Xakhaz

Xakhaz
skill	14 (can be reduced to 10)
stamina	32 (can be reduced to 9)
Preferred Weapon	Claws/Tentacles/Pincers
Race/Species	Mutant (Human)

Xakhaz is the ancient Archmage of the "despicable gods of the south".

Xakhaz, and the Khaz priesthood of the Howling Gods took shape almost immediately following the Great War against Chaos. With Zagoula so wholly devastated by war and Chaos, the peoples of the Southern Steppes were leaderless and seemingly deserted. Feeling this, and feeling like their own gods had abandoned them after the horror of the war, the soothing words of Xakhaz and the promises of a re-found greatness stirred the people. Not Evil at heart, but lured by his words they followed the Evil priest and began practising what the north would perceive as Evil ways. Under his leadership, they set about renovating the ruins of Zagoula, whilst Xakhaz experimented with magical mutations and augmentations to living creatures. In 30AC he led the forces of Zagoula northwards to attack the lands of the Council of Seven, his forces bolstered by all manner of perverted mutant creatures.

The council reacted quickly, however, and despatched a large force from the north under the command of the great warrior Skarlos. Supported by the priests of Oiden, Skarlos defeated the enemy in the Battle of Castle Hill. The priesthood of Oiden imprisoned Xakhaz's soul beneath the earth (along with the sword of his champion, the Southerner warlord Vlax the Slayer) and built a temple to Oiden and a castle to guard the two entrances. A new garrison city, Neuburg, was founded on the ruins of the old frontier town to further ensure the safety of the northern lands from encroachment by the Southerners.

Then in the late third century AC the sorceress Senyakhaz, a priestess of Xakhaz's foul Khaz priesthood enchanted Baron Tholdur of Neuberg and set about strengthening her idol. Xakhaz began to reform himself bodily by taking parts of dead corpses forming a monstrously deformed body exposing the level of derangement to which his already Evil mind had sunk after three centuries of bodiless imprisonment. A hero put pay to his resurrection, destroying Xakhaz forever more.

In-game Battle

Spoiler Warning!!!: Plot and/or ending details of a Fighting Fantasy publication follow. Please DO NOT read this article if you do not want foreknowledge of this publication. Although the article below is based on canon, some of its content is considered extrapolation because it assumes a certain course of events through an adventure that has many possible routes.

Before fighting you must win a test of willpower, with the risk of getting hurt, and even falling prey to sheer madness and losing the game, should you have less than 6 points left. Then you must fight the gargantuarian abomination that is Xakhaz, a formidable foe with skill 14 and stamina 32. The trident of Skarlos proves almost mandatory in this battle. Should Xakhaz prove too strong for you, you can infuse a glass orb with the power of the Talisman of Loth to destroy him outright, should you win a test of Skill. Should you fail, winning a test of Luck might deal crippling injuries to Xakhaz and reduce him to skill 10 stamina 9.

See Also

References