Vokodo is a morkoth who lived on the island of Rumblecusp, believed to be a great fire god by the island's residents. As an NPC, Vokodo is played by Matthew Mercer.
The villagers refer to the great volcano of Rumblecusp as "Vokodo," stating that Vokodo both exists within, and is that.[5] Vokodo lives within the mountain itself and is rumored to be a great, fiery beast, an entity that resembles and encompasses the creation of the world and its eventual destruction.[6]Viridian described it as the mountain, and yet a projection of its essence within the mountain. "You see fire and flame, but there is water. There are caverns, woven, plants. It’s a place of life, brimming with creation within. And in the midst of that is where Vokodo is.”[7]
In reality, Vokodo is a massive (20-feet in diameter)[8] black-fleshed creature with multiple tendrils and thick tentacles. Beneath the cracked edges of its blackened flesh is an underlying glowing yellow-orange layer of flame or lava. Its jaw holds rocky black teeth, and from the inside of its mouth, a bright fiery light emerges. Atop its head are four separate orbs of eyes, also orange and red, with slightly pointed red pupils. Massive red rocks or gems jut from its body, and heavy pseudopods like thick legs dangle beneath. Across its back is a hoard of treasure of all kinds.[9] The body has four massive tentacles and many smaller ones that occasionally emerge from the body to snatch things nearby and then recoil within.[10] It is covered in small cilia or fingers that are capable of moving coins up its body and into the hoard on its back.[11]
Personality[]
Vokodo is openly greedy and demands "precious things". Despite the vast hoard of treasures it has accumulated during its habitation of the island, its avarice knows no bounds and Vokodo is quick to anger with those who come before it who are reluctant to part with their precious goods. In such an instance it will slowly increase the temperature of the water about them towards scalding point, presumably to "encourage" more generous offerings or kill those who are not forthcoming.[12]
Biography[]
The Vo villagers of Rumblecusp believe that Vokodo provides them what is necessary to survive, and they give back to Vokodo as part of a blessing cycle. Their gifts include gems, mined metals, and other precious and shiny objects.[13] All newcomers to the village must meet with Vokodo at least once and be accepted.[14]
Background[]
Prior to existing on Rumblecusp, Vokodo was fleeing from a sentient, nightmarish, hive-minded city in the Astral Sea. Vokodo crashed through the fabric of reality, landing in Rumblecusp. In the process, the morkoth dragged shards of other planes with it. As it landed at the base of the island's volcano, the volcano changed Vokodo, transforming it into its fiery self, and Vokodo changed the island itself, transforming it into its current, mismatched existence. Over the generations, Vokodo had gathered mind-washed followers to worship and gift offerings to it, while also hiding from the force Vokodo has desperately escaped from.
The Mighty Nein are informed by the village about the history of Rumblecusp and the fire god Vokodo that resides within the island and gives the volcano its name. They are told that the spiritual leader of the village, Viridian, is the one they need to speak to about meeting Vokodo and hosting Traveler Con.
The Mighty Nein made their way through the jungle with the help of Viridian and traveled into Vokodo's lair. There, they asked for and were given permission to hold Traveler Con on the island, but before Vokodo would allow them to leave, it forced them to make "offerings". When it deemed Veth's offered items not acceptably valuable, it caused the water around her to reach scalding temperature. When each party member had relinquished something of great value, Vokodo allowed them to leave on the understanding that the expected visitors to the island would be similarly brought before it.
Caduceus used Divine Intervention to ask Melora about the nature of Vokodo. He saw a vision of Vokodo in the Astral Plane frantically fleeing a pursuer. In panic, Vokodo broke through the boundary between planes and crashed into the island, dragging shards of other planes with it. As it landed at the base of the volcano, the volcano changed it, and Vokodo in turn changed the island. Caduceus realized that Vokodo had origins somewhere in the Astral Sea, and it came to Rumblecusp to hide.[15]
The Mighty Nein fought and eventually defeated Vokodo in his underwater lair. Before he was killed, however, the party saw a vision of his enemy in the Astral Sea, a floating hive-mind city.[16]
The Mighty Nein looted Vokodo's lair, finding four new magical items in addition to many of the items they had offered to Vokodo in their first meeting with him. They also found some of their personal items that they had "misplaced" while on the island. After escaping Vokodo's lair, the Mighty Nein discovered that the mist and the ever-present feeling of being watched had ended with his death.
