![[Ghaunadaur.png|400]] **Ghaunadaur** **Also Known as:** That Which Lurks, The Elder Eye, The Ancient One, The Lord of Slime, Gormauth Souldrinker **Alignment:** Chaotic Evil **Classification:** Deity, Ancient Power of the Underdark **Divine Realm:** The Cauldron of Slime, Paraelemental Plane of Ooze **Portfolio:** Oozes, Slimes, Jellies, Ropers, Outcasts, Rebels, and Subterranean Creatures **Favoured Weapon:** An Amorphous Tentacle (Warhammer) --- ### Overview **Ghaunadaur**, known as **That Which Lurks** and **the Elder Eye**, is an ancient and malevolent deity whose dominion encompasses oozes, slimes, jellies, ropers, and the monstrous creatures inhabiting the deepest reaches of the Underdark. Its existence is believed to reach back to the earliest ages of the multiverse, and its true origins remain uncertain even among the gods. Unlike the established deities of the elven, dwarven, and human pantheons, Ghaunadaur possesses a profoundly alien nature, displaying little concern for the distinctions through which mortal beings ordinarily understand divine purpose. The Elder Eye is a power of extraordinary cruelty and unpredictability. It delights in the suffering of living creatures, particularly when powerful monsters pursue and devour helpless prey. Yet its behaviour cannot be understood simply as the pursuit of destruction. Ghaunadaur recognises strength, independence, and the ability to survive through violence, and it occasionally rewards those who demonstrate these qualities, even when they have offered little meaningful devotion. Its favour is dangerously unreliable. A worshipper who performs a minor act of reverence may receive an extraordinary supernatural gift, while a devoted priest who has spent decades providing sacrifices may suddenly be consumed by the very creatures held sacred to the deity. Such behaviour has earned Ghaunadaur a reputation for caprice that distinguishes it from gods whose followers can rely upon established doctrines or predictable judgements. Although Ghaunadaur is sometimes described as a member of the **Dark Seldarine**, its relationship with the drow pantheon is one of association rather than obedience. It is worshipped by dark elves who reject or resent the authority of **Lolth**, but its existence predates the division of the elven peoples, and its interests extend far beyond drow society. It possesses no loyalty to the Spider Queen and regards the authority she exercises over her followers with hostility. Ghaunadaur's principal worshippers are creatures whose forms and instincts differ fundamentally from those of ordinary humanoids. Intelligent oozes, enormous ropers, slithering monsters, and other inhabitants of the Underdark have revered it for countless generations. Its following also includes aboleths and renegade drow, together with isolated humanoids whose rejection of established religion has led them toward the Elder Eye. Its teachings are founded upon the supremacy of power and the belief that the strong are entitled to consume or exploit the weak. Yet the deity also favours rebels and outcasts, regarding those who challenge established customs as creatures capable of discovering new paths to strength. This apparent contradiction reflects its nature: Ghaunadaur values neither freedom nor oppression as moral principles, but recognises the capacity of both to produce conflict, suffering, and the concentration of power. Despite its association with unintelligent creatures, the Elder Eye is itself capable of understanding complex reasoning, schemes, and emotions. Its communications are ordinarily brief and direct, conveying commands through telepathy rather than elaborate speech. It possesses little interest in explaining its decisions and rarely attempts to make its purposes comprehensible to mortal minds. Ghaunadaur remains one of the most disturbing powers worshipped beneath Faerûn. Its influence has endured through the destruction of ancient civilisations, the rise of the drow, and repeated conflicts with other divine faiths. Although its present following is considerably diminished from that of its earliest existence, the Elder Eye continues to receive worship within forgotten caverns, ruined temples, and subterranean cities whose inhabitants have rejected the authority of more familiar gods. --- ### Domain and Influence Ghaunadaur's ancient divine realm is known as **the Cauldron of Slime**, situated within the **Paraelemental Plane of Ooze**. This domain lies amid the mingling of elemental earth and water, where mud, sludge, and other fluid substances extend through regions whose boundaries are difficult to distinguish. The Cauldron of Slime is an oppressive and unnatural place, consisting of vast pools of gelatinous matter, shifting mud, and accumulations of slime. Its atmosphere is warm and damp, while fungi, moulds, and other growths flourish throughout the surrounding expanse. Strange phosphorescent illumination appears within the realm, giving portions of the sludge and vegetation an eerie glow despite the absence of familiar celestial light. Older accounts describe Ghaunadaur's court as an assembly of mingled mud and gelatinous pools, inhabited by creatures whose appearance and behaviour bear little resemblance to the servants of conventional gods. Its attendants include oozes, jellies, and monstrous beings whose forms are capable of changing or flowing through their surroundings. The Cauldron of Slime is associated with a divine power whose very nature resists fixed form. Where the realms of other deities may resemble magnificent palaces, sacred forests, or ordered kingdoms, Ghaunadaur's dominion reflects the instability