Friday, November 11, 2016

Xvarts in Volos Guide

If you haven't seen the new 5E Volo's Guide to Monsters then you should check it out. The first half of the manual is full of fluff and RPG notes on common monster races both NPC and playable as PCs. The second half converts some classic D&D monsters to 5E and adds many variants as well. Though this book is written from the perspective of the Forgotten Realms, astute Greyhawk fans will spot many creatures who find their origins in our gameworld. One such monster is the xvart.

The actual stats on xvarts don't concern me, what is amazingly cool is the new fluff on their deity, one of my favorites, Raxivort. I don't know how much of this backstory is new or collected from old sources, but it all works and I'm delighted. I'm just gonna show it all to you here cause it's quite good stuff. Enjoy:

Raxivort's Betrayal. 
All xvarts are degenerate offspring of an entity named Raxivort, who once served Graz'zt the Dark Prince as treasurer. Raxivort spent long centuries watching over the treasury, and in time he grew to lust after his master's riches. In one bold move, he plundered a treasure vault and fled to the Material Plane. One of the treasures he stole was the Infinity Spindle, a crystalline shard from the early days of the multiverse that could transform even a creature as low as Raxivort into a demigod.

After he ascended to godhood, Raxivort forged a realm called the Black Sewers, within Pandesmos, the topmost layer of Pandemonium. He enjoyed his divine ascension only briefly, though, before Graz'zt unleashed his vengeance. The demon prince had no need to regain the Infinity Spindle, since he already possessed power greater than what it could grant. Instead, he dispatched agents far and wide to spread news of what the Spindle could do and the puny, pathetic creature that claimed its ownership. Soon enough, Raxivort was pursued by a variety of enemies, all eager to claim the Spindle as their own.

In the face of his imminent destruction, Raxivort hatched a plan. Fleeing to the Material Plane, he wandered across a variety of worlds and spawned creatures that were his exact duplicate. These are the xvarts, creatures that not only look identical to Raxivort in appearance but also foil any magic used to track him down. Spells, rituals, and other effects that could reveal Raxivort's location instead point to the nearest xvart. Although the initial rush of enemies against him has subsided, Raxivort knows that the planar powers are patient. He remains hiding, a wretch of a demigod who does little more than wander the planes, spawning ever more xvarts to ensure his continued safety.

To me that is a brilliant if not hilarious story for a lesser deity and an obvious opening to create an epic quest to find an object of great power sought by many powerful evil factions. What more does this book have in store? I'll let you know!

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