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| {{For|the American software and robotics company|Vecna Technologies}} | | {{Deity |
| | | | image = |
| {{Infobox D&D deity
| | | caption = Symbol of Vecna. |
| |image= | | | name = Vecna |
| |caption= | | | title = Master of All that is Secret and Hidden, the Arch-Lich, the Chained God, the Maimed God, Master of the Spider Throne, the Whispered One, the Dying King, the Lord of the Rotted Tower, and the Undying King |
| |bgcolor=#000
| | | symbol = Hand clutching a human eye |
| |fgcolor=#fff
| | | aspects = |
| |name=Vecna | | | power = Lesser Deity |
| |title=The Arch-Lich, the Chained God, the Maimed God, Master of the Spider Throne, the Whispered One, the Dying King, the Lord of the Rotted Tower, the Undying King | | | status = |
| |home=Prime Material ([[Oerth]]) | | | primordial = |
| |power=lesser | | | pantheon = |
| |alignment=[[Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)#Neutral Evil|Neutral Evil]] | | | home = |
| |portfolio=Destructive and Evil Secrets, Magic, Hidden Knowledge, Intrigue | | | formerhomes = |
| |domains=Evil, Knowledge, Magic | | | serves = |
| |alias= | | | servedby = |
| |super=none | | | minions = |
| | | died = |
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| | | portfolio = |
| | | domains = Evil, Knowledge, Magic |
| | | spheres = |
| | | worshipers = Flan |
| | | cleric alignments = |
| | | favored weapon = Dagger, quaterstaff |
| | | holy days = |
| | | channel divinity = |
| | | race = Human |
| | | gender = Male |
| | | mortalhomes = |
| | | apotheosis = |
| | | alignment = Neutral Evil |
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| }} | | }} |
| The [[fiction]]al character '''Vecna''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|ɛ|k|_|n|ɑː}} {{respell|VEK|nah}}<ref>[[Frank Mentzer|Mentzer, Frank]]. "Ay pronunseeAY shun gyd" ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #93 (TSR, 1985)</ref>) has been named as one of the greatest [[villain]]s in the ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' [[roleplaying game]].<ref>{{cite journal| last = Bulmahn|first=Jason|authorlink=Jason Bulmahn|first2=James|last2=Jacobs|authorlink2=James Jacobs (game designer)|author3=Mike McArtor |first4=Erik|last4=Mona|authorlink4=Erik Mona |first5=F. Wesley|last5=Schneider|authorlink5=F. Wesley Schneider |author6=Todd Stewart |author7=Jeremy Walker | title = 1d20 Villains: D&D's Most Wanted; Preferably Dead| journal = [[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]| volume = 32(4)| issue = 359| pages = 54–69| publisher = Pazio | date = September 2007 }}</ref><ref name="TOR">{{cite web|last=Callahan|first=Tim|title=Advanced Readings in D&D: Jack Vance|work=TOR.com|publisher=Tor Books|accessdate=3 October 2013|url=http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/07/advanced-readings-in-dad-jack-vance}}</ref>
| | '''Vecna''' is considered the most powerful and the most evil lich in history. He rose to godhood, becoming the god of secrets. He is known as the Master of All that is Secret and Hidden, the Arch-Lich, the Chained God, the Maimed God, Master of the Spider Throne, the Whispered One, the Dying King, the Lord of the Rotted Tower, and the Undying King. His weapon of choice is a dagger. Vecna seeks to supplant the other gods, and rule over the universe. For this, he is feared and hated by the other gods. So feared is Vecna that worship of him is punishable by death. |
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| Originally from the ''[[World of Greyhawk]]'' [[campaign setting]], Vecna was described as a powerful wizard who became a [[Lich (Dungeons & Dragons)|lich]].<ref name = "TOR"/> He was eventually destroyed, and his left hand and left eye were the only parts of his body to survive. Even after he achieved godhood<ref name="TOR" />—being a member of the third edition's [[List of deities of Dungeons & Dragons|default pantheon]] of ''D&D'' gods (the pantheon of [[Oerth]])<ref name = "PHB">[[Jonathan Tweet|Tweet, Jonathan]], [[Monte Cook|Cook, Monte]], [[Skip Williams|Williams, Skip]]. ''[[Player's Handbook]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2000)</ref>—he is still described as missing both his left eye and left hand. Vecna's holy symbol is an eye in the palm of a left hand.
