Ghaunadaur

Ghaunadaur: That Which Lurks, The Elder Eye, The Ancient One

Symbol: Purple/white eye within a purple circle with a black border; An amber inverted triangle set on a purple background, with amber lines within it forming an upside down ‘Y’, that bisects the points of the triangle
Home Plane: The Demonweb Pits/ Paraelemental Plane of Ooze (The Cauldron of Slime)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Oozes, Slimes, Jellies, Outcasts, Ropers, Rebels
Domains: Cavern, Chaos, Drow, Evil, Hatred, Slime
Worshippers: Aboleth, Drow, Fighters, Oozes, Outcasts, Ropers
Aliases: Gormauth Souldrinker, Jubilex, The Elder Elemental God
Cleric Alignments: CE-CN-NE
Favored Weapon: An Amorphous Tentacle (Warhammer)

History/Relationships: Ghanadaur (Pronounced Gone-ah-door) is a fell deity that has existed in the deepest reaches of the Realms since the dawn of time. It is an amorphous, tentacled blob that is worshipped by Jellies, Slimes, Oozes, and other creates who have alien intelligence.

Most sentient, non-amorphous beings consider the worship of Ghaunadaur to be disgusting, but even among these people, secret, hidden alters dedicated to the Elder Eye exist. Ghaunadaur is particularly worshipped among the Drow, who see it as a counter to Lolth’s rule.

That Which Lurks is particularly unpredictable, by the standard of nearly all Humanoids. Sometimes, it provides aid to those who merely pay it lip service. Other times, it does not. Sometimes, it lashes out at those who are particularly devout. Other times, it does not. The Elder Eye is just as likely to kill someone, as it is to aid them.

Ghaunadaur speaks telepathically with those who beseech it. It “speaks” in short, simple sentences, such as “Slay”, “Come to me”, “Approve”, “No”, and similar things. It is believed that Ghaunadaur actually cannot physically speak. Records of a strange, gibbering, bestial language alien enough to drive individuals mad is the only form of non-telepathic communication Ghaunadaur has been known to use.

In Realmspace, Ghaunadaur has assumed the aspects of both Jubliex, the Tanar’ri Lord of Slimes and Molds, and the Elder Elemental God. Jubilex has occasionally lashed out at Ghaunadaur for doing this, but has yet to be able to wrest his very own name away from the Elder Eye. The mysterious Elder Elemental God has yet to even acknowledge that Ghaunadaur has assumed its identity in Realmspace. Gormath Souldrinker, an alias of Ghaunadaur’s is believed to be a power that Ghaunadaur completely subsumed.

Ghaunadaur’s origin's are unknown, to say the least. The first mentions of the creature come from the ancient Dark Elven city of Atorrnash. Ka’Narlist, the Archmage of the city, and many other influential members of the city worshiped the deity. How or why he came to the city is unknown.

It is an understatement to say that Ghaunadaur has many enemies. A small sampling of his current enemies includes Blibdoolpoolp, Deep Duerra, Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Eilistraee, Gargauth, Gzimnid, Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laduguer, Laogzed, Lolth, Malar, Orcus, Psilofyr, Selvetarm, The Blood Queen, The Great Mother, The Seldarine and Vhaeraun.

Ghaunadaur has a special enmity towards Lolth. When she first came to the Abyss, it tried to woo, and then conquer her. It failed at both, and in a fit of rage, destroyed a great number of its own followers, and stripped the intelligence of many others. In doing this, it had destroyed a great deal of its own power. Ghaunadaur still blames Lolth for this, and eventually hopes to strike such a blow against Lolth, who humiliated it.

Because of his extensive list of allies, Ghaunadaur has a very short list of allies. At the current point of time, he actually has none. The two powers that most commonly allied themselves with the Elder Eye, Bwimb and Moander, are both deceased. Kiransalee, who also chafes under the rule of the Spider Queen, as Ghaunadaur does, may one day ally herself with That Which Lurks, to gain more power to counter Lolth. The same goes for Vhaeraun, who dislikes his mother as much, if not more, than Ghaunadaur, and would like nothing more than to see her toppled.

Ghaunadaur’s deific realms, one on the Paraelemental Plane of Ooze and the other, at the bottom of the Demonweb Pits, are hellish places. Both known as the Cauldron of Slime, these realms are damp, sticky, warm places, where molds, mildews, slimes, oozes, and fungi grow unmolested. Both glow with an eerie phosphorescent glow of unknown origin.

