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Uk'otoa[4] is a leviathan imprisoned under the Lucidian Ocean and formerly Fjord's patron. As an NPC, Uk'otoa is played by Matthew Mercer.

Description

Appearance

Legend says that Uk'otoa is a large serpent-like creature with three eyes in its head and many eyes along its body.[5] On the altar above Captain Avantika's door aboard the Squall-Eater, it's represented by an ouroboros with nine eyes.[6]

Personality

Biography

Background

Uk'otoa is a creation of Zehir, the Cloaked Serpent, left to rule the entirety of the Lucidian Ocean as his proxy after he was banished during the Calamity.[7]

The Ki'Nau of the Swavain Islands were granted the blessings of Uk'otoa. Captain Avantika expressed that, with this blessing, "nothing and no one could stand before them." However, the surviving worshipers of the Cloaked Serpent grew jealous, sealing Uk'otoa beneath the depths of the Lucidian Ocean and defaced the temples built in their name.[8]

"The Open Road" (2x05)

Fjord's patron contacted him for the first time through a dream. He found himself underwater, facing an enormous, yellow eye. He tried to speak to it, but it responded only in single words: "Watching. Potential. Learn. Grow. Provoke. Consume. Reward. Patience."[9] He woke with a start, coughing up seawater, and finds that his falchion is missing from its sheath. Fjord discovered he had bonded with the sword as his warlock pact weapon.

"A Favor in Kind" (2x16)

As Fjord fell asleep, he faded into a dream of himself standing in total darkness; in his hand was the Waste Hunter Blade. A large yellow eye appeared in front of him. A voice said "Consume". Fjord opened his mouth and pushed the sword into it. He felt pain but also a strong hunger and continued to push the sword further. After he had swallowed the sword, the voice said "Good". The eye closed. Fjord realized he was underwater and started trying to swim against the current. After a few seconds of struggling, he woke up suddenly.[10] The Waste Hunter Blade was gone. Fjord wiped his mouth and found a little bit of blood. He summoned his pact weapon. Instead of the Waste Hunter Blade, his weapon took the form of his falchion again, but it had a more curved appearance similar to the Waste Hunter Blade.[11]

"Stalker in the Swamp" (2x21)

Fjord hears his patron's voice in his head say "Learn" leading him to dive into a dark pool in the Merrow lair.[12]

"Lost Treasures" (2x22)

After the Mighty Nein defeat the merrow in the ruins, Fjord touches a yellow orb found in the chamber. Fjord was immediately transported into a vision. He saw himself in a different place wearing different clothes in a human body. Standing over the body of its previous owner, Fjord held the yellow orb in his hand. The right hand in the vision summoned the same falchion Fjord has. He heard a voice in his head say "Potential". He felt uncontrollably hungry then pushed the orb into his stomach. It went into him painlessly as a voice said "Consume". The hunger went away. Suddenly feeling exhausted, he fell to his knees. Fjord looked into a nearby pond, and saw Vandran's reflection instead of his own. The voice said "Reward". Fjord came back to his own body looking into the pool where the orb was found, but orb was gone.[13] The next time Fjord summoned the falchion it had a yellow eye in the center of the hilt.[14]

"Dangerous Liaisons" (2x37)

The Mighty Nein met Avantika and discovered she is also a follower of Fjord's patron. She told them its identity- Uk'otoa the great leviathan. That night, Fjord had a dream of being under the ocean.

