Darklord Xog (died MS 5070) was a Darklord and Lord of Akku.
Appearance[]
Xog was a shapeshifter. His default appearance was a cross between several different animals and a human male. He usually wore clothing bearing the symbol of a broken green door, symbolising his sundered home.[1]
Personality[]
Xog led a solitary life of exile after his compound was destroyed by Vashna in a fit of rage, and Xog was cast into the Nengud-kor-Adez for a decade. His pride was such that he refused the return of his compound when Vashna offered it back.[1]
Biography[]
Xog arrived on Magnamund with his fellow Darklords in MS 3072. During the time of Archlord Vashna, Xog disappointed him at some task, and in a rage, Vashna destroyed Xog's compound, with Xog still inside, casting him into the Nengud-kor-Adez for a decade, until Xog eventually clawed his way back into Helgedad. Vashna, impressed, offered Xog his compound back, but the prideful Xog refused; his compound remains in ruins.[3] Xog attempted to build his own city-fortress, Akku, but this was destroyed by the hordes from Tadatigaza.[1] After Archlord Zagarna became Archlord, Xog returned to Helgedad, where he was appointed Treasurer of the Darklands.[4][1]
In MS 5062, aided by the Tanoz-tukor, allowing the Darklords to operate freely outside of the Darklands, Xog invaded Casiorn, intending to take control of the coin mints here.[5] He was aided by bribery, with Casiorn long suspected as having sympathies towards the Darklords.[6] In MS 5064, Xog began distributing cursed money throughout Magnamund, tempting and swaying men towards evil.[7] This money corrupted the Talons of Rashuur, a mercenary group in Cloeasia that had resisted the Darklords for 600 years, famous for their loyalty and brutality. The cursed money made them forget their code of honour, and in MS 5066, the Talons of Rashuur turned on Cloeasia, opening the gates of Kadan, allowing Xog's forces to conquer and occupy Cloeasia for four years.[8]
In MS 5065, Xog moved west towards Lyris. In Varetta, however, the draconic statues came to life, with fiery breaths that burnt even Xog. These dragons destroyed his army, forcing him to retreat. However, this power was a one-time use, triggered by Gwynian the Sage recovering an ancient artifact created by the precursors of the Crocaryx. The Darklords were unaware that this power could not be used again, however, and Gwynian used this bluff to turn Lyris into a rallying point.[9]
In MS 5066, Xog returned east, and conquered the Wildlands, cutting Sommerlund off from Durenor by land.[10]
When Lone Wolf destroyed the Transfusor in Helgedad, causing the Tanoz-tukor to stop working, Xog, along with his fellow Darklords, were also destroyed.[8] For his failure, his spirit was trapped and tortured in the Plain of Despair by Naar.[11]
Design[]
In the first edition of The Darklands, Xog's attempts to create his own realm were successful, and he became Lord of Elgazaad, whose capital was Akku. This was retconned in the second edition as presented above, where Xog's efforts were unsuccessful, and he eventually returned to Helgedad, becoming Treasurer of the Darklands.
In Lone Wolf media[]
Xog does not appear in the gamebooks.
In The Darklands, his combat statistics are given as follows:
- Xog, Lord of Helgedad
Combat Skill 52, Endurance 50
↪The Darklands, Second Edition: Chapter 4[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Hahn, August [2004] (2011). "Darklords, Demons and Gods of Darkness: Xog, Lord of Helgedad", The Darklands, Dever, Joe, Second Edition, Mongoose Publishing.
- ↑ Hahn, August [2004] (2011). "Darklords, Demons and Gods of Darkness: Xog's Sector", The Darklands, Dever, Joe, Second Edition, Mongoose Publishing.
- ↑ Hahn, August [2004] (2011). "Helgedad — The Eye of Evil: 33: Xog's Ruins", The Darklands, Dever, Joe, Second Edition, Mongoose Publishing.
