Page 18 - Volo's Guide to Monsters

the beholder uses "the Xanathar" as a title rather than 8EHOLDERS RULE TERRITORIES AND TRV TO MANIPULATE
its personal name (which is Zushaxx). The guild has
TJ.jE \VIOER \VORLO FROM THEM. FOR ADVENTURE!:t$, THE
been in operation for nearly two hundred years, with a
TRICk tS LEARNING WHERE A GIVEN BEHOLDER 8ELIEVES
different beholder taking over every few decades. 1
fTS TERRITORV S BOUNOARI.ES ARE.
ELM11'11STEA \:I
PARANOID MEGALOMANIA -
The Xanathar, like its forerunners, is an eye tyrant- a
type of beholder that chooses to live among other crea-
tures in a position of superiority over them. Its paranoia
is kept under control most of the time, and it turns its
t
strange mind to the pursuit of organized crime in Un- j , ha-.• to think like a
dermountain and Waterdeep. The Xanathar believes It•& easy, IOU JU:, ~ to E,lminster, \they all ld
beholder. Accor in h center o{ the wor '
its intelligence and magic make it uniquely suited for think of t emselves as t •
this- even more so than its slain predecessor-and it Well. I kn w 1 am. -Volo
uses its abilities to ruthlessly enforce its will on as much
political and criminal territory as possible.
The Xanathar's bond is its lair, an elaborate cavern
complex created by its predecessors, carved out be-
tween the twisting sewers ofWaterdeep. It almost never
leaves its home, for at the center of this world it is the DIVISION OF LABOR
master of all it sees and safe from outside threats. The Thanks to its superior intelligence and its unique way
expansive lair is well stocked with the exotic pleasures of thinking, the Xanathar is able to efficiently supervise
it craves, such as scented oils for bathing, fragrant and direct the efforts of many creatures at the same
incense, and fine foods prepared by skilled chefs. It time. It holds sway over a dozen specialized lieutenants.
surrounds itself with evidence of its wealth and success, Each lieutenant is responsible for operating one of the
eating off gold plates, drinking from diamond-encrusted aspects of guild business, including assassination,
chalices, decorating its sleeping area with marvelous blackmail, extortion, mercenaries, slavery, smuggling,
tapestries, and adorning itself and its sanctum with spying, and thievery (of these operations, slavery and
powerful magic items. thievery are the largest). When one needs to be re-
Its fear of conspiracies is merely dormant, though, not placed, the best candidates are those who appreciate the
absent. From time to time it is gripped by overwhelming benefits of strict organization (and thus are lawful evil or
concerns about assassination plots, revenge-seekers, at worst neutral evil) and who have a high tolerance for
and other schemes against it. When these thoughts bub- their boss's sometimes erratic behavior.
ble to the surface, the Xanathar might crack down on its Each lieutenant is allowed to manage its part of the
lieutenants, interpreting their mistakes as disobedience, guild operation as desired. Some use a direct, hands-on
their failures as deliberate attempts to undermine its approach, and some establish a chain of command that
power, and their successes as challenges to its superi- establishes a clear hierarchy from the top to the low-
ority. The beholder's ire might manifest as abruptly as est underling. As long as a lieutenant's operation runs
a disintegration ray or as slowly as an angry glare and smoothly, the Xanathar doesn't object to methods or
increasing scrutiny over the next few weeks. micromanage day-to-day activity.
The Xanathar is ambitious and wants to expand its When a human megalomaniac rises to power in an
power by making alliances, but it is constantly wary of evil organization, that individual is always at risk of
betrayal. The only allies it considers relatively safe are being killed or replaced by a power-hungry rival. When
individuals that it (or its predecessor) has worked with such a group is led by a beholder rather than a human,
for years, and most of these are creatures it has no rea- the tyrant has incredible staying power against chal-
son to fear because they aren't a physical threat to it or lengers. Not only are its opponents unsure of the best
the guild. It is hesitant to form alliances with other pow- way to kill it, but it can quickly retaliate with lethal force
erful groups, and is likely to break off ties with a new against multiple enemies at the same time, and it liter-
ally if it senses even a hint of betrayal or difficulty. If an ally sleeps with its eyes open. The only real threat to
organization is useful but significantly weaker than the the Xanathar's rule is another beholder, which speaks
guild, the Xanathar is likely to absorb its members and to the reason why the Xanathar Guild has been led by a
resources into its guild (either immediately or gradually) succession of beholders instead of by various humanoid
so it can keep an eye on threats from within that group. or inhuman creatures. Lieutenants who have their own
Like all beholders, the Xanathar craves information. ambitions, who might come to oppose the tyrant or fear
It is aware of the great library at Candlekeep and the for their safety, are much more likely to flee (or "retire")
lore stored there, and one of its main objectives is to get than to confront the beholder. The petrified heads of sev-
an agent into the place that can start sending copies of eral traitorous lieutenants decorate the Xanathar's lair
that information back to the Xanathar for review. The as testimony to how it deals with challengers.
Xanathar's ultimate goal is to control the entire region In addition to its lieutenants, the Xanathar has many
under Waterdeep (both Undermountain and Skullport), minions with specific jobs. These underlings don't have
giving it as much political clout as all the Lords ofWa- as much clout as the lieutenants do, but they do hold
terdeep combined. key roles in its guild and have some degree of influence