Dyrrn

According to legend, Dyrrn the Corruptor is the mightiest of the daelkyr, responsible for the creation of the dolgaunts, dolgrims, and dolgarrs. Dyrrn is said to be trapped beneath the Eldeen Reaches, and alleged to be responsible for the horrors that lurk in the deep woods.

Source: Player's Guide to Eberron

Dyrrn is known to its followers as the Corruptor, the Stealer of Thoughts, the Slithering Lord, and the Foul Labyrinth. In the lore of the Gatekeepers, it is said that Dyrrn plants thoughts in the weak minded—the seeds of terrible ideas that fester and grow. Those who are particularly brilliant often draw the attention of the Foul Labyrinth, which hungers to consume unique minds.

Twisting Flesh and Thought. The mind flayers of Eberron know Dyrrn as the Overmind, and it serves as the cornerstone of their collective consciousness. Of all the daelkyr, the Corruptor is the most adept at twisting minds and bodies to create monsters. It was Dyrrn who turned goblinoid prisoners into the first dolgaunts and dolgrims, creating the legions that would savage the nations of Khorvaire. Dyrrn is also a prolific creator of symbionts—treasures that tempt people to bind alien entities to their flesh.

Dyrrn’s Cults. Dyrrn’s lair touches the Eldeen Reaches, and the druids of the Towering Wood are always watching for Dyrrn’s influence. At the start of the Last War, the dwarves of the Mror Holds discovered passages to the daelkyr’s realm below their halls, and Dyrrn’s cults have spread from there.

Mind flayers often work with Dyrrn’s cults, many of which are obsessed with evolution—through the use of symbionts or by becoming an aberration. Those who worship the Stealer of Thoughts believe that Dyrrn will consume all sentient beings, except for its servants.

Dyrrn most often appears as a tall humanoid male with pale skin, clad in a heavy cassock of interwoven black leather that slithers unsettlingly around the daelkyr’s form. Dyrrn can extend tentacles from its body, using them to extract the brains of others.

Source: Rising from the Last War

Flesh isn’t final: it’s clay to be molded into something better. We can be so much more than these bodies we’re born with. You were birthed in the prison of everyday life, but there are paths in this foul labyrinth that lead to unimaginable wonders. Let us show you the way.

One of the most active daelkyr, Dyrrn the Corruptor is infamous for warping mind and body to turn innocents into monsters. It’s said that Dyrrn bred the first dolgrims and dolgaunts from goblinoid stock. It created doppelgangers from changelings, and perhaps even chokers from halflings. Strong evidence suggests Dyrrn corrupted shifters, creating the first lycanthropes. Lord of the mind flayers, it takes equal joy in twisting thoughts and flesh.

Dyrrn’s loyalists believe that the Corruptor will ultimately consume and transform the world, and that only those who serve it will survive the experience. However, there are other cults—such as the Transcendent Flesh—who see Dyrrn’s actions in a positive light. Dyrrn transforms and creates new forms of life—but who are we to decide that these things are monsters? Such cultists believe that Dyrrn is driving evolution, and they can transcend their own limits by walking the path of the Foul Labyrinth. While this can start as simply transactional, the influence of the Corruptor is insidious, and cultists can soon start to see natural creatures as vile and weak.

Dyrrn has had a long presence in western Aundair and the Eldeen Reaches, and the Wardens of the Wood remain ever watchful for its vile creations. During the Last War, the dwarves of the Mror Holds discovered that Dyrrn’s forces were deeply entrenched in the ancient realm below their holdings. While many clans are determined to drive all aberrations from the depths, others feel it may be possible to use Dyrrn’s power for the greater good; this has offered a foothold for the Transcendent Flesh and other cults to spread.

Forces. Dyrrn has created many of the aberrations used by all daelkyr, such as dolgaunts and dolgrims. It’s the source of mind flayers in Eberron; they know Dyrrn as the Overmind, and it serves as the cornerstone of their collective consciousness. Doppelgangers and mind flayers are often associated with Dyrrn’s cults, but any aberration or monstrosity could appear.

Gifts. Dyrrn is a prolific producer of symbionts. It’s not bound to any one theme; any living weapon or tool could be tied to Dyrrn. It’s also closely associated with psionic powers and the evolution of the mind, and a cult could be found wielding tools that focus mental power.

Character Ideas. An artificer could hear Dyrnn’s whispers, guiding them to create living tools; their infusions might appear to be alive, though their effects are the same as those for other artificers. A warlock bound to Dyrrn could experience dramatic physical transformation or focus on powers that control thought— are they now a renegade fighting Dyrrn, or being guided toward evolution? A barbarian could present their rage as a disturbing physical transformation, while a transmuter wizard might follow in Mordain the Fleshweaver’s footsteps.

Story Ideas. Dyrrn’s cults can always provide a foothold for aberrations to enter a story. Cultists could be creating monsters from corpses, cloning important people and releasing the clones into the world, or turning innocent people into aberrations. A Transcendent Flesh cult might focus on their own physical or mental evolution and have no intention of harming others— until they need extra brains or body parts. Someone might discover that Dyrrn is responsible for both aberrant and true dragonmarks; what impact would this have on the world?

Source: Exploring Eberron