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| Vecna's "right hand man" and then ultimately his betrayer is [[Kas the Bloody-Handed]], a [[Vampire (Dungeons & Dragons)|vampire]] whose sword, the [[Sword of Kas]], is also an artifact.
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| ==Publishing history==
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| In the third supplement to the [[Dungeons & Dragons (1974)|original ''Dungeons & Dragons'']] rules (1974-1976) , ''[[Eldritch Wizardry]]'',<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Gygax | first = Gary | author-link = Gary Gygax | last2 = Blume | first2 = Brian | author2-link = Brian Blume | title = D&D Supplement IV: Eldritch Wizardry | place = Lake Geneva WI | publisher = TSR | year = 1976 | pages = 43–44 | postscript = <!--None--> }}</ref> [[Brian Blume]] invented two artifacts he called the [[Hand of Vecna|Hand]] and [[Eye of Vecna]].<ref>''Gygax: "Brian blume ''(sic)'' was the creator of the Eye and Hand of Vecna, and nary a detail of those items did he ever reveal to me—beyond what appeared in print."''{{cite web | title = Gary Gygax: Q & A (Part I, Page 13) | publisher = EN World | date = September 16, 2002 | url = http://www.enworld.org/forum/archive-threads/22566-q-gary-gygax-part-i-13.html#post371202 | accessdate =August 28, 2009}}</ref> These were supposedly the only remnants of an evil [[lich (Dungeons & Dragons)|lich]], Vecna, who had been destroyed long ago. The name Vecna was an anagram of Vance, the surname of [[Jack Vance]],<ref name = "TOR"/><ref>[http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4alum/20090121 D&D Alumni: Open Grave]</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_anagrams.html |title=Gygax's Greyhawk Anagrams, Puns, and Homages |publisher=Greyhawkonline.com |accessdate=June 12, 2009}}</ref> the fantasy author whose "fire-and-forget" magic system is used in ''Dungeons & Dragons''.<ref>{{cite web | last = Rogers | first = Simon | authorlink = Simon Rogers (game designer) | title = Remembering Jack Vance | publisher = Pelgrane Press | date = 2013-05-13 | url = http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=11669 | accessdate = 2013-10-05}}</ref>
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| The Hand and Eye of Vecna were also mentioned in the 1979 ''[[Dungeon Master's Guide]]'' of [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Advanced Dungeons & Dragons|Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]'s first edition (1977–1988), on page 124.<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Gygax | first = Gary | author-link = Gary Gygax | title = Dungeon Masters Guide | place = Lake Geneva WI | publisher = TSR | year = 1979 | postscript = <!--None--> }}</ref> During the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" years, Vecna was regarded only as a legend or myth, a long-destroyed legendary lich of great power, only able to threaten player characters who dared to use his Hand and Eye.
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| Ten years later, in [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition|Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition]]'s ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (1989), Vecna's history was expanded under the description of his Hand and Eye. This information was further developed in 1993's ''[[Book of Artifacts]]''. With the release of the adventure ''[[Vecna Lives!]]'' in 1990, written in support of ''[[The City of Greyhawk]]'' boxed set, Vecna finally appeared in person, re-imagined as a demigod, and the chief antagonist of the adventure. At the end of the adventure—presuming the players defeat Vecna—he is transported to the ''[[Ravenloft]]'' campaign setting.<ref>[[David "Zeb" Cook|Cook, David]]. ''[[Vecna Lives!]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1990)</ref> However, it wasn't until 1998 that there was a Ravenloft-centered follow-through, ''[[Vecna Reborn]]''.<ref>[[Cook, Monte]].''[[Vecna Reborn]]'' (TSR, 1998)</ref> In 2000, [[Wizards of the Coast]] released the last adventure to be written for D&D's 2nd edition rules, ''[[Die Vecna Die!]]'', a three-part adventure tying Greyhawk to the [[Ravenloft]] and [[Planescape]] campaign settings. In this adventure, Vecna was given the rank of a lesser god.<ref>[[Bruce Cordell|Cordell, Bruce]], and [[Steve Miller (game designer)|Steve Miller]]. ''[[Die Vecna Die!]]'' (TSR, 2000)</ref> ''Die Vecna Die!'' set up the transition between the [[AD&D 2nd Edition|second]] and [[D&D 3rd Edition|third]] editions of D&D.<ref>{{citation |url=http://diehardgamefan.com/2013/05/27/the-top-ten-advanced-dungeons-dragons-second-edition-releases-id-like-to-see-on-dndclassics-com/ |chapter=5. Die Vecna Die! |title=The Top Ten Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition Releases I’d Like To See on DNDClassics.com |author=Alex Lucard |date=May 27, 2013 |publisher=Die Hard Game Fan}}</ref> According to Shannon Appelcline, the adventure "touched upon the oldest locales and the most ancient myths of the ''D&D'' game" by playing the Eye and Hand of Vecna against the cambion demigod [[Iuz]].<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7|page=284}}</ref>