"A Pirate's Life for Me" (2x41)

"The Diver's Grave" (2x44)

As Fjord touched the Cloven Crystal to his chest, his vision went black. He saw the same dark ocean and three yellow eyes he had seen in dreams before. An endless row of teeth smiling at him appeared and the vision was gone.[15]

"The Second Seal" (2x47)

After placing a Cloven Crystal in the Gravid Archipelago sunken temple, Fjord saw a vision of a coastline with three cites, a jungle, and the final temple to unseal Uk'otoa.[16]

"Cornered" (2x53)

Sleeping outside the city of Asarius, Uk'otoa revealed himself to Fjord, adding the words Wander, and Punish, before crushing him in the dream.[17]

"Agreements" (2x61)

Uk'otoa appeared yet again to Fjord in a dream, this time angrily repeating the word Punish and causing the Half-Orc Warlock to feel the sensation of drowning. When Fjord awoke, he found that Uk'otoa had taken his powers;[18] however, this was later shown to be temporary, as Fjord got them back later the next day.[19]

"Intervention" (2x63)

"Chases and Trees" (2x65)

"Family Gathering" (2x71)

The Mighty Nein teleported to Nicodranas from Rosohna and spent one day there. As Fjord stepped into the Teleportation Circle to return to Rosohna, he felt a cold sensation shoot through his head and heard Uk'otoa's voice say "Return".[20]

Relationships

Avantika

Uk'otoa communicated with Avantika through dreams. It is implied she had less contact with Uk'otoa than Fjord, saying in "Dangerous Liaisons" that it had been a few years since her last dream. Avantika had a yellow eye similar to the eye on Fjord's falchion in the palm of her right hand. She claimed the eye appeared after she killed the previous owner of the Cloven Crystal.

Uk'otoa granted her the power to manipulate water after she brought a Cloven Crystal to its temple on Urukaxl.

Fjord

Uk'otoa communicates with Fjord mostly through dreams. Fjord never had these dreams or the ability to use magic before finding his falchion.[21]. In his dreams, Fjord is often underwater and sees a giant yellow eye. Fjord's attempts to speak to the entity have resulted in single word responses or no response at all. So far he has heard the words: "Watching, Potential, Learn, Grow, Provoke, Consume, Reward, Patience, Good, Release, Wander, Punish", and "Return" in various dreams. Some of these dreams have physical side effects when Fjord wakes up.[22][23][24] Avantika[25], Sabian[26], Vandran[27][28] have appeared in Fjord's dreams.

Fjord has felt Uk'otoa's presence outside of dreams when a Cloven Crystal was nearby[29][30][31], when he placed a Cloven Crystal in the sunken temple to unlock Uk'otoa[32], and when teleporting away from Nicodranas after being near the sea for the first time in over a month.[33]

Vandran

Vandran was described by Avantika as being another of the "Chosen" of Uk'otoa. She told Fjord Vandran had a sword similar to Fjord's Sword of Fathoms before the shipwreck caused by Sabian. She also claimed Vandran showed her a ritual to get in contact with Uk'otoa. This implies Vandran had contact with Uk'otoa through dreams as well.

According to one of Fjord's dreams, Vandran absorbed a Cloven Crystal in the same way Fjord did.[34] This implies Vandran was, and possibly still is, a warlock of Uk'otoa. At some point in the past, Vandran was working with Avantika to release Uk'otoa. He changed his mind for unknown reasons,[35] and took his Cloven Crystal with him when he left her. The Mighty Nein discovered Vandran had a Cloven Crystal hidden in his quarters on the Tide's Breath at the time it sank.[36]

Unknown Entities

In the Yuan-Ti temple on Urukaxl, the Mighty Nein saw three murals - depicting a giant purple bird with fire-like wings and three eyes of onyx, a gigantic sea serpent emerging from the water, with many small eyes of amber and three large eyes, and a worm-like creature with three eyes of ivory inside its mouth, plowing through the earth.[37]

Character Information

Abilities

  • Uk'otoa is able to communicate with his followers by gifting them dreams and visions.[citation needed]
  • As a entity of notable power Uk'otoa is able to gift his followers with the ability to control water, he is said to have done this in the past with the Ki'Nau, and more recently has done so to Avantika and Fjord as a reward for using their Cloven Crystals to unlock some of the binds holding him captive.[38] [39]