- ↑ On Zutzinozaga in #the-lore-hall of The World of LONE WOLF – Vincent Lazzari on Discord, 2024-08-19."As explained in the LWMPG sourcebook The Darklands, Zutzinozaga indeed means "bad smell land" in Giak, which is related to the putrid rotten eggs odor which impregnates all the province. This smell descends from the Zandzordak Mountains, which are famous for their sulphur mines (see Maps of Magnamund n°9 and 11), and house the active volcanoes of the Kokozritzaga, which both emit a lot of hydrogen sulfide, a volcanic gas responsible for the rotten eggs odour. The smell can be so putrid that even Giaks are bothered, and this province (SPOILER: formerly called Northern Nyvoz before being conquered during the War of Desecration) found no ruler among the Darklords once included in the Darklands. Gnaag, viewed (wrongly) as one of the weakest Darklords, "accepted" to take it and make it his province (considering he became also the ruler of Zaldir). The other Darklords laughed at him, but it allowed Gnaag to operate completely free from the prying eyes of Helgedad in this remote and forgotten province. The three 'officially' weakest Darklords (at least in the eyes of the successive Archlords that were Vashna, Zagarna and Haakon), were indeed, in this order, Nhorg (Lord of Gourizaga, i.e. nothing), Gnaag (Lord of Zutzinozaga, i.e. the bad smell land) and Xog (one of the Lords of Helgedad, but whose compound was destroyed by Vashna. Forced to exile, Xog tried to built his own city-fortress, namely Akku, see Map of Magnamund 11, but it was destroyed by the hordes from Tadatizaga, and he returned after Vashna's demise to Helgedad...)"
- ↑ Stark, Jonathan; Hahn, August. Episode 14: The Darklands War (Part 2 of 2). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press (2024-01-04). Timestamp: 33:46
- ↑ Stark, Jonathan; Hahn, August. Episode 14: The Darklands War (Part 2 of 2). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press (2024-01-04). Timestamp: 42:20
- ↑ Stark, Jonathan; Hahn, August. Episode 13: The Darklands War (Part 1 of 2). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press (2023-12-??). Timestamp: 52:51
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Dever, Joe [1994] (2024). "The Magnamund Archives — The Zultanate of Cloeasia", The Skull of Agarash, 40th Anniversary Edition, Holmgard Press.
- ↑ Stark, Jonathan; Hahn, August. Episode 14: The Darklands War (Part 2 of 2). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press (2024-01-04). Timestamp: 9:39
- ↑ Stark, Jonathan; Hahn, August. Episode 14: The Darklands War (Part 2 of 2). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press (2024-01-04). Timestamp: 34:40
- ↑ Regarding the fate of the Darklords in #the-lore-hall of The World of LONE WOLF – Vincent Lazzari on Discord, 2024-06-03."I can assure you that this specific scene in LW20, in the Plain of Despair, did not feature all the villains Lone Wolf canonically slew during his adventures. Simply because there are too many spirits who were specifically punished by Naar for their failures, Lone Wolf couldn't see all of them. And so, among them, you do have Darklord Zagarna, even if not mentioned. As well as the other Darklords that Lone Wolf didn't know personally (considering Claws of Helgedad is not canon in the main continuity). All were judged supreme failures by Naar and punished the same way - this is the fate of the champions of Darkness who don't succeed in their conquests. You can think about all the major servants of the God Naar slain by Lone Wolf - they are here, somewhere in the Plain of Despair, suffering terrible tortures. Cadak was a notable exception, his soul being sold and bound to the Lords of Decay."
| Archlords | Vashna • Zagarna • Haakon • Gnaag |
| Darklords | Chlanzor • Dakushna • Ghanesh • Ghurch • Gnaag • Haakon • Khatellu • Kraagenskûl • Menashga • Mrugor • Nhorg • Shebnar • Slûtar • Taktaal • Tomogh • Unc • Vashna • Xog • Zagarna • Zhanshal |
| Domains (and capitals) within the Darklands | Helgedad • Aargataag (V'taag • Argazad) • Dajaraa • Dajdorza • Ghargon (Gournen) • Gourizaga (Gourzaa) • Hourdast • Iznogdazokim (Aarnak) • Jegdazok (Dugazogak) • Kagzizad (Nadgazad) • Luurvad • Maarkaag (Kaag) • Northern Skaror (Gazad Helkona) • Tar Ogashaar (Ogvast) • Yr-Naoga (Naargarod) • Zutzinozaga (Mozgôar) |
| Media | The Darklands • Terror of the Darklords |