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| [[Wizards of the Coast]] continued the character's theme of ascending godhood in [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition|Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition]] (2000–2002) with the ''Player's Handbook'' (2000) listing him as a Lesser deity.<ref name = "PHB"/> Third Edition further raised Vecna's profile in the game, making him a member of the game's "core pantheon". Vecna's alignment was changed from Lawful Evil to Neutral Evil in Third Edition, and no in-game explanation has surfaced. Vecna's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the ''[[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]]'' (2000).<ref>[[Holian, Gary]], [[Erik Mona]], [[Sean K Reynolds]], and [[Frederick Weining]]. ''[[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2000)</ref> Vecna is detailed in ''[[Deities and Demigods]]'' (2002).<ref>[[Rich Redman|Redman, Rich]], [[Skip Williams]], and [[James Wyatt (game designer)|James Wyatt]]. ''[[Deities and Demigods]]'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2002)</ref>
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| Vecna appears in the revised ''Player's Handbook'' (2003) for [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons v3.5|Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition]] (2003–2007).<ref>[[Jonathan Tweet|Tweet, Jonathan]], [[Monte Cook|Cook, Monte]], [[Skip Williams|Williams, Skip]]. ''[[Player's Handbook]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2003)</ref> His priesthood is detailed for this edition in ''[[Complete Divine]]'' (2004).<ref>Noonan, David. ''[[Complete Divine]]'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2004)</ref> Vecna was one of the deities featured in ''[[Libris Mortis]]'' (2004).<ref>[[Andy Collins (game designer)|Collins, Andy]] and [[Bruce Cordell|Bruce R Cordell]]. ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2004)</ref> Vecna and his priesthood were expanded upon in ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #348, in the "Core Beliefs" column.
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| Vecna appears as one of the deities described in the 2008 ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' for [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition|Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition]]. He is primarily the god of secrets.<ref>James Wyatt. ''[[Dungeon Masters Guide]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2008).</ref> The Hand of Vecna has also made its return for this edition of the game.<ref name="GDR">{{cite web|last=Baichtal|first=John|title=GeekDad Review: D&D 4th Edition (part 3 of 3)|url=https://www.wired.com/geekdad/2008/09/geekdad-review-13/|publisher=Wired|accessdate=3 October 2013}}</ref> Vecna is given a set of statistics in ''Open Grave'' (2008). Vecna is the name of Wizards of the Coasts' server that hosts and handles the new online character builder tool.<ref>{{cite web|last=Norman|first=Ian|title=DDI Online Character Builder API|url=http://buccaneersguild.com/ddi-online-character-builder-api/|publisher=The Buccaneers Guild|accessdate=3 October 2013}}</ref>
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| In the [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition|5th Edition]] ''Dungeon Master's Guide'', released in 2014, Vecna appears as a member of the "Dawn War Pantheon", which is mostly derived from the 4th Edition pantheon. He is also included in the ''Player's Handbook'' as one of the deities of Greyhawk. In both, he is listed as the god of evil secrets. Additionally, both his hand and eye are listed as artifacts.
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| ==Description==
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| Vecna is usually depicted as a powerful magician resembling a desiccated corpse missing his left [[Hand of Vecna|hand]] and [[Eye of Vecna|eye]]. A constant theme in the adventures in which the character appears is Vecna's never-ending quest for power, ending, should he succeed, with Vecna as the only deity in existence.