and fluidity of the beings it favours. The Elder Eye has also maintained a presence within the **Demonweb Pits**, the Abyssal realm associated with Lolth. Older accounts place one of its domains in the deepest portions of that realm, far removed from the Spider Queen's principal seat of power. This proximity does not imply submission to Lolth, for Ghaunadaur has never accepted her authority. Later accounts describe the Elder Eye withdrawing from the Demonweb Pits and establishing a separate domain within the **Deep Caverns**, also known in planar traditions as the **Dismal Caverns**. This departure followed the upheavals surrounding Lolth and the drow pantheon during the late fourteenth century DR. These accounts reflect changes in the deity's planar residence rather than the establishment of an entirely different being. Upon the Material Plane, Ghaunadaur's influence is strongest within the **Underdark**, where countless species of oozes, ropers, and other subterranean creatures inhabit caverns beyond the reach of ordinary civilisation. Its worship is particularly prominent among dark elves dissatisfied with Lolth's rule. In drow cities where the Spider Queen's priesthood exercises overwhelming authority, the mere mention of Ghaunadaur's name may be punished by death. Those who continue to honour the Elder Eye must therefore conceal their activities within forgotten chambers, abandoned tunnels, and hidden shrines. Elsewhere, its worship can be openly practised. The ancient drow city of **Llurth Dreier**, beneath the Shaar, is among the most significant centres of Ghaunadaur's faith. Its population includes vast numbers of dark elves and numerous oozes, slimes, and jellies, while its ruling clergy acknowledge the authority of the Elder Eye rather than that of Lolth. The city demonstrates that Ghaunadaur's worship is not necessarily confined to isolated individuals or small subterranean cults. Under suitable circumstances, its priesthood can acquire sufficient strength to dominate an entire settlement, creating a society in which the veneration of amorphous creatures and the practice of forbidden sacrifices become established features of public life. Another important centre is **Eryndlyn**, an Underdark city beneath the High Moor. Its religious divisions have produced prolonged conflict between followers of Lolth, Ghaunadaur, Selvetarm, and Vhaeraun. The competing priesthoods struggle for influence, making the city an enduring example of the rivalries that divide drow religion. Smaller cults are found throughout Faerûn, including **Waterdeep**, **Calimport**, **Westgate**, and **Bezantur**. In some places, the Elder Eye is worshipped under names associated with other malevolent powers, further obscuring the extent of its influence. Its worship is not restricted to Faerûn alone. Secret altars are also reported in distant regions of Toril, including **Kara-Tur**, where outcasts and those seeking forbidden power may turn toward the ancient deity. --- ### Symbols and Icons  The traditional symbol of **Ghaunadaur** is a **purple circle bordered by rings of violet and black**, containing a single eye whose pupil and surrounding colours reflect the unnatural appearance of the Elder Eye. The eye is commonly depicted in violet and mauve, with a dark outer rim. Its fixed gaze represents the watchfulness of a deity believed capable of observing worshippers and enemies from within the deepest caverns of the world. An older emblem consists of an **inverted amber triangle upon a purple field**, marked by amber lines forming an inverted Y. This symbol survives within ancient religious traditions associated with Ghaunadaur and is particularly relevant to the earliest forms of its worship. In later depictions, the deity may also be represented by a **purple eye surrounded by black**, emphasising the alien nature of its perception. Ghaunadaur possesses no single unchanging physical form. Its most familiar manifestation is an enormous, amorphous mass of dark purple or reddish-purple slime, from which numerous tentacles extend. This substance can flow across the ground, gather into towering shapes, or withdraw into a shapeless accumulation of gelatinous matter. The Elder Eye may also assume the appearance of a gigantic slug, a monstrous roper bearing numerous tentacles, or a sticky green substance emerging from the earth. These forms reflect the deity's association with beings whose bodies lack rigid structure. Rather than maintaining the stable appearance favoured by humanoid gods, Ghaunadaur changes its substance and proportions according to its own desires. Its divine manifestation is especially distinctive. When Ghaunadaur chooses to acknowledge a worshipper, a cloud of roiling **purple mist** may appear nearby. Within the vapour, an enormous **golden eye** opens and directs its gaze toward the creature receiving its attention. The eye emits supernatural light that changes from fiery orange through deeper shades of red and purple before fading into darkness. This manifestation is not necessarily an indication of benevolence. Although the Elder Eye sometimes grants healing and extraordinary strength through its gaze, the same divine attention may precede punishment, madness, or death. Ghaunadaur is also associated with unusual signs, including solitary **mauve roses whose thorns drip blood** and certain precious stones within which a malevolent golden eye appears to stare outward. Such objects may indicate the deity's attention, although their appearance provides little certainty concerning whether that attention is favourable. The colours most closely associated with its worship include