Iyachtu Xvim

Iyachtu Xvim, also known as Godson, was the half-demonic son of Bane and for a time, the lesser deity of fear, hatred, and tyranny. Iyachtu Xvim was consumed in 1372 DR when his father used his body to re-emerge from death, taking Xvim's portfolios as his own.

"Those knowledgeable in the ways of the gods have long known that Xvim wished to see his father dead. How ironic for him that he got his wish, only to see Bane replaced by someone even more powerful!"

- Elminster, the Sage of Shadowdale

Description
Xvim's main avatar was a spindly 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 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 changeed 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 -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 was a vain and evil creature who loved death, destruction, and murder, performing these heinous acts with gleeful joy. He was arrogant, cruel, predatory, and following his imprisonment, he began acting cagier, with more cunning than before. He reveled in mortals' pain, suffering, and groveling for mercy. Xvim's goal was total domination.

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

Powers
His savage avatar form had glowing eyes that possessed infravision, allowing Xvim to see around him in the darkness. After apotheosis, his sight effectively became true seeing. In that form the Godson could enlarge/reduce his body at will by half. Prior and after apotheosis, he had the power to create darkness with the radius of at will, and could plane shift between the Material Plane and his native plane of Acheron. Xvim's abilities to move between planes was poor and the tog often missed his exact destination. The plane shift ability was occasionally triggered by the godling's extreme anger. For this reason, Iyachtu disliked planar travel and avoided it when possible. Merely touching silver would cause him horrible pain. His vulnerability to silver was gone after he claimed his father godhood, making the avatar invulnerable to any non-enchanted weapons. ''

Magics such as truename, glyphs, or symbols had no effect on Xvim but immediately attracted the god's attention. Spells like fear and charm were also wasted on the Godson. Any uttering of the his name attracted Xvim's attention as he could hear it across Faerûn. The deity could also hear next nine words that followed Xvim's name. When his name was spoken, the god knew the voice by heart, as well as the distance and direction of the speaker.

After apotheosis, Xvim's arcane powers were not limited by a sphere nor by a school of magic. He preferred using spells that caused long-lasting damage or suffering, and magics that twisted mortals' minds into unwilling servitude to the dark god. Reaving blades was the avatar's spell-like ability that Xvim could produce at will with nothing but a thought.

Divine Realm
After increasing his divine powers and escaping imprisonment following the Godswar, Xvim established his new realm in Gehenna, aptly naming it the Bastion of Hate.

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 superiors 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 god of the pantheon 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 enemy 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's 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.

The Church
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 the 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 in 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 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, throwing rocks into crowds.

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

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 Banedead. They coulee be found in Xvimlar locations, serving the deity and his powerful priests or wizards.

Dogma
The main tenant 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 can be done without death, suffering, destruction and oppression. He encouraged his devotees to break order and destroying others for personal gain. Xvimlar believed in the song reaching to the top of social ladder, paying on the weak whose place was groveling and struggling to survive at the very bottom.

Places of Worship
The godling showed favoritism for cults, small and underground places of worship, seeing in them potential and growth. 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 the Zhentil Keep 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 pace of 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.
 * 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.

Rituals
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 eel 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 scatterable glass items.

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

Notable Worshipers

 * Alim el Tehibi, one of the Nine Pashas of Calimport in the late 14 century DR.
 * Cvaal Daoran, a Hatemaster of Xvim and the leader of the Xvimlar crusaders the Brothers of the Black Fist.
 * Dendybar the Mottled of the Luskan's Arcane Brotherhood in the 14 century DR.
 * Hakaakatar the Wise, a hobgoblin shaman, worshiper of Xvim, and advisor to Chieftain Gugak of Cormyr, circa 1367 DR.
 * Helduth Flamespell, a wizard from the Mere of Dead Men who worshiped Xvim and Azuth circa 1370 DR.
 * Malakos, a mage of Yhep who served the Twisted Rune in the late 14 century DR.
 * Shamoor, a high-ranking member of the Cult of the Dragon who served under Kya Mordrayn.
 * Teldorn Darkhope of Mintar, the Lord Knight Imperceptor of the Baneson and the leader of the Knights of the Black Gauntlet.

Xvim's Chosen

 * Fzoul Chembryl, the Chosen Tyrant of Iyachtu Xvim circa 1370 DR.

History
"Ye can tell much about a parent by looking at the offspring."

- Elminster Aumar 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, 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 when he was driven out by Farnath Ilistar, the rightful heir to the throne.

At some point in the mid 14 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 14 century, Storm Silverhand dueled Xvim and won, gaining an bitter enemy.

In the, Xvim was tasked by his father to punish the Red Wizards of Thay for their failure to show proper deference to Bane. In the, Iyachtu Xvim was summoned to Caer Callidyrr of the Moonshae Isles via sacrificed 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 and 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 my Ao to prevent the godling from rising to power. Xvim was trapped in the ancient imprisonment circle, stewing in his own 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. 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.

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, 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.

On the Midwinter night of the, 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 a 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 out 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 15 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.

Rumors & Legends
Some rumors claimed that Xvimist danced and chanted until they entered a state of blood frenzy and attacked slaves and clergy members lower on the totem pole. It was believed that these maddened unarmed battles were done until enough blood was spilled.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Halls of the High King
 * Eye of Myrkul &bull; Four from Cormyr &bull; Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor
 * Novels
 * Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad &bull; Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn &bull; Beyond the High Road &bull; The Sorcerer &bull; Son of Thunder
 * Video Games
 * Icewind Dale II
 * Neverwinter Nights &bull; Neverwinter
 * Icewind Dale II
 * Neverwinter Nights &bull; Neverwinter
 * Neverwinter Nights &bull; Neverwinter