Creepiness in the Daelkyr Half-Blood race

[123456789blaaa]

Daelkyr half-bloods are a race that come from unborn babies corrupted in the womb by Daelkyr (lovecraftian entities trapped beneath the world of Eberron).

Quotes from Magic of Eberron explain how they're created:


Daelkyr half-bloods are born of pregnant mothers who were either influenced by close proximity to a daelkyr confinement cylinder or infected by a breed leech (see page 154).


Breed leeches are an extraordinary leap in daelkyr corruption magic. Instilled in each leech is a terrible infection that corrupts a regular pregnancy if allowed to run its course. The resulting child is born a daelkyr halfblood (see page 37).

Now as I said before, Half-Bloods are a race (not a template) that look almost exactly like humans except for the aberrant symbiotes that are attached to them.

What's creepy is that the above quotes do not specify the mother has to be humanoid. As long as it's pregnant and a mother, the baby can be corrupted. Attach a breed leech to a pregnant dog and a human-looking baby with a slimy thing attached to it will come out. A very unpleasant surprise for owners watching a dog birth :smalleek:.

EDIT: For those not familiar with Eberron, let me specify that the Daelkyr Half-Blood is an LA 0 playable race (with no RHD). You can play a character whose parents are literally dogs.

[Ralcos]

Thank you for the nightmares I'll have for the rest of my life. :eek:

[Red Fel]

The Daelkyr are from Xoriat. By definition, everything about them is wrong and creepy, and that's their baseline. "Creepiness" in the Daelkyr or their misshapen spawn is basically redundant.

Congratulations. You have just turned that native creepiness up to 11.

Someday, I will use this on players - probably on a farm or something, watching an animal give birth - and they will straight-up murder me.

And I blame you. My murder is totally your fault now.

[Phelix-Mu]

Actually, and I'm not sure on how the RAW actually shakes out, wouldn't the dog give birth to a litter of daelkyr half-breeds? The dog part causes multiple births, so I can see an argument for each would-be dog getting corrupted into a litter of adorable very small humanoid babies.

This is akin to the lycanthrope issue of how much influence each side of the template/creature have on the process. Maybe the dog-process is totally hijacked by the daelkyr-ness, but that in itself would be terrible if taken in a gritty realism direction. If a dog gave birth to a humanoid (large head, longer gestational period to achieve full size), that would likely result in the mother dying as a result. So now the creepy humanoid baby not only needs to adapt to being a "dog," but is ostensibly keeping its mother alive during the process.

Oh yeah. This could get twisted in a hurry. I'm picturing some unicorn forced to watch as its "child" burns down the forest. Hmm. No, wait. I can do better.... *evil*

[123456789blaaa]

One of the most great horrible parts of this is that the DHB's aren't naturally twisted or evil or aberrant in mindset. They have the personalities of normal humans.

[zabbarot]

For some reason this just reminds me of the Beastmaster movie from the 80s. I think he was birthed by a cow or something... I haven't seen the movie in a long time. It was one of those not so great sword and sorcery films that I loved anyways though.

[Phelix-Mu]

One of the most great horrible parts of this is that the DHB's aren't naturally twisted or evil or aberrant in mindset. They have the personalities of normal humans.

Which restricts us to just the normal range of pleasant stable average only slightly traumatized human personalities for our DHB dog-boy.

Nope. This can't go wrong.:smallbiggrin:

[Faily]

Creepy, (so-called) nightmare-inducing, weird... *checks* yup, for sure fits the bