![[Ghaunadaur.png]] **The Elder Eye, That Which Lurks, The Lord of Slime and Tentacles** **Alignment**: Chaotic Evil --- ### Overview Ghaunadaur, also known as the _Elder Eye_, is a forgotten god of aberrations, oozes, slimes, and madness. It represents the primal chaos and alien will of the unknown, far removed from the mortal concepts of morality or reason. Worshipped in secret by outcasts, aberrations, and those seeking forbidden power, Ghaunadaur is a god of primal hunger, corruption, and self-serving ambition. Unlike many deities, Ghaunadaur rarely interferes in mortal affairs directly, preferring to influence through madness, oozes, and corrupted followers. Its very presence distorts reality, creating pockets of surreal horror that defy natural laws. Once a rival to Lolth and other deities of the Underdark, Ghaunadaur’s influence has waned, but remnants of its cult remain, worshipping in forgotten ruins and caverns. --- ### Domain and Influence Ghaunadaur’s divine realm is known as _The Cauldron of Slime_, a featureless expanse of shifting sludge and acidic pools. The realm is utterly alien, filled with amorphous creatures, tentacles, and incomprehensible whispers. On the Material Plane, its influence is felt most strongly in the Underdark, where pockets of corruption birth slimes, oozes, and aberrations. Abandoned temples, forgotten caverns, and the ruins of ancient civilizations sometimes hide its lingering presence. --- ### Symbols and Icons ![[Ghaunadaur_symbol.png]] Ghaunadaur's symbol is often depicted as a single eye in a purple voided circle, a lidless eye surrounded by writhing tentacles or drops of ichor. **Colours**: Deep purple, black, and sickly green are sacred to its cults, symbolizing corruption and decay. Artifacts and relics dedicated to Ghaunadaur often pulse with unnatural life, their surfaces glistening with slime or ichor. --- ### Worship and Tributes Ghaunadaur is worshipped by: - **Aberrations and Outcasts**: Beholders, illithids, and other alien creatures sometimes turn to Ghaunadaur for power. - **Cultists of Chaos**: Mortals seeking forbidden knowledge or power often find their minds corrupted by its influence. - **Slime Priests**: Those who venerate oozes and slimes often see Ghaunadaur as their ultimate deity. Worship practices include: - **Offerings of Flesh**: Sacrifices—both sentient and animal—are dissolved in acid or slime pools. - **Rituals of Mutation**: Cultists often seek to alter their forms, becoming more like the oozes and slimes they revere. - **Desecration of Nature**: Spreading chaos and corruption is seen as an act of devotion. --- ### Clergy and Cults Ghaunadaur’s clergy, known as _The Slimebound_, are chaotic and decentralized. They revere its alien form and seek to emulate its unrelenting hunger. - **Hierarchy**: Leadership is determined by power, often through displays of personal corruption or control over slimes. - **Slimebound Adepts**: These priests have gained mastery over slimes and use them as weapons, guardians, or tools of corruption. - **Aberrant Hosts**: Cultists often allow themselves to be consumed or merged with oozes, creating grotesque hybrids. --- ### Powers and Abilities As an ancient and alien deity, Ghaunadaur wields unfathomable power: - **Shapechanger**: It can alter its amorphous form, manifesting tentacles, mouths, and other appendages at will. - **Corruptive Influence**: Its presence warps reality, creating pockets of slime and madness. - **Control of Oozes**: All slimes, oozes, and gelatinous creatures obey its commands. - **Acidic Touch**: Its attacks dissolve matter and flesh alike, reducing foes to sludge. - **Mental Domination**: It can overwhelm the minds of mortals, driving them insane or turning them into loyal thralls. --- ### Treatment of the Faithful Ghaunadaur offers power to those willing to submit entirely to its will. Its blessings include: - **Resistance to Corruption**: Immunity to poisons, acids, and other corrosive effects. - **Slime Affinity**: The ability to summon or command oozes and slimes. - **Aberrant Gifts**: Mutation into a more resilient, amorphous form, at the cost of physical and mental stability. However, the more one serves Ghaunadaur, the more their mind and body deteriorate, often becoming indistinguishable from the oozes they command. --- ### Myths and Legends Ghaunadaur’s origins are shrouded in mystery, with some myths claiming it predates the gods themselves. - **The Forgotten Hunger**: Legends claim Ghaunadaur was born from the primordial chaos, embodying the hunger and decay that existed before creation. - **The Betrayal of Lolth**: It is said that Ghaunadaur once competed with Lolth for dominance in the Underdark but was cast out and forgotten. - **The Devourer of Worlds**: Some believe Ghaunadaur seeks to consume the multiverse, reducing it to formless chaos. - **The Forgotten God**: Tales of ancient civilizations, now long gone, suggest Ghaunadaur once had a vast following before being abandoned and banished to obscurity. --- ### Encounters with Ghaunadaur Encounters with Ghaunadaur or its influence are horrifying and alien. - **Corrupted Caverns**: Adventurers may stumble into pockets of its influence, where oozes, aberrations, and slime-filled traps abound. - **Aberrant Cults**: Facing its cultists often means dealing with mutated foes and unstable, gelatinous horrors. - **Direct Manifestation**: On rare occasions, Ghaunadaur may manifest as a titanic, oozing mass, capable of swallowing armies whole. --- ### Conclusion Ghaunadaur embodies the alien and incomprehensible aspects of the cosmos, representing primal chaos, corruption, and hunger. Its influence, though diminished, remains a lurking threat, manifesting in secret cults, corrupted regions, and the rise of aberrant horrors. To face Ghaunadaur is to confront madness, dissolution, and the terrifying unknown.