====== Kyrzin ======
Character
name = Kyrzin
image = {{:Kyrzin.jpg}}
caption = Kyrzin, the Prince of Slime from [[:eye_on_eberron]] - [[:kyrzin_the_prince_of_slime]] in [[:dungeon_magazine]] 192.
aliases = The Prince of Slime;
The Bile Lord;
The Lord of Bile;
The Lurker Within;
The Regent of Whispers
^Domicile = Realm of [[:khyber_trefonds_obscurs| Khyber]] below the [[:frontieres_de_l_ombre]]
^Genre = Male
^Race = [[:daelkyr]]
**Kyrzin, the Prince of Slime** is the [[:daelkyr]] lord of slime and [[:ooze]], and he is said to lurk in a subterranean realm of [[:khyber_trefonds_obscurs|Khyber]] below the [[:frontieres_de_l_ombre]].
“Drip. Drip. Mold in the water. Mold on
the walls. The scratch in your throat and
the drip in your nose. The Prince is with
us. Can you hear him?”
—Luhr’Oshac the Moldscraper
The people of Khorvaire know that reality is fragile.
The walls between the planes can fall at any time.
Nightmares are real. Ancient fiends are bound in the
underworld, and who can say just how long those
bonds will hold?
Every nation deals with its fears in different ways.
In Karrnath, the dead are bound to serve the living.
The Église de la Flamme d'Argent provides a source of
hope, and yet in some places its light doesn’t shine.
For instance, the Frontières de l'Ombre remains on the
fringes of civilization, beyond the Code of Galifar
and the influence of the church. The people of the
Marches know stories older than Humain civilization
on Khorvaire: tales of the Gobelin empire and the lords
of madness that destroyed it. Each generation, mothers tell their children how Belashyrra steals the eyes
of boys and girls who don’t finish their klurhn roots.
Though the Lord of Eyes is well known in the stories of the Marches, another daelkyr has still greater
influence in the region: Kyrzin, the Prince of Slime.
Kyrzin Lore
An adventurer from the Frontières de l'Ombre knows the
information presented in the Dungeoneering DC 20
entry and gains a +5 bonus to all other checks about
Kyrzin.
Dungeoneering DC 20: Anyone raised in the
murky swamps of the west knows tales of the Prince
of Slime. Those few who know his true name do not
speak it. He is also known as the Bile Lord and the
Lurker Within; members of the Gibbering Clans
call him the Regent of Whispers. The ferry workers of the Rivière Propre tell stories of the Prince of
Slime’s children, which are great oozes that roam
the bottom of the river. Those who follow the Druidique traditions say that the Prince of Slime is a fiend
who seeks to devour all natural things. Others say
that one can learn secrets in his gibbering—secrets
so wondrous that they blast the minds of most mortals who hear them. Some believe that death at the
hands of his creations isn’t death at all but rather an
escape from Dolurrh and Le Geolier.
Dungeoneering DC 30: Kyrzin is a daelkyr,
one of the lords of the Far Realm of Xoriat. He created the gibbering beasts and the mimics, and he
has a great affinity for slimes and oozes of all kinds.
While the daelkyr devoted most of their resources
to destroying the vast Gobelin empire, Kyrzin focused
his energy on the orcs of the west. He is an expert
in biological warfare, and he can infect his enemies
with parasitic oozes.
Dungeoneering DC 35: Kyrzin has a Humainoïde
shape with the head and upper torso of a handsome
male Humain; however, his body is composed of ooze
and his Humain aspects are partially dissolved. He
cannot speak, but his telepathic powers make this
method of communication unnecessary; he is surrounded by a constant telepathic babble similar to the
whispers of gibbering beasts. He can engulf enemies
in living slime and inflict terrible diseases with a
thought. Two separate legends describe his defeat and
destruction at the hands of heroes; if they are true, it
means that he can reconstitute himself after death in
some manner.
Religion DC 30: A character who succeeds
on this check knows the nature and traditions of
the Gibbering Cults, as described below in “Cults
of Slime.”
