Canonfire! Forums-viewtopic-A Bright Desert Retrofit

Wed May 18, 2011 2:14 pm A Bright Desert Retrofit

The following NPC description of the ultordaemon Xaxx’aa is presented as a 1st Edition “retrofit” of the information given in WGR3 - Rary the Traitor. It is designed to allow the Circle of Eight to continue as given in the City of Greyhawk boxed set, while still incorporating the more useful items presented in the gazetteer of the Bright Lands. Thus, any entries specifying Rary or Robilar from that work may be adapted with the history given below as a guide.

A final note on Robliar: the refit given presumes that Robilar followed the path laid out for him Rob Kuntz. An attempt to harmonize Robilar's history as played by RJK with that later presented in official materials was given in Oerth Journal #7 in the article "Tales From the Green Dragon Inn - Robliar Remembered: Robliar and Company." If desired, Xaxx’aa's retrofitted history allows the Master of the Green Dragons to follow his original history without breaking game continuity.

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Xaxx’aa
Neutral Evil Ultrodaemon
ARMOR CLASS: -8
MOVE: MV 15 (F1)/ 15 (Sw)
HIT DICE: 13 +26
HIT POINTS: 112
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d12(x2) or by weapon +9
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Fascination gaze
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +3 or better weapon to hit, never surprised
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 110% to 1st level spells
INTELLIGENCE: Supra-genius
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil
SIZE: M
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil/Nil
LEVEL/XP VALUE: 84,000[/b]

Racial Abilities

fascination

detect invisibility, read magic, comprehend languages, invisibility, telepathy

fear

charm person or monster, teleport without error, ESP, clairvoyance, clairaudience, create illusion (as wand), suggestion, mislead, magic jar

telekinese

wall of fire, symbol of persuasion, insanity,

hopelessness

blade barrier, word of recall

History
Seeking a foothold on the Prime Material Plane, the ultrodaemon Xaxx’aa answered the magical summons of the mage Ali Ben-Raj of Zeif in 550 CY. The daemon entered into an agreement to serve its summoner for fifty years in exchange for its freedom from the summoning circle. The bargain was abruptly cut short on the northern borders of the Udgru Forest six years later, when the mage attempted to recruit a camp of Tiger Nomads. The daemon had fascinated most of the camp’s occupants, preparatory to the mage charming them, when Ben-Raj was felled by a volley of arrows from the camp’s returning huntsmen - arrows that Xaxx’aa was immune to. The daemon easily subdued the nomad hunters and then turned its attention to its erstwhile master. Taking several of the charm and domination scrolls Ben-Raj had brrought, Xaxx’aa succeeded in mentally enslaving the few remaining holdouts.

Freed from its bargain and able to travel Oerth as it wished, the ultrodaemon turned its attention to amassing power. Using the nomads as scouts and guides, the daemon discovered an intriguing location in 560 CY - the fallen civilization of Sulm in the Bright Desert. Here it decided to establish a power base. Over the next year, it subjugated several Sulm dervish tribes, setting them to the work of building the outposts of Fort Whiterock and Kalki’s Leap in the desert. Finally, it had them construct its tower in the Brass Hills as a personal bastion. Troops for the forts and tower were procured, supplemented with norkers and mercenaries who did not care about the source of their pay, so long as it was regular. The daemon also began gating in lesser creatures of its kind to act as lieutenants and bodyguards. With its forces strengthened, the ultrodaemon next set about locating and unearthing as many of the secrets in the desert as it could.

In one of their first forays to the north, Xaxx’aa’s scouts discovered Father Eye and his mines on the edge of the Abbor Alz. Realizing that UnderOerth would be a source for both new magic and troops, the daemon decided to send an emissary bearing the gift of a Tiger Nomad slave girl as an ambassador to the beholder. Negotiations with the Father Eye are currently ongoing and it is the ultrodaemon’s hope that the beholder can be gradually swayed into its service.

