Xathcrism

Xathcrism was a beholder who prowled the woods outside of Voonlar and developed a cult of personality among various groups of bandits, pretending to be a manifestation of Bane sometime after his supposed death during the Time of Troubles. This rabble-rousing lasted until at least the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR.

Description
Xathcrism was on the small side of the size range for beholders and was missing some of its eyestalks, apparently from battles once upon a time.

Personality
Xathcrism hungered for power, but was somewhat realistic about its prospects for taking over a town, let alone a whole region. Tyrannical by nature, it enjoyed impersonating a god of tyranny (calling itself "Bane's Eyes"), and fooling lesser beings into worshiping it, spouting dogma such as: "Now lesser in my divinity, I am more attentive to you, my faithful. Obey me, and you shall know great wealth and power as my favored. Work in the dark and in hiding against the false ones who turned from me to the ridiculous rituals of Cyric. Smash them here, and so begin holy work that shall not end until all of you have known what it is to rule a town, a city, a realm! As you grow, so too shall my dark strength, until we rise together to make all the Realms tremble!"

Despite the rhetoric, Xathcrism's true goals were never clear.

Activities
Xathcrism did not stay in any one place for very long as it moved about the woods between cells of its followers and various lairs. It seem to suffer from an overabundance of caution because it never led a raid directly against the Cyricists of the Dark God Reformed in Voonlar. Rather, it rallied the riffraff into attacking any woodland adventuring groups or travelers on the roads while watching the raids from cover, only stepping in after victory was assured to cough up weapons and coins as rewards or the occasional healing potion for a wounded faithful. On only two occasions did it ever reveal itself and join a fight before the battle was nearly won.