purple, violet, mauve, black, and dark red. Gold, silver, copper, amber, and other metallic shades are also accepted within its religious traditions, particularly when incorporated into ceremonial vestments or temple furnishings. --- ### Worship and Tributes The worship of **Ghaunadaur** is founded upon sacrifice, submission to divine appetite, and the pursuit of power without moral restraint. Its followers believe that every creature has a place within existence, but that the strong are entitled to survive and prosper through the destruction of the weak. Hunting and predation are regarded as natural expressions of this principle, while rebellion against established authority is valued when it produces new opportunities for advancement. The Elder Eye's teachings therefore attract creatures who reject the restrictions imposed by their societies. Among drow, its worshippers often include individuals dissatisfied with the authority of Lolth's priestesses. For such followers, allegiance to Ghaunadaur provides an alternative source of supernatural power, although the apparent freedom it offers is accompanied by obligations more terrible than those demanded by many other evil gods. The central duty of its worshippers is the provision of sacrifices. Ghaunadaur particularly values living creatures that surrender themselves without resistance. Its priests may employ persuasion, intimidation, or supernatural compulsion to produce such offerings, for the deity is concerned principally with the victim's submission rather than the sincerity of that submission. The faithful are expected to advance knowledge of the Elder Eye, encourage others to acknowledge its authority, and prepare themselves for the possibility of their own eventual sacrifice. Religious devotion is therefore inseparable from the destruction of individuality. Although Ghaunadaur may reward independent creatures, its ultimate demand is that every follower submit entirely to its will. The priesthood maintains regular ceremonies involving **fire, smoke, and sacrifice**. Worshippers offer prayers of praise at least once each day. Where living victims are unavailable, offerings of bones and food burned in oil may be accepted. Braziers of perfumed incense accompany these rites, filling the temple with heavy smoke intended to honour the deity. When a priest cannot obtain any suitable offering, an alternative ceremony requires the placing of an oil-covered hand within an open flame while reciting prayers to the Elder Eye. If Ghaunadaur accepts the supplication, the injuries suffered during the ritual may be healed through divine intervention. If it does not, the priest receives no such protection. The ceremony therefore places the worshipper entirely at the mercy of the deity, reflecting the unpredictable nature of its favour. No universal religious calendar governs the worship of Ghaunadaur. Individual cults may establish their own occasions for sacrifice or prayer, but the principal obligation remains the daily acknowledgement of the Elder Eye through offerings. Its temples are designed to reflect the alien nature of its worship. They are ordinarily located underground, often within remote caverns or concealed beneath the foundations of inhabited settlements. Their halls may be illuminated by drifting purple and mauve lights, while polished stone floors reflect the strange radiance of magical mists. Mosaics upon the walls depict creatures of numerous races crawling willingly toward monstrous, tentacled beings that await them as sacrifices. These images reinforce the central doctrine of the faith: all life ultimately exists to be consumed by powers greater than itself. Altars are frequently fashioned from dark, porous-looking stone and approached through chambers supported by polished pillars of obsidian, malachite, or serpentine. The pillars may bear enchanted runes whose effects protect the temple or disorient intruders. Some contain magical passages used by priests to escape danger, while others conceal traps intended to destroy creatures unfamiliar with the appropriate commands. The resulting sanctuaries are both places of religious devotion and formidable strongholds, reflecting the expectation that Ghaunadaur's servants must defend their worship against the hostility of other faiths. --- ### Clergy and Cults The clergy of Ghaunadaur are commonly known as **Ghaunadaurans**, while the deity's specialist priests are called **amorphites**. Unlike the priesthoods of many humanoid gods, Ghaunadaur's clergy may include creatures whose forms and intelligence differ radically from those of ordinary mortals. Intelligent oozes, slithermorphs, drow, and other beings capable of demonstrating devotion may serve the Elder Eye. The deity is concerned less with ancestry or appearance than with obedience and the willingness to provide sacrifices. Among its humanoid clergy, drow are particularly prominent. Most serve in secrecy within cities dominated by Lolth, while others occupy positions of authority in communities where the Elder Eye has established a stronger following. The priesthood possesses no single universal hierarchy. Titles vary considerably, often reflecting the monstrous or amorphous nature of the faith. Among those recorded are **Loathsome Ooze**, **Spawn of the Pit**, **Eater of Wastes**, **Noxious Slime**, **Creeping Doom**, and **Amorphous Annihilator**. These titles express the priesthood's rejection of conventional religious dignity. Rather than associating authority with nobility, purity, or sacred wisdom, they celebrate corruption, predation, and the dissolution of ordinary bodily form. The most distinctive priests are