|
nblanton
Seeker
USA
74 Posts |
 Posted - 30 Jun 2024 : 18:08:30
|
I suppose to bring this back to Xvim, do we think he may not actually be any true relation to Bane as I suggested? The more I think about it, the more I like the idea that Xvim is not actually a spawn of Bane.
I suppose there could even be a possibility that Bane and Xvim don't even fully recognize their own mortal past. We know that with many fiends that were promoted from mortals as well as the information we have about petitioners a lot of the memories of their mortal past fades completely. Perhaps the same occurred with whatever Jergal did when he "hid Bane away until promoting him". Perhaps Bane doesn't even know his mortal history; maybe he thinks he knows it but it is mostly a fabrication.
Xvim could have the same issues. Or perhaps Xvim is the spawn of Bane and was willing to accept his father's story so long as he was not in any position to usurp him. Basically, being the prince of tyranny was better than not, even if he would have preferred to be the king. Once he had the opportunity and the taste of true deific power, he likely no more wanted to relinquish it than any other deity.
Then he finds that he was being "used" by someone, perhaps it was just Bane 1.0 who was using Xvim as a horcrux, maybe Bane 2.0 was some other interloper deity that has just used Bane's previous power base and seized it, or even something else. Either way, we know that Xvim wasn't completely destroyed. He still exists at some level on the Prime inhabiting the minds of some. Possibly this state is similar to the existence that Tyranthraxus is in. However, this latent spirit retains what it learned as a lesser deity. One of the major things that Xvim now knows is that Bane isn't what he has always presented himself as.
Perhaps Xvim doesn't know the whole story but got enough of it to piece together what we've established so far. We've seen Xvim show up several times in random places throughout Faerun over the years. Westgate, Icewind Dale, Thay, underneath Zhentil Keep, etc. Perhaps part of his work even during this time was piecing together some of the inconsistencies of his father's past. Finding things that would diminish Lord Bane would definitely be the types of things that would be useful for such being who would want to usurp the throne. Or possibly given that we have also suggested that Xvim may be some sort of an aspect of Nergal and allied at least at one time with the proto-Bane who was a scion of Gilgeam, that Xvim was actually actively going around and planting "evidence" of events the Dead Three used as part of their mythology.
I would think the latter would almost make more interesting backstory for a campaign. Xvim knows where the heresies are located because he was the one that was planting them. Prior to the return of Bane, there was no real benefit of unmasking his "father's" true life as it would not have served his purpose. As for Bane, he gave this task to Xvim as he was able to be trusted with it as it was not something he would have wanted his clergy to know, although it would be suspected that some of the highest would have likely been suspicious.
|
 |
|
Wooly's thoughts on Bane 2.0 and Iyachtu Xvim
