Xavdac, Githzerai soulblade

[slinkman00]

Xavdac

 

• Appearance : He can do little to hide his heritage in his face, so he embraces it by shaving the sides of his head. Letting show the skin green/gray skin color and splotches. He does however dress to blend in, not so dark as a typical rogue but more the colors of whatever area he is in. Blending more with the mercantile class of people he deals with. His build is very slight, wiry and whip thin. But he's worked hard to have the figure, working his muscles over many years to keep them toned and in shape, and on occasion letting it show. Not overmuch, but not afraid to let his physique be seen. An opened shirt here, or short sleeves when weather permits. He only occasionally carries his weapon strapped to his hip. Prefering to be unarmed, and seem less brutish.
• Personality : His attitude towards others is generally friendly. Prefering to keep friends and trading partners to best help move and make coin. He's used to things going south at a moments notice and always has a way out. Regretfully his way out is typically only for himself, and not to get all his allies away from a situation.
• Hook : Heartless Master - Oppression Xavdac was raised in a mindflayer city. His Dexterous hands and fingers made him very useful for caring for the hive mind. As such he was given a modicum of prestige and the lesser slaves were tasked with caring for Xavdac. He grew very used to it, and enjoyed it, even while under the enthrallment. Maybe more deeply affected because of the enthrallment. Now as he has escaped, he often has dreams of those times. Things he blocks out in his waking moments. Things he chose not to see. Punishments for slaves who disapointed. And the feeling of being unable to choose your own freedom, always working for the whims of the mindflayers. And the burden of knowing that those slaves who took care of him, also were under the same burden.

 

 

Xavdac lived in the mindflayer city for the first 15 or 20 years of his life. Gauging that time is hard, the days and weeks, even years all blending together, and not forming cohesive memories. In his early adulthood however, he was given a bit longer of a leash. Allowed to learn new languages and openly attend the surface world to trade, or bring back slaves. Whatever his masters needed, or wanted. With this freedom came a lot of new thoughts, new feelings, and new experiences. One such experience was capturing a slave, one that was supposedly gifted in the arcane. Gifted arcane powers by a denizen of hell. Xavdac had a measure of experience in mind to mind contact and communication, and tried to calm his captive. But upon linking telepathically, something odd happened. The patron of this warlock spoke through the connection. During the communication, Xavdac was cut off from the enthrallment he felt to the mindflayers, and allowed to truly feel as he should, think as he should, and decide as he should. The patron, the demon, offered Xavdac a choice. A way to sever his tether to the flayers, but also keep a small degree of the power the flayers gave him. Letting his mind remain "awakened" to psychic energies. The price of the bargain was made clear, the soul that Xavdac barely even recognize as part of himself. Eternally bound to this demon, this warlock's patron. Xavdac took the deal.

Over the years he continued to work closely with the surface people he had contact with. Smuggling things across borders. Greasing palms, obtaining rarities for those that could afford them. Eventually stumbling upon Halruua and its council of mages. Much of the magic rarities he traded in, were from this area. So it was little surprise when Zythan Avoste contacted Xavdac. Wanting to further study the psychic emanations of creatures like the mindflayers and the hive mind that they so coveted. But, seeing individuals such as Xavdac as a better place to begin study. Not so risky, not so powerful, easier to control. Xavdac was happy, if not eager, to entreat with someone so powerful as Zythan. So well connected, and magically powerful. It was a very good deal, that benefited Xavdac for a long long time. Altho Xavdac always assumed Zythan had more personal reasons for looking into psychic power, some way to enhance his arcane abilities perhaps, or just add to them. In any event, the two had a long standing alliance. Several years of trading, teaching, studying, and ultimately Xavdac performing missions and tasks for the senior wizard. One such task ended with Xavdac being murdered.

It's an odd thing to think about. Ruminating on your own murder. But Xavdac did not stay dead for long. Zythan resurectted him, further adding to what Xavdac owed the man. But also triggering the payment owed on a much older debt of Xavdac's. The devil collected his due as it were, taking Xavdac's soul. Midway through the resurrection process. Leaving Xavdac alive, but with a time limit on that life. If he didnt find and retrieve his soul... his body would surely fail. And now, Xavdac finds himself asking for a portal to hell... looking to track down his soul before his body completely rejects the new life that had been breathed into it.

 

In Xavdac's time running errands and smuggling. He was smuggling goods stolen from a slain dragon and it's hoard. No normal dragon either, Xavdac never figured out what it was called or what elements it commanded. He only knew that he felt a deep pull toward one of the scales, and some of the items. Some psychic attunement of sorts. Xavdac stole a few of the scales to create his armor, as well as a chunk of amethyst that always seemed to change its weight. Sometimes heavier than it looked, sometimes light as a feather. Never so heavy that it was unable to be lifted, but just odd. He took the items and altered the manifest to show they never came through. The only time he had ever stolen from a client, typically more than happy to just earn and keep his coin and buy what he needed with that. But these items... Would likely never be something he found again, coin just wouldnt cover them.

Edited December 2, 2023 by slinkman00 (see edit history)

[slinkman00]

Stat Rolls

str 7

dex 17

con 10

int 14

wis 13

cha 12

 

Magic items - Ring of Protection+1 (3000) Cloak of Protection +1 (3000) Bag of Holding (500)

Uncommon - Serpent Scale Armor - Scale armor that does not impose disadvantage on dex (stealth), and allows Full dex mod instead of just +2. (Candle Keep Mysteries)

Very Rare - (Potentials, need approval) Amethyst lodestone, Cloak of Arachnida, Mindblasting Cap, Animated Shield, Dancing Sword.

Edited December 2, 2023 by slinkman00 (see edit history)

[slinkman00]

Alright, SO.... I think he's done.

I may change magic items depending on pending price checks and my potential list... For now I'm assuming the Serpent Scale, and the Amethyst lodestone are acceptable. But will change items if those are not ok.

 

also, open to critique from others.

Edited December 2, 2023 by slinkman00 (see edit history)