Orlassk

What if all the world was still, silent, and peaceful? What if everything was stone, perfect, and eternal? This is the promise of the Still Lord. Stone feels no pain. Stone doesn’t fear the passage of time. Embrace Orlassk and you can be immortal and serene. With this in mind, Orlassk and its cults typically follow one of two themes. The first is the idea of flesh becoming stone, of bringing peace and silent perfection to the world. The second is that the stone is alive—that there are voices in the stone, whispering secrets and offering wonders. Cultists of Orlassk often begin as miners guided to rich veins of ore, sculptors who hear the stone telling them how to unlock beauty, or prisoners saved from solitude by the comforting voices in the rock walls. As for Orlassk itself, its motives can only be guessed at. Does it prefer breathing life into stone, as it did with the gargoyles? Does it wish to petrify all organic creatures? Or does it hold the key to a deeper mystery yet to be understood?

Quick Stone. Orlassk’s creations straddle the line between organic and inorganic. One example of this is quickstone, a substance that can shift between malleable and rigid states. Treasures tied to Orlassk may use supernaturally hard stone in place of metal, or involve mineral intelligence. Orlassk creates Ioun Stones that sing to the characters attuned to them, and Barrier Tattoos that give skin the strength of stone. Orlassk is also a source of Figurines of Wondrous Power; while the figurines Orlassk creates can use the stat blocks assigned to the traditional figurines, they are usually carved in the shapes of creatures never seen in Eberron.

Orlassk’s Minions. Orlassk turns flesh into stone and brings stone to life. Places where its influence is strong may be infested with cockatrices or gorgons. His cults often work with gargoyles, stone or clay golems, and earth elementals—though these creatures are all created by Orlassk’s whims, and have no kinship with traditional golems or elementals. But Orlaask isn’t limited to elementals; almost any creature can be carved from stone and given life. In the last days of Dhakaan, Orlassk petrified the dar population of Cazhaak Draal and then animated them, unleashing this stone army against their kin. Legends speak of purple worms made from stone burrowing through the foundations of Dhakaani citadels. A cult of Orlassk could be led by a sphinx made of stone. All of these creatures would be represented with the Stoneborn Template provided in this chapter. As for Orlassk’s cultists, their flesh often shifts to stone, though this is usually hidden beneath their skin. Those that follow this path eventually become stoneborn, but along the way they become Stone Speakers or Stone Listeners. Others never fully transform. After a cult was exposed in Ardev and eliminated, its members were found to be purely flesh and blood—except for their brains, which had turned into marble.

Orlassk's Lair

Orlassk is bound within the Heart of Stone, a gravel desert filled with broken statues and towering, unfinished citadels and monuments. Orlassk’s face is carved into a massive mountain, and gargoyles and nameless winged creatures dwell in its eyes and mouth; Orlassk itself dwells in the heart of that mountain, carving new creations from its roots. But Khyber and Xoriat interact in strange ways. The Heart of Stone is a demiplane in Khyber, with portals touching the surface that are sealed by the magic of the Gatekeepers. But there is another passage to the Heart of Stone—a massive, stone colossus stalking through the deepest depths of Khyber. Orlassk itself cannot leave this living citadel, but its creations can crawl out of the mouth of the colossus. Should adventurers be so foolish as to face this horror in battle, it has the statistics of a Stoneborn Tarrasque. The citadel has never ascended from the depths. While nothing regarding the daelkyr is ever certain, Orlassk’s citadel is likely bound below by the same Gatekeeper seals that bind Orlassk.

Lair Actions. While within the Heart of Stone, Orlassk can take Lair Actions. On Initiative count 20 (losing Initiative ties), Orlassk can take a Lair Action to cause one of the following effects. It can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Statues within an immobile 200-foot Emanation centered on Orlassk come to life as if it had cast Animate Object. The statues remain animated for 1 minute or until destroyed. Orlassk does not need to concentrate to maintain this effect.
• The ground in a 20-foot-radius Sphere centered on a point Orlassk can see in its lair sprouts stone blades and reaching limbs. The area becomes Difficult Terrain for 1 round. When a creature moves into or within the area, it takes 7 (2d6) Piercing damage for every 5 feet it travels.
• Orlassk directs a portion of its lair to reshape into a giant stone fist to crush its enemies. Creatures in a 20-foot-radius Sphere centered on a point Orlassk can see in its lair must make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (4d10) Bludgeoning damage.

