Dealkyr and Rajahs [Archive] - Wizards Community

Dealkyr and Rajahs [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
LordThasmudyan
09-17-05, 03:41 AM I am confused is there a difference between the two I am trying to figure this out as it seems to me at least that the rakshassas follow the dealkyr but call them the rajahs due to comments made in the core eberron books that say the rajahs were sealed into khyber by the coutals and dragons during the age of demons.........help me understand please :(
Charles Phipps
09-17-05, 03:55 AM Daelkyr- Fleshsculpting, Monster Making, Lords of Xoriat. Some bound in Khyber by druids.

Rajahs- Godlike Cthulhuesque monsters. All bound in Khyber by Dragons. Worshipped by Rakashasas but not of their kind.
The White Sorcerer
09-17-05, 04:59 AM Worshipped by Rakashasas but not of their kind.
I don't know about that. I mean, they aren't called rakshasa rajahs for nothing.

In short...
Rajahs: Bound by the dragons and the couatl in the Age of Demons.
Daelkyr: Bound by the Gatekeepers in the Age of Monsters.
So, not the same.
MysticTheurge
09-17-05, 09:55 AM I've had a little trouble with a related question.

The Lords of Dust are.... the rajahs? while Cults of the Dragon Below worship the Daelkyr? I'm think I've been playing it right, but it's always been a little confusing.
Azual
09-17-05, 10:05 AM both the rajahs and the daelkyr are martians
Cutlass
09-17-05, 10:44 AM I've had a little trouble with a related question.

The Lords of Dust are.... the rajahs? while Cults of the Dragon Below worship the Daelkyr? I'm think I've been playing it right, but it's always been a little confusing.

It's Eberron, it's supposed to be confusing :) That being said, perhaps some of this can be explained a bit better.

The Cults of the Dragon Below consist of a diverse group of fanatical sects that revere the power of the subterranean realms. Some of these cults seek to draw Khyber, the Dragon Below, up from the depths of the world, while others traffic with demons conjured from the deep regions. A few seek a promised paradise in some lost cavern far below the surface ...

So, as I read that, depending on which exact sect of the Dragon Below cult one is dealing with they could either be trying to worship Khyber, worshiping one of the Raksasha Rajahs or a demon subordinate of one of the Rajahs, or maybe even a Daelkyr. While the Daelkyr were not specifically mentioned as having Dragon Below Cult sects associated with them I don't think I'd rule it out either. So, depending on whatever the Dungeonmaster has up his sleeve for whichever Dragon Below cult sect the PC's are dealing with, any of those would work. Of course, the next sect in the next cavern over could be into something different and the two sects might be going after one another hammer and tongs over differences in what pass for their theology.

The Lords of Dust, a chaotic evil cabal of rakshashas and other fiends, have been playing games with the common races for thousands of years. They hide in the shadows of Khorvaire, plotting to free their ancient masters from the depths of Khyber ...

The most cunning and clever fiends always search for ways to increase their own power. Some seek to release the rajahs they once served. Others explore ways to drain power from their former masters to exploit as their own.

Thus, while the Lords of Dust ARE Rakshashas, they are NOT Rakshasha Rajahs. The Rakshasha Rajahs are the godlike beings that the rakshashas served. The Rajahs are bound into the depths of Khyber, the rakshashas are free to do what they want to on the surface of Eberron.
Xaxor
09-17-05, 10:46 AM Both groups are quite Lovecraftian... daelkyr for being madness incarnate and driving those they favour insane, and the rajahs for being godlike entities that once ruled the world and may rule it again in the not so distant future. I think Keith got a little cute with naming the Lords of Dust since one of Lovecraft's poems contains the line "The idiot Chaos blew Earth's dust away." Of course, this is getting off topic, so back to the original post.
Daelkyr are from Xoriat, the Realm of Madness, and the ones still on Eberron are trapped in Khyber. The Gatekeepers erected the planar seals to keep Xoriat from invading again. The Cult of the Dragon Below is fragmented, but some groups work toward freeing their masters. There was a Dragon article about the Cult and it was pretty clear they deal with aberrations and the daelkyr.
The Lords of Dust/Rajahs are also outsiders, but native to Eberron. They were sealed up at the end the Age of Fiends IIRC. Don't have the CS at hand. They again are godlike in power. There are also weaker rhakashas running about.
Gatekeeper
09-17-05, 10:49 AM I'll see if I can help you, Mystic Theurge. The Lords of Dust aren't the rajahs; they're free Rakshasas. They may be working toward releasing the rajahs, or they may be trying to take their power.

