 1306 DR to 1312 DR.

Other notable groups that worshiped Xvim included priests of the Cult of the Dragon. Other Worshipers

Among monstrous humanoids, Xvim was worshiped by some hobgoblin tribes of Faerûn and beholders of Underdark, who stayed close to the surface.

Beholderkin, green dragons, blue dragons, fang dragons, brown dragons, hell hounds, cockatrices, pyrolisks, imps, dark nagas, reaves, tso, nyths, and various undead served Iyachtu Xvim after his apotheosis. One such type of undead were the Claws of Xvim. They could be found in Xvimlar locations, serving the deity and his powerful priests or wizards.

Dogma

The main tenet of Iyachtu Xvim's dogma was to crush, kill, and destroy. All worshipers were to act in the same way as their dark and cruel master. Xvim taught his followers that nothing worthy could be done without death, suffering, destruction, and oppression. He encouraged his devotees to break order and destroy others for personal gain. Xvimlar believed in the strong reaching to the top of the social ladder, preying on the weak whose place was groveling and struggling to survive at the very bottom.

Clergy

The new god's main power came from the Church of Xvim, or the so-called Church of Darkness, that blossomed in Zhentil Keep, from the dying body of the Church of Bane. The Godson swiftly gained huge numbers of worshipers in East Faerûn, namely in the nation of Thay. At the height of his power, smaller cults and temples dedicated to Iyachtu Xvim could be found almost everywhere in the Realms. Xvim considered his own rise to power and rebirth of ruined Zhentil Keep to be symbolic and considered the city cosmically linked to his divinity.

The clergy of Xvim included clerics; Authlims – specialty priests; Gauntlets – the recruiters, warriors, and crusaders of the faith; and Orbs – Xvimlar missionaries. The members of the lowest rank in the Church of Xvim were referred to as Vermin, followed by the ranks of Oppressor, Hatemaster, Ruinlord, Tyrannar, and High Tyrannar. The worshipers and members of the church were in awe of the evil god or worshiped out of fear. The church attracted cruel and sadistic people who could be seen casually and aggressively slamming doors, kicking people, and throwing rocks into crowds.

Appropriately, Xvim's clerics did not have access to spells and prayers from the healing sphere of divine magic.

Temples

The godling showed favoritism for cults, seeing in them potential and growth, and for small and underground places of worship. Many of his temples were converted from sites of Banelar faith. Despite that, Iyachtu Xvim still had large temples that aimed to awe and intimidate. In the same vein, Xvim's temples were converted into Bane's after the Godson's demise.

House of Iyachtu Xvim, a grand temple dedicated to Xvim in Bezantur, the City of a Thousand Temples. House of the Black Lord, a temple of Xvim in Mulmaster that, after Bane's return, was reconsecrated and dedicated to the Godson's father. House Khateera, a private villa of Maryn el Khateera, erected at the place of a destroyed temple of Bane in Calimport. The Villa held a shrine to Xvim. Temple of Iyachtu Xvim of Orlbar that catered to paying Zhentarim caravans. Temple of Iyachtu Xvim of Zhentil Keep was a subterranean place of worship of the Godson. Temple of Dark Eyes, the temple of Xvim erected in Reth, Vilhon Reach in 1372 DR. Vihaddah Semohl, a festhall in Calimport with a shrine to Xvim in its cellars. A Shrine of Xvim could also be found in the city of Esmeltaran in Amn, while more temples to the Godson were taken and converted from the Church of Cyric in the cities of Citadel of the Raven, Yûlash, and Teshwave.

Rituals

Rituals TyrantFlameChosenOfXvim

The tyrantflame and the rise of a Chosen of Xvim.

Followers of Xvim used cruel methods when trying to convert individuals into their faith, torture being a common tool. Fzoul Chembryl used a vat filled with electric eels to dispense blackout levels of pain upon Malik el Sami, a Chosen of Cyric. The options were conversion or prolonged torture.

Each murder committed by a worshiper of Iyachtu Xvim was followed by a prayer, even when in battle. Additional prayers were performed every morning and evening, usually in front of an altar. Other venerations included ritualistic sacrifices of intelligent creatures and savage gladiatorial battles between enraged maddened creatures and captured followers of other gods, performed in a circle of worshipers. The arenas were covered in easily shattered glass items. Holy Days

Xvimites did not have official holidays nor festivals; however, some denominations or cults celebrated the Coming, the day of Godson's apotheosis. The date of Coming was different among different Xvimite groups, yet the Church was attempting to pick a unified date for the festival.

