Held Loosely in Space. The daelkyr have lairs within
Khyber, but these are no mere caverns. Each daelkyr's
domain is a demiplane reflecting the twisted vision of its
master. These realms are connected to the surface by
tunnels and chasms, but they defy conventional geogra
phy. Passages to Belashyrra's domain can be found in
the Shadow Marches, but tunnels also connect its realm
to Xen'drik. Adventurers can potentially cross great dis
tances quickly by passing through a daelkyr's domain.
Unfathomable Evil. The daelkyr are utterly alien,
and their physical forms can't be fully perceived by
mortals. Viewers perceive the same general impression
of a daelkyr, but the details vary in ways that can't be
controlled. For example, Belashyrra might appear as a
female humanoid surrounded by floating eyes to some
viewers, while other viewers see a haggard male elf.SPAWN OF THE DAELKYR
Most of the aberrations on Eberron are the creations of
the daelkyr. The daelkyr are masters of flesh-shaping,
and they altered existing life forms-often beyond rec
ognition-to create soldiers for their wars against the
peoples of Khorvaire.
When a character faces a creature twisted by the
daelkyr-an aberration or another creature bearing a
daelkyr's corruption-consider rolling on the Daelkyr
Modifications table to add strange cosmetic details to
the creature.DAELKYR MODIFICATIONS
dl 0 Modification
l The creature is fused with another creature or object.
2 The creature has additional eyes, or its existing eyes
are replaced with the eyes of a different creature.
3 The creature produces eerie music instead of speech.(^4) The creature's skin has an unusual texture or color.
5 The creature's hair is replaced by spines or tentacles.
6 The creature's Aesh is transparent.
7 The creature has extra limbs.
8 The creature is bioluminescent.
(^9) The creature has an additional head.
10 The creature sheds its skin every 60 days.
BEHOLDERS
Beholders served as the living artillery of the daelkyr
forces, shattering hobgoblin armies with their deadly
eye rays. When the Gatekeepers drove back and impris
oned the daelkyr, most of the beholders were driven into
Khyber along with their creators.
Today, beholders are solitary, egocentric creatures.
Some have remained among the daelkyr and dolgaunts
(presented later in this chapter), while others have
accumulated their own followings among the Cults of
the Dragon Below. A few have abandoned the path of
aggression in favor of solitary philosophy and reflection.
A beholder philosopher might manipulate events in a hu
manoid city not to gain power or wealth, but to stimulate
and then study a particular social or economic situation.
CHAPTER 6 I FRIENDS AND FOES
...
CHARACTERS WITH TI ES TO THE DAELKYR
Player characters might manifest connections to the
daelkyr in many ways. The Great Old One warlock patron
is an excellent match to Belashyrra or Dyrrn, but other
classes can just as easily reflect a connection to this dark
ness. For example, a barbarian's rage might be seen as a
form of daelkyr-induced madness, or a sorcerer's Sorcer
ous Origin could be the result of a daelkyr experiment.
When a character has a tie to a daelkyr, consider whether
that tie was chosen or thrust upon them. Is the character
a cultist who embraces their dark path, believing that a
world transformed by the daelkyr will be a better place? Or
is the character a victim of the daelkyr, consumed by the
fear of what they might become?
The touch of the daelkyr might be purely mental, or it
might be accompanied by a physical transformation. A
barbarian touched by Belashyrra might serve as an eye of
the All-Seer but remain physically unchanged, even as a
barbarian tied to Dyrrn takes on aberrant features while
raging. When a warlock character gains the Devil's Sight
invocation, they might literally gain the fiery red eyes
of a devil.
DOPPELGANGERS
....
The daelkyr Dyrrn the Corruptor enhanced the latent
psychic abilities of changelings to develop doppelgang
ers, while implanting a desire to cause chaos in the com
munities around them.-even when there's no benefit in
it for the doppelganger. Some doppelgangers, driven by
visions from the daelkyr, can be found working with the
Cults of the Dragon Below or fighting alongside aberra
tions in Khyber. Others operate alone.
LYCANTHROPES
Many people believe that shifters are descended from
lycanthropes, but shifter druids often assert the op
posite-that the abilities of the shifters are a gift from
Eberron or Lamannia, but the gift was corrupted by the
daelkyr to create the curse of lycanthropy.
Whatever the origin of lycanthropy, in the ninth cen
tury YK, the power of the curse surged dramatically,
and all lycanthropes were drawn toward evil. The
Church of the Silver Flame engaged in a long crusade to
defend civilization from this brutal scourge, eventually
all but eradicating lycanthropy from the Five Nations.
The lycanthropes that survived hid in dark places, deep
within the woods of the Eldeen Reaches and Droaam.
The common people of Khorvaire still see lycan
thropes as a dire threat. Most folks don't understand
that good-aligned lycanthropes exist.
MIND FLAYERS
The illithids of Eberron are the creations of the daelkyr
Dyrrn the Corruptor. Most mind flayers on Eberron
dwell in Khyber with their daelkyr masters, command
ing cities of dolgaunts and dolgrims. A few can be found
on the surface, working with the Cults of the Dragon
Below or pursuing their own enigmatic goals. The mind
flayers often seem to pursue reopening the gates to Xo
riat with more urgency than the daelkyr themselves do.
The immortal daelkyr can afford to wait for another ten
thousand years; the illithids aren't so patient.