XELLIX
Lord of Teeth
God of Madness, Monsters, and Nightmares
Alignment: NE
Cleric’s Alignments: NE, N, CN, CE
Domains: Darkness, Evil, Madness, Strength, Trickery
Symbol:
Favored Weapon: Lucerne hammer
Centers of Worship: Ulthorak, Skyholme
Nationality: Ulthorak, Skyholme
Obedience (need the Deific Obedience feat):
Sacrifice an unwilling living creature in the name of the Lord of Teeth. Draw the process out to inspire the maximum terror and suffering in your victim. The death blow you deal should be savage and destructive - do not grant your sacrifice a clean death. Once the creature is dead, remove one of its bones and sharpen it to a point. Use the bone to cut yourself deeply enough to leave a scar. Leave the sacrificed creature's mutilated form in the open where scavengers may devour it or travelers may see it and know of Xellix's power. Gain a +1 natural armor bonus to your AC.
Exalted Boons:
1. Howling Terror (Sp): cause fear 3/day, mad hallucination 2/day, or fear 1/day
2. Maddening Thoughts (Su): Your mind constantly swirls with dark whispers and disturbing thoughts. You gain a +4 profane bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting (compulsion) spells and effects and against divination spells and effects that attempt to read your thoughts. Anyone who targets you with such a spell or effect must succeed at a Will saving throw (with a DC equal to 10 + your Wisdom modifier + 1/2 your Hit Dice) or take 1d4 points of Wisdom damage.
3. Monstrous Transformation (Sp): Once per day, you can use baleful polymorph, except you change the target into a horribly mutated form of the chosen animal. The target takes a -4 penalty on its saving throw to resist your spell (if the new form would prove fatal for the creature, it still gains a +4 bonus on its saving throw, effectively negating this penalty). In addition to the other effects of the spell, the subject is in constant pain from its twisted and disfigured form, and takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage each round. This constant agony imposes a -2 penalty on all of the target's ability checks, skill checks, saving throws, attack rolls, and damage rolls.
Introduction:
Xellix is the lord of monsters, devourer of infants, and source of all that is corrupted and bestial. A monstrous and terrifying deity born from the depths of madness, he is both fiendish king and revered father to horrors that stalk the night. It is said that from his seed sprang the world's monstrous races: goblins, gnolls, and other foul spawn too numerous to count. His dominion over beasts makes the wilderness a fearsome place, while his nightmares invade the peace of sleep. The endless screams of the insane are glorious hymns to him, and the destruction of all things lies within his desire.
Xellix's goal is to corrupt mortals and twist the entire world into his misshapen brood, an enormous monstrous family devoted to him. He is neither an empire-builder nor a conquering warlord; if his world is full of warring tribes, so much the better, for it means there will always be a need for many more monstrous births to replenish the ranks of the fallen.
Xellix has dominion over all unintelligent monsters. Many strange and unique monsters arise from his whim, as he enjoys molding flesh of radically different beasts to create new terrors. Those plagued by monsters can pray to him for assistance, and in exchange for loyalty and offerings of newborns or infants, Xellix sends his minions away to pray upon unbelievers. His name can be invoked as a charm or prayer against nightmares, but using it might draw his attention and lead to monstrous births if the invoker is not a member of his cult or doesn't make appropriate grisly sacrifices.
Xellix's worshipers believe that purity and perfection are temporary, while corruption and flaws are the natural and final state of things. They want to rend and tear the blasphemous beauty that exists in the world.
Xellix usually appears as a muscled man's torso with a wolf's head filled with razor sharp teeth. His legs are powerful legs of a wolf and his claws end in razor sharp claws of black. He usually is seen wielding a wicked lucerne hammer named Nightmare. His howls carry for miles as he pursues his prey.
Xellix's holy symbol is clenched bloody wolf fangs. His favored weapon is a lucerne hammer. Most of his clergy are clerics, oracles, and shaman, though many lesser humanoid clergy are adepts, a small number are rangers, and a handful are corrupted druids. He is called Beast King, Father of Nightmares, and the Lord of Teeth.
