Beholder

A **Beholder** is a large aberration normally found in the Air Realm. These large, orb-shaped beings had ten eyestalks and one central eye, each containing powerful magic. Powerful and intelligent, beholders were among the greatest threats to the world.

## Description

Beholders were immediately identifiable, being essentially a floating head with one single, cyclops-like eye surrounded by ten smaller eye stalks. Other than this, the main feature of a beholder's anatomy was its massive, gaping maw. Because of these features, beholders were occasionally known as "spheres of many eyes" or "eye tyrants," although the latter also referred to a specific type of beholder.

## Biology

Beholders were omnivorous, genderless aliens, and a subject of great fascination for sages who studied biology and the hunters who attempted to kill them. As such, a large amount of information was available on beholder anatomy.

## Personality

Xenophobic and vicious creatures, beholders were quick to attack enemies, including anyone they deemed not "like themselves." Beholders, as a rule, were violent and greedy, hungering for both wealth and power over others. This was made all the more complicated since more than one variety of beholder existed, each believing itself to be the pinnacle of bodily perfection and they viewed other beholders who differed from this image in even the most minute details as loathsome enemies and inferiors.

## Combat

Beholders were not particularly strong but were inherently magical creatures, with each of their eyes possessing an innately magical nature. Beholders, who often attacked for seemingly no reason, would often try to end a battle as quickly as possible, unleashing their terrifying abilities all at once. Among the most basic of these attacks was their deadly ability to project magical power from their eyes, in varying forms such as instilling fear within, charming, knocking out, petrifying, disintegrating, slowing, or killing their enemies. Any combination of these was possible, although they often used only two at a given time.

## Society

Beholders were often found occupying deep, underground caverns. Frequently, these lairs were carved out by the beholders themselves, using their eye rays to mold the environment for their purposes. Often, these lairs were built vertically rather than horizontally like most buildings, with beholder architecture frequently exhibiting a large number of vertical shafts which beholders and other flying creatures could use with ease, while walking creatures found their navigation hindered.

## Usage

Beholder hide was a very rare and high quality crafting material, used in creation of armor and reinforcing weapons.

## Capabilities

Beholders were inherently magical creatures, with each of their eyes possessing an innately magical nature. Beholders, who often attacked for seemingly no reason, would often try to end a battle as quickly as possible, unleashing their terrifying abilities all at once. Among the most basic of these attacks was their deadly ability to project magical power from their eyes, in varying forms such as instilling fear within, charming, knocking out, petrifying, disintegrating, slowing, or killing their enemies. Any combination of these was possible.

## Common powers

**Anti-Magic:** Beholders have the ability to use anti-magic which can nullify and destabilize most if not all forms of magic and even destroy a mage's capability to utilize magic.

**Evil Eye:** Beholders possess the evil eye, which allows them to inflict a variety of harmful and debilitating effects on anyone they choose, just by gazing at them including but not limited to: laying horrific curses, inflicting pain and suffering, knocking people out and even killing people.

**Levitation:** Beholders can cause oneself to hover in the air unassisted, allowing the user to seamlessly float in the air and prevent their bodies from making contact with the ground below.

**Multiple Eyes:** Beholders possess more than two functioning eyes and as such possesses a greater form of peripheral vision than the average creature.

**Night Vision:** Beholders have excellent night vision, the ability to see in low light conditions or even total darkness.

**Powerful Bite:** Beholders have a particularly strong bite, either because of sharp fangs, strong jaw-muscles, unusual jaw-structure or some other reason.

**Tentacle Extension:** Beholders have or can generate tentacles or tentacle-like appendages from themselves, others or any other surface.