The cults of the Dragon Below don't all worship the same thing. Yes, some worship the Daelkyr and their creations. Some probably worship the rajahs. Any unspeakable evil could be revered by the cults.
InfinityStar8
09-17-05, 10:53 AM both the rajahs and the daelkyr are martians

lol, close but not 100%.

The Daelkyr are extraplaner beings (Outsiders) that came to Eberron during the Age of Monsters. They destroyed the old Goblin Empire and made almost all Aberrations. They and the more powerful of there minions (Mind Flayers, Beholders, things like that) are worshiped by the 'lesser' races in Cults of the Dragon Below. Most of the Daelkyr were sent back to their plane by the Gatekeeper Druids (The first Druids who learned it from a Black Dragon), a few other were sealed in Kyber (13 acually, but one died).

The Rajahs are Rakashasas of incredible power, almost if even Godlike. All the Rajahs have been sealed in Kyber by the Dragon/Coutal alliance. They are still bound there by the 'Silver Flame,' which acually started as the souls of almost all the Coutal giving there lives to bind the fiends. The Rajahs are still trying to free themselves with the help of the Lords of Dust (AKA: The Rakashasas).

Hope this helps. :)
InfinityStar8
09-17-05, 10:55 AM LOL, within 10 mins 4 people post answers to the same question, without each other knowing about it. I like that!
KP91
09-17-05, 11:01 AM The Cult of the Dragon Below is broken into 3 different parts.

Those who worship the Aberrations: Many aberrations are bound or wandering in Khyber. Some of them hate light (mindflayers), some need a good place to plot (abloeths), some are too stupid to leave (beholders), others are trying to bring back the few daelkyr bound in Khyber.

Those worshipping the demonic Rackshasas and Rajahs: The Rajahs are god-like entities (daelkyr are just powerful not godly). Some humans worship them, but the Rakshasas do not like mortal worshippers and so this part of the cult are made of mostly demons and devils. This cult strives to release the Rajahs and destroy the world.

Those who worship the Dragon Below: This is mostly made of Kobolds who like to worship the dragon entity known as Khyber. Although lots worship the ultimate creator of Evil. Spawner of Demons, Slayer of Syberis, and Ruler of Eberron's underdark.
Saturnine
09-17-05, 07:55 PM I think that the question does more to point out the restraining powers of Khyber dragonshards than it does the similarities between the two involved factions (if a group of melty gibbering madmen and incarcerated demi-gods can be called factions). Suffice it to say, if something is too powerful to be taken care of in the normal world, someone is going to bind it into the Khyber.

One wonders if there aren't any specks of light out there, powerful orc druids, enlightened giants, or even Titans, that either the Rakshasas or the Aberrations felt worth returning the favor towards.
ImmortalBlueMage
09-18-05, 01:01 AM The thing to remember about the Cult of the Dragon Below is that it is not an organized religion, it has no core doctrine, no central religious text, no universal rites or practices. The Cults are full of crazy people, they worship just about anything as long as it is evil and greater than themselves. If you read the ECS and other sourcebooks, different factions of Cults will frequently fight one another because their doctrines conflict. The Cult is basically a catch-all term for most manners of evil worship not tied to specific dieties.

In the Cogs of Sharn bands of wretched Goblins serve and revere a powerful Mindflayer, bringing him sacrifices and honoring him in ritual. Somewhere in the depths of the Shadow Marches, depraved Orcs sabotage planar seals in hopes of freeing the Daelkyr from their underground prison. In Thrane, a high-ranking Cardinal poses as a devotee to the Silver Flame but at night preaches foul sermons to a band of corrupted acolytes, promising them wealth and power if they will help him find a way to contact fiendish masters. These are all examples of what could be called Cults of the Dragon Below, and there are thousands of variations, scattered all across Eberron, attracting the most corrupt and debase in every society. The object of worship could be a specific monster or fiend, many of them, perhaps merely the general idea of demon, devil, or aberration (ie, Cults that have never met a Rakshasa or a Beholder but have heard legends and rumors of such creatures and revere them from afar). Cultists could worship the Great Wyrm Khyber itself, or perhaps be filled with individuals so mad and depraved they have no real doctrine and simply worship anything that seems capable of great evil. Another interesting variation could be Cults that worship creatures that don't even exist, mythical monsters that have long since dissapeared from Eberron, or never existed in the first place.