The Church:
Xellix's church is scattered and lacks an overall hierarchy. It is rare two priests come into conflict as they recognize their shared devotion as well as the hostility they face from those outside the faith. When conflict is inevitable, the priests compare scars, number of offspring, and malformations to determine which is superior. Conflict among tribes that worship Xellix is rare as well.
A typical worshipper of Xellix is a monstrous creature who bears is scars as a trophy and hope to share them with the Lord of Teeth one day. Services are filled with howling, screaming, bloodletting, sacrifice, and births of monstrous creatures. They usually take place at night or underground. Intoxicants and hallucinatory substances usually are common in these rituals as are violence and sex. It is said that if a child survives its birth, it has the right to worship Xellix and make its mark on the world.
Cultists are often known to breed quite often to get more monsters int he world who will worship Xellix. The more children a follower has spawned, the more they feel they are looked on favorably by the Beast King. Those who are barren often do their part by causing all that is perfect and pure in the world suffer.
Temples and Shrines:
Xellix's temples usually operate on the outskirts of civilization. Most of his worshipers have places of worship outside or underground, such as a gathering of flat bloodstained rocks, but can be as extravagant as their clergy wish to make and keep intact in deep underground temples ans shrines underground under cities.
A typical shrine to the Lord of Teeth features an altar carved with a shallow basin to catch the blood of the sacrifices.
A Priest’s Role:
A priest of Xellix must ensure the strength of his people's faith, tend to their physical injuries (especially those whose deformities are a significant hindrance), spiritually guide them through hard times by focusing on the hideous glory of the Lord of Teeth. and interpret signs of Xellix's favor and displeasure.
His priests will use magic, faith, and flesh to soothe disputes and settle arguments. Promiscuity is as much as a cleric's role as is healing, and most leave multiple children in their wake. Marriages or lifetime bonds are extremely rare. Male priests have no idea on the number of their offspring and female priests are unable to determine the fathers of theirs. Priests of Xellix learn early not to get attached to individuals as they may soon need to be "removed" for one reason or another. Due to this intertwining in their communities, priests of Xellix are rarely alone and have strong ties to their communities.
Priests are responsible for teaching the young about the Beast King and make sure they understand his importance in their lives. They are quick to punish reluctant children and other followers with pain and physical transformations. Most children in these communities are uncertain who their parents are and are encouraged to create offspring of their own often and with as many partners as possible.
A typical day for a priest of Xellix involves waking, blessing the tribe's food, physical examination of themselves and others for new flesh or abilities, some masochistic form of prayer, performing rites over any pregnant tribe member, and tending any monsters or beasts allied with his community.
Adventurers:
HERE
Clothing:
Dragar followers identify themselves through their arms and armor. Many warriors of the faith carry the most devastating weapons of their race and garb themselves in metal armor whenever possible to emulate the Lord of Battle. No matter how poor, a worshiper of Dragar will grab metal armor at the earliest opportunity, frequently claiming the armor of fallen enemies. Once they may have metal armor and weapons, they forever disdain any other kind, preferring to fight naked and barehanded rather than use anything else. The more devoted among the faith adorn their armor and shields with spikes and jagged bits of metal. The faithful are frequently heavily scarred, as even the most skilled suffer wounds on a regular basis due to the number of battles they fight. They show off these scars as badges of courage and pride. Priests often have the flaming blade symbol adorned to their armor.
Formal raiment for priests is full metal armor, preferably full plate. Spikes are added to the armor for each significant battle the priest has been engaged and won. Some priests keep a separate set of ceremonial armor (as opposed to battle functioning armor) that bristles with spikes of their victories that may make it difficult for them to walk. Dragar favored weapon depends upon the race of his worshiper. It is the most devastating weapon of that race's kind.
Holy Texts:
Dragar has no sacred text, but a collection of 3 heroic poems called Dragarskagat explains the church's creed. Young priests quickly learn to recite these poems perfectly, as elders beat them every time they make a mistake. The poems may be spoken or sung, and each has a distinct rhythm so a familiar listener can easily recognize them when played on a drum. Though individual translations have slightly different meanings, all translations of a poem use the same rhythm.
