Zaxab was a powerful mind flayer and the long-time companion of Karahl-Guhl. The two shared a rare and intimate psychic bond that led to their exile from their Underdark enclave. Zaxab’s death during an ambush outside Alkai Tor shattered that bond and set the events of 1486 DR into motion.
Background
Alongside Karahl-Guhl, Zaxab was a feared figure in the Underdark, commanding thralls and wielding devastating psychic power. The pair’s close connection — referred to by them as “my Own One” — made other illithids uncomfortable and eventually resulted in their exile.
After fleeing the Underdark, Zaxab and Karahl-Guhl surfaced in the Border Mire with only a few dozen thralls: kuo-toa, quaggoths, and an umber hulk among them. They attempted to find a foothold on the surface, but conflict with Alkai Tor’s defenders proved fatal for Zaxab.
Death
During a clash with elven defenders from Alkai Tor, Zaxab was killed — struck down by three shots to the head. Karahl-Guhl attempted to reach his companion in mind and in body, but felt only a vast psychic emptiness where Zaxab’s mind had been. The traumatized Karahl-Guhl fled, carrying what remained of his Own One until the mire swallowed Zaxab’s corpse.
Zaxab’s death proved catastrophic for Karahl-Guhl’s sanity; it fractured his mind and drove him to a campaign of vengeance that included the kidnapping of villagers and cruel experiments at the nearby ruined ziggurat.
Legacy
Zaxab’s memory is central to understanding Karahl-Guhl’s motives. His death is mentioned in survivor accounts collected by the Seekers and forms the emotional core of the illithid’s descent into madness.