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| ==Relationships==
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| Vecna has few allies, and countless enemies. In 2nd and 3rd Edition, his greatest, and perhaps only true ally is the mysterious entity known as the [[Mok'slyk|Serpent]]. In 4th edition, the Open Grave book introduces Osterneth, the Bronze Lich, as the mightiest servant of Vecna. The famed [[Cambion (Dungeons & Dragons)|cambion]] lich, [[Acererak]], once served Vecna, but the current status of their relationship is unknown. Among Vecna's staunchest foes are [[Kas the Bloody-Handed|Kas]], [[Iuz]], [[Saint Cuthbert (Dungeons & Dragons)|Saint Cuthbert]], the [[Lady of Pain]], [[Pholtus]], and the [[Circle of Eight]]. He is also opposed by the [[Old Faith]] and the [[Silent Ones]].
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| In 4th edition, Vecna's main foes in the realm of death and undeath are [[Kas the Bloody-Handed|Kas]], [[Orcus (Dungeons & Dragons)|Orcus]] and the [[Raven Queen]] (though he would rather she rule the dead than Orcus). Among the gods, [[Ioun]] is something of Vecna's antithesis, for she would share with the world all the knowledge he would keep secret.
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| ==Dogma==
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| ===Scriptures===
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| Being a secretive cult, there are no real collections of Vecnan teachings. However, copies of the ''[[Book of Vile Darkness]]'' are highly prized by the cult for Vecna's role in that work's development. The ''Open Grave'' book offers the "Scroll of Mauthereign", which offers a twisted version of Vecna's history and tells his followers that committing evil acts is holy and righteous.
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| ==Worshippers==
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| Vecna's cult is very secretive, and cells have been uncovered, at various points in history, in [[Diamond Lake (Greyhawk)|Diamond Lake]], [[Greyhawk City|Greyhawk]], and [[Verbobonc]]. Temples to Vecna have also been reported in the [[Pomarj]] town of [[Highport]] and [[Erelhei-Cinlu]], the debased city at the heart of the [[Vault of the Drow]].
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| ===Hierarchy===
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| Each position in Vecna's cult is named for a certain body part. At the top is Vecna himself, followed by the Voice of Vecna, which can only be filled by Vecna's manifestation.
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| Next is the Heart of Vecna, the high priest of the cult. The last known Heart of Vecna was [[Diraq Malcinex]] of [[Ket (Greyhawk)|Ket]], who was slain by adventurers in 581 CY.
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| Immediately below the Heart of Vecna are two bizarre monsters known as the Hand and the Eye. The [[Hand and Eye of Vecna (monsters)|Eye of Vecna]] creature appears as a slender humanoid with an eyeball for a head, whereas the [[Hand and Eye of Vecna (monsters)|Hand of Vecna]] appears as a stocky humanoid with a huge left hand where its head should be.
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| Individual congregations are known as organs. Each organ is led by a Thought of Vecna. Lesser priests are known as Memories of Vecna.
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| Lay members of the cult consist of the Teeth, Fingers, Blood, and Spawn of Vecna. The Teeth of Vecna are made up of [[Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)|wizards]], and specialize in arcane spellcasting and crafting magical items for the cult. The Fingers of Vecna consist mainly of [[Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)|thieves]], who engage in various forms of subterfuge. The Blood of Vecna are mainly [[Fighter (Dungeons & Dragons)|warriors]] charged with protection and enforcement of the cult and its goals. The Spawn of Vecna are the lowest in the cult hierarchy, and consist of the common people who honor the Lich Lord.
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| In 4th edition, the ''Open Grave'' book shows the leader of the cult of Vecna is a lich named Mauthereign. Even when Osterneth, the Bronze Lich, is Vecna's mightiest servant, her position is not revealed among his files.
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| ===Other Vecnan organizations===
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| Other Vecnan organizations are known to exist outside of the mainstream cult, and some may have similar or identical names. Relations between these groups and the mainstream cult may vary. Known examples are the Eyes of Vecna (a cult of undeath consisting mainly of rogues), the Fingers of Vecna (Vecna's personal guard), and the [[Ebon Triad]] (a heretical cult seeking to merge Vecna, [[Hextor]], and [[Erythnul]] into a single entity).
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| In 4th edition, a secret group known as the Keepers of the Forbidden Lore is devoted to Vecna. Unlike most Vecna worshippers, the Keepers reject most of the nasty and evil rituals and beliefs associated with the god; they worship him as the God of Secrets, and believe that there is some knowledge too evil for the world to know. They instead hunt down secrets and information they deem to be too dangerous for the world at large and keep it secret in the name of Vecna. This puts them in opposition to mainstream followers of Vecna who regard the Keepers as heretics, and makes them enemies of Ioun and her followers, who believe all knowledge should be available for everybody and the moral obligations on how to use it rest on the shoulders of the individuals involved.
