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Daelkyr Lords: Princes of Madness

The daelkyr of Xoriat, the plane of madness, are incomprehensible beings. However, because of their
invasion of Khorvaire during the Age of Monsters, great effort has been made to catalog and
understand them. Records from orcish, goliath, and Dhakaani sources list many titles and names of
daelkyr lords during the long conflict with them, but most scholars consider at least half of the names
we have to be repeated names for the same lord. The following list is the most widely accepted list of
daelkyr lords by scholars of the Age of Monsters.
At the end of the Daelkyr Wars, the lords of Xoriat typically met one of four fates. Some were killed
during the conflict, brought down by powerful mortal heroes wielding astonishing magic. Others were
imprisoned by Gatekeeper magic in sealed extradimensional prisons rooted in Eberron. Many of those
who survived the conflicts were banished back to Xoriat, thrown through the planes to their home by
the massive ritual which severed the ties between Eberron and Xoriat at the Battle of Two Seas. This
battle, which occurred somewhere near the mouth of Scions Sound was so bloody that it was said the
ocean's waves were met with a second ocean of blood from the land. During this battle, the
Gatekeepers were able to cleanse the daelkyr from the surface of Eberron. Those who escaped the
rolling waves of magical energy fled to Khyber where they continue to live in exile to this day.

The Six Plagues


Though a great many daelkyr lords are attested to in Dhakaani and Gatekeeper sources (even
considering the overlaps mentioned above) only six are known to have survived the Battle of Two Seas
and remain free and alive in the world. Belashyrra the Lord of Eyes, Herumar the Sand Scourge,
Kyrzin the Prince of Slime, Murgremir the Rotting Hill, Ty-h'kadi the Prince of Thunder and Lightning,
and Ul-athra the Mouths of Thirst all have realms deep in Khyber where they can steal into the dreams
of mortals and make their own cults. The wards of the Gatekeepers keep these monsters from coming
to the surface, though their twisted creations can often make the ascent. They have had millenia to
consider these powerful magics, however, and many worry it is only a matter of time before they break
them.

