Ghaunadaur

Ghaunadaur

Game background
Title(s)	That Which Lurks The Elder Eye
Home plane	Demonweb Pits
Power level	Demipower
Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Portfolio	Oozes, Slimes, Jellies, Outcasts, Rebels
Design details

Ghaunadaur (gone-ah-dowr), also known as That Which Lurks and The Elder Eye is a fictional god in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Although officially considered a member of the drow pantheon, its followers include oozes, slimes, jellies, outcasts, and rebels. Most of its followers are lowly drow outcasts.

Publication history

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

Ghaunadaur was first detailed in Ed Greenwood's The Drow of the Underdark (1991). Ghaunadaur received a very detailed description in Demihuman Deities (1998).

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2007)

Ghaunadaur and was described in Faiths and Pantheons (2002).

Overview

Ghaunadaur is considered to be highly unpredictable by any standards. It is not always necessary to worship it; sometimes, simply paying lip service is enough to earn a boon from the god. However, this is not often done, as it's equally likely that it will consume or maim the penitent without warning.

"That Which Lurks" usually appears as a reddish-purple giant slug, though it can alter its form at will. Its symbol is a purple eye on purple, violet, and black circles. Priests of the Elder Eye are required to make daily sacrifices, preferably willing sacrifices. If a priest falls behind in their sacrifices, they are required to say a prayer while coating their hand in magical oil and lighting it on fire. If the prayer is good, the priest may keep the hand. If not, then the hand will be consumed by the Elder Eye.

It is generally discouraged for priests of Ghaunadaur to be friendly with other priests; however, the Underdark is full of strange things. More information on Ghaunadaur can be found in The Drow of the Underdark, the TSR AD&D 2nd edition rulebook.

History

Ghaunadaur is a very ancient deity, rumored to have emerged from the primordial ooze itself. In that age it was worshipped by the largest of slimes and other crawling creatures, many of which contained an alien intelligence. In a fit of fury due to Lolth spurning his romantic interests, Ghaunadaur struck most of them mad and took their intellects. As an unforeseen result, many of these worshipers ceased to exist, which caused The Elder Eye's power to collapse. Only in recent millennia have some evil beings turned back to Ghaunadaur, looking for an alternative to the established deities. Ghaunadaur is only a member of the drow pantheon because of the worship of drow that became disaffected with Lolth. in 1379 DR Ghaunadaur, finally fed up with Lolth, left the Demonweb Pits and created a new realm in the Deep Caverns.

Further reading

• Baker, Rich, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter. Lords of Madness (Wizards of the Coast, 2005).