Regional Effects. While passage to the Heart of Stone is blocked by the Gatekeeper seals, there are places in the world where Orlassk’s influence is strong. During the Age of Dhakaan, cultists of the Still Lord built altars of stone infused with the power of the daelkyr. These altars cannot be physically destroyed; the only way to remove an Altar of Orlassk is to find a way to sever its connection to the Still Lord by reconsecrating it to some other power. One such altar lies somewhere near Cazhaak Draal, and its influence maintains the unnatural state of the Stonelands. There is another in the Graywall Mountains near the town of Quickstone; the influence of this altar is directly at odds with the influence of the archfey King Grayfinger. Others could be hidden across Khorvaire, and it’s always possible a cult could create a new altar in an existing city. Regions containing an altar of Orlassk could have one or more of these effects.

• Some or all of the plants within the region are transformed into stone, but continue to grow; like a gargoyle, they display traits of living creatures despite being made of stone. This effect is seen around Cazhaak Draal.
• Deposits of quickstone are found in the earth. If harvested, this substance will slowly replenish over time. This effect is seen in the Graywall Mountains.
• Cockatrices emerge from Khyber and infest the area.
• Statues in the region occasionally shift position.
• Living creatures who remain in the area for an extended period of time run the risk of turning to stone. Each time they complete a Long Rest in the region, a creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 13). If they fail, they suffer the effects of the Slow spell until they next finish a Long Rest. If they fail this saving throw on their next Long Rest, they have the Petrified condition.
• Small stone idols can be found in the region. These are almost shapeless, but a Humanoid that interacts with one will find that it seems familiar; it reminds them of someone they love or respect. A creature that carries one of these idols for more than an hour while within the affected region must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by one of the Delusions of Orlassk (see the table below). A creature that succeeds on this saving throw can’t be affected by this regional effect again for 24 hours.

Delusions of Orlassk

If a creature goes mad in Orlassk’s lair or while it can see the daelkyr, it is afflicted with a powerful delusion. Roll on the Delusions of Orlassk table to determine the nature of this delusion, which takes the form of a character flaw that lasts until cured. C

Orlassk is the Master of Stone, but is known by its disciples as the Earthshaper, the Stone Plague, and the Unchanging Master. Legends of Orlassk say that looking upon its true form instantly turns the watcher to stone. Supposedly, even the flesh of other daelkyr is subject to this curse, as its perpetual rival Belashyrra will only watch it through the eyes of others. Petrifier. Orlassk is the daelkyr credited with mastering the art of petrification, and the creation of most creatures that wield this art: basilisks, cockatrice, gorgons, and contentiously, medusas. The vast majority of medusas dispute this account of their creation, while Gatekeeper legends insist they fought in the Daelkyr War under Orlassk’s command.

Refusing Change. Since the days of the Daelkyr War, Orlassk has refused to leave its lair of stone, a roving gargoyle on which its private guardian of petrified masterpieces is built. More importantly, Orlassk has refused to change: it still conducts itself like a general in the midst of war--creating soldiers, building strongholds, reinforcing its stone defenses.

Orlassk’s madness is one of change and ruin. The few creatures that encounter Orlassk’s children and survive return to a world that moves too fast--days pass in a blur, plants wither, and youth shrivels up to die. These tortured souls often isolate themselves in the dark, where they can’t feel time slipping between their fingers and the fear of oblivion isn’t as overwhelming. Most of the bearers of Orlassk’s madness waste away alone and afraid.