Achazar
Title: The Pillar of Wrath
Fate: Banished (?) to Xoriat
Achazar is mentioned only briefly in the codices of the orcish cities but his appearances have struck
considerable controversy among scholars. Appearing as a column of flame, Achazar is first mentioned
during the First Daelkyr War, though there are depictions of a similar flame pillar on dolmen carvings
dated to the Incursion War. As no other daelkyr lord (not even Dyrrn herself) are mentioned in both
conflicts, this seems to be a coincidence. It is well-established, however, that Achazar scoured the
shores of the Eldeen Bay during the First Daelkyr War and destroyed what orcish settlements he found
there. The orcs were driven farther into the forests and mountains of the area but, abruptly, Achazar is
not mentioned again throughout the Daelkyr Wars. There are unsubstantiated stories that he withdrew
north to the "long northern tail" (presumed to be the peninsula on the northern shore of the bay) where
he protected the daelkyrs' flanks from the demon masters of the Wastes.
Most troubling, however, are the reports of a column of fire west from the ruins of Desolate in the
Demon Wastes which some fringe scholars worry may be some remains of the daelkyr lord. Any
unbound portion of the daelkyr on the surface of Eberron could be disastrous and if the column is
Achazar itself, even in hibernation, is alarming indeed.
Arambar
Title: The Steel Sky
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
The most powerful of the feared Princes of the Steel Sky (along with Tabrach-Ti and Castanamir),
Arambar served as a powerful general under Miska called the Wolf-Spider. Resembling a massive
storm front, Arambar scoured lands and sent nightmare storms to ravage field and mind alike. The Steel
Sky was killed during the Second Daelkyr War, little remains of it today but a crashed asteroid made of
black stone and covered with foul amniotic fluid buried somwhere in the Frostfell. It is barren and
rocky ellipse of land covered in ridges, deep trenches, and sharp spikes upthrusting from the ground,
though reportedly buried in snow after millenia. Noxious tar bubbles up from the craters that
Gatekeeper legend says will drive any who touch it into a violent madness.
The atropals—twisted beings from the dealkyrs' husks of infinite worlds—are said to be the vestiges of
nightmares dreamt by Arambar in death. Undead conjured from nightmares also may have some
connection with the Steel Sky, though the suggestion that Arambar may undead and not destroyed is
troubling.
Balcoth
Title: The Groaning King, The Headless Lord
Fate: Decapitated: his head was mprisoned by Gatekeepers, while his body rules in Khyber
During the Third Daelkyr War, a powerful lord named Balcoth one several important victories against
the orcs and goliaths of western Khorvaire. He was especially feared for capturing victims alive and
torturing them in horrifying ways and manners. Eventually, a Dhakaani hero challenged him on the
battlefield and decapitated him with a legendary sword, dragging his head back to show as a trophy.
When the head began to wake up, the Gatekeepers quickly sealed it in a prison, but it was not until the
war was over that the Dhakaani and Gatekeeper forces realized that Balcoth's body was also alive.
After the Battle of Two Seas, Balcoth's body escaped to Khyber where it rules with an iron mask in
place of its head. Unlike other daelkyr lords, Balcoth's motivations are very comprehensible: to regain
his head and break from his prison to terrorize the world again.
Information on Balcoth not specific to Eberron can be found in Balcoth, the Groaning King in Dungeon
178.
Belashyrra
Title: The Lord of Eyes
Fate: Ruling in Khyber
One of the six daelkyr the sages say have been left behind, some say that Belashyrra is the most foul of
them all. Since fleeing into the Khyber, Belashyrra waits patiently, appearing only to those who
worship the Cult of the Dragon Below. He has found a new home: the Citadel of Lidless Eyes, where
he commands his followers, which include foulspawn, mind flayers, aboleths, and beholders. Since his
entrapment in the Khyber, he has been content to simply be an artist; however, his goal is to use all of
Eberron as his canvas.
Unlike most his foul brethren, Belashyrra wears a humanoid face. However, his disguise is not perfect:
anyone looking at his face can tell it is entirely devoid of any emotions. In addition, anyone who looks
into the eyes of Belashyrra is said to see their own eyes reflected back at them. Belashyrra is a master
of symbionts and wields a symbiont breastplate that absorbs damage, a tentacle whip grafted to his left
arm, and an artificial eye amulet that enhances his own powers.
As with all daelkyr, Belashyrra has the ability to warp reality. He can mold flesh into whatever form he
wishes. While his fellow brethren had warped goblins to become the dolgrim, some say that
Belashyrra's obsession with eyes that had him mold the first beholders of Eberron. From his Citadel of
Lidless Eyes, it is said that Belashyrra can see through the eyes of any living being, by touching the
living walls of his citadel.
Borem
Title: He of the Lake of Boiling Mud, Bwimborem
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
The daelkyr lord Borem is only known from the story of his death at the hands of the bugbear hero
Bhaalmyrkul. Leading a force of daelkyr in the Third Daelkyr War, Borem met the hero in battle on the
sands of the Blade Desert and was killed during the fight. According to legend, blood spilled from the
daelkyr onto the red sands, staining them black and creating a boiling puddle of mud around his corpse.
With his men still fighting, Bhaalmyrkul walked into the pool, wrenched Borem's heart from his chest,
and devoured it. No one knows if Bhaalmyrkul knew of some dark ritual, if he took a chance based on
some esoteric legend, or if he was giving in to simple bloodlust but the magical essence in the heart
infused Bhaalmyrkul with both immense power and horrible madness. His actual reaction is somewhat
obscured but soon Bhaalmyrkul found a manifest zone to escape to Dolurrh where he built himself a
powerful stronghold. Many sages think that Bhaalmyrkul still lives, preserved by his terrible shadow
magic, and is still quite powerful and quite insane.
Bryakus
Title: The Colossus of Chaos
Fate: Killed (?) in the Daelkyr Wars
The monstrous Bryakus made many twisted abominations and beasts which shattered the Dhakaani
Empire. He was feared as much for his ravenous hoards of hydra children as for his own might, though
that was certainly considerable. The central areas of Khorvaire were ravaged by his presence as he and
his brood made the waters of Scions Sound and its branching rivers their hunting grounds. He was
considerably wounded by the hero Murkoorak during the Second Daelkyr War though he recovered
enough to return during the Third Daelkyr War to take up his former territories. He was torn to pieces
during the Battle of Two Seas by Dhakaani battlemages, though some legends say that if his festering
pieces could be reunited he would be reborn.
Castanimir
Title: The Shattered Khan
Fate: Banished to Xoriat
Dendar
Title: The Night Serpent