Holidays:
Dragar has no official holidays from culture to culture as battles of today as often celebrated and battles of the future are looked forward to. Some priests and communities may celebrate a particular victory due to its importance, but this celebration may fade off after a few years as new battles are fought all the time. If a war or battle's anniversary is strongly associated with a particular date, such as the first of the year or a prominent holiday, it may stick longer than others.
Aphorisms:
Dragar followers do not waste time on long, fancy speeches, so they are short and to the point.
Better to Die a Warrior Than Live a Coward!
Once one agrees to fight and then flees a battle, they are an unworthy cur. Surrender is honorable, for those who surrender may have chance to redeem themselves in a later battle, but those who flee are best cut down before they shame themselves again.
Cowards Flee, Warriors Retreat.
The subtle difference between these two ideas is lost on many who do not fully understand the nature of battle. Warriors retreat from battle because they want to win the next battle; cowards flee battle because they fear death and wish to avoid the next battle.
Will You Fight?
Priests of Dragar ask this question to youths joining an army. If a soldier is struggling with a wound, a lieutenant may ask this question. Before a particular blood battle, the army commander asks this question. They are not asking "Can you fight?"
Relations with Other Religions:
Dragar usually has little interest in other religions. He does feel Pentar, the God of Peace, does not understand the full idea of war and deems him and his followers foolish and weak. They do not even warrant any sort of acknowledgment. War solves many issues in life that peace does not.
Dragar has a healthy respect for Flarr, brother in arms, for both his strategies in combat and his system of justice. At times, he feels Flarr and his followers may be too tactical when all it takes is a strong push of force to solve a situation.
Dragar enjoys several of the other gods, as they allow his followers to be in constant combat to test their mettle. The evil gods are always creating weapons of war and push the gods of good to counteract. This allows followers of Dragar to do what they do best - war.
Realm:
As a god of battle, weapons, and strength, Dragar makes his home a massive battlefield, devoted to glory of these pursuits. The fortified keeps studding his kingdom face daily sieges and may crumble into rubble by the end of the battle, but reappear intact each dawn, and his rolling and bloodstained plains proved a place his petitioners to wage continual, disordered combat, the entirety of their existence devoted to the heat and frenzy of battle. Dragar and his souls only care for the heady rush of spilt blood and the violent glory of war.
Planar Allies:
Xellix's abyssal servants are all clad in spiked armor or actually made of metal; even servitors of other gods who come to serve him experience a transformation to match his other minions. In addition to his servitor race, the shemhazian demons, swaithes, and yaenits, the following are well-known servitors of Xellix, suitable for conjuring with planar ally or similar calling spells.
Vaxxiirx (unique outsider): A wolf-like creature with wings and a fanged serpent where its tail should be. He enjoys leaping upon opponents from high places and charging through their ranks like a slashing wheel of death.
For Faithful Characters:
Priests of Dragar that follow his tenets and graces often are granted special powers by Dragar.
- For every 10 foes in which a priest of Dragar strikes the killing blow in a single battle, the priest of Dragar earns a hero point if he calls out his Lord's name.
- Sacrificing the arms and armor of a challenging foe in the name of Dragar after battle charges the priest with divine favor giving him an additional +1 to hit and on damage as well as a +1 AC bonus for a certain number of days depending on the difficulty of the foe. Only one such sacrifice may be done after any given battle once per day. Frequent sacrifices of unworthy foes may have the opposite effect.
-Spreading the faith of Dragar is always encouraged. If a priest has taken the Leadership feat, he can attempt to convert a non-believer to join his faith (DC 15 + Will save, level , racial factors, aggression factors and Charisma of target). He may use his Leadership number to attempt this conversion. If the target of conversion has seen the priest perform in battle and is the victor, the priest may add 5 to his roll. If converted, the priest may call upon this follower to fight for him in time of need if he then makes a Charisma check DC 10.