Orlassk’s Cults. Many of Orlassk’s cultists belong to short-lived races, hoping that their pursuit of the daelkyr’s favor will earn them a longer lifetime as a partially petrified being. A tiny cult of medusas, outcast by their own societies, worship the Master of Stone as their lost patron. These medusas hunt Eberron’s humanoids and turn them into petrified works of art in Orlassk’s name.

Orlassk's Lair

Orlassk makes its lair in the Prowling Fortress, a stronghold built on the back of a titanic stone gargoyle. The gargoyle roams the depths of Khyber, refusing to make itself assailable by resting in any one place.

The true danger of the Prowling Fortress, unbeknownst to most, resides outside of its bounds: an army of basilisks, gorgons, and other servants of the Master of Stone follow the stronghold in droves, ready to begin their siege against Eberron at a moment’s notice.

Madness of Orlassk

If a creature goes mad in Orlassk’s lair or while it can see the daelkyr, it gains a form of indefinite madness. Roll on the Madness of Orlassk table to determine the nature of this madness, which takes the form of a character trait that lasts until reversed.

Orlassk is whispered of in legend to be the progenitor of all creatures capable of turning the living into stone. It cares little for the adoration or worship of its creations, and many creatures with petrifying attacks deny any connection to this entity.

In all of Orlassk's time trapped in Khyber, it has made no concerted effort to break free. It seems content to wander the endless stone corridors and caverns in its walking fortress, encountering new creatures, turning them to stone, and then using stone shape to improve them.

Madness of Stone

If a creature goes mad or insane in the Xoriat manifest zone linked to Orlassk's influence, roll on the Madness of Stone table to determine the nature of the madness.

The daelkyr is named as the and the , ruler of the silent caverns and depths of the world. The embodies geometric perfection; crystalline symmetry and the denial of entropy, resulting in everlasting beauty. It’s existence revolves around seeking such perfection in a world that it regards as horrifically irregular down to the atom. Fleshy beings are engines of entropy, consuming the world around them until they themselves die. The ravages of time will wear all such beings to dust, and thus it is better to preserve everything – to fix reality in place in the hardest granite and diamond so that its glory can be seen forevermore. It is for this reason that creations are either made of stone, or bring salvation to other creatures by petrifying them, creating statues that will last through the ages. Only when reality is cold, silent and still, will the be content with its work. Until then, it toils away like a mad sculptor in its space within the Titanoclast, warping and carving reality to create impossible geometry and new forms of perfection to send out onto the world.

Legends. Those that dwell in the mountains or mine in the deep often share tales of when the stone whispers; secrets unheard except by those in the silence of solitude. It is said that reshapes and carves the caverns of Khyber, guiding those that delve within with respect – and swallowing up those that disturb the silence. Legends also speak of course, that the roams endlessly through Khyber in his walking castle fashioned in the shape of a titanic gargoyle – something spoken of with fear and reverence by some of Khyber’s mortal residents.

Links. presence is most strongly felt in Droaam, where the daelkyr petrified thousands of Dhakaani in the cities now known as Cazhaak Draal and the Great Crag. The Medusa live in only a small portion of their city; the rest is populated by thousands of flashfrozen statues. The lone mountain of the Great Crag was supposedly itself raised from the earth by the , while the city has a building known as the Ossuary where the thousands of Dar statues have been gathered. Despite its role in the war, has the worst relations with the other daelkyr. themes of fluid change are diametrically opposed to , while creatures such as basilisks and cockatrices are believed to be a form of living insult against , with their effects only manifesting on sight.

Servants and Schemes

The creations and experiments of the are all themed around stone, but generally divide into two categories – those that petrify, and those that are themselves formed from animated earth and rock. Unlike , whose servants are intrinsically tied to their , has no care for those it touches once they are no longer needed; several of the daelkyr’s creations such as the gargoyles and medusa have left the influence of their supposed creator, forming cultures in Eberron above. Indeed, many of the creations appear to be means to an end, created to silence and petrify rather than spreading the daelkyr’s influence.