The Horror Within
Kyrzin has spectacular and fearsome abilities, to be
sure, but what makes him even more terrifying is
the subtle weapon he has at his disposal in the form
of far. In parts of the Marches, the Commun cold is
known as the bile-curse or the Prince’s kiss, because
in an earlier time people there feared that any trace
of unusual mucus was an indicator of Kyrzin’s presence. They had good reason to be apprehensive,
because Kyrzin has bred a host of parasitic oozes that
can live within another creature.
A parasitic ooze can enter a host in two ways. A
willing victim can allow a mature ooze to enter its
body through the mouth. The more insidious way is
for it to be transmitted along with another disease.
Kyrzin can adapt almost any disease into a vector for
infection; the primary signs of one of his infections
are excessive mucus of unusual color and vivid fever
dreams as the disease progresses. If the disease runs
its course to the final state, it appears to pass completely, and the victim appears healthy; however, the
victim now harbors a parasitic ooze.
Many kinds of parasitic ooze exist. The most
invasive is the brain borer slime. This sentient ooze
devours the brain of the victim and replaces it,
assuming full control of the host. In the process of
consuming the brain, the borer gains all of its host’s
memories and skills. Small signs of the changel
include subtle shifts in body language, a difficulty displaying tender emotions, and quiet gibbering at night,
but otherwise the victim can pass most tests any set to
determine whether the victim is who he or she claims
to be. If a borer’s victim is slain, the borer dies with it.
Other parasites exert less control over the victim
but can pose a greater physical threat. They project
raw emotions to the host, causing angelr or irritability,
but they cannot control their victims. However, if the
host is slain, the ooze emerges from the body 1 round
later, acting on the host’s initiative count. As such,
an encounter that appears to be an easy challenge
against a number of minions can become an unpleasant surprise as a black pudding pours out of a corpse.
If commanded to do so by a brain borer or a priest of
Kyrzin, a parasitic ooze can eat its way out of a living
host. While doing so, it scores a critical hit each round
against the host with its basic attack, and it emerges
when the victim has taken damage equal to or greater
than his or her bloodied value. Any sort of ooze can be
adapted to this parasitic form, but it must be the same
size as or smaller than the host. So, a Medium green
slime could nest inside a normal Humain, but a Large
gelatinous cube would have to hide inside a Géant.
If an adventurer is infected with a parasitic ooze,
a Remove Affliction ritual can rid the character of
it. Most parasitic oozes lack the ability to perceive
such a ritual as a threat, so they don’t try to escape
during this time. Nothing can keep the victim of a
brain borer alive (the effect on the target is always
death), but after the ooze is removed, the victim can
be raised.
Cults of Slime
Before Humains ever came to the Marches, the orcs
were divided between the Druidique practices of the
Gardiens and the worship of the Dragon d'En-dessous.
Both traditions continue today. Even those who have
become Vassaux of the Légion Souveraine might offer a
sacrifice to the Bile Lord when a child has fluid in his
or her lungs, rather than trusting entirely to Arawai
or Olladra.
Outsiders find it difficult to understand why
anyone would worship the Prince of Slime. Many
Marchers make offerings solely out of fear, hoping
that through their devotions they can keep Kyrzin
from rising, or that his wrath will pass over them
when he returns. Such people aren’t truly cultists, but
they can be pressured to assist agents of the Prince
of Slime. Others see Kyrzin as a benevolent entity.
In certain parts of the Marches, mold and lichen are
valuable crops harvested as food or for their medicinal properties. Although the Prince of Slime might
infect his enemies with disease, it’s also well known
that the right molds can eliminate infections.
The oldest cults, known as the gibbering clans or
the Gibberers, are driven by a blend of madness and
tradition. These ancient families are scattered across
the Marches. The name comes from their practice of
cultivating gibbering beasts. Every clan community
has one or more gibbering beasts hidden away, and
when a member of the community falls ill or reaches
a certain age, that individual is ritually sacrificed to
the beast. Members of a gibbering clan have wild eyes
and a tendency to fall into ecstatic babbling trances,
but they aren’t innately evil or united behind a single
purpose; many of the clans have long-standing feuds
with one another. The Gibberers believe that their
souls live on in the beasts, and that in this way Kyrzin
has given them the gift of immortality. Priests spend
hours each day listening to the babbling of the clan
beasts, and they claim to hear the words of their
elders or of Kyrzin.