Dogma: All creatures have their place, and all are fit to wield power. Those who hunt weed out the weak, and strengthen the stock of all. Those who rebel or walk apart find new ways and try new things and do most to advance their race. Creatures of power best house the energy of life, which Ghaunadaur reveres and represents.

Make sacrifices to the Eye and persuade others to sacrifice themselves to Ghaunadaur or in service of the Eye. Further the fear and knowledge of Ghaunadaur. In the end, give yourself to Ghaunadaur in unresisting self-sacrifice. Convert all other beings to the worship of the Elder Eye, slay the clergy of other faiths, covet their belongings, and better your own lot, as to further advance to worship of Ghaunadaur.

Avatars/Manifestations: Compared to other powers, Ghaunadaur manifests an avatar on Toril quite often. It’s most common avatar a reddish-purple giant slug. Reports from those who have encountered the Elder Eye before, and lived, say that the deity can alter its form into an amorphous, free-flowing shape like a jelly, a giant roper with ten or less tentacles, or a sticky green substance that emerges slowly from the ground.

Ghaunadaur expresses its pleasure in many different ways. The Elder Eye often sends a rolling, purple mist, from which a great golden eye appears from to its followers who please it. Ghaunadaur also sends signs in the form of an eye and tentacles manifesting from an unholy object, or an unholy altar. Finally, he shows his favor by creating flowers that drip blood, or contain a single, staring eye.

Ghaunadaur expresses its displeasure in many ways. Black and blue marks suddenly appearing all over the body of an individual is though to be a sign of the Elder Eye’s disapproval. Another sign of disfavor is the appearance of an eye, which slowly closes before it fades away.

Agents/Petitioners: Various creatures serve Ghaunadaur. These creatures include Aboliths, Alkiliths, Darktentacles, Deadly Puddings, Gelatinous Cubes, Ghauropers, Gibbering Mouthers, Ghaunadan, Jellies, Oozes, Ooze Memphits, Metalmasters, Ropers, Slimes, Slithering Trackers, Slithermorphs, Slugs and Storopers.

The Church of Ghaunadaur: Ghaunadaur is little known on the surface of Toril. Its name is only known in a few of Faerûn’s larger and more decadent cities, such as Waterdeep, Amn, and Calimshan. Those who know of it are universally reviled and sickened by the horror that the Elder Eye represents.

Ghaunadaur is more widely known in the Underdark, where it has found a somewhat steady base of worshippers in the various Oozes, Slimes and Jellies that live in the caverns of Toril, as well as the Dark Elves. Drow who are disenfranchised with the matriarchal rule of Lolth often turn to the worship of Ghaunadaur.

Any living creature may join the clergy of Ghaunadaur, including Oozes, Slimes and Jellies. The Elder Eye values devotion over ability, and so long as the worshiper feeds it a steady supply of sacrifices, it does not care who or what its worshiper is.

Titles vary greatly in Ghaunadaur’s solid, or non-amorphous, worshipers. Some titles include “Loathsome Ooze”, “Spawn of the Pit”, “Eater of Wastes”, “Noxious Slime”, “Creeping Doom”, and “Amorphous Annihilator”. The majority of Ghaunadaur’s church is made of males, while only a tiny minority are females. Many of Ghaunadaur’s are simply sexless.

Clerics of Ghaunadaur pray to the Elder Eye at times of imagined importance. For instance, members of a certain cult may pray at a specific point of the day, when an avatar of That Which Lurks appeared to them. A different cult may pray at a different time. Ghaunadaur grants spells to all of his priests, no matter when they pray to him.

Day-to-Day Activities: The clergy of Ghaunadaur is primarily concerned with doing whatever it is that pleases their deity. Ghaunadaur can be appeased with sacrifices, so the church of the Elder Eye makes sure that there is always a steady supply of sacrifices for their altars. This often means that the priests and priestess’ of Ghaunadaur use force, threat or other means to obtain sacrifices.

The Elder Eye provides the components to allow his followers to procure sacrifices in the form of spells, and Tentacle Rods, enchanted weapons that, as some adventurers call them, “Mindflayers on a stick”. Tentacle Rods come in a variety of different colors and different designs, and each one serves a different purpose.