In short, go nuts. After all, they already have...
LordThasmudyan
09-18-05, 03:20 AM All of these are great answer to my question. I found pretty much what I was looking for after the fact. there is a offhand comment about the rakshassas/rajahs in ECS when talking about the demon wastes that says the last time they were in control was millions of years ago. and that the masters of the rakshassas (they call them hellish fiends and not gods or demi-gods) fled back into khyber after the dragons and the coautls defeated them (ie birth of silver flame). The problem I have is that they don't say much about the rajahs and what exactly they could have been. Are they and were they pitfiends, giant worms, this worlds cthullu or what.....it just to vague for my taste.....I wish Hellcow would step in here and give me some idea as to his intentions for the rajahs.
Beleriphon
09-18-05, 03:46 AM All of these are great answer to my question. I found pretty much what I was looking for after the fact. there is a offhand comment about the rakshassas/rajahs in ECS when talking about the demon wastes that says the last time they were in control was millions of years ago. and that the masters of the rakshassas (they call them hellish fiends and not gods or demi-gods) fled back into khyber after the dragons and the coautls defeated them (ie birth of silver flame). The problem I have is that they don't say much about the rajahs and what exactly they could have been. Are they and were they pitfiends, giant worms, this worlds cthullu or what.....it just to vague for my taste.....I wish Hellcow would step in here and give me some idea as to his intentions for the rajahs.

Good way to do it, check the AKB FAQ thread, you can download the whole thing as text document and do a search with good old CTRL+F. We have no information about the Rajahs beyond the fact that they were at one point The Power on Eberrron. Keith has said, and while not official, that were one wanting stats for a Rajah using Dieties and Demigods to derive some their abilities would be entirely appropriate.
Hellcow
09-18-05, 04:45 AM As a quick note, there will be an article about the Lords of Dust in the November issue of Dragon which should answer a lot of questions about the LoD and the rajahs.
Azual
09-18-05, 11:52 AM As a quick note, there will be an article about the Lords of Dust in the November issue of Dragon which should answer a lot of questions about the LoD and the rajahs.

good thing i renewed my subscription
InfinityStar8
09-18-05, 05:04 PM As a quick note, there will be an article about the Lords of Dust in the November issue of Dragon which should answer a lot of questions about the LoD and the rajahs.