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| ==Artifacts==
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| [[File:VecnaLivesCover.jpg|thumb|The Hand and Eye of Vecna, as shown on the cover of ''[[Vecna Lives!]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1990)]]
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| ===''Hand'' and ''Eye of Vecna''===
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| Vecna's left hand and eye of Vecna's original "mortal" lich form, which have never been replaced in his later more powerful incarnations, are now high-valued and very dangerous magical [[Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)#Artifacts|artifacts]].<ref name="GDR"/> To use the powers of the Hand of Vecna or the Eye of Vecna one is required to cut off one's own corresponding body part and affix Vecna's in its place. The Hand of Vecna is considered a classic artifact in Dungeons & Dragons.<ref name="GDR"/> These artifacts were introduced in the third supplement to the original D&D rules, ''[[Eldritch Wizardry]]''. They went on to appear in all subsequent D&D editions. They are considered classic items in D&D, with Mordicai Knode of [[Tor.com]] commenting "We all agree that the ''Hand and Eye of Vecna'' are the best artifacts, right?"<ref>http://www.tor.com/2013/05/23/adad-the-old-firm/</ref>
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| ===''Sword of Kas''===
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| Vecna created the ''[[Sword of Kas]]'' for his greatest servant, which contains a "portion of his consciousness."
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| This interpretation is relatively recent. As per the 1st edition ''Dungeon Master's Guide'', Vecna only procured this most powerful sword for his chief lieutenant. Similarly, depending on edition and source, its appearance has varied, from a short sword to a wavy bladed two hander. However, it is undoubtable that the ''Sword'' is inextricably tied to Vecna's relics.
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| ===Other artifacts===
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| A number of Vecna's other body parts are presented as minor artifacts in ''Die Vecna Die!'', including the ''First Digit'' (right thumb), ''Second Digit'' (right index finger), ''Third Digit'' (right middle finger), ''Last Digit'' (right pinky finger), ''Incisors'' (a pair of inappropriately named fang-like canines), ''Molar'', ''Scalp'', ''Skin'', ''Heart'', ''Foot'' (left), and ''Right Eye''. These artifacts are collectively known in D&D 3rd Edition as the ''Fragments of Vecna''. The ''Compendium Maleficarum'' is a book of spells, doctrines, and secrets crafted entirely from bone (even the pages) and penned in blood, that is on par with the ''Fragments of Vecna''. The ''Tome of Shared Secrets'' is an illustrated bestiary of relic status, with the ability to impart knowledge of dark and evil creatures at the cost of a portion the user's life force. The ''Rod of the Whispered One'', while not nearly so powerful as the ''Sword of Kas'', is another item Vecna crafted to connect himself with his highest lieutenants. The final issue of Dragon Magazine, issue #359, featured rules for the "Left Ear of Vecna" as a minor artifact. It grants the owner magical bonuses to hearing and resisting sonic attacks, spell-like abilities to inflict deafness, grant clairaudience and create sonic blasts, and enables them to understand any spoken language. A lich known as Osterneth possesses the "Heart of Vecna" according to the ''Open Grave'' sourcebook.
