ForgingtheRealmsArchive|4/23/2014 New!

TheThrallsofXaerogleth
ForgottenRealms
ByEdGreenwood

HowandwhereandwhendidtheForgottenRealmsstart?What'sattheheartofEdGreenwood'screation,andhow
doestheGrandMasteroftheRealmsusehisownworldwhenherunsD&Dadventuresfortheplayersinhis
campaign?"ForgingtheForgottenRealms"isaweeklyfeaturewhereinEdanswersallthosequestionsandmore.

eholdersarewhathumansconsidergeniusesandmostofthemare,intheopinionsoftherelativelyfew
humanswho'veevercometohavemorethananodding(ormoreoften,ascreamingandrunning)acquaintance
withabeholder'spersonality,twistedgeniuses.

Proud,selfcentered,paranoid,willful,andcynicalbynature,eyetyrantstakeprecautionsagainstwhateveryother
creatureintheworldmightdotothemortothwarttheiraimsanddesires.Mosteyetyrantsarealsobored,andthey
sooneitherlashoutbecauseofthatboredomorbegintopursueelaborateplanstoliftthemselvesoutoftheirennui.
Theseschemesareoftenbrilliantandarealmostalwaysbothcomplexandmanylayered,andwhatmosthumans
woulddeemodd.

Forexample,onebeholdermightdelightintrickinghumansintomaking,
enjoying,andconsumingvastquantitiesoffishwine,derivinggreat
amusementfromthefactthathumansareimbibingsomethingbothfoultotheir
palatesandharmfultomanyofthemduetotoxinsthatwereintheparticular
sortsofunpalatabletypesoffishchosenforuseinthewinemaking.The
beholderdoesthispurelybecausethehumanshavebeenfooled(thanksto
thebeholder'smanipulationsoftrendsettingindividualhumans)intothinking
thiswineis"superior"and"thethingtobeenjoying."Anotherbeholdermaytoy
withthenoblefamiliesandtherulersofarealm,likealivingchessgame,to
seewhotheycantoppleoradvancepurelyfortheirownentertainment.Yet
anotherwillseektobreedmonsterstoderivenewcreaturesofstable,fertile
nature...andsoon.

Onebeholderofrelativelypunysizeandyoungage,residentinthe
southeasternmountainwilderlandsofAmnintheearly1300sDR,pursued
aimsthatsaveditslife,butalsotrappeditaimsthatarestillaffectingadventurersallovertheHeartlandstothisday.

ThisisthetaleofthethrallsofXaerogleth.

XaeroglethoftheManyLashes

TheparentageoftheeyetyrantthatcallsitselfXaeroglethisunknown,butitwasrearedbyabeholderthatmayhave
beenoneofitsparents,tobethatbeholder'sreplacementastheguardianofanancientwhitedragon'slair.The
giganticandusuallyasleepwyrm,oneAlthiunthlahlurmm,wasunknowntomosthumansanddragonkindalike
becauseitseldomstirredfromitsremote,wellhiddenhighmountaincavern,whereithadamassedahoardofgold
coinsandrawgemslargelyseizedfromCalishitesources(includinglesserdragonsithadslain)intheremotepast.

TherethebeholderXiccaldaurrdweltastheGuardianoftheHoard,commandingnolessthanadozenhelmedhorrors
whowaited,hiddenundertreasure,toattackandslayallintrudersatXiccaldaurr'sbehest.Occasionally,Xiccaldaurr
stoleforthfromthelairtoraidorspyuponotherresidentsofeasternAmn.Yetitapparentlytiredofthisexistenceafter
atime.Acquiring(ormorelikelyproducingbymatingElminsterknowsnodetailsortruthsofthis,suchaswhich
beholderitmighthavematedwith)averyyoungbeholderitnamedXaerogleth,ittrainedtheyoungbeholderinthe
dutiesofguardingAlthiunthlahlurmm'shoardandthenvanished,likelydepartingtheareaforevertopursuea
differentlifeelsewhere.

Xaeroglethsoontiredofguardianshipandsoughttoalleviateitsboredomthroughextensiveexpeditionstospyupon
AmnandtheindependenttownsandcitieseastofAmnalongthetradetrails,andthroughcollectingmonstersitthen
trainedtoserveit.Itsfavoritesuchcreatureswereflyingsnakesthatbecameknownas"theLashes"thankstotheir
battletacticsoflashingopponentsacrosstheface,neck,orothervulnerableareasastheyattackedinswarms.For
years,theLasheswereallsomevictimsofXaerogletheversawinanencounter,strikingdownorimmobilizingfoes
(byentwiningtheirlimbs)beforethebeholdershoweditself.ItscruelraidsandkillingsmadethelandseastofAmn
perilousindeedtohumansthroughouttheearly1300sDR.

YetthesesamedepredationstookatolloftheLashes,andXaeroglethfounditincreasinglydifficulttofind,capture,
andtrainreplacementswildflyingsnakesinorneareasternAmnwerefewandlargelyunbiddable,oftenfightingto
thedeathratherthansubmittingtoslavery.