SWEET!!! Thanks Hellcow!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LordThasmudyan 09-17-05, 03:41 AM	I am confused is there a difference between the two I am trying to figure this out as it seems to me at least that the rakshassas follow the dealkyr but call them the rajahs due to comments made in the core eberron books that say the rajahs were sealed into khyber by the coutals and dragons during the age of demons.........help me understand please :(
Charles Phipps 09-17-05, 03:55 AM	Daelkyr- Fleshsculpting, Monster Making, Lords of Xoriat. Some bound in Khyber by druids. Rajahs- Godlike Cthulhuesque monsters. All bound in Khyber by Dragons. Worshipped by Rakashasas but not of their kind.
The White Sorcerer 09-17-05, 04:59 AM	Worshipped by Rakashasas but not of their kind. I don't know about that. I mean, they aren't called rakshasa rajahs for nothing. In short... Rajahs: Bound by the dragons and the couatl in the Age of Demons. Daelkyr: Bound by the Gatekeepers in the Age of Monsters. So, not the same.
MysticTheurge 09-17-05, 09:55 AM	I've had a little trouble with a related question. The Lords of Dust are.... the rajahs? while Cults of the Dragon Below worship the Daelkyr? I'm think I've been playing it right, but it's always been a little confusing.
Azual 09-17-05, 10:05 AM	both the rajahs and the daelkyr are martians
Cutlass 09-17-05, 10:44 AM	I've had a little trouble with a related question. The Lords of Dust are.... the rajahs? while Cults of the Dragon Below worship the Daelkyr? I'm think I've been playing it right, but it's always been a little confusing. It's Eberron, it's supposed to be confusing :) That being said, perhaps some of this can be explained a bit better. The Cults of the Dragon Below consist of a diverse group of fanatical sects that revere the power of the subterranean realms. Some of these cults seek to draw Khyber, the Dragon Below, up from the depths of the world, while others traffic with demons conjured from the deep regions. A few seek a promised paradise in some lost cavern far below the surface ... So, as I read that, depending on which exact sect of the Dragon Below cult one is dealing with they could either be trying to worship Khyber, worshiping one of the Raksasha Rajahs or a demon subordinate of one of the Rajahs, or maybe even a Daelkyr. While the Daelkyr were not specifically mentioned as having Dragon Below Cult sects associated with them I don't think I'd rule it out either. So, depending on whatever the Dungeonmaster has up his sleeve for whichever Dragon Below cult sect the PC's are dealing with, any of those would work. Of course, the next sect in the next cavern over could be into something different and the two sects might be going after one another hammer and tongs over differences in what pass for their theology. The Lords of Dust, a chaotic evil cabal of rakshashas and other fiends, have been playing games with the common races for thousands of years. They hide in the shadows of Khorvaire, plotting to free their ancient masters from the depths of Khyber ... The most cunning and clever fiends always search for ways to increase their own power. Some seek to release the rajahs they once served. Others explore ways to drain power from their former masters to exploit as their own. Thus, while the Lords of Dust ARE Rakshashas, they are NOT Rakshasha Rajahs. The Rakshasha Rajahs are the godlike beings that the rakshashas served. The Rajahs are bound into the depths of Khyber, the rakshashas are free to do what they want to on the surface of Eberron.
Xaxor 09-17-05, 10:46 AM	Both groups are quite Lovecraftian... daelkyr for being madness incarnate and driving those they favour insane, and the rajahs for being godlike entities that once ruled the world and may rule it again in the not so distant future. I think Keith got a little cute with naming the Lords of Dust since one of Lovecraft's poems contains the line "The idiot Chaos blew Earth's dust away." Of course, this is getting off topic, so back to the original post. Daelkyr are from Xoriat, the Realm of Madness, and the ones still on Eberron are trapped in Khyber. The Gatekeepers erected the planar seals to keep Xoriat from invading again. The Cult of the Dragon Below is fragmented, but some groups work toward freeing their masters. There was a Dragon article about the Cult and it was pretty clear they deal with aberrations and the daelkyr. The Lords of Dust/Rajahs are also outsiders, but native to Eberron. They were sealed up at the end the Age of Fiends IIRC. Don't have the CS at hand. They again are godlike in power. There are also weaker rhakashas running about.
Gatekeeper 09-17-05, 10:49 AM	I'll see if I can help you, Mystic Theurge. The Lords of Dust aren't the rajahs; they're free Rakshasas. They may be working toward releasing the rajahs, or they may be trying to take their power. The cults of the Dragon Below don't all worship the same thing. Yes, some worship the Daelkyr and their creations. Some probably worship the rajahs. Any unspeakable evil could be revered by the cults.
InfinityStar8 09-17-05, 10:53 AM	both the rajahs and the daelkyr are martians lol, close but not 100%. The Daelkyr are extraplaner beings (Outsiders) that came to Eberron during the Age of Monsters. They destroyed the old Goblin Empire and made almost all Aberrations. They and the more powerful of there minions (Mind Flayers, Beholders, things like that) are worshiped by the 'lesser' races in Cults of the Dragon Below. Most of the Daelkyr were sent back to their plane by the Gatekeeper Druids (The first Druids who learned it from a Black Dragon), a few other were sealed in Kyber (13 acually, but one died). The Rajahs are Rakashasas of incredible power, almost if even Godlike. All the Rajahs have been sealed in Kyber by the Dragon/Coutal alliance. They are still bound there by the 'Silver Flame,' which acually started as the souls of almost all the Coutal giving there lives to bind the fiends. The Rajahs are still trying to free themselves with the help of the Lords of Dust (AKA: The Rakashasas). Hope this helps. :)
InfinityStar8 09-17-05, 10:55 AM	LOL, within 10 mins 4 people post answers to the same question, without each other knowing about it. I like that!