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| ===''Head of Vecna''===
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| The ''Head of Vecna'' was a hoax that one adventuring party played on another in a campaign run by [[game master]] Mark Steuer. One of the groups tricked the other into going on a quest for the ''Head of Vecna'', a hoax [[Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)#Artifacts|artifact]] that was supposedly similar to his ''Hand'' and ''Eye'', but was simply an ordinary severed head. The hoax takes advantage of the fact that the ''Eye'' and ''Hand'' require a person to remove their own eye or hand and replace it with the artifact to function. The characters involved in the story reasoned that they needed to decapitate themselves to gain the powers of the Head of Vecna, and several members of the group actually fought over which character would get to have his head cut off and replaced. After the third character died, the joke was revealed.<ref>[http://www.sjgames.com/ill/1996/ill-dec96.html ''Daily Illuminator'', December 6, 1996]</ref>
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| The ''Head of Vecna'' was later mentioned by Morte, a floating skull in ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'', when discussing his lack of a body, made a [[canon (fiction)|canonical]] appearance in the 2000 AD&D campaign ''[[Die Vecna Die!]]'', and was the subject of a short adventure on the Wizards of the Coast website in 2007.<ref>[http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20070401a The Head of Vecna: A D&D Adventure for Characters Levels 1–12]</ref>
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| Familiarity with the ''Head of Vecna'' was cited as an example characteristic of an avid role-playing gamer by writer [[David M. Ewalt]].<ref name=ODaM>{{cite book | first=David M. | last=Ewalt | authorlink= David M. Ewalt | year=2013 | title= Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It | publisher=Scribner | page=1 | isbn=978-1-4516-4052-6 }}</ref>
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| ==Character history==
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| Vecna was born as a human, centuries ago as a member of the untouchable caste in the [[Flan (Greyhawk)|Flan]] city of [[Fleeth]] on [[Oerth]]. He was initially trained by his mother, [[Mazzel]], in the art of [[magic (paranormal)|magic]], before she was executed by the government of Fleeth for practicing witchcraft. Vowing revenge, Vecna eventually assumed a mastery of the dark arts achieved by no mortal before or since. Some say this achievement was due to direct tutelage by [[Mok'slyk]] the Serpent, believed to be the personification of arcane magic itself.
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| Nearly one thousand years after his birth, Vecna, now a [[Lich (Dungeons & Dragons)|lich]] and ruler of a great and terrible empire (in the [[Sheldomar Valley]], centered near the modern-day [[Rushmoors]]), laid siege to the city of Fleeth with an army of arcane spellcasters and undead. Legend has it that Vecna was nearly slain in this battle by clerics channeling the power of [[Pholtus]], the god of light. The clerics unleashed a great burst of light, which hit Vecna primarily on his left side. Vecna was rescued and brought to safety by one of his wizard generals, a cambion named [[Acererak]] (who would one day himself become a mighty [[Demilich (Dungeons & Dragons)|demilich]]).
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| Vecna eventually recovered. On the verge of conquering Fleeth, the officials of the city came before him to beg for mercy. They offered up the entire city and her wealth if only Vecna would spare the lives of her citizens. When Vecna was not satisfied, the officials offered their own lives. Vecna gave one of their number, Artau, and his family, over to his lieutenant, [[Kas the Bloody-Handed|Kas]], who spent the entire day torturing and murdering them before the other officials. Still unsatisfied, Vecna slaughtered all within the city, and had their heads stacked before the officials, with those of their family members prominent. Vecna then granted his mercy, granting the officials leave to depart, and promising them his protection for the rest of their lives.
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| At his empire's height, Vecna was betrayed and destroyed by his most trusted lieutenant, a vampire called [[Kas the Bloody-Handed]], using a magical sword that Vecna himself had crafted for him, now known as the [[Sword of Kas]]. Only his left hand and his eye survived the battle, perhaps because of the previous events in Fleeth.
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| Vecna did not stay gone forever, and rose as a [[demigod]] of magic and secrets in the world of [[Greyhawk]]. In 581 [[Common Year (Greyhawk)|CY]], his cult helped set events in motion that would have granted him the power of a [[greater god]], but the plan was ultimately foiled. After these events, Vecna ended up imprisoned in the demiplane of [[Ravenloft]], but broke free again later, emerging with the power of a greater god, after absorbing the power of [[Iuz]]. He then broke free into the city of [[Planescape|Sigil]], where he came perilously close to rearranging all existence to his whims. (Vecna's [[Parallel universe (fiction)|multiverse]] shattering campaign in Sigil is used as an in-universe way to explain the differences between the 2nd and 3rd editions of ''Dungeons & Dragons.'') When Vecna was ejected from Sigil by a party of adventurers, Iuz was freed and Vecna returned to Oerth greatly reduced in power, though still a lesser god.
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| In the events of the [[Living Greyhawk]] campaign setting, Vecna's machinations allowed him to reappear on the prime material plane and retake his place in the Oerth pantheon.
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| ==Writings==
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| At some point in his history, Vecna penned a tome known as ''Ordinary Necromancy''. He is also rumored to have made significant additions to the ''[[Book of Vile Darkness]]''.
