"This concept that Xeccamund is the extraplanar dumping site for all of the things Yamma couldn't order in the Reshaping is only a fraction of the truth. In the same way that our near infinite reality of Yophas is only a fraction of the infinite extrareality of Xeccamund, our understanding of that great dark beyond is partial and limited by our awareness and our capabilities. Xeccamund is, to the understanding of my research, a prison; however, unlike Accorion, which kept its inhabitants locked in, Xeccamund keeps its inhabitants locked out. The entities that call Xeccamund their home aren't so much prisoners as they are exiles. They were shunted from the ordered reality of Ipacia and the planes and left to roam the infinite desolation and chaos of what we now call Xeccamund, the Tears Beyond Reality." - The first paragraph of That Which Lurks in the Dark, by Eponimus the Starseer.
Considered to be the foundational text of modern day xeccamology (the study of Xeccamund and its inhabitants),
That Which Lurks in the Dark: The Elder Evils of Xeccamund is still, to this day, one of the foremost compendiums of research into the powerful and alien entities that call The Tears Beyond Reality their home. Penned by Eponimus the Starseer in 198 AT,
That Which Lurks in the Dark describes about a dozen major creatures which lurk out in Xeccamund, as well as hundreds of other minor ones.
Within this work, Eponimus tried to make sense of that which even Yamma could not order. She wanted to understand what could escape the ordering of the multiverse, and why. More than anything, she felt that understanding Xeccamund would eventually determine the fate of Emaxus -- whether in decades or eons, threats would rise from The Tears Beyond Reality. After all, the Obsidian Lords brought Yophas to its knees and killed the Children of Yamma; yet, they were kept in Accorion. What powers could hide out in the infinite blackness of Xeccamund, where those things too primordial and too chaotic to be imprisoned or changed were sent?
Below are a few of the major entities Eponimus chronicled. These form the bulk of currently-known "Elder Evils," which is the term given to those god-like beings that hide out in the desolation of Xeccamund, and they vary as much as Xeccamund itself.
Elder Evils of Xeccamund
Augus, the Titan Born Dead
"My first encounter with Augus was peculiar; I didn't observe it, nor even notice it, but I noticed its effects: our Navigator travelled faster, my magics were more potent, and my heart rate increased. I felt energized, to put it lightly, like I was standing atop Luna and basking in her magic. My second encounter was when I laid eyes upon Augus and was able to study it.
The same effects as the first encounter occurred, lasting until we were some distance from Augus. Augus itself was a titanic humanoid floating in space. It had a cracked and broken form with a large hole through its chest, from which a viscous trail of star-filled fluid emerged. Both of its eyes were missing, as though they had been torn out. My theory is that Augus was perhaps a primordial that never truly lived, or maybe of a different type than the primordials whose corpses created the elemental planes."
Auldom, the God-Brain
"Sadly, my information on Auldom is quite limited. My one and only encounter studying it nearly ended in my death, and though I wanted to go back, the crew of the Navigator refused. But, from what I can gather, I believe Auldom is the progenitor of those creatures we call mind flayers, and I have come to call it the God-Brain.
We came upon a desolate planet covered in monolithic towers of chitin and flesh. The planet was covered in these crevasses that went all the way to its core, which seemed to have been replaced by a gargantuan brain. This, I believe, was Auldom. We narrowly escaped, for once we were within viewing distance of the planet, mind flayer ships -- nautiloids -- erupted like angry bees and began pursuing us. Thank the stars for the Wayfinder I hired, because she got us out in the knick of time.
One day, I will return to study Auldom further."
Iathildos, the Deadlight of Eternity
"I found something that seems to be the antithesis of Augus. I have called it Iathildos, the Deadlight of Eternity. It resembles a star, though it crackles and distorts like no other star I have seen. The most intriguing aspect, however, was that magic ceased to function within Iathildos' light. More than magic ceasing to function, I felt completely removed from the lunar-arcane, or even the chaos magics of Xeccamund.
I returned to study Iathildos several years after my first encounter, yet it was nowhere to be found in its first location. I do not know what this means."
Mudamer Alfeawalhim, the World-Eater
"I saw the entity I have named Mudamer Alfeawalhim once in my travels through Xeccamund. I witnessed a titanic being I can only compare to the colossal whales of Tudulion -- though this creature was orders of magnitude larger -- emerge from the heart of a dead star and consume a broken planetoid. It had two pectoral fins that could have smashed our Navigator with a thought, and a dorsal fin of bone that ran the entire length of its world-sized form. In lieu of a face, it had a cluster of meteor-sized eyes that peered out in all directions at once.