Vokodo's underwater lair lies deep under the volcano of Rumblecusp Island, reachable by only a few hidden and guarded passageways. Viridian led the Mighty Nein through the one that she was aware of, which passed through an area of poisonous gas before reaching a pool filled with breathable water. Beneath the pool was a tunnel lined with dangerous torchblooms from the Elemental Plane of Fire that led downward to a gargantuan (at least a hundred feet across) underwater chamber of rough black glassy volcanic rock broken by heavy patches of torchbloom giving off pockets of light. Vents of of gas bubbled forth from breaks in the rock, gathering in the ceiling and then vanishing through small cracks. Heavy stalactites descended from a forty-foot ceiling, some almost touching the ground, a jagged forest of upside-down rock coming from above. Some of the rock walls themselves glowed faintly orange with heat from the proximity of the volcanic activity.[17] Throughout the chamber were platforms of rock that were either built up over time from gathering minerals, or fallen from the ceiling. On the opposite end, just within sight because of a nearby torchbloom glow, was a large pillar of twisted rock that rose up about twenty-five feet before leveling off. The torchblooms lining the tunnel through which they entered closed it off once they were within the chamber.[18]
Abilities[]
Damage resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical weapons, cold[19]
Closed and locked small metallic case containing three Dwarven Cataclysm Bolts
"Belabor", a silver quarterstaff (+2 to attack and damage, 3d8 ranged (at least 30 ft.) energy attack with a strength save 4x/day. Requires attunement.)
A pair of Stormrider Boots (allow flight for 1 round and cause electric damage when a hostile creature comes within range 1x/long rest; "make you harder to hit".)
A fine Concordian nobleman's coat, the Coat of the Crest (bonus to AC; as a reaction can gain resistance to damage from a triggering attack. Can only be worn with light armor.)
Three diamonds worth 100, 500, and 700 gold each.
a large emerald that was mentioned previously by Vilya worth 250 gold[27]
a circular jet stone worth 175 gold
miscellaneous gems all together worth 2,350 gold[28]
The art pieces and decorations all together are worth 615 gold pieces sold at the highest price.
Viridian: Just like any creature, there is light and there is dark. Vokodo protects, and Vokodo is the beating heart and heat of this island. Vokodo keeps things that threaten this way of life at bay. But Vokodo also, like all of us, requires sustenance, requires worship, requires something to maintain this good cause. And in the past, though not in my time, when such things were to the wayside, wrath could occur.[31]
Vokodo: Yes! Presentsss!
Vokodo: Look upon the Lord of this island, the Lord of Exandria. And offer. You have such shinies.
Vokodo: One does not walk into the heart of a god, and present paltry gifts. I accept offerings, or I can take what is insufficient.
Vokodo:(As the Mighty Nein entered his lair for their final battle) What... have... you... done!?
Trivia[]
Many of the strange phenomena found on Rumblecusp, such as the dreamlike atmosphere, seemingly unrelated creatures together on one island, and items becoming misplaced while the owner is resting, match the regional effects of a morkoth's lair, indicating that Vokodo was a morkoth. Other attributes of morkoths displayed by Vokodo include its greedy nature, tentacled appearance, and breathable water in its lair. On Talks Machina, Matt clarified that he used the morkoth lore from 5e as inspiration and made Vokodo as a modified version.[32][33]
Though Vokodo was a morkoth, he had been transformed by the absorption of the elemental energy of Rumblecusp's volcano, similarly to how Thordak was transformed by long exposure to the Elemental Plane of Fire.[34]
While Vokodo is able to see everything on the island, he is not able to hear all conversations.[35]
After Vokodo's death, the mist that encircled the island vanished, along with the suspicious feeling of being watched.[36]
↑Photograph of the Vokodo mini from the final battle, by Matthew Mercer (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