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| Although not actually penned by him, ''the Book of Keeping'' (a book of [[Yugoloth]] summoning) is heavily linked with the cult of Vecna, as the cultists have the only known copies that are free of the intentional errors introduced into the book by the fiends that wrote the volume as a trap for would-be summoners.
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| ==In other media==
| | Vecna and his mother, Mazzel, were born to the untouchable caste in the Flan city of Fleeth. She trained him as a wizard in the arcane arts for many years before the city burned her as a witch, and Vecna escaped. He then studied under the direct tutelage of Mok'slyk, the Serpent, said to be the personification of magic itself, whom his mother had served as a priestess. |
| {{cleanup list|section|date=October 2013}}
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| * In the 1999 CRPG ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'', Fall-From-Grace (a puritan succubus) asks Morte (a disembodied floating skull) "What are you?", to which Morte replies "Me? I'm the head of Vecna." A similar conversation between the two involves Morte saying "It's a long story involving the head of Vecna. I don't want to talk about it." Grace responds with an amused "That was you?" Also in the same game, the ''Eye of Vecna'' is a rare item dropped by greater [[glabrezu]].<ref>{{cite video game | title = [[Planescape: Torment]] | developer = [[Black Isle Studios]] | publisher = [[Interplay Entertainment]] | date = December 12, 1999 | platform = | version = }}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=October 2013}}
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| * In ''[[Slash'EM]]'', the ''Hand of Vecna'' is a very useful artifact, gained after killing Vecna himself in the Chaotic Quest.<ref>{{cite video game | title = [Slash'EM Vampire] | developer = Slash'EM development team | publisher = | date = December 30, 2006 | platform = | version = 0.0.7E7F3}}</ref> Vecna himself is one of the more difficult foes in the game.
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| * In [[Critical Role]], Vecna is the main villain in the last arc of the first campaign. He is also included in the associated Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://greenroninstore.com/products/critical-role-tal-dorei-campaign-setting|title=Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting (5E)|website=greenroninstore.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-26}}</ref> though he is called "The Whispered One" due to copyright constraints.{{cn|date=February 2018}}
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| ==References==
| | One thousand years later, Vecna had risen to become the most powerful wizard in the land and had already achieved lichdom having carved an empire for himself in the Sheldomar Valley. During this time, he wrote ''Ordinary Necromancy'' and made significant contributions to ''The Book of Vile Darkness''. He marched on Fleeth with an army of undead and spell casters. He was nearly destroyed by clerics channeling the power of Pholtus, god of light, when they blasted him with a beam of light on his left side. He was saved by one of his generals, the half-fiend Acererak. Acererak would become a mighty lich himself. |
| {{reflist|30em}}
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| ==Further reading==
| | Once recovered, Vecna attacked the city again. This time, the leaders of the city begged for mercy, offering wealth and eventually their lives in exchange for their citizens. Vecna turned one of them and the man's family over to his lieutenant, the vampire Kas The Bloody-Hand, who spend a day torturing and killing them, then had all within the city slaughtered and their heads mounted on pikes. |
| * Brown, Anne. ''Player's Guide'' (TSR, 1998).
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| * Conforti, Steven, ed. [http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip ''Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign''], version 2.0 (Wizards of the Coast, 2005).
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| * [[Monte Cook|Cook, Monte]]. ''[[Book of Vile Darkness]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]], 2002).
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| * [[Monte Cook|Cook, Monte]]. ''[[Vecna Reborn]]'' (TSR, 1998).
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| * Heard, Bruce. "Spells Between the Covers." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #82 (TSR, 1984).
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| * Mona, Erik. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212251/http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=220 "Ancient History: Vecna's Realm."]
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| * [[Roger E. Moore|Moore, Roger E]]. ''[[Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins]]'' (TSR, 1998).
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| * Mullin, Robert S. "Arcane Lore: Greyhawk Grimoires II." ''Dragon'' #241 (TSR, 1997).
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| * Mullin, Robert S. "Campaign Classics: Three Greyhawk Grimoires." ''Dragon'' #225 (TSR, 1996).
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| * [[Niles, Douglas]], and [[Carl Sargent]]. ''[[The City of Greyhawk]]'' (TSR, 1989).
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| * Reynolds, Sean K, and [[Chris Pramas]]. ''[[Slavers]]'' (TSR, 2000).
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| * Sargent, Carl. ''Ivid the Undying'' (TSR, unpublished).