Aside from amassing personal power, Xaxx’aa’s motivations for seeking to control the Bright Desert are uncertain. It is entirely possible that the ultrodaemon simply seeks a Prime Material safe hold as a retreat from the politics of its home plane. However, it is also possible that it may attempt to expand its influence on the Lower Planes by preparing the Bright Lands for eventual transformation into a demi-plane of the Gray Wastes; its collection of magical items certainly hints at some dark purpose requiring much power. All that is certain is that the daemon is crafty, cautious, powerful and very dangerous.

Oddly, Xaxx’aa is not as selective in it’s plunder as creatures of its kind usually are: most daemons refuse to collect lesser magical items, other then armor and weapons, since their magic resistance usually renders them useless. Xaxx’aa, however, has collected a large cache of potions, scrolls and magical items that have no hope of affecting it.

In addition to its lesser hoard, the daemon is constantly seeking magic of greater power. Having learned something of the history of Sulm and its fall, Xaxx’aa wants to locate the scorpion crown as a possible source of godly energies. It has also turned its gaze to the southern Abbor Alz, eyeing both the meteorite deep in the pits of Azak-Zil and the soul gem hidden at the top of the ruined tower of Inverness.

In terms of personal wealth, Xaxx’aa has collected 12,500 g.p., 30,500 p.p. and 1d100 gems, both cut and raw (50% chance of either, roll 1d4 to determine cut or base value: 1=50 g.p., 2=100 g.p., 3=500 g.p. and 4=1,000 g.p.) hidden away from the prying eyes of rival daemons and hostile devils or demons and constantly added to. It currently has one of each type of potion, a full collection of protection scrolls and a small library of spell scrolls of 1st-9th level. It also has a number of minor magical items, the majority being wands of various types. The ultrodaemon is also fond of golems, constructs and figurines of wondrous power, as the automatons within its tower show.

In combat, Xaxx’aa fights with Doomcutter, a neutral evil scimitar +3 plundered from its early days in the Baklunish lands. The sword has an Intelligence of 15, communicates via speech, and has the abilities of detect precious metals, detect invisible objects, and levitation 3x per day. Doomcutter’s special power is to slay devils and demons. Any of these creatures struck by the weapon take double damage and must successfully save vs. spells or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. This latter ability ignores the victim’s magic resistance when the wielder is Xaxxaa itself.

Careful as it has been, the ultrodaemon has still managed to draw the attention of a few of the powerful on Oerth. Although presently unaware of Xaxx’aa’s daemonic origins, Mordenkainen has learned through the ranger Kendyra that something has upset the balance between the Sulm dervish clans. The archmage has long known of the presence of the scorpion crown. The fact that something has changed the political fabric of the land concealing it fills him with unease. He has instructed Kendyra to keep watch and report frequently.

Additionally, the daemon is puzzled at the lack of potent magic hidden in and around the desert. Unbeknownst to it, hidden in his crypt within the central Abbor Alz, Lyzandred has learned of the ultrodaemon’s presence. The lich has been safeguarding powerful magic from Oerth specifically to prevent the sort of conquest the daemon plans upon. As a result, Xaxx’aa has begun looking ever further northwards, towards the ruins of Maure Castle and to the plunder available in Cairn Hills beyond.

Finally, tha Baklunish archmage Alhamazad the Wise is seeking the daemon. Although deeply involved with affairs in the Zeif, Ekbir and Tusmit at the time of the daemon’s summoning, the archmage was also attempting to track Ali Ben-Raj as an evil renegade. When Ben-Raj was slain, Alhamazad took the time to investigate; although the trail ran cold at the Tiger Nomad campsite in the Udgru, Alhamazad was uneasy at his rival’s death. After visiting Ben-Raj’s tower and reading his diaries, Alhamazad discovered that a powerful lower planar creature might be loose on Oerth. The archmage views it as his duty to locate the creature and deal with it - to that end he has begun looking for traces of unrest or unusual activities elsewhere in the Flanaess. It is only a matter of time until Mordenkainen learns of Alhamazad's interest. When he does the two will likely act in concert against the threat. What this bodes for the future of Xaxx’aa and his ambitions remains to be seen.
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<div>Braggi, Swain and Varlet at Large<br /></div>

Wed May 18, 2011 2:33 pm

Great post Braggi. I've always thought Xaxx'aa was one of the more interesting villains in the Greyhawk setting.

Well done, sir!