the **amorphites**, who cultivate supernatural powers closely associated with the Elder Eye's nature. Their training grants resistance to disease, poison, and corrosive substances. As their divine abilities develop, they may become entirely immune to certain harmful fluids and acquire protection against the attacks of amorphous monsters. They can also cloak themselves in supernatural purple mists, concealing their presence from enemies and interfering with attempts to strike them through ordinary sight. More accomplished amorphites acquire the ability to assume the forms of oozes, jellies, slimes, puddings, and ropers. These transformations are more than superficial disguises, for the priest can employ the physical characteristics and natural abilities of the assumed creature. Other powers include the creation of barriers formed from writhing tentacles and the invocation of destructive acid. Such gifts distinguish the priesthood from ordinary clerics, giving its members the ability to imitate the creatures regarded as sacred by their deity. The most recognisable weapons of Ghaunadaur's drow priests are **tentacle rods**. These enchanted implements resemble dark rods from which several living tentacles extend. When wielded by a properly equipped servant of the Elder Eye, the tentacles strike with unnatural speed, inflicting injuries and supernatural afflictions upon their victims. Different rods possess different properties. Some weaken limbs or impair movement, while others cause blindness, overwhelming cold, or the destruction of bodily vitality. The most powerful examples possess multiple tentacles of different colours, combining several destructive effects within a single weapon. The construction of these rods is a closely guarded secret among Ghaunadaur's drow clergy. Their use has become sufficiently associated with the Elder Eye that the appearance of such a weapon may reveal the religious allegiance of a priest who would otherwise remain concealed. The vestments of the priesthood are equally distinctive. A typical Ghaunadauran priest wears a long robe with voluminous sleeves, a dark tabard bearing the deity's symbol, and a polished silver skullcap. Hair is commonly worn long and unbound, while beards and moustaches are forbidden. The colours of these garments are chosen from those pleasing to Ghaunadaur, particularly purple, violet, mauve, dark red, black, and metallic shades. The sacred object carried by a priest is commonly a **sphere of black obsidian**, sometimes suspended from a chain around the neck. Such spheres may be surrounded by an unnatural mauve radiance. The clergy is also expected to pursue the destruction of rival religions. Priests are commanded to convert others to Ghaunadaur's worship wherever possible. Those who refuse may be regarded as enemies, while the temples and treasures of opposing priesthoods are considered suitable targets for plunder. Among the most important militant traditions associated with the faith are the **Fanatics of the Overflowing Pit**. This ancient order originated among the dark elves of **Ilythiir**, where its members waged continual war against the clergy of rival gods. Their devotion to Ghaunadaur was expressed through the persecution of competing faiths and the violent defence of the Elder Eye's sacred places. Although Ilythiir fell during the ancient conflicts that preceded the Descent of the Drow, traditions concerning the Fanatics survived. It is believed that remnants of the order continued their activities within **Llurth Dreier**, preserving the militant practices of the ancient cult. The clergy of Ghaunadaur is therefore more organised than its alien patron might initially suggest. Although its individual cults differ greatly, its established priestly traditions, enchanted weapons, militant orders, and ancient temples demonstrate that the worship of the Elder Eye has endured as a recognisable religious institution for thousands of years. --- ### Powers and Abilities Ghaunadaur possesses the extraordinary supernatural powers of an ancient deity whose nature is intimately associated with amorphous creatures, corrosive substances, and the destruction of living bodies. Its divine manifestations can assume numerous forms. The Elder Eye may appear as a great slug, a flowing mass of purple jelly, an enormous roper, or a shapeless substance rising from the ground. Its ability to change shape allows it to move through environments where a rigid body would be restricted, while its tentacles provide formidable means of seizing enemies. When appearing in its monstrous form, Ghaunadaur can extend numerous tentacles over considerable distances. These appendages possess barbed openings through which corrosive fluids enter the bodies of creatures they seize. Victims may be held fast and drawn toward the deity's immense maw, where they are subjected to further injury. Its natural attacks are capable of dissolving flesh and other substances, reflecting the destructive qualities of the oozes and jellies associated with its worship. Ghaunadaur possesses exceptional resistance to harmful substances. Acids, ordinary poisons, and other corrosive materials are ineffective against its divine form, allowing it to inhabit environments that would destroy most living creatures. The Elder Eye can also surround itself with supernatural **purple and violet mists**. These vapours conceal its form from ordinary sight and interfere with attempts to locate it through certain magical means. Creatures entering the mists may become unnaturally sluggish, their movements hindered by the corrupting influence surrounding the deity. Its vision remains unaffected