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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Abilities | Monsters | NPCs

Cavnakash

This brutish xulgath priest is as dedicated to destruction as he is to Zevgavizeb, demon lord of caverns and reptiles. Cavnakash uses his spells and his stone hammer to crush any opposition.
The less said about the childhood and adolescence of xulgaths, the better. Suffice it to say Cavnakash lived in a fetid, stinking cave in the Darklands for years, feasting on the flesh and blood of his kin. He survived only because he was fiercer than his rivals and better able to withstand pain and hardship. As he triumphed over his clutch mates, Cavnakash sacrificed them each to the demon lord Zevgavizeb, the Glutton in the Dark, and in this way established himself as a self-appointed priest. By virtue of his strength and aggression, he attracted followers willing to serve him in exchange for his protection, and after subjugating these followers to his will, Cavnakash received divine magic, the sanction of his deific master.

Dominating lesser xulgaths wasn't enough for the power-hungry Cavnakash, though, and the priest began to reach out across the planes to call forth demonic allies. By a combination of domineering personality and utter faith in Zevgavizeb, Cavnakash became a talented and successful demon binder.

With his allied demons and a massive stone maul enchanted by a human wizard—ostensibly in exchange for the wizard's life, although Cavnakash ate him anyway—Cavnakash soon ruled a sizable tribe of xulgaths. He eventually came to the attention of the priest Sarvel Ever-Hunger, who sought Cavnakash out. Cavnakash could do little other that marvel at this mighty priest who claimed the full measure of the demon lord's power, so when Sarvel sought loyal adherents for missions of destruction, Cavnakash practically begged to be included in Sarvel's crusade.

Sarvel and Cavnakash are enough alike in faith and temperament that Sarvel knew to be cautious of the younger priest. Sarvel told Cavnakash only that an ancient tower on the east side of the Isle of Erran shone with a revolving magical orb, and that Sarvel wanted the orb destroyed. Missions of destruction being among Cavnakash's favorites, the xulgath quickly swore to complete Sarvel's task.

Only then did Sarvel put additional conditions on Cavnakash's undertaking. First, Cavnakash needed to reach the tower in secret, and his minions must hunt only near the tower to avoid being spotted by locals. Cavnakash finds subterfuge distasteful and holds little respect for surface-dwelling creatures, but he knows better than to question Sarvel's commands.

The journey under the Isle of Erran was straightforward, and the xulgaths emerged in the shadow of the Erran Tower, just as Sarvel had directed. No sooner had the last of the xulgaths cleared the passage than Cavnakash swung his mighty maul to collapse it. He was determined to finish his mission or to die in the attempt, and he wanted to ensure his minions couldn't make an easy retreat.

The xulgaths found the Erran Tower to be virtually uninhabited, its rooms picked clean by looters over many long years. Cavnakash ascended the tower, and he spends most of his time attempting to destroy the aeon orb that encircles its top. His three lieutenants— the dinosaur-master Golgukan, the stealthy Lakkai One-Fang, and the scarred veteran Ashagith—have significant day-to-day authority, although they're each aware that Cavnakash will be quick to murder any of them whose actions displease him. Nevertheless, with the lack of either danger or firm command, the xulgaths have become careless, ranging much further from the tower than Cavnakash would prefer. As the xulgaths haven't yet encountered any resistance even as they travel further afield to capture food, they've started to wonder whether Cavnakash's insistence on secrecy stems from cowardice—although none would dare voice this in his presence.

On the lofty platform atop the tower, Cavnakash is becoming increasingly desperate and discouraged. When it became clear that he couldn't simply smash the orb by hitting it with his maul, he was forced to consider more complex alternatives. Cavnakash is no great thinker, and the aeon orb's remarkable durability has provided him a great deal of frustration.

The arrival of the succubus Balenni gave Cavnakash renewed hope, and he enlisted her aid in destroying the aeon orb. Yet Balenni initially pestered Cavnakash with irrelevant questions about what the orb did and what would be gained by destroying it. Cavnakash deflected all such questions with firm insistence that Zevgavizeb's will must be served. The succubus has ceased bothering Cavnakash so much, which he welcomes, but neither has the succubus been particularly helpful in destroying the orb. Cavnakash now sees Balenni only rarely, and she, like the xulgaths, wonders how long it will take him to admit he's not up to the task set before him.

Campaign Role

Cavnakash is unlikely to survive his encounter with the heroes. Apart from the bloodlust that compels him to fight to the bitter end, he has no real avenue of escape; his pteranodon's injured wing makes it unable to fly him to safety. If, against the odds, Cavnakash survives, he returns to Sarvel armed with convincing lies that place all the blame for his failure on the heroes. In this case, Cavnakash might reappear in a later adventure of the Extinction Curse Adventure Path seeking retribution.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 30
Unspecific Lore: DC 28
Specific Lore: DC 25

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

CavnakashCreature 5

Legacy Content

Unique NE Medium Humanoid Xulgath 
Source Pathfinder #151: The Show Must Go On pg. 88
Male xulgath fanatic
Perception +12; darkvision
Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon
Skills Arcana +10, Athletics +13, Intimidation +13, Religion +15, Stealth +10
Str +3, Dex +0, Con +2, Int +1, Wis +5, Cha +2
Items wand of heal (2nd), wooden religious symbol, +1 striking maul, scale mail
AC 22; Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +15
HP 83
Stench (aura, olfactory) 30 feet. A creature that enters the aura must attempt a DC 22 Fortitude save. On a failure, the creature is sickened 1, and on a critical failure, the creature also takes a –5-foot status penalty to its Speeds for 1 round. While within the aura, the creature takes a –2 circumstance penalty to saves to recover from the sickened condition. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune to all xulgaths' stenches for 1 minute.
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] maul +17 [+12/+7] (shove, magical), Damage 2d12+3 bludgeoningMelee [one-action] jaws +16 [+11/+6], Damage 2d8+3 piercingMelee [one-action] claw +16 [+12/+8] (agile), Damage 2d6+3 slashingDivine Prepared Spells DC 24, spell attack +17; 3rd chilling darkness, crisis of faith, harm (3); 2nd death knell, harm (2), see invisibility; 1st bane, harm (2), protection; Cantrips (3rd) chill touch, divine lance, guidance, shield
Cleric Domain Spell DC 22, 1 Focus Point; 3rd cry of destruction
Channel Smite [one-action] Cavnakash expends a harm spell and attempts a melee Strike. If he hits, he adds the spell's negative damage to his Strike damage. If he misses, the harm spell is still expended.Profane Gift Cavnakash has a profane gift from Balenni, giving him a +1 status bonus to attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws (already factored into his statistics).