I made eye contact with one, I think. I heard whispers when it occurred, but they were too quiet to discern. I would like to study Mudamer more, but it only seems to emerge from its inescapable den when there is food nearby -- which does, of course, come in the form of planets, planets much like Emaxus."
Umswinya Odlayo, the Wyrm of the Stars
"I encountered the first Xeccamundian entity willing or capable of true communication. He called himself Umswinya Odlayo, the Wyrm of the Stars. He spoke of the Reshaping, of his battle with Yamma, of the chaos that ruled between the Obsidian War and the start of our existence. He communicated in thoughts, images, and emotions, and I'm glad; had he truly spoken, I fear we would have died from the strength of the noise.
Umswinya was less of a dragon and more of the idea of a dragon. He resembled one, yes, but in the same way that caramel resembles the sugar that becomes it. He didn't seem to bear malicious intent, but he could have been hiding his true intent. He was coiled around the dead core of a star, and drinking from its darkness. I do not know his goals nor his origins.
Vhud'ro, the Devourer of Light
"I came upon Vhud'ro while returning from my encounter with Mudamer Alfeawalhim. At first, I thought Vhud'ro was simply a strange star, but discovered quite the contrary upon investigating further. It was a vacuum of light, rimmed by that which it was devouring. It was a darkness more whole than anything I'd ever seen. From this death of light, a cacophony of noises erupted: a dull, ever-present roars, whispers of thousands of voices all speaking over one another, and a faint, pained wail.
Vhud'ro perplexed me, and frankly unsettled me. When I returned for further study, Visilphen was nearby, preventing me from researching Vhud'ro more. I hope to learn more about it one day."
Visilphen, the Kraken of the Stars
"Like Auldom, I believe I have discovered another progenitor entity: Visilphen, the Kraken of the Stars. It seems to be the mother of krakens and aboleths, for it leaves them on planets it consumes. Visilphen resembles a celestial kraken with dozens of tentacles. It feeds by approaching planets and scouring their surfaces. In so doing, it belches an ichor-like substance that creates oceans upon these planets surfaces. Within these oceans: krakens, aboleths, and perhaps even more creatures that I couldn't identify.
Visilphen also roams constantly. On numerous occasions, I have seen her approach the border between Xeccamund and Ipacia and simply observe, as though she is staring into Yophas and wishing she could devour it. I have also seen her progeny and Auldom's progeny battle on multiple occasions. The politics of Xeccamund are truly strange -- the planets these aberrations battle over have no discernible resources, no tactical benefits. What do they fight for?"
Vrexhotl, the Star of Madness
"Vrexhotl has threatened my studies even more than Auldum or Visilphen. I have given Vrexhotl the apt title of 'The Star of Madness.' I lost several crewmembers when we first saw it: their eyes glossed over, replaced by an inky black flecked with star-like dots. They became violent, and we had to kill them. I myself felt this eldritch force touch my mind, but was able to shrug it off.
My working theory is that I, having long experienced Xeccamundian influences, was able to identify Vrexhotl's touch and cut it off. Most people are not so gifted. For them, Vrexhotl pounces like a chalgras, pinning their consciousness and replacing it with its own, to where Vrexhotl's commands become indistinguishable from the victim's own thoughts.
I do not know if there is a cure, but I imagine its effects are much less potent when not bearing witness to its true form up close: that of a broken star, unleashing its dying energies out into the universe and crackling with the energy of creation and something more."
Yov'urvil, the Planet of Flesh
"We came upon a planet of flesh today. It shifted and settled, a great mass of tentacles and muscle. I observed it for a full week, and found it resisted all forms of exterior interaction. We watched an illithid nautiloid approach the planet's surface before a dozen city-sized tentacles whipped out from the surface and annihilated it. Immediately thereafter, the planet went back to its ever-shifting yet docile state.
This entity, which calls itself Yov'urvil, calls out constantly. The entire surface of its mass constantly moans and sighs, calling out in tongues too ancient to understand. Does it call for aid? Lure prey to its surface? I do not know."
An Incomplete Collection of Incomprehensible Entities
Know that That Which Lurks is an incomplete collection of the Elder Evils that call Xeccamund their home. Further, these beings defy comprehension more often than not. This is a mortal -- a genius, but a mortal nevertheless -- attempting to understand that which can't be understood.
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