Notable Items

  • Cloven Crystals - Three orbs that are used as keys to release Uk'otoa. They are to be used in three temples scattered about. Two have currently been deposited in their respective temples located at Urukaxl[40] and the Gravid Archipelago[41], the third and final one remains in Fjord's possession.[42]

Quotations

  • "Watching. Potential. Learn. Grow. Provoke. Consume. Reward. Patience." - Fjord hears the voice of Uk'otoa in his head during a dream.[43]
  • "Watching. Adapt. Reward. Release." Said to Fjord within a vision after he inserts the key into the second temple.
  • "Watching. Return. Reward. Wander. Punish." Said to Fjord in a dream after Fjord ignored Uk'otoa's third temple.[44]
  • "Punish." Said to Fjord before stripping him of his power, after weeks of Fjord ignoring him.[45]

Trivia

  • A recurring gag, is the players habit of repeating Uk'otoa's name in hushed whispers when a character speaks it out loud.
  • There is a theory that the unlocking of Uk'otoa's temples is similar in nature to the Seven Seals in the Book of Revelation. According to the Christian Bible, when a seal is opened, a divine judgment or apocalyptic event occurs. The first four seals are commonly known as the "Four Horseman of the Apocalypse": Conquest, War, Famine, and Death.[citation needed]
    • Avantika could be interpreted as a metaphor for Conquest. As a zealot of Uk'otoa, she has preached the gospel truth of her patron to her crew, and she seeks to advance Uk'otoa's goal of release. Likewise, Avantika's desire to rule the seas and the pirates of the Revelry can be viewed as the crown given to Conquest.[citation needed]
    • Time will tell if Fjord will follow in the footsteps of War. Like War, Fjord had divine power given to him. Fjord's falchion can be interpreted as the "great sword" given to War. War is said to unleash global war, as the kingdoms of mankind slaughter each other. Given the war ongoing between the Dwendalian Empire and Xhorhas, this hints that the war might have dire consequences for civilizations across Exandria. However, it is unknown what role (if any) Fjord might play in this war or any war to come, let alone if Fjord would seek world supremacy with or without Uk'otoa.[citation needed]
  • Uk'otoa's name bears close resemblance to the race of degenerate fishmen, the kuo-toa. Despite the similarity it is currently unknown, whether Uk'otoa, or its creator, the Cloaked Serpent has any connection to these creatures.
  • Matt confirmed in "Talks Machina #89: 'Dubious Pursuits'" (TMx89) that the reward for putting a Cloven Crystal in place to unseal Uk'otoa is a free Eldritch Invocation. This invocation, nicknamed "Dank Water Powers" gives the power to cast Control Water once per day without expending a spell slot.[46]
  • Matt confirmed in "Talks Machina #89: 'Dubious Pursuits'" (TMx89) that the three entities pictured in the yuan-ti temple, including Uk'otoa were creations of the gods that became "pseudo-gods" after being left behind by their creators.[47]

