Belashyrra

They are the lords of Xoriat, a realm so utterly alien that mortal minds can’t survive even the briefest exposure. In ages past, they came to Eberron from the Realm of Madness and shaped the world to their whims. At their touch, life becomes corrupt, dreams become nightmares, and reality warp, its laws and patterns forgotten.

They are the daelkyr, and though the doors to Xoriat have long since been sealed, a few remained behind. Although they are trapped in the dark corridors of Khyber by the magic of the Gatekeepers, their influence reaches into the light of day.

Legend has it that six daelkyr yet walk in Khyber, although this number is impossible to confirm. Each of them is immortal, each schemes endlessly, and each is possessed of nigh-godlike power. Perhaps the most infamous and active of them, although not necessarily the greatest, is foul Belashyrra, the Lord of Eyes.

From his Citadel of Lidless Eyes, Belashyrra is said to be able to see through the eyes of any living being. He touches the dreams of cultists who pray in his name and commands foulspawn, mind flayers, aboleths, and, of course, his personal and favorite creation, beholders.

And what does he want? To what purpose does he send arcane knowledge to his cultists and burning ambitions to his aberrant soldiers? As far as any mortal mind can comprehend, Belashyrra sees himself as an artist, and all of Eberron and its people as his canvas. When Belashyrra is done, all the world will be a testament to his talents and beautiful to his eyes alone—and those eyes will be everywhere, so that he might look upon his entire work and smile.

Like most daelkyr, Belashyrra appears in the form of a male human. Yet he wears his human features like a mask, his expressions failing utterly to match the emotional content of his words and body language. When any creature looks into Belashyrra’s face, its own eyes stare back at it.

Source: Eberron Campaign Guide

Belashyrra is the Lord of Eyes, also known to its cultists as the All-Seer or the Glorious Eye. Stories told of Belashyrra in the Shadow Marches whisper that the Lord of Eyes can see every evil deed a person commits, and that those touched by this daelkyr suffer terrible hallucinations that inevitably drive them to violence or death.

Dreadful Visions. The madness of Belashyrra is tied to sight: images that can’t be unseen, horrific hallucinations, the fear of blindness and of being watched—or realizing that something else is using your eyes. Belashyrra can force its victims to question whether what they perceive is real, or can fill their world with such terrors that they willingly blind themselves to escape.

Belashyrra sees mortals as raw materials to be exploited or insects to be exterminated. However, the Lord of Eyes has been known to take an interest in specific mortals. Belashyrra’s warlocks serve as its envoys in the world and are often directed to seek out creatures and sites that the daelkyr wishes to see through their eyes.

Belashyrra’s Cults. The Lord of Eyes has followers across Khorvaire, and its cults are typically driven by mad visions. Devoted cultists can grow eyes in unusual locations, and might have darkvision or other supernatural abilities when they view the world through those eyes. Beholderkin often advise or lead Belashyrra’s cults, and cultists typically treat these aberrations as divine beings.

Source: Rising from the Last War

We know the world through our eyes. But sight is a gift of the Glorious Eye, and what is given can be taken away. Those who serve the All-Seer well are given new eyes, able to see layers of reality hidden from mere mortals. If only you could see what I can see!

The daelkyr Belashyrra is associated with sight, and might use its cultists as vessels through which to explore the world. Belashyrra’s cultists can become obsessed with sight, both unable to believe what they can’t see, and utterly convinced of those things they can. They might experience visions others can’t see, or gain powers linked with sight, like a beholder’s eye rays. The concept of seeing secret things is critical for these cults and typically drives their missions. It’s common for devoted cultists of Belashyrra to grow new eyes, as with the Vigilant Eye cult.

Belashyrra has traditional cults in the Shadow Marches; members generally keep to themselves, unless guided by visions or gathering sacrifices. Belashyrra’s corrupted cults can appear anywhere, driven by ecstatic visions or convinced that only they can see threats that must be dealt with (such as members of the Vigilant Eye believing they can see hidden demons). Belashyrra’s cultists aren’t always dangerous; they can be gifted oracles, and sometimes they truly can see threats hidden from others. Belashyrra is also known to be fighting the Umbragen drow beneath Xen’drik.

Forces. Belashyrra is the source of beholderkin in Eberron, though they can be found serving other daelkyr or operating independently. Any aberration whose powers revolve around eyes or vision could be tied to Belashyrra. Any creature created by Belashyrra will have extra eyes; this includes its dolgaunts and dolgrims, though the dolgaunts still possess blindsight.

Gifts. Any magic item associated with sight can be tied to Belashyrra, usually in symbiont form. Cultists may have organic versions of eyes of the eagle, eyes of charming, or goggles of night; a robe of eyes could be made from a leathery material that bonds to the wearer’s body. Symbiont items that grant sight-related abilities will often demand to see certain things; the wearer will simply have a sense that the robe wants to see what’s inside that building, and refusing such requests could result in losing the powers of the item until a long or short rest has been completed. In addition to items, Belashyrra can grant supernatural gifts tied to sight, such as granting darkvision or the ability to use true seeing once a week; such gifts usually take the form of a new eye manifesting on the victim, with the power only working through that eye.

Character Ideas. Belashyrra can be an excellent patron for a Great Old One warlock, because typically what it asks of its warlocks is to see things; a warlock will be charged to find something or observe a particular event. Sight-related invocations are common, and spell effects may be channeled through the eyes—either the warlock’s natural eyes, or new ones that they manifest. Any character could be guided by visions shown by Belashyrra; a paladin might not follow a god, but rather be driven by the visions of evil Belashyrra shows them. Is Belashyrra guiding them to stop evil, or is the All-Seer mocking them by showing them the evil people do, while the paladin is determined to prevent these visions from coming to pass?

Story Ideas. Due to a cult’s actions, people start seeing hidden truths they don’t want to know. A wave of visual hallucinations is causing people to see their friends as monsters or deadly enemies. A serial killer is collecting eyes of different species to offer to the All-Seer. A loyalist cult sees signs that reveal one of the adventurers is their next designated sacrifice. An individual or group (such as the Vigilant Eye) is guided by visions leading them to murder hidden demons—are they killing innocents, or could there truly be demons hidden in the community?

Source: Exploring Eberron