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Xanathar
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The Xanathar (center) with other members of the Xanathar's Thieves' Guild.
Kirukeskai[1]
Basic Information
Titles
the Xanathar
Aliases
the Eye
Home
Skullport, Waterdeep[2]
Gender
Male
Race
Advanced elder orb beholder[2]
Rules Information
Alignment
Lawful evil[2]

35

3.5 Edition Statistics

Class
Sorcerer 12

The Xanathar was one of most infamous beholders of the Realms and the crime lord of
the Xanathar Thieves' Guild in Skullport.
Contents[show]
HistoryEdit

The Eye, as he was originally known, was an ancient, wrinkled, and paranoid
beholder of the Graypeaks Hive.

The Eye arrived in Skullport in 1205 DR, already a slaver in search of a greater
market. In time, his business and his organization grew. At one point, he re-
organized his organization into a semi-autonomous model and retreated into the
background, spreading rumors about his demise or retirement. Soon, most people
forgot about the beholder slaver and in 1304 DR the Agents of the Eye were simply a
large slaving ring in Skullport with no association with beholders.

Meanwhile, the Eye investigated the Xanathar Thieves' Guild, a powerful thieves
guild, and in time discovered that they were also led by a beholder, a beholder of
a different hive. Thus the Eye decided to take control, by killing and taking the
position of Xanathar. The Eye discovered all Xanathar's secrets and at the same
time manipulated another Skullport beholder, Uthh, into wanting to kill Xanathar.
Eventually, Uthh fought Xanathar in his lair; Xanathar slew Uthh but was too weak
to resist the surprise attack of the Eye. The Eye killed Xanathar and inherits all
his holdings.

The Eye pretended to be his predecessor but, in order to avoid problems, said that
"the Xanathar" was just a title. Afterward, the Eye gathered together the Agents of
the Eye and the Xanathar's Guild.[1]

The Eye then controlled an extensive slaving operation in Skullport, rivaled only
by the Iron Ring and the recently resurgent Shadow Thieves. It also muscled in on
Skullport's smuggling operations, at the expense of its beholder rival, Misker the
Pirate Tyrant.

The Eye extended its control over all the beholders of Undermountain, forcing those
who refused to bow to its rule to flee into the Underdark or to the surface. It
sole remaining rival, Misker, was forced to flee into the depths and hid in the
abandoned Trobriand's Graveyard.[2]

In 1379 DR one of his minions, Shynlar Draal, was captured by the Unyielding Sword
mercenaries hired by the slaver Lanador alongside some other elves; the Xanathar
supported an adventuring party hired by the City Watch to investigate the matter
and defeated the slaver.[3]

It was rumored that the Eye was in fact the second beholder to assume the name of
Xanathar. In truth the Eye was killed by an adventuring band under orders of the
Lords of Waterdeep and secretly aided by an other beholder that assumed the
identity of the Xanathar.[3]

This third Xanathar was later killed in a fight with his former agent lich
Avaereene.[4]

In time more and more beholders assumed the Xanathar's mantle, some for a briefly
time. Until 1479 DR ruled an beholder previously called Izulktur. That year
Izulktur grew bored and decided to retire. The new master was Zushaxx, a young and
ambitious beholder of the same beholder cluster of Izulktur. With the support of
the drow servant Kal'dir Zushaxx quickly established himself as the new Xanathar.
[3]

In 1491 DR the Xanathar working with the mind flayer Suthool and the agent of
Asmodeus Belvarra Bowmantle supported the plots of the Masked Lord Braethan
Cazondur in order to distract the Watch and the Open Lord from his operation in
Skullport and to gain power in order to expel the Zhentarim from Waterdeep.[5]
PersonalityEdit

The elder orb never ventured out from its dual lairs, preferring to work
exclusively through intermediaries. It was attended at all times by swarms of
lurking stranglers and eyeball beholderkin.

The Eye viewed all humanoids as slaves for the taking, but always interrogated
captives to learn all that might be turned to its advantage, slaying only if it
must.[citation needed]
ResidenceEdit

The Eye's primary base was in the southern half of the third level of Undermountain
near Skullport in a fortified complex, but it also maintained an extensive lair in
the sewers of Waterdeep, linked to its other lair by a keyed portal.[2]
ReferencesEdit

? 1.0 1.1 Steven E. Schend, Sean K. Reynolds and Eric L. Boyd (June 2000).
Cloak & Dagger. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 139. ISBN 0-7869-1627-3.
? 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep.
(Wizards of the Coast), p. 65. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
? 3.0 3.1 3.2 Derek Myers. "Eyes on the Ball." Dungeon #206. Renton, WA:
Wizards of the Coast, September 2012.
? Matt Goetz (March 2012). Backdrop: Skullport. In Miranda Horner ed. Dungeon
#200 (Wizards of the Coast).
? Ed Greenwood (June 7, 2016). Death Masks. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-
7869-6593-2