by its own concealment. Ghaunadaur can perceive creatures through magical darkness and illusion, allowing it to recognise enemies who believe themselves safely hidden. Among its most terrible powers is the ability to inflict **blindness**, depriving nearby creatures of sight through supernatural means. Its divine presence may also overwhelm the mind. When the Elder Eye manifests within an altar, those who meet its gaze risk madness, terror, weakness, unconsciousness, or death. The effects are not confined to conventional fear. Victims may be deprived of reason, driven into violent confusion, or subjected to supernatural afflictions that cannot be removed through ordinary healing. Ghaunadaur's command of magic is immense. The deity is particularly associated with **alteration**, **conjuration**, and elemental power, although its mastery is not restricted to these forms of magic. Its divine nature grants access to the destructive and restorative forces ordinarily employed by powerful priests, together with sorcerous abilities beyond the reach of most mortals. Its elemental magic is exceptionally potent. Spells involving destructive elemental forces are strengthened by its divine power, making them considerably more dangerous than comparable enchantments employed by ordinary spellcasters. Ghaunadaur can also communicate through **telepathy**, conveying its intentions directly into the minds of creatures it chooses to address. Although it understands complex ideas and motivations, its communications are ordinarily terse. It may approve an action, reject a request, demand the destruction of a creature, or direct a servant toward a particular location without offering any explanation. One of its most distinctive manifestations is the appearance of a **great golden eye within a cloud of purple mist**. The gaze of this manifestation may strengthen a favoured creature, restore injuries, regenerate lost limbs, or remove diseases and poisons. Such gifts can be permanent or temporary according to the deity's intentions. Yet the same manifestation can become an instrument of destruction. When Ghaunadaur reveals its eye within a consecrated altar, tentacles may emerge from the surrounding stone, seizing creatures and dragging them toward the source of its power. Those who behold the eye may suffer terrible afflictions, their minds or bodies overwhelmed by a force whose intentions remain unknowable. The Elder Eye also exercises influence through the creatures it favours. **Alkiliths**, gelatinous cubes, ropers, gibbering mouthers, jellies, slimes, and other monstrous beings may appear as signs of its attention. Its most powerful roper servants, sometimes known as **ghauropers**, possess extraordinary abilities and have long been associated with its ancient places of worship. These creatures are not necessarily members of a unified army, nor does every ooze in existence obey Ghaunadaur. Their relationship with the deity arises from worship, supernatural influence, or their suitability as instruments through which its will may be expressed. Ghaunadaur's powers therefore extend across the destruction and preservation of life. It may dissolve a victim through corrosive force, destroy the mind through madness, or restore a favoured servant with supernatural healing. The absence of any predictable moral principle governing these actions makes the Elder Eye particularly dangerous. Its power is considerable, but its judgement is governed by desires that even devoted worshippers cannot reliably anticipate. --- ### Treatment of the Faithful Ghaunadaur's treatment of its worshippers is among the most unpredictable of any deity revered within Faerûn. The Elder Eye does not reward devotion according to a consistent system of merit. A creature that offers little more than occasional praise may receive extraordinary divine assistance, while a high priest responsible for countless sacrifices may suddenly become the victim of its wrath. Such behaviour is not understood by its followers as evidence that the deity lacks power or awareness. Instead, many regard its unpredictability as proof of a will that transcends the limited expectations of mortal beings. Yet Ghaunadaur's indifference is itself a source of terror. Its servants cannot assume that obedience will preserve their lives. Even those who have performed every required ceremony may be consumed by a sacred monster or afflicted with supernatural suffering without receiving an explanation. The deity occasionally grants extraordinary physical strength, healing, or protection to those who attract its favourable attention. It may restore lost limbs, remove diseases, or strengthen a worshipper sufficiently to overcome enemies far more powerful than themselves. These blessings are particularly attractive to outcasts and creatures whose position within their societies leaves them vulnerable to exploitation. For such individuals, the possibility of sudden advancement may appear worth the considerable danger of approaching the Elder Eye. The relationship is especially significant among drow. Those who possess little standing within Lolth-dominated cities may regard Ghaunadaur as an alternative source of power, one not governed by the hereditary privileges and elaborate expectations of the Spider Queen's priesthood. Yet the Elder Eye offers no genuine security. Its favour can elevate a powerless creature without warning, only to abandon or destroy that same individual moments later. The ultimate obligation demanded of its worshippers is particularly terrible. The faithful are instructed to prepare themselves for **unresisting self-sacrifice**, surrendering their