Basilisks & Cockatrices are said to owe their petrifying abilities to the , altered from pre-existing species; the fact this ability relies on sight for basilisks has led scholars to believe that these creatures (as well as the famous Medusa) are a form of living slight against , the , interfering with its servants most prized and powerful abilities.

Dolgrims & Dolgaunts have rocky skin, acting as servants and sentries in the Titanoclast. versions are capable of partially merging with stone, entering stasis for untold periods of time like statues.

Gargoyles are some of the most widely spread of creations. The sentient creatures, formed from animated stone and earth, are most commonly found in the nation of Droaam where the presence is most strongly felt. Gargoyles ‘fly’ against all reason, not by producing any motile force, but by altering their own gravity to pull them in the required direction – a reality-bending feat granted by to make stone fly. Their forms vary massively; those that have broken away and formed their own cultures in Eberron might have two or four arms depending on their age, but direct servants are far more aberrant. Closer to twisted earth elementals than sentient people, their forms are fractal, moving in complex geometric rearrangements that defy all sense of Euclidean space.

Gorgons are the siege engines of forces, used to sow chaos into the ranks of the Dhakaani forces in Droaam. Like the medusa, the origins of Gorgons are unclear; while metal gorgons dwell within the shadow demiplane known as the Ironlands, those touched by the daelkyr might have skin of crystal or granite plating.

Medusa occupy the city of Cazhaak Draal after emerging from Khyber in 778YK. While Dhakaani records portray creatures similar to the medusa fighting as lieutenants, the proud people themselves deny such a thing vehemently, attributing their gifts to the Shadow instead. It is possible that the medusa are an ancient creation of the , sent out to petrify the Dhakaani of Droaam; it might also be that they are an ancient Khyberian race from a Shadow demiplane, and that their ancestors were compelled (willingly or not) to fight against the Dar.

Ropers & Piercers lurk in Khyber’s caverns, their stony forms and alien morphology a result of tampering. Their ravenous hunger and willingness to lurk for untold amounts of time in wait of prey belies their purpose – to keep Khyber silent and clean. It is believed that ancient ropers develop into another form; terrifying horrors that lose their sight, but can listen to the whispered secrets of the stone to locate their prey at great distance -before reshaping the makeup of reality to lure them in. Known fearfully as balhannoths, these voracious hunters weave and reshape the stone of Khyber into any form they desire, manipulating space to teleport prey directly into their maws.

Stone Cursed are a direct result of the presence of the , petrifying ephemeral flesh into eternal forms whilst preserving their minds, now utterly broken from the daelkyr’s proximity. Stone cursed are the masterpieces of an insane sculptor – not just retaining their forms for eternity, but utterly contagious, converting other fleshlings into beautiful stone. All kinds of these unfortunates can be found within the areas of Khyber that the Titanoclast roams – including fiends and other immortals.

Valuable Resources

Orlassk is the origin of many of Eberron’s Ioun stones, which owe their reality-altering properties and denial of gravity to the daelkyr’s tinkering. Stones of Awareness whisper about incoming foes to their wielder, those of Sustenance place one’s body into a form of stasis whilst those of Protection turn one’s skin into stony plates. Larger sections of stone touched by the also serve as perfect materials to craft Immovable Rods due to their odd interactions with normal physics. Greater gifts might include Stones of Controlling Earth Elementals that whisper secrets to animate stone under the wielders command, or symbiont Dwarven Plate that fuses with the wearer’s skin. Cultists in tune with the Voice of the Stone might also bond with disturbing earthen symbionts, including Spaceshift Gauntlets and Stonemelds that utterly defy all semblance of natural law.

Madness of the Infinite

The Titanoclast is an unreal nightmare populated by stone horrors and impossible architecture. Simply trying to rationalize ones surroundings takes a toll, as the eyes witness shapes never meant to be comprehended. For every few hours or rest spent within, a Humanoid or Fey creature must succeed on a DC22 Wisdom saving throw or gain a form of indefinite madness as detailed below, becoming immune for 24 hours on a success.