Relationships

Iyachtu did not hold many relationships with other gods, but his relationship with the Legion of the Chimera made him form an affiliation with the church of his father, Bane. At the time, Bane was alive, and Xvim held little divine power. As a deity, Xvim had no allies, especially after his father and superior's death. It was a mystery how Xvim became trapped underneath Zhentil Keep. Even the god himself had no idea. This mystery led him to blame the entirety of Faerûn's pantheon. Every pantheon god was Xvim's enemy, especially Cyric, from whom the Godson stole parts of his portfolio. Some sages and legends claimed that the imprisonment was a deliberate act by Ao. Worshipers of Gargauth targeted Xvim, along with other evil gods, actively seeking to undermine the deities and their churches. When Tiamat was attempting to join the Faerûnian pantheon, she considered the Godson to be her primary enemy as their portfolios of tyranny were too close for comfort. Kossuth considered himself to be allied with Xvim.

Among mortals, Iyachtu Xvim's most hated enemies were Finder Wyvernspur and his friends – the so-called Finder's Band: Joel the Rebel Bard, Jasmine of Westgate, Holly Harrowslough of Lathander, and kender Emilo Haversack from Krynn. The band foiled the Godson's scheme to steal power from goddesses Tymora and Beshaba.

History

Iyachtu Xvim was said to have been born from the union of Bane and either a greater demon, a fallen paladin or another creature of great evil from the lower planes. In his earlier years, he was known to serve his father only begrudgingly as he traveled Faerûn to spread Bane's influence. At some point, he developed the ability to implant a fragment of his soul into nearly any a creature in order to transform it into a Beast of Xvim.

In the Year of the Toppled Throne, 710 DR, Iyachtu Xvim emerged from a portal above the city of Westgate and backed by a large army of tiefling warriors and demons, seized its throne. Xvim's tyrannical rule was ended in the Year of the Splendid Stag, 734 DR when he was driven out by Farnath Ilistar, the rightful heir to the throne.

In the Year of the Griffon, 1312 DR, Iyachtu Xvim was using the Legion of the Chimera and its leaders – Isair and Madae to grow his influence in the Realms. With time, the Godson was planning on taking over the cult's operations in the Severed Hand citadel on the Spine of the World, converting it to worship of his father. When Icewind Dale's heroes arrived at the shrine of Xvim within the fortress, the Godson offered them to become his new allies, replacing Isair and Madae. When denied, the godling appeared as an avatar and unleashed an army of wight lemures, cornugons, and glabrezu. Following a fierce battle, Xvim was defeated and his minions slain.

At some point in the mid 14th century DR, Iyachtu Xvim's avatar was summoned to Waterdeep, the City of Splendors. A group of hapless adventurers performed a summoning ritual that went awry. Nymara Kitten Scheiron, a beautiful thief, entertainer, and secretly, one of the Masked Lords, crossed blades with the godling's avatar and managed to repel Xvim, securing her city. Defeat at the hands of Nymara was not the only one. At some point before the 14th century, Storm Silverhand dueled Xvim and won, gaining a bitter enemy.

In the Year of the Prince, 1357 DR, Xvim was tasked by his father to punish the Red Wizards of Thay for their failure to show proper deference to Bane. In the Year of the Serpent, 1359 DR, Iyachtu Xvim was summoned to Caer Callidyrr of the Moonshae Isles via sacrifice performed by the Broken Ring cult that worshiped the godling's father. Xvim's mortal avatar faced a group of adventurers but was defeated and forced to flee, giving the Godson a group of bitter rivals to plot revenge against.

In the early days of the calamitous Time of Troubles, the then-demigod's avatar was destroyed. His essence, Xvim's spirit, was mysteriously drawn and imprisoned in an ancient magic circle within the depths of Zhentil Keep. Some sages believed that the deed was done by Ao to prevent the godling from rising to power. Xvim was trapped in the ancient imprisonment circle, stewing in his hate and frustration over not getting a chance to slay Bane with his own claws. During the Godswar, Xvim declared his independence from Bane; however, it was unknown if it happened before or after the father's death. Shortly after his Bane's demise and the end of the Time of Troubles, Iyachtu Xvim was able to make contact with several former Banite priests who had fled underground following the events of the Banedeath of the Year of Maidens, 1361 DR. During his imprisonment, the Godson, was trapped in an incorporeal form in a similar fashion as Xvim's enemy Moander was imprisoned under the town of Yûlash.

