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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1425 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Apr 2022 : 19:24:54
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I've always had a softspot for the Baneson because I think he has an absolutely FASCINATING story that is something that should have been better followed up on:
1. He's the son of a demon and Bane but when we first meet him, he's serving as his father's envoy to the people summoning him in HALLS OF THE HIGH KING.
2. Somehow he gets imprisoned under Zhentil Keep and is stuck there as his father is killed (which he's happy about) and someone somehow EVEN WORSE has taken over (Cyric).
3. Fzoul is utterly DONE with Cyric's incompetence, stupidity, and insanity. So, Xvim offers to be his god instead.
4. Xvim hits the JACKPOT because Fzoul is the single most competent priest of evil in the Realms.
5. While it sounds small, Xvim actually skyrockets to being a Lesser Power when he was barely a powerful demon before.
6. The Banefog wipes out all of the Baneliches and remaining Bane followers who won't convert to him.
7. Fzoul sets himself up as the Chosen of Xvim and lesser god of not, it's an actually decent working relationship.
8. Bane explodes from Xvim which turns Xvim's triumph to ashes and also makes all the fanatical Bane followers look stupid -- the ones who were willing to convert were the ones who survived.
It's a massively fascinating story of the rise and fall of a god.
Assuming you're not like Wooly and believe Xvim just renamed himself Bane for branding reasons and he's actually Bane (II). But I could easily buy Xvim going from a Lesser Power to Greater Power just on the basis of Fzoul's effective missionary work.
Sadly, Ed has confirmed that Xvim isn't Bane.
https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1179837235690127369 |
My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 16 Apr 2022 : 22:59:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps
Sadly, Ed has confirmed that Xvim isn't Bane.
https://twitter.com/TheEdVerse/status/1179837235690127369
I think there's still some wiggle room, there. Ed has also said, repeatedly, that mortals can't really know what's going on with the gods because that info comes from the gods. The Tweet says it's a question of whether or not Xvim was destroyed by Bane -- but if the whole thing was Xvim faking it, and he told everyone he was Bane, then who is going to know otherwise?
Besides, saying that Bane destroyed Xvim still leaves the basic question that first led me down this path: if Bane 2.0 is Bane 1.0, then why are the two different? Bane reborn changed his colors and symbol and adopted a lot of stuff from Xvim -- which is an odd thing to do if Xvim was destroyed for his "betrayals and insolence". |
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore
1425 Posts |
Posted - 17 Apr 2022 : 02:30:17
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Very true.
There's also some very interesting possibilities about what might have happened with Bane and Xvim based on the fact that gods/planes are shaped by the belief of their worshipers. At least if you like getting some Planescape in your Realms and Realms in your Planescape.
It's possible, for example, that Xvim could have started to impersonate his father as Bane reborn in order to win over any lingering holdouts or mortals that were unimpressed by the Godson versus his father. He soaked up that worship and grew in power more and more. But, gods being powered by belief (according to Ao's decree), it eventually resulted in Bane's resurrection for real or Xvim became so synonymous with Bane that it became an unimportant distiction. |
My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2022 : 21:47:16
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I recently had a personal "eureka" moment about Xvim. I really don't know why I didn't think of it before. One of the most detailed encounters we ever see with Bane, is in fact a remnant of Bane's power possessing a mortal who was once Storm's lover. The god-ling was basically a demigod as far as power-level goes
What if Xvim was just another example of this occurring? If this mortal was possessed by some of Bane's power just before the Time of Trouble, it would make pretty much everything about Xvim and Bane make sense. He is his own entity working for his own power, and filling in the vacuum left by Bane's death. He is also completely subordinate to his predecessor, and ultimately is consumed in his return.
It totally fits with the way Bane made his followers powers in their own right by infusing power into them, very much as Mystra did. |
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cpthero2
Great Reader
USA
2286 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2023 : 17:28:19
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Learned Scribe Misereor, et alia,
I am a part of the Patreon for Ed Greenwood, and I've been running some of these topics by Ed in the #vip-castle, and I think you'll enjoy his response a great deal! From Ed himself! :)
quote:
Regarding Cpthero2's insurance policy hypothesis: If Cpthero2 is correct, could the change in manifestation to become more like Xvim maybe be a tactic of Bane's to divest himself of any remains of his mortality?
Here is the quote from Ed:
quote:
Ed Greenwood — 02/15/2023 9:37 PM
Oh, yes, you are indeed on the right track. Xvim was indeed Bane's insurance policy. (I've said that several times in several places before, down the years.) Bane imbued a son he begat on a mortal with some of his divine essence purely to give himself a means of coming back if he was destroyed. He cared nothing for Xvim's fate except as a tool for his own return. And yes, with several lurking vestiges of Xvim in existence, it gives Bane this back door to arising again if destroyed again several times over.
That is awesome, isn't? :) Apparently he had already put this information out in places, but I didn't run across it. I don't have any social media accounts, so I didn't see it, but there it is! :)
Best regards,
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Higher Atlar
Spirit Soaring |
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Xvim the Banesone