lives to Ghaunadaur when the deity requires it. This doctrine reveals the contradiction underlying its promise of individual power. Although it celebrates rebellion and the advancement of the strong, it ultimately expects absolute submission to its own appetites. Those who enter its service therefore exchange the restraints of their former societies for the possibility of power under a deity whose demands admit no appeal. --- ### Myths and Legends The history of **Ghaunadaur** extends into ages so ancient that its beginnings remain beyond the reach of surviving mortal records. Its worship predates the establishment of many familiar divine traditions, and some accounts suggest that the Elder Eye emerged from the primordial ooze that existed before the ordered worlds acquired their present forms. These traditions are not universally accepted, for the true origin of Ghaunadaur remains uncertain. Yet even among the gods, its extraordinary antiquity is acknowledged. **The First Worshippers and the Loss of Divine Power** In the earliest ages, Ghaunadaur was worshipped by immense slimes, oozes, slugs, and other amorphous beings. Many of these creatures possessed intelligence unlike that of mortal humanoids, allowing them to acknowledge the Elder Eye and participate in forms of devotion that remain incomprehensible to ordinary scholars. Their worship sustained a deity of extraordinary power. Yet an unknown transgression eventually provoked Ghaunadaur into a terrible rage. Rather than directing its wrath against an external enemy, the Elder Eye attacked its own followers. It stripped many of the ancient amorphous creatures of their intellects, reducing beings that had once possessed alien awareness to the mindless or barely intelligent monsters familiar to later ages. The consequences were catastrophic. Countless worshippers ceased to exist as intelligent beings capable of sustaining divine devotion. As their worship disappeared, Ghaunadaur suffered a tremendous loss of power. The precise cause of its rage remains uncertain. One tradition connects the event with its failure to defeat **Lolth** shortly after the Spider Queen's fall from the Seldarine. Another preserves only the memory of a terrible offence committed by its earliest worshippers. Whatever the cause, the outcome is established within the oldest accounts of the Elder Eye: Ghaunadaur's own wrath destroyed much of the following that had once sustained its divine strength. Only in later ages did other creatures begin turning toward its worship, gradually restoring a measure of the influence it had lost. **The Enmity with Lolth** Ghaunadaur's relationship with **Lolth** is one of enduring hostility. Although the Elder Eye became associated with the drow pantheon, it has never acknowledged the Spider Queen as its mistress. Its connection with the Dark Seldarine exists chiefly because of the drow who reject Lolth's authority and seek the patronage of another evil deity. The origins of their enmity are uncertain. Some legends claim that Ghaunadaur attempted to overcome Lolth soon after her banishment from the Seldarine, only to suffer defeat. Other accounts describe a more elaborate betrayal in which the Elder Eye sought to turn against Lolth and gain favour with **Corellon Larethian**. In these traditions, Ghaunadaur hoped to recover some aspect of its ancient formless existence through the destruction of the Spider Queen. Its scheme failed, and the retribution of both divine powers left it diminished and monstrous. These accounts should not be regarded as a single uncontested history. They reflect competing traditions concerning beings whose conflict extends into divine events poorly understood by mortal observers. What remains certain is that Lolth's priesthood regards Ghaunadaur as a dangerous rival. In many drow cities, the worship of the Elder Eye is forbidden, and those discovered serving it may be executed. This persecution has not destroyed the faith. Instead, it has driven numerous cults into hidden places, where their priests gather sacrifices and cultivate the strength necessary to challenge the Spider Queen's servants. **The Elder Orb of Ooze** One of the most ancient centres of Ghaunadaur's worship lies beneath **Sarenestar**, also known as the **Forest of Mir**. Before the **Fourth Crown War**, members of **Clan Hune** of Ilythiir discovered an immense subterranean cavern containing a great pit. Within the pit dwelt a monstrous creature of evil placed there by the Elder Eye. Recognising the significance of the site, the dark elves constructed an enormous temple around the opening, naming the sanctuary **the Elder Orb of Ooze**. The leaders of Clan Hune hoped to employ the power of Ghaunadaur in their coming conflict with **Keltormir**, believing that the ancient deity could provide supernatural assistance sufficient to strengthen their position. Their attempt ended in catastrophe. Rather than grant the desired favour, Ghaunadaur responded with overwhelming hostility. Oozes, slimes, jellies, and other monstrous creatures erupted from the pit, attacking the dark elves and destroying numerous leaders of Clan Hune. The temple was abandoned, and its location gradually disappeared from common knowledge. Yet the Elder Orb of Ooze was not entirely destroyed. Its ancient defences remained active, preserving a sacred place whose violation continued to invite the wrath of the deity. The temple later became associated with the **Living Gem**, a powerful magical object that remained within its chambers for centuries. The wizard **Shond Tharovin** eventually removed the artifact from the ruins, an act that some scholars believe