In the Year of the Banner, 1368 DR, Iyachtu Xvim's avatar assumed the guise of a deity from Krynn – Sirrion, the Living Flame – and attempted to trick Lathander into fusing goddesses Beshaba and Tymora back into Lathander's old consort and the "mother" of the goddess sisters – Tyche. Through a corrupted magical device from Krynn, Iyachtu planned on stealing divine powers from the sisters. The Godson's plans were thwarted by friends and allies of Finder Wyvernspur, Joel, Jasmine, Holly Harrowslough, and Emilo Haversack from the same world of Krynn

After a few years of deliberation, many of the Banites decided to recognize Iyachtu Xvim as the rightful heir to the Lord of Darkness. Tapping into their faith, Xvim began working to free himself from his prison. In Ches of the Year of the Gauntlet, 1369 DR, with the aid of his new acolytes, Xvim broke free of his prison beneath the ruins of Zhentil Keep and claimed his father's portfolios of hatred, strife, and tyranny, elevating him to the status of a lesser deity, including aspects Xvim stole from a fellow fledgling deity Cyric. The Godson used the Cyrinishad incident to tarnish Cyric's standing in the eyes of his followers, gaining even more divine power through swayed Cyricists. In the month of Nightal of 1369 DR, Xvim's Chosen – Fzoul Chembryl, permanently branded Teldorn Darkhope's face with the mark of Xvim, instantly gifting the ruler of Mintar with visions from the Godson. This act converted him to the Xvimist faith. For a time, Fzoul Chembryl was possessed by his deity, leading him to forge a holy artifact of the Church – Scepter of the Tyrant's Eye.

In the Year of the Tankard, 1370 DR, Iyachtu Xvim orchestrated a direct assault on Cyric's faith. The Godson created a putrid gray tyrantfog that engulfed the Heartlands, from Starmantle to the Sunrise Mountains, and reaching all the way to Tsurlagol. The second cloud of the tyrantfog materialized in the city of Mintar and slowly enveloped that land all the way to Saradush. The putrid mist affected only Cyricists, causing them to become affected with deadly diseases. Most were consumed in green flames, yet others, who perished from the fog's illnesses rose back as tyrantfog zombies.

On the Midwinter night of the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, the godling was consumed by a blazing green fire, from which emerged Bane, resurrected and restored to his old divine power. Nearly all former clerics of Xvim (who in turn shifted to his allegiance after the death of his father) re-pledged themselves to the Church of Bane.

With their god dead, most worshipers of Xvim returned to worshiping Bane; however, the most devout Xvimites returned to being a cult. The new Cult of Xvim was a clandestine organization that had its agents infiltrate other churches, governments, influential organizations, recently splintered Harpers, and even the Church of Bane himself. The cabal aimed to corrupt good people and organizations, and undermine Bane, eventually putting an end to the deity, returning Xvim to life. Curiously enough, members of this hidden remnant cult were granted supernatural and divine powers. It was unknown if the magic came from Xvim himself, or some other being.

By the 15th century DR, most mortals were convinced Xvim was a dead deity and was completely destroyed. However, the Chosen of Mystra and the most devoted followers of the Godson knew it not to be true. Iyachtu Xvim manifested himself to the Chosen, and the most devote as a ghostly whisper in their dreams and nightmares. Trapped in this incorporeal form, Xvim was craving worship, trying to accumulate followers in desperate anguish and desire to return.

Iyachtu Xvim (Dead)

Dead Power

Basic Information

Titles

The Godson
The Godson of Bane
The Son of Bane
The New Darkness
The Lord of Darkness
The Cruel Master
The Fiend King

Adjectives

Xvimist (worshipers) Xvimlar (clergy) Xvimite

Pantheons

Astoran

Attributes

Symbol

An upright, utterly black human hand with two green eyes glowing on the palm.

Realm

-

Portfolio

Following

Worshippers

Alignments

LN, N, LE, NE, CE

Domains

Favored Aspects

Animals/Plants

Bats
Black dogs
Green-eyed black cats
Black-and-green moths
Flies
Blood hawks
Vultures

Monsters

Beholderkin
Green dragons
Blue dragons
Fang dragons
Brown dragons
Hell hounds
Cockatrices
Pyrolisks
Imps
Dark nagas
Reaves
Tso
Nyths
Various undead

Minerals

Hematites
Black star sapphires
Sheens
Emeralds
Bloodstones
Malachites

Colors

Black

Manifest- ations

Black adder

Black cloud with green eyes