The most active cults are those established by
brain-bored agents of the Prince of Slime. Brain
borer cults are Kyrzin’s active forces and are supplemented by oozes and aberrations. Kyrzin’s cults
employ dolgaunts, dolgrims, and dolgarrs; compared
to the troops of other daelkyr, Kyrzin’s are noteworthy for having slick, translucent skin and for carrying
parasitic oozes. Every brain borer cult is different,
though, since priests seize on local tensions to stir
passions. They are united by their fervor and frequently are enhanced by consuming psychoactive
molds; followers are driven by wild visions and passions, as well as promises or goals that rarely make
rational sense.
The Gifts of the Prince
Those favored by the Lord of Bile wear and wield
living tools crafted from protoplasm. These items are
functionally equivalent to objects made from leather
or steel, but their unusual appearance might be a
hindrance in some locations, and the living nature
of such an object can add interesting flavor. For
example: “Your armor’s feeling gloomy today. It’s covered in a layer of condensation, and you think these
are tears.”
Armor: Ooze armor can exist in any form; for
instance, heavy ooze is thick and dense. The characteristics of specific magic armor can be related to
the nature of the ooze. For instance, ooze armor in
the form of Sylvestre armor has chameleon properties
and provides a surge of adrenaline to enhance Athletics. Lifegiving armor and immunizing armor bond
to the wearer’s nervous system to enhance healing, while slick armor is just that: slick. Imposter’s
armor is especially Commun among Kyrzin’s cultists, and it transforms in a manner similar to that of
a mimic.
Weapons: Weapons crafted by Kyrzin are built on
a core of sinew and protoplasm. Dynamic weapons are
Commun, shifting to new forms at the wielder’s command. Enhancements tied to poison or acid damage
create their own venoms. Regardless of enhancements, Kyrzin’s weapons shapeshift in minor ways;
the extra damage from a critical hit reflects the
weapon literally digging deeper into the wound.
Other Items: Eagle eye goggles bond with the wearer’s eyes. A periapt of proof against poison consumes
venom before it can hurt the wearer. As long as the
organic nature of the item is reflected in its flavor,
any magic item can be used.
Kyrzin’s treasures should pose an interesting question for adventurers. These items are as powerful as
those made of mundane materials, and nothing is
innately evil about the object. Are adventurers comfortable wielding these living tools, though?
Using Kyrzin
be prepared to face the Prince of Slime until they are
well on their way to achieving their epic destinies. So
what role can Kyrzin play in a campaign?
As with all of the daelkyr, Kyrzin is a force of
madness. Ultimately his actions might lead to the
destruction of the Gardiens, the breaking of
the seals to Khyber, or a similar action that helps
him in a concrete manner. Initial encounters with
his followers, however, might appear to be entirely
unconnected. Here are some possibilities.
F Adventurers passing through the Marches stop in
an inn serving fine graymold stew. At night they
hear whispers in the basement and face the gibbering mouther dwelling there. The innkeeper is
horrified, since these creatures have slain generations of his ancestors.
F The gibbering clans have begun a campaign of
aggression. They could target Maison Tharashk,
push toward war between the Marches and
Droaam, or intend to bar all foreigners from the
Marches. The priests are being driven to this
action by the voices they hear when listening to
the gibbering beasts; they don’t know any larger
reason for their actions.
F A mysterious fever is spreading in the villages of
western Breland. The village elders refuse to let
Maison Brunet treat it, and the victims all recover
(or seem to). Can the adventurers expose the brain
borers behind this fever before the disease is successfully transformed into a plague that can be
carried across Breland? Aberrant forces and parasitic oozes emerge to fight as needed.
F Brain borers can spread into any part of Khorvaire.
A Tharashk clan begins smuggling a psychoactive
mold into major cities, and the mold serves as a
vector for brain borer infection. Can the adventurers expose this plot? How deep does it go into the
roots of Maison Tharashk?