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Described in the lengthy Coiled Codex (unfortunatley better-known from the Kuraam the Savage
novels by Elarr of Vedykar, almost universally reviled by archeologists), Dendar the Night Serpent was
said to be a giant and tyrannical snake that fed upon the nightmares of mortals. Quoting from the
Codex: "The Night Serpent's slit-pupil eyes are the sickly yellow-black of rotten eggs. Her forked
tongue flickers incessantly over her smooth lips. Her monstrous fangs are always coated with the
viscous essence of lost dreams. She speaks with a sibilant, malignant voice that drips with ancient
horrors. Midnight-black scales cover her colossal hide and serve as the physical embodiment of the
most terrifying nightmares she has swallowed."
This colorful depiction aside, Dendar the Night Serpent is most certainly the foremost foe of the mortal
armies in the Third Daelkyr War. She is first mentioned shortly after the onset of the war and appears
throughout plaguing the dreams of mortals. Dendar is usually depicted in illuminations and carvings
with an uncountable horde of horrible dreams and foul visions in her gullet that she has been devouring
since the dawn of time. She is said to relish the taste of particularly choice nightmares and seemed to
take particular pleasure in tormenting heroes and leaders of the Dhakaani and Gatekeepers.
Despite her prominent position in the Xoriat forces during the Third Daelkyr War, the Night Serpent
spent most of the conflict lairing somewhere near the Starpeaks in Aundair. Gatekeeper sages and
warriors, following her hiss as she slept "contentedly gorged on the world's unremembered
nightmares," were able to track and bind her there. The loss of the Night Serpent's powers was a heavy
blow to the daelkyr and one of the victories that led to the Battle of Two Seas which ended the conflict.
Orcish shamans carefully maintained the ward on Dendar's prison according to oral legends, though the
actual location of the seal has been lost since the arrival of human kingdoms in the area, displacing
many orcish tribes and much of the ancient religious practices.
Dur-baagal
Title:
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Dyrrn
Title: The Corruptor, Queen of Chaos
Fate: Banished to Xoriat
Erek-Hus
Title: King of Terror
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Garash
Title:
Fate: Unknown
Haemnathuun
Title: The Blood Lord
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Herumar
Title: The Sand Scourge
Fate: Ruling in Khyber
Heur-Ket
Title: The Storm Unabated
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Iktha-Lau
Title: The Ever Empty
Fate: Banished to Xoriat
Ilmeth
Title:
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Karshimis
Title: Despot of Shyr
Fate: Unknown
Kezef
Title: The Chaos Hound
Fate: Servant of Dendar in Khyber
Kyrzin
Title: The Prince of Slime
Fate: Ruling in Khyber
Lormoch
Title: Master of Tides
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Maegera
Title:
Fate: Banished to Xoriat
Mak Thuum Ngatha
Title:
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Maram
Title: She of the Great Spear
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Miska
Title: The Wolf-Spider
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
A mysterious daelkyr lord who appears infrequently in the Dhakaani records of the Daelkyr Wars, most
of what is known about Miska the Wolf-Spider comes from the disjointed writings of Cheggar the
Greenstar Seer. This orcish warlock who recorded a lifetime of insane visions in the Vermillion Journal,
purporting to list the daelkyr and their interal affairs. According to the Journal, Miska resembled a cross
between a massive spider and a titanic wolf, constantly shifting between these two forms with
maddening anatomies in between. Cheggar also says that Dyrrn, the daelkyric Queen of Chaos, set out
to repair the divisions among the Xoriat forces for her planned invasion of Eberron. By brute force and
threats of death and punishment, she rallied her fellow daelkyr lords into a united front. To gain
cooperation from a fringe element which stood against her, the Queen took as her lover and head
general Miska the Wolf-Spider. The Queen went as far as to murder the previous head general to
bestow the title on her new consort.
Whe Xoriat was again coterminous with Eberron, the forces of Xoriat under Miska's command were
triumphant in battle after battle against the Dhakaani. The Dhakaani emperor, following a prophecy of
the Gatekeepers, attempted to use the artifact known as the Kuul Kol'daan (the Rod of Rule) to stop the
powerful Wolf-Spider. On a battlefield in the shadow of the Ashen Spires in modern Karrnath, the
emperor's forces nearly succeeded in killing Miska before the daelkyr lords shattered the Rod into
seven parts and scattering them to the winds. Miska was eventually imprisoned by the Gatekeepers at
the end of the Second Daelkyr War, but the prophecy says that he will never be killed except by the
Kuul Kol'daan.
It's unsure how much of this testimony is true as there is no way to verify it. Miska himself was not a
prominent daelkyr lord during the wars with Dhakaan, especially when compared to such well-known
terrors as Belashyrra, Orlassk, and Arambar, but goblinoid generals also felt sure that there was some
powerful leader behind these daelkyr lords seperate from Dyrrn. It is entirely possible that records of
Miska were lost or obscured and the description Cheggar provides has been suggested in some orcish
archeological sites.
Mual-Tar
Title: The Thunder Serpent
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Murgremir
Title: The Rotting Hill
Fate: Ruling in Khyber
Nehushta
Title:
Fate: Unknown
Nekal
Title: She of the Glowing Deep
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Orlassk
Title: Master of Stone, Syvexrae (?)
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Piranoth
Title: The World Mover
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Rorn
Title: The Thing of Rages
Fate: Banished to Xoriat
Sehil
Title:
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Shangar
Title: The Uncrowned
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Shax
Title: The Destroyer
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Sisanthak
Title: The Endless Winter
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Solkara
Title: The Crushing Wave
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Tabrach-Ti
Title: Queen of Bronze
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Telos
Title:
Fate: Banished to Xoriat
Timesus
Title: The Black Star
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars
Ty-h'kadi
Title: Prince of Thunder and Lightning
Fate: Ruling in Khyber
Tziphal
Title: The Mountain Builder
Fate: Banished to Xoriat
Ul-Athra
Title: The Mouths of Thirst
Fate: Ruling in Khyber
Umboras
Title: Lord of Rimefire
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Uzrith
Title:
Fate: Unknown
Vezzuvu
Title: The Burning Mountain
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Vorchoon
Title:
Fate: Imprisoned by the Gatekeepers
Zurtharak
Title: The Vein of Iron
Fate: Killed in the Daelkyr Wars

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