KP91 09-17-05, 11:01 AM	The Cult of the Dragon Below is broken into 3 different parts. Those who worship the Aberrations: Many aberrations are bound or wandering in Khyber. Some of them hate light (mindflayers), some need a good place to plot (abloeths), some are too stupid to leave (beholders), others are trying to bring back the few daelkyr bound in Khyber. Those worshipping the demonic Rackshasas and Rajahs: The Rajahs are god-like entities (daelkyr are just powerful not godly). Some humans worship them, but the Rakshasas do not like mortal worshippers and so this part of the cult are made of mostly demons and devils. This cult strives to release the Rajahs and destroy the world. Those who worship the Dragon Below: This is mostly made of Kobolds who like to worship the dragon entity known as Khyber. Although lots worship the ultimate creator of Evil. Spawner of Demons, Slayer of Syberis, and Ruler of Eberron's underdark.
Saturnine 09-17-05, 07:55 PM	I think that the question does more to point out the restraining powers of Khyber dragonshards than it does the similarities between the two involved factions (if a group of melty gibbering madmen and incarcerated demi-gods can be called factions). Suffice it to say, if something is too powerful to be taken care of in the normal world, someone is going to bind it into the Khyber. One wonders if there aren't any specks of light out there, powerful orc druids, enlightened giants, or even Titans, that either the Rakshasas or the Aberrations felt worth returning the favor towards.
ImmortalBlueMage 09-18-05, 01:01 AM	The thing to remember about the Cult of the Dragon Below is that it is not an organized religion, it has no core doctrine, no central religious text, no universal rites or practices. The Cults are full of crazy people, they worship just about anything as long as it is evil and greater than themselves. If you read the ECS and other sourcebooks, different factions of Cults will frequently fight one another because their doctrines conflict. The Cult is basically a catch-all term for most manners of evil worship not tied to specific dieties. In the Cogs of Sharn bands of wretched Goblins serve and revere a powerful Mindflayer, bringing him sacrifices and honoring him in ritual. Somewhere in the depths of the Shadow Marches, depraved Orcs sabotage planar seals in hopes of freeing the Daelkyr from their underground prison. In Thrane, a high-ranking Cardinal poses as a devotee to the Silver Flame but at night preaches foul sermons to a band of corrupted acolytes, promising them wealth and power if they will help him find a way to contact fiendish masters. These are all examples of what could be called Cults of the Dragon Below, and there are thousands of variations, scattered all across Eberron, attracting the most corrupt and debase in every society. The object of worship could be a specific monster or fiend, many of them, perhaps merely the general idea of demon, devil, or aberration (ie, Cults that have never met a Rakshasa or a Beholder but have heard legends and rumors of such creatures and revere them from afar). Cultists could worship the Great Wyrm Khyber itself, or perhaps be filled with individuals so mad and depraved they have no real doctrine and simply worship anything that seems capable of great evil. Another interesting variation could be Cults that worship creatures that don't even exist, mythical monsters that have long since dissapeared from Eberron, or never existed in the first place. In short, go nuts. After all, they already have...
LordThasmudyan 09-18-05, 03:20 AM	All of these are great answer to my question. I found pretty much what I was looking for after the fact. there is a offhand comment about the rakshassas/rajahs in ECS when talking about the demon wastes that says the last time they were in control was millions of years ago. and that the masters of the rakshassas (they call them hellish fiends and not gods or demi-gods) fled back into khyber after the dragons and the coautls defeated them (ie birth of silver flame). The problem I have is that they don't say much about the rajahs and what exactly they could have been. Are they and were they pitfiends, giant worms, this worlds cthullu or what.....it just to vague for my taste.....I wish Hellcow would step in here and give me some idea as to his intentions for the rajahs.
Beleriphon 09-18-05, 03:46 AM	All of these are great answer to my question. I found pretty much what I was looking for after the fact. there is a offhand comment about the rakshassas/rajahs in ECS when talking about the demon wastes that says the last time they were in control was millions of years ago. and that the masters of the rakshassas (they call them hellish fiends and not gods or demi-gods) fled back into khyber after the dragons and the coautls defeated them (ie birth of silver flame). The problem I have is that they don't say much about the rajahs and what exactly they could have been. Are they and were they pitfiends, giant worms, this worlds cthullu or what.....it just to vague for my taste.....I wish Hellcow would step in here and give me some idea as to his intentions for the rajahs. Good way to do it, check the AKB FAQ thread, you can download the whole thing as text document and do a search with good old CTRL+F. We have no information about the Rajahs beyond the fact that they were at one point The Power on Eberrron. Keith has said, and while not official, that were one wanting stats for a Rajah using Dieties and Demigods to derive some their abilities would be entirely appropriate.
Hellcow 09-18-05, 04:45 AM	As a quick note, there will be an article about the Lords of Dust in the November issue of Dragon which should answer a lot of questions about the LoD and the rajahs.
Azual 09-18-05, 11:52 AM	As a quick note, there will be an article about the Lords of Dust in the November issue of Dragon which should answer a lot of questions about the LoD and the rajahs. good thing i renewed my subscription
InfinityStar8 09-18-05, 05:04 PM	As a quick note, there will be an article about the Lords of Dust in the November issue of Dragon which should answer a lot of questions about the LoD and the rajahs. SWEET!!! Thanks Hellcow!