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Xotani

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Xotani
(Creature)

Wrath-Blazing Xotani, the Firebleeder,1 was a Spawn of Rovagug. It haunted northeastern Garund and the portion of Nar-Voth below. Scholars blame it for the wastes of Katapesh, Nex, and southern Osirion.2 It did not cross the Inner Sea and appears not to have delved into Sekamina.

Appearance

Xotani is said to resemble a massive worm with sharp claws and a massive maw. According to some accounts, it has dozens or hundreds of empty eye sockets, though these may simply have been nostrils or open wounds, belching forth wet flame. Churning magma feeds its organs and burns alive those who succeeded in piercing its flesh. Xotani was a land-bound creature, capable of quickly burrowing through even stone.3

Ecology

Xotani spent most of its time underground, as it was unable to tolerate sunlight. Even then, its passage turned crops to ash, huts to tinder, and sand to glass, and in at least one documented case, it destroyed a city high in the Brazen Peaks at the height of midday, producing plumes of black smoke visible from a hundred miles away.3

Thunder without clouds and electricity crackling from the sands were seen before the arrival of Xotani, and reported across the entirety of Garund as its work.3

Background

After Xotani emerged from the Barrier Wall and began to lay waste to Katapesh, its tales spread far and many heroes sought to defeat it, but none were prepared to face a Spawn of Rovagug. Xotani survived numerous attempts to bring it down, including freezing magic, being dropped from an incredible height, and immersion in the Obari Ocean. The people of Katapesh fled their cities in fear, becoming nomads that would never dare to settle.34

In around 2100 AR, the Legion of Wands—comprised of genie binders from Katapesh, sand mages from Osirion, archmages from Nex, and others from across Garund—formed, and, in 2104 AR, the Legion trapped Xotani in the Brazen Peaks of Katapesh. After a battle lasting "a day and a night", which saw half their ranks burnt away by Xotani, they defeated it. The Firebleeder fell, buried by searing ice and its victims' bones. Xotani's remains lie in the volcanic caverns beneath Pale Mountain, whose name is said to come from the bones of those who gave their lives to defeat it.34

Legacy

However, it is impossible to kill a Spawn of Rovagug. A famous legend speaks that Xotani could be brought back to life by a thousand wishes, one per wound inflicted by the Legion of Wands, spoken above its corpse.34

In the following centuries, rumour has it that numerous terrible monsters have emerged from Xotani's corpse: clouds of black sand, gnoll zombies with spider limbs and grey blood, and guttural, unearthly howls.5

In 4709 AR, the ifrit6 Jhavhul took over Kelmarane, a village built near Xotani's grave, for his plan to use his own wishes, siphoned through others, to absorb and infuse himself with Xotani's essence.7 His plan was foiled by a band of adventurers, who interrupted Jhavhul's final wish, which nonetheless still had enough power to briefly rouse Xotani, resulting in Pale Mountain partially erupting, leaving a massive crater and exposing Xotani's remains.89 This has given rise to a population of Xotanispawn, beetles corrupted by feeding on the Firebleeder's corpse.5

References

  1. Jim Groves, et al. Inner Sea Bestiary, 46. Paizo Inc., 2012
  2. Erik Mona, et al. “Chapter 2: The Inner Sea” in Campaign Setting, 153. Paizo Inc., 2008 "The Tarrasque... was but one of a dozen titanic monsters disgorged by the Pit of Gormuz in the last 5,000 years. Other spawn include the great beetle Ulunat...; ... Volnagur; and Chemnosit". Sothis was founded around Ulunat's shell: Mona, 119; has always been the capital of Osirion: Mona, 117; which was founded -3470: Mona, 201. "In the last 5,000 years" cannot span the time from -3470 AR to the Campaign Setting book's "current year" of 4708 AR. This is most likely an error:Amber Stewart. “Other Dimensions” in The Great Beyond, A Guide to the Multiverse, 50. Paizo Inc., 2009 "Over the next 5,000 years (after -3923 AR) the cyclic eruption of horrors continued to issue forth from the lip of the Pit (of Gormuz)".
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Clinton Boomer. “The Spawn of Rovagug” in The Final Wish, 54. Paizo Inc., 2009
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Adam Daigle, et al. “Bestiary” in The Final Wish, 89. Paizo Inc., 2009
  5. 5.0 5.1 John Compton & Tim Nightengale. “Adventure Toolbox” in Against the Scarlet Triad, 91. Paizo Inc., 2019
  6. Paizo referred to ifrits as efreet and naaris as ifrits until the publication of Highhelm. See also Rage of Elements pg. 3 and Pathfinder Core Preview pgs. 2, 13, 18.
  7. Robert G. McCreary. “The Final Wish” in The Final Wish, 7. Paizo Inc., 2009
  8. Luis Loza. “Broken Promises” in Broken Promises, 58. Paizo Inc., 2019
  9. Erik Mona, et al. Golden Road” in World Guide, 51. Paizo Inc., 2019