References

  1. See 12x02 at 1:15:16.
  2. See 12x04.[citation needed]
  3. See 12x02 at 1:15:42.
  4. Matthew Mercer confirms the spelling of Uk'otoa's name.  See 12x02 at 1:15:10.
  5. See "Dubious Pursuits" (2x40) at 25:23.  Mural of Uk'otoa in the temple on Urukaxl
  6. See 12x02 from 1:27:49 through 1:28:23.
  7. See 12x02 from 1:16:07 through 1:16:34.
  8. See 12x02 from 1:16:34 through 1:17:21.
  9. See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 48:40 through 54:54.
  10. See "A Favor in Kind" (2x16) from 2:00:20 through 2:04:55.
  11. See "A Favor in Kind" (2x16) from 2:05:02 through 2:05:54.
  12. See "Stalker in the Swamp" (2x21) at 3:51:37.  Fjord hears Uk'otoa's voice in the merrow lair
  13. See "Lost Treasures" (2x22) from 2:57:01 through 2:59:47.  Fjord has a vision and absorbs a Cloven Crystal into his body
  14. See "Lost Treasures" (2x22) at 3:23:08.
  15. See "The Diver's Grave" (2x44) from 3:53:48 through 3:54:54.  Fjord has a vision of Uk'otoa smiling and absorbs the Cloven Crystal found in Dashilla's lair
  16. See "The Second Seal" (2x47).[citation needed]
  17. See "Cornered" (2x53) from 0:13:40 through 0:15:50.
  18. See "Agreements" (2x61) at 1:35:51.
  19. See "Agreements" (2x61) at 2:58:19.
  20. See "Family Gathering" (2x71) at 3:06:00.
  21. See "The Open Road" (2x05) at 0:59:47.
  22. See 9x05 at 0:55:44.  Fjord coughs up salt water when he wakes up
  23. See "A Favor in Kind" (2x16) at 2:04:56.  Fjord wipes blood away from his mouth after waking up from a dream where he swallowed a sword
  24. See "Cornered" (2x53) from 0:13:40 through 0:15:50.  Fjord wakes up vomiting salt water and brine after a dream where Uk'otoa squeezes him to death.
  25. See "A Pirate's Life for Me" (2x41).[citation needed]
  26. See "Dubious Pursuits" (2x40).[citation needed]  Fjord sees a stone statue of Sabian in a dream
  27. See 10x10 from 3:11:05 through 3:14:15.  Fjord has a vision of Vandran absorbing a Cloven Crystal and simultaneously absorbs the Cloven Crystal found in the Gentleman's safe house
  28. See "Dubious Pursuits" (2x40).[citation needed]  Fjord sees a stone statue of Vandran in a dream
  29. See "Stalker in the Swamp" (2x21) at 3:51:37.  Fjord hears Uk'otoa's voice in the merrow lair
  30. See 10x10 from 3:11:05 through 3:14:15.  Fjord has a vision of Vandran absorbing a Cloven Crystal and simultaneously absorbs the Cloven Crystal found in the Gentleman's safe house
  31. See "The Diver's Grave" (2x44) from 3:53:48 through 3:54:54.  Fjord has a vision of Uk'otoa smiling and absorbs the Cloven Crystal found in Dashilla's lair
  32. See "The Second Seal" (2x47).[citation needed]
  33. See "Family Gathering" (2x71) at 3:06:00.
  34. See "Lost Treasures" (2x22) from 2:57:01 through 2:59:47.  Fjord has a vision and absorbs a Cloven Crystal into his body
  35. See "A Hole In the Plan" (2x42) at 3:08:55.
  36. See "The Diver's Grave" (2x44) at 37:01.  Jester finds a box that used to hold a Cloven Crystal
  37. See "Dubious Pursuits" (2x40) from 22:40 through 29:00.  Murals in the temple of the Uk'otoa on Urukaxl
  38. See "Talks Machina #89: 'Dubious Pursuits'" (TMx89) at 21:00.  Matt's explanation of "Dank Water Powers" Eldritch Invocation
  39. See "Dubious Pursuits" (2x40).
  40. See "Dubious Pursuits" (2x40) at 43:39.  Avantika unlocks the seal on Urukaxl
  41. See "The Second Seal" (2x47).[citation needed]
  42. See 10x10 from 3:11:05 through 3:14:15.  Fjord has a vision and absorbs a Cloven Crystal into his body
  43. See "The Open Road" (2x05) from 48:40 through 54:54.
  44. See "Cornered" (2x53) from 0:13:40 through 0:15:50.
  45. See "Agreements" (2x61) at 1:37:25.
  46. See "Talks Machina #89: 'Dubious Pursuits'" (TMx89) at 21:00.
  47. See "Talks Machina #89: 'Dubious Pursuits'" (TMx89) at 37:16.  Matt refers to the three entities pictured in the temple as "pseudo-gods"

Art:

  1. Fan art of Uk'otoa, by APixelTaurus (source). Used with permission.
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