contributed to the terrible fate awaiting him. The history of the Elder Orb demonstrates the danger of attempting to command Ghaunadaur through worship. The leaders of Clan Hune sought divine power for a political struggle, but the Elder Eye responded according to desires entirely indifferent to their ambitions. **The Pit of Ghaunadaur beneath Waterdeep** Another important place of worship was the **Pit of Ghaunadaur**, located deep beneath **Mount Waterdeep**. The pit existed within the vast subterranean complex later known as **Undermountain**, where the Elder Eye maintained an exceptionally powerful presence. Its influence extended through the surrounding caverns, which were inhabited by oozes and other creatures serving the deity. The site remained an important stronghold until the intervention of **Qilué Veladorn**, one of the Seven Sisters and a Chosen of both **Mystra** and **Eilistraee**. During her childhood, Qilué gathered a small company of young dark elves from the settlement of **Buiyrandyn** and led them into the dangerous caverns surrounding the pit. The undertaking received the protection of Eilistraee, whose opposition to Ghaunadaur arose from the threat the Elder Eye posed to those seeking freedom from evil and the influence of Lolth. Qilué and her companions confronted the monsters inhabiting the pit and destroyed an **avatar of Ghaunadaur** present within the sanctuary. The surviving servants of the Elder Eye fled into the deeper passages. Through divine assistance, the tunnels and fissures surrounding the pit were sealed, while falling stone buried much of the desecrated sanctuary. The victory did not destroy Ghaunadaur itself. The Elder Eye remained an active deity, but its influence within that particular region of Undermountain was severely diminished. The Chosen of Eilistraee subsequently guarded the surrounding passages, preserving the seals and preventing the surviving servants of Ghaunadaur from reclaiming their former stronghold. In time, they constructed a temple above the buried pit. This sanctuary became known as the **Promenade of the Dark Maiden**, an important centre of Eilistraee's worship beneath Waterdeep. Its location was therefore no accident. The Promenade stood upon ground whose protection required continued vigilance against the deity once worshipped beneath it. **The Assault on the Promenade** Ghaunadaur never accepted the loss of the Pit beneath Waterdeep. Its surviving servants continued operating within Undermountain, while a secret cult developed beneath a warehouse in **Dock Ward**. From this concealed sanctuary, the faithful of the Elder Eye prepared another attempt to destroy the followers of Eilistraee and regain the sacred ground from which their deity had been driven. In **1368 DR**, the **Year of the Banner**, the cult launched a major assault upon the Promenade. The invading force included **twelve ghaunadan commanders** and approximately **fifty semi-intelligent slimes and oozes**. Their attacks came through the northern and eastern caverns, placing the temple under prolonged pressure from creatures particularly suited to fighting within narrow passages and subterranean chambers. The conflict continued for several months. The defenders of the Promenade were led by Qilué Veladorn and the faithful of Eilistraee, whose determination to preserve the sanctuary was strengthened by its significance to the Dark Maiden's worship. During the struggle, Qilué received assistance from her sister **Laeral Silverhand**, whose magical abilities contributed to the defeat of the invading creatures. The followers of Ghaunadaur were eventually driven back. Yet the cult was not destroyed, and the surviving servants of the Elder Eye remained active within the surrounding caverns. The assault demonstrated that the deity's resentment had endured for centuries. The destruction of its avatar and the sealing of its pit had diminished its immediate influence, but had not ended its determination to reclaim the region. **The Enduring Faith of Llurth Dreier** Among the greatest surviving strongholds of Ghaunadaur's worship is **Llurth Dreier**, a vast drow city beneath the Shaar. Unlike settlements in which Lolth's priestesses dominate religious and political life, Llurth Dreier is ruled by the clergy of the Elder Eye. Its population includes vast numbers of dark elves and numerous amorphous creatures, whose presence reflects the unusual religious practices of the city. Oozes, slimes, and jellies are not merely hazards confined to abandoned caverns. They possess religious significance within the society established by Ghaunadaur's worshippers. The city also preserves traditions associated with the ancient **Fanatics of the Overflowing Pit**, whose original members fought against rival priesthoods during the age of Ilythiir. Whether the surviving order possesses the same organisation as its ancient predecessor is uncertain. Nevertheless, its continued association with Llurth Dreier demonstrates the endurance of militant devotion to the Elder Eye. The survival of such a city reveals that Ghaunadaur's religion is not simply a collection of forgotten cults. Despite the loss of its early power and the hostility of numerous other gods, it retains the capacity to sustain established communities in which its authority is openly acknowledged. --- ### Encounters with Ghaunadaur Encounters with **Ghaunadaur** are most likely to occur within the deepest regions of the **Underdark**, particularly where ancient caverns contain concentrations of unusual oozes or the remains of abandoned religious sanctuaries. Travellers exploring such places may discover polished black stone passages illuminated by unnatural purple radiance. The walls of ancient temples may depict creatures crawling toward tentacled monstrosities, while altars of dark stone stand among columns bearing forgotten magical inscriptions. The presence of intelligent oozes, giant ropers, and other unusual subterranean monsters may indicate the influence of the Elder Eye. Such creatures should not automatically be regarded as obedient servants, for Ghaunadaur does not command every amorphous being in existence. Yet particular monsters may act as guardians, priests, or agents of the deity. Its worshippers present an equally dangerous threat. Ghaunadauran priests frequently conceal their activities beneath settlements where the worship of the Elder Eye is forbidden. Their sanctuaries may be protected by magical passages, lethal traps, and creatures whose natural abilities make them especially dangerous within confined environments. The appearance of **tentacle rods** is particularly significant. These weapons are strongly associated with the drow priesthood of Ghaunadaur, and their supernatural attacks may reveal the allegiance of individuals who otherwise possess little distinguishing religious equipment. Travellers who enter a temple of the Elder Eye may encounter priests wearing robes of purple, black, and metallic colours, with the deity's symbol displayed upon dark tabards. The presence of obsidian spheres, magical mists, and altars prepared for sacrifice provides further evidence of the faith. Direct manifestations of Ghaunadaur are particularly dangerous. The Elder Eye may appear within a cloud of purple mist, revealing an enormous golden eye whose gaze can strengthen a worshipper or subject an enemy to terrible supernatural afflictions. Within a consecrated altar, its presence may cause tentacles to emerge from the stone, seizing creatures and dragging them toward the source of its power. Those who meet the divine gaze risk madness, blindness, overwhelming fear, or death. Ghaunadaur itself may manifest as a vast amorphous mass, a monstrous slug, or an immense roper whose tentacles extend over considerable distances. Its corrosive touch and supernatural command of magic make such appearances exceptionally dangerous, even to powerful creatures. Yet its response to an encounter cannot be predicted solely from the allegiance of those involved. A devoted worshipper may attract its wrath, while an outcast who offers only a brief acknowledgement may receive extraordinary assistance. The Elder Eye recognises no consistent obligation toward either group. Its influence may also be encountered through the ancient religious conflicts of **Waterdeep**, **Eryndlyn**, and **Llurth Dreier**. The buried Pit beneath Undermountain remains associated with the long struggle between the servants of Ghaunadaur and the followers of Eilistraee, while the ruined Elder Orb of Ooze beneath the Forest of Mir preserves the consequences of an ancient attempt to obtain the deity's favour. Such places demonstrate that the greatest danger of Ghaunadaur's worship is not confined to the presence of monstrous creatures. Its influence encourages mortals to abandon compassion, regard the suffering of others as a source of power, and surrender themselves to a being whose appetite cannot be satisfied through devotion. An encounter with the Elder Eye is therefore a confrontation with one of the oldest and least predictable powers of the Underdark, whose alien will may prove as dangerous to its followers as to its enemies. --- ### Conclusion **Ghaunadaur, the Elder Eye**, is an ancient and malevolent deity whose power extends over oozes, slimes, jellies, ropers, and numerous other inhabitants of the deepest regions of the multiverse. Its extraordinary antiquity, alien nature, and unpredictable behaviour distinguish it from the more familiar gods of Faerûn. From the **Cauldron of Slime**, its ancient divine realm upon the Paraelemental Plane of Ooze, Ghaunadaur has exercised influence over creatures whose forms and intelligence differ radically from those of ordinary mortals. Its association with the Dark Seldarine developed through the worship of drow dissatisfied with Lolth, but the Elder Eye has never accepted the Spider Queen's authority. Its history is marked by catastrophic acts of divine wrath, including the destruction of much of its own ancient following. The loss of these worshippers diminished its power, yet the deity endured, gradually acquiring new servants among outcasts, aberrations, and the inhabitants of the Underdark. The ruins of the **Elder Orb of Ooze**, the buried **Pit of Ghaunadaur** beneath Waterdeep, and the enduring conflicts surrounding the **Promenade of the Dark Maiden** preserve the consequences of its long hostility toward other faiths. Its worship remains established in places such as **Llurth Dreier**, while secret cults and ancient religious orders continue to serve it throughout Faerûn. Through sacrifice, coercion, and the promise of supernatural power, its priests seek to increase the strength of the Elder Eye, even though their own devotion offers no assurance of protection against its wrath. Ghaunadaur embodies the terrible union of divine hunger, arbitrary cruelty, and the dissolution of ordinary form. Its existence demonstrates that not every god can be understood through the purposes and ambitions familiar to mortal beings. The Elder Eye remains a power of the deepest darkness, indifferent to the suffering of its worshippers and enemies alike, awaiting offerings in forgotten places where the boundaries between living flesh and shapeless corruption have long ceased to matter.