Retainingitssmallhandfulofsurvivingsnakesasapersonalbodyguard,Xaeroglethdecidedtoupgradetoabetter,
moreversatileslave.

TheScheme

Initspride,Xaeroglethdecideditcouldmake,throughbreeding,amuchmoresuitableslavecreaturethanitcould
obtainthroughcapturingandtraining.Itchosehumansasitsbasestock,becausetheywereagile,adaptableand
versatileandvery,veryabundant.Fromitspointofview,theywerealso"mentallyweak."

XaeroglethhappenedtobeoneofthosebeholdersthathasanaturalaptitudefortheArt,justassomehumanshave
aninnatetalentforarcanemagic.Fordecadesitworkedtoperfectspellsthatwouldgiveitmentaldominancewithina
tinyradiusofanorganicfocalitem.Ithitupontheideaofusinghumanbonesasitsfocismallbonesfromtheparents
ofhumansithadbredincaptivity,surgicallyimplantedintheiroffspring.Inthisway,thebeholdergainedeffortless
entryinto,andcontrolof,thebrainsofmultiplehumansatonce.Inthisway,thehumansbecameXaerogleth'sthralls,
mindcontrolledslavesthatcouldfetchandcarryforit,dodangerousthingsforit,guardandfightforit,andsoon.
Throughtirelesspracticeforitcarednotifitdrovethebodiesofitsslavesintoexhaustionandbeyond,intocollapse
itbecameadeptatdeftlycontrollingmultiplehumansinsmoothlycooperatingteams.

Xaerogleththensettoworkcraftingnewandbetterspellsthateventuallyenableditsownsentienceto"leapintothe
headsof"thesethralls,movingeffortlesslyfromonethralltoanotherifthethrallsweresufficientlyclosetoeachother.

NearDisaster

Inthelatesummerof1352DR,withXaeroglethstillresidentinAlthiunthlahlurmm'slairbutplanningtosoondepartfor
good(andthedragondeepinoneofitsprotractedslumbers),abandofadventurersexploringthemountainsforold
dwarfminesfoundthewyrm'slairandsurprisedtheeyetyrant,whowasconcentratingonperfectingacomplexand
difficultspell(ironically,awardingspellthatwouldraiseanalarmifintrudersenteredthewardedarea).Terrified,the
adventurersattackedwitheverythingtheyhad,andsucceededinshatteringpartofthecavernceiling.Thetorrentof
fallingboulderscrushedthebeholder'sbody.

Xaeroglethhadonlyaninstantortwotoescape,anddesperatelyhurleditssentienceintoitsnearestthrall:afemale
humanofsmallstatureandnondescriptlooks,thatithadrefrainedfromdestroyingonlybecausehersmallsizeand
weightenabledhertoclimbshelvesandreachstorageledgesinthespellcastingcavernthatthelarger,brawniermale
humanthrallscouldn'treachwithoutdoingdamagetothatwhichtheywerecommandedtoretrieve.

Thenitfledfromthedragon'slair,westwardintoAmn.EventuallyitreachedCrimmor,andthereuseditsintellectto
covertlygetwealth,practiceandimproveitsmasteryoftheArt,andmakecontactsandscheme.

Xaeroglethdesperatelywantstoseizeanothereyetyrant'sbodytobeitsown,buthasn'tyetworkedoutallthedetails
(completewithfallbackalternativeplans,incasethishighlydangerousattemptatbodysnatchinggoeswrong)of
subsumingthemindofthebeholderwhosebodyit'stakingitdoesn'twanttoendupwarringwitharesidentintellect
insideabrainitwantskeptwhole,housedinabodyitwantskeptunscathed.

Xaeroglethisconsideringsomehowusingaformidablebandofadventurers,liketheonethatdestroyeditsownbody,
initsattempttofindandsnatchthebodyofabeholder.Thusfar,itistestingagrowing"stable"ofadventuringbands
bysponsoringthemindungeondelvesandruinexplorationsattachedtorumorsoflurkingbeholders,anddemanding
thattheadventurerslocateandidentify(size,nameifatallpossible,characteristics,aims)anyeyetyrantsthey
encounter.
Elminsterwouldliketoaddthecautionaryreminderthatthisisjustthestoryofonebeholder.AcrossFaernandthe
othercontinentsofToril,therearethousandsoffiercelyindependent,largelyhidden(and,byhumanstandards,both
insaneanddangerouslycapable)beholderspursuingtheirownwildschemes.

AbouttheAuthor

EdGreenwoodisthemanwhounleashedtheForgottenRealmssettingonanunsuspectingworld.Heworksin
libraries,andhewritesfantasy,sciencefiction,horror,mystery,andromancestories(sometimesallinthesame
novel),butheishappiestwhenchurningoutRealmslore,Realmslore,andmoreRealmslore.Hestillhasafewrooms
inhishouseinwhichhehasspacelefttopileuppapers.

19952014WizardsoftheCoastLLC,asubsidiaryofHasbro,Inc.AllRightsReserved.