The clergy of Ghaunadaur is encourages to become familiar with the use of different acids, oils, bases, poisons, incenses and gases. Most temples dedicated to the Elder Eye have large stockpiles of these items. Many are simply purchased elsewhere, but many of the poisons, acids and bases are created by the priests and priestess’ themselves.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Ghaunadaur expects a prayer of praise and an offering at least once a day. These offerings are almost exclusively living beings, who are sacrificed at the alter of the Elder Eye. However, Ghaunadaur accepts offerings of food and bones burned in oil, along with braziers of incense. Ghaunadaur prefers live sacrifices, and when he accepts non-living sacrifices, it lets his displeasure be known in a variety of different ways.

Some priests or priestess’ of Ghaunadaur, in lieu of a living sacrifice, place their own hands in open flames while offering their prayers and thanksgivings. If the prayers are accepted, and more often than not they are, the priest or priestess’ removes his/her hand without any significant damage. If Ghaunadaur does not accept the prayer, he allows the priest/priestess to burn his/her hand.

Ghaunadaur has no specific holy days, or any specific celebrations. Some individual cults or groups celebrate independent events, such as their founding, or the remembrance of a particular individual. But, as a whole, the Ghaunadauraun church celebrates no special occasions.

Major Centers of Worship: Ghaunadaur’s most unholy site is located in a cavern underneath the Forest of Mir. This subterranean locale was discovered by House Hune of Ilythiir shortly before the Fourth Crown War. Here, they built a great temple dedicated to the Elder Eye around the pit of ooze that was located in the center of the cavern. This temple was called the Elder Orb of Ooze. The Elder Eye, in a fit of rage, destroyed all the leaders of House Hune, who wanted simply wanted Ghaunadaur’s blessings and power for their future conflict with the Elven nation of Keltormir. The temple still remains, though it’s exact location has long since been forgotten. Ghaunadaur still lashes out at any who are foolish enough to disturb its temple.

In the north, Ghaunadaur’s most holy site is the Pit of Ghaunadaur, which is located deep underneath Mount Waterdeep, in the third level of Undermountain. The pit sits directly underneath another place of worship- The Promenade of Eilistraee. Hundreds of years ago, Qilué Veladorn and other followers of Eilistraee led an assault on the Pit of Ghaunadaur, destroyed an avatar of the Elder Elemental God, and sealed the unholy site.

Recently, in DR 1368, the Year of the Banner, Ghaunadaur tried to recapture his place of worship by commanding a number of Slimes, Jellies, Oozes and Ghaunadan to attack the Promenade. The Drow repelled Ghaunadaur’s forces, but the Elder Eye is not one to forget grievances easily.

Affiliated Orders: The Fanatics of the Overflowing Pit were once an order of Dark Elven crusaders who dedicated their entire beings to Ghaunadaur. From their bases in ancient Ilythiir, they waged war on the clergies of all other faiths, including the Seldarine. Texts dating back to this age are not clear as to how these Dark Elves came upon learning of Ghaunadaur. But, however they learned of him, they certainly served him fervently. When the Seldarine banished the Drow into the Underdark, Ilythiir fell. Evidence exists, however, that this order did indeed survive, and that is still exists in some form or another in the city of Llurth Dreier.

Priestly Vestments: The typical garb for a Ghaunadauran cleric includes a full-length robe with voluminous sleeves, a dark tabard emblazoned with the symbol of the Elder Eye, and a gleaming, silver skullcap. The robes that these priests and priestess’ wear must always be in hues pleasing to Ghaunadaur. These colors include copper, amber, flame-orange, russet, gold, dark red, plum, purple, amethyst, violet heliotrope, mauve, lilac, lavender and silver.

All Ghaunadauran priests shave their beards and mustaches, as the Elder Eye does not allow them. All priests and priestess’ wear their hair long, and unbound. Holy symbols are normally made of black obsidian carved into three inch in diameter spheres. Many clerics cast Faerie Fire on their symbols, to swathe them in a mauve glow.

Adventuring Garb: Ghaunadaurans have no specific mandates about what to wear and what not to wear when adventuring. They employ whatever arms and armors are appropriate for the task(s) at hand. When adventuring, priests and priestess’ almost always wear colors that are pleasing to Ghaunadaur.