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| * Thorsson, Modi, and Kevin McCann. ''[[Vecna: Hand of the Revenant]]'', ([[Iron Hammer Graphics]], 2002).
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| ==External links==
| | At the height of his empire Vecna was betrayed by Kas. Kas managed to destroy the Archlich before his own death, with the Sword of Kas, a lethal blade of the Undying Kin's own make, leaving only Vecna's left hand and left eye behind. |
| * Weiss, Samuel. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927211231/http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=506 "Grand Sheldomar Timeline, Part I."]
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| * Weiss, Samuel. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212453/http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=733 "The Yaheetes and Tyrus: The Wars Against the Hand and the Eye in the Sheldomar."]
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| * Weiss, Samuel, and Gary Holian. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212350/http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=398 "The Hand and Eye of Vecna."]
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| * Living Greyhawk Journal no. 3 – "Gods of Oerth"
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| {{D&D topics}}
| | Vecna eventually returned and by 581, had risen to godhood. He absorbed Iuz, becoming a greater god and attacked Sigil, the City of Doors in an attempt to rewrite the universe in his own image. He was thwarted by a group of adventurers and ejected from the city, which freed Iuz, but allowed Vecna to stay a minor god and return to Oerth. |
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| [[Category:Dungeons & Dragons articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction]]
| | '''References''' |
| [[Category:Dungeons & Dragons deities]]
| | <references/> |
| [[Category:Fictional arcane spellcasters (Dungeons & Dragons)]]
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| [[Category:Fictional necromancers]]
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| [[Category:Fictional undead]]
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| [[Category:Greyhawk characters]]
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| [[Category:Greyhawk deities]]
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| [[Category:Ravenloft]]
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| [[Category:Ravenloft characters]]
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Master of All that is Secret and Hidden, the Arch-Lich, the Chained God, the Maimed God, Master of the Spider Throne, the Whispered One, the Dying King, the Lord of the Rotted Tower, and the Undying King| Vecna |
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| Alignment: | Neutral Evil |
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| Race: | Human |
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| Gender: | Male |
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| Symbol: | Hand clutching a human eye |
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| Domains: | Evil, Knowledge, Magic |
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Vecna is considered the most powerful and the most evil lich in history. He rose to godhood, becoming the god of secrets. He is known as the Master of All that is Secret and Hidden, the Arch-Lich, the Chained God, the Maimed God, Master of the Spider Throne, the Whispered One, the Dying King, the Lord of the Rotted Tower, and the Undying King. His weapon of choice is a dagger. Vecna seeks to supplant the other gods, and rule over the universe. For this, he is feared and hated by the other gods. So feared is Vecna that worship of him is punishable by death.
Vecna and his mother, Mazzel, were born to the untouchable caste in the Flan city of Fleeth. She trained him as a wizard in the arcane arts for many years before the city burned her as a witch, and Vecna escaped. He then studied under the direct tutelage of Mok'slyk, the Serpent, said to be the personification of magic itself, whom his mother had served as a priestess.
One thousand years later, Vecna had risen to become the most powerful wizard in the land and had already achieved lichdom having carved an empire for himself in the Sheldomar Valley. During this time, he wrote Ordinary Necromancy and made significant contributions to The Book of Vile Darkness. He marched on Fleeth with an army of undead and spell casters. He was nearly destroyed by clerics channeling the power of Pholtus, god of light, when they blasted him with a beam of light on his left side. He was saved by one of his generals, the half-fiend Acererak. Acererak would become a mighty lich himself.
Once recovered, Vecna attacked the city again. This time, the leaders of the city begged for mercy, offering wealth and eventually their lives in exchange for their citizens. Vecna turned one of them and the man's family over to his lieutenant, the vampire Kas The Bloody-Hand, who spend a day torturing and killing them, then had all within the city slaughtered and their heads mounted on pikes.
At the height of his empire Vecna was betrayed by Kas. Kas managed to destroy the Archlich before his own death, with the Sword of Kas, a lethal blade of the Undying Kin's own make, leaving only Vecna's left hand and left eye behind.
Vecna eventually returned and by 581, had risen to godhood. He absorbed Iuz, becoming a greater god and attacked Sigil, the City of Doors in an attempt to rewrite the universe in his own image. He was thwarted by a group of adventurers and ejected from the city, which freed Iuz, but allowed Vecna to stay a minor god and return to Oerth.
References