Xanathar

D&D 2024 monster: Xanathar. Source: Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. challenge rating 13, creature type Aberration, Large size, speed 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover) Xanathar is the name given to the beholder crime lord that lives in the dungeons under Waterdeep. It isn't the first beholder to claim this mantle, nor will it be the last. Like all beholders, Xanathar is a paranoid tyrant that charms and bullies its minions into servitude. The Xanathar Guild is made up of some of Waterdeep's most disreputable folk, as well as monsters forced into subservience or drawn to the beholder by the promise of treasure, food, or power. Treachery within the ranks of the guild is common as servants vie for the beholder's favor and affection. Such boons are fleeting, though, as the beholder is quick to distrust those who finagle their way into its good graces. Xanathar lives in a dungeon under Skullport, a subterranean settlement connected to Undermountain's third level. The place resembles a ramshackle town, built inside a giant cavern connected to an underground river. Members of the Xanathar Guild haunt Skullport's dilapidated buildings, and flameskulls patrol its streets. The only creature Xanathar truly cares about aside from itself is a fish, named Sylgar, that it keeps in a large glass tank. Xanathar has minions that look after the fish constantly, but even their ministrations can't keep such a creature alive forever. Whenever the fish dies, panic spreads through the occupants of the lair as minions try to replace the fish before Xanathar realizes what has happened. Luckily for them, the beholder can't tell one fish from another. Xanathar is extremely fond of gold. A few years ago, its spies stole the Stone of Golorr, which contained information that led to the discovery of a dwarven vault under Waterdeep. Xanathar was able to open the vault, but was forced out by the dragon inside the place. Recently, someone stole the Stone of Golorr from where it was hidden inside its lair, and the...