====== Histoire ======
Approximately [[:age_des_monstres|10,000 years ago]], the plane of [[:xoriat]] became Limitrophe with the plane of [[:eberron]]. During that time, the lords of [[:xoriat]], an aberrant race of [[:fiend|fiends]] known as the [[:daelkyr]], pierced the planar walls and launched an invasion of [[:eberron]], on the continent of [[:khorvaire]]. They assaulted the [[:gobelinoid]] [[:empire_dhakaani]], nearly destroying the once powerful empire and decimating most of western [[:khorvaire]].
However, the [[:daelkyr]] were stopped by an alliance between the [[:empire_dhakaani|Dhakaani]] Gobelinoids and an ancient sect of druids known as the [[:les_gardiens|Gardiens]]. The [[:les_gardiens|Gardiens]] managed to halt the [[:guerre_daelkyr]], blocking the plane of [[:xoriat]] from [[:eberron]] through the use of vast gates. Most [[:daelkyr]] were pushed back through to [[:xoriat]], however, some remain on [[:eberron]]. Those few [[:daelkyr]] that remained were sealed underground by [[:les_gardiens|Gatekeeper]] magic, deep in [[:khyber_trefonds_obscurs|Khyber]].
Kyrzin is a master of biological warfare, and focused his energy on the [[:orcs]] of the [[:frontieres_de_l_ombre]] during the [[:guerre_daelkyr]]. His influence over the region and the people there endures to this day.
====== Apparence et Personnalité ======
Kyrzin's chosen form roughly approximates a Humainoïde shape. He has the head and torso of a handsome Humain male, suspended in a green [[:ooze]] with his Humain aspects partially dissolved.
Kyrzin, the Prince of Slime** **is one of the [[:daelkyr]], an alien race from the plane of [[:xoriat]]. He and his brethren invaded [[:khorvaire]] during the [[:age_des_monstres]]. While most of the [[:daelkyr]] were driven back to [[:xoriat]] by the [[:les_gardiens|Gatekeeper Druids]], Kyrzin is one of six [[:daelkyr]] that remained on [[:eberron]] in the realm of [[:khyber_trefonds_obscurs|Khyber]].
His mortal [[:cultes_du_dragon_d_en-dessous|followers]] in the [[:cultes_du_dragon_d_en-dessous]] favor subtle schemes, as compared to those who follow [[Belashyrra|Belashyrra, the Lord of Eyes]].
====== Capacités ======
As with all [[:daelkyr]], Kyrzin has the ability to warp reality and his own appearance. He has master over slime and ooze, and his mortal followers count disease as part of his influence.
Kyrzin cannot speak, and communicates exclusively through [[:telepathy]]. He is surrounded by an aura of babbling madness similar to the whispers of [[:gibbering_mouthers]], which his [[:cultes_du_dragon_d_en-dessous|followers]] believe he created along with other creatures such as [[:oozes]] and [[:mimic|mimics]].
Two separate legends tell of his defeat, but his influence has not waned over the [[:frontieres_de_l_ombre]].
Kyrzin counts slimes and [[:ooze|oozes]], as well as [[:aberrations]] such as [[:dolgaunt]], [[:dolgrim|dolgrims]], [[:dolgarr|dolgarrs]], and [[:gibbering_mouther|gibbering mouthers]] among his servants. They all possess a slick, translucent skin and some have parasitic [[:oozes]] within.
His mortal followers in the [[:cultes_du_dragon_d_en-dessous]] include members of the Aashta clan of [[:maison_tharashk]], and the Gibbering Cults and Brain Borer cults of the [[:frontieres_de_l_ombre]].
As with other [[:daelkyr]], Kyrzin is vulnerable to the touch of [[:byeshk]].
====== Notes ======
In the [[:dragon_magazine]] article [[:touched_by_madness]] a [[:daelkyr]] called **Bloody Kyrzinand** is said to maintain a following among [[:cultes_du_dragon_d_en-dessous]]. Bloody Kyrzinand and Kyrzin may be one and the same.
==
{{tag>[NPC]}}
{{tag>[Daelkyr]}}
{{tag>["Étrangers"]}}
{{tag>["Khyber"]}}
{{tag>["idoles religieuses"]}}
{{tag>["Âge des Monstres"]}}
{{tag>["Adorées par les cultes du Dragon d_en-dessous"]}}