Vecna Notes

Notes about Vecna

Bright Desert
“Old tales from the Duchy of Urnst even claim Vecna was responsible for the creation of the Bright Desert!” (VL, 6) Confirmed as false by Rary the Traitor.

Empire location
“Some say his realm was beyond the great mountains to the west. Another theory holds his tower once rose from the very depths of the Nyr Dyv.” (VL 6) Confirmed as false by LGG & Vecna’s Realm.

“A few writers even go so far as to claim Vecna’s dominion extended over another plane and that he was ultimately destroyed by a revolt of the greater powers that dwelled there!” (VL, 6) The first part of this sentence is true (Citadel Cavitius on Plane of Ash, see DVD), but 2nd part confirmed as false via various accounts of Kas’s betrayal.

many sages believe Vecna’s origins lie far to the west, across the Hellfurnaces, in the blasted lands once called the Suel Empire.

Suel
“Vecna’s penchant for brutality and his obsession for world domination practically brands him as Suloise — after all, the ancient Suel people were (and still are, in some places) noted for their cruelty and policy of conquest. Then, of course, there is Vecna’s unequalled skill in magic, leading those same studious observers to believe he may have once been a Mage of Power, one of the legendary Suloise wizards responsible for the Invoked Devastation. All of this is conjecture, of course, but it is not beyond reason.” (DR#225)

Half-elf
“some tales claim he was half-elven” (VL, 6-7) Confirmed as false by DVD, VhotR, LGG, others.

Flan
“2716 OC One of the small tribes of Flan, the Ur-Flannae, located just west of Aliador send servants as hostage to the Gray elven kingdom, in return for land rights. The 7th High King, Galitholian Glitterhelm, is especially taken by the sharp mind of a young man of promise, named Vecna. Vecna, inspired by the glories of elven splendors, began to study magic. He discovered in the libraries a book from the Seul entitled "The Fate of Tilorop." He secretly begins to worship Tharizdun. (3769 SD/-1747 CY)” (OJ#1.9)

“Vecna (VEK-nah) was a terrifying and evil Flan lich-king who gained a foothold on godhood thousands of years ago.” (LGG.186)

Ancient flan spoken in Cavitius
“A slight familiarity of the GREYHAWK setting is helpful when dealing the domains of Tovag and Cavitius, since each derives from ancient, nearly forgotten realms of Oerth. Even ancient Flan, the language spoken there, stems from those ancient lands and times.” (VR, 2) see also, p12

“Origins: The human citizens of Cavitius were apparently brought to this demiplane from Vecna's capital in his ancient empire on Oerth, just prior to the empire's collapse. Most have dark hair and eyes, with light bronze skin, though with a sickly yellow hue from poor nourishment and frequent illness. Their universal poverty leaves them gaunt. They speak a form of ancient Flan (detailed below).” (DVD, 49)

“Language: The universal language spoken in Citadel Cavitius is an ancient form of Flan, a tongue of the Flanaess of Oerth.” (DVD, 49)

Flan gods
“Scene Five: This scene is more of a sculpture than a relief. It is a life-size statue of the wizard from the other scenes, except now his features are gaunt and skeletal. His hands are likewise bony talons. His snake-robes are still of the same styling, but a new crown rests upon his brow, a crown that appears to be formed by snakes wrapping themselves around his skull. He is also seated on a different throne, one that is made from the fused bones of humans. Its back appears to be a large spider web that spreads across the wall behind him. Caught in the web are dozens of tiny human and demihuman figures, their faces and bodies contorted in terrible agony. Alongside Vecna's throne are dying, disemboweled victims, each wearing what appears to be a holy symbol on a burning necklace. (This statue represents Vecna in the many decades after he became a lich and rapidly built a vast empire of evil. It serves as the altar in this room, and those who worship here leave offerings at the statue's feet. The disemboweled victims were clerics of various deities, their symbols easily recognized by a hero from the GREYHAWK campaign with the Religion proficiency. The gods represented by those symbols were known in the ancient world to govern nature and various aspects of truth, justice, and goodness; most were Flan.)” (DVD, 96)

“Scene One: An old, slightly bent wizard stands on a windblown cliff. He wears a large gem-encrusted crown and black robes with smoky images of serpents embroidered upon them. A palace that looks like Vecna's palace in Cavitius stands in the distance, beyond a plane littered with the remains of what must have been an epic clash of armies. Overhead, the sky boils with lightning-torn storm clouds. A massive serpent-made partially from the clouds and partially from lightning snakes down toward the wizard, wraps around him, and seems to whisper in his ear. The old man's face seems aglow with understanding. Those who study the image closely note the faces of somber men and woman hidden in the clouds. (This scene portrays the Serpent—the ancient source of Vecna's magical might—telling its loyal servant how he might triumph over Death itself and guide his empire to greater glory. The cloud faces are various deities from the world of Oerth, Vecna's place of origin; any person from the GREYHAWK campaign with the Religion proficiency can name several of the gods, who appear to be Flan in nature.)” (DVD, 99)

Citadel Cavitius
“Where the characters nave arrived is a special, small section of the negative quasi-plane of Ash. Originally, this piece was part of that uniform and deadly wasteland, undistinguished from the surrounding gray. Vecna took an interest in this place and, over the centuries, transformed the hostile environment into his own private fortress and prison-Citadel Cavitius.” (VL, 62) “Vecna has chosen to build his citadel on the border between the plane of Ash and the Negative Material plane. Through spells and magical devices, he has formed a small pocket of solid matter and fashioned it into Citadel Cavitius.” (VL, 62)  Cavitius was actually seized from the Doomguard by Vecna  (David Cook, Planescape Campaign Setting: A DM Guide to the Planes (Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994), 37).

Misc
Dungeon #17 (Flame) Vecna’s war w/ elves (OJ #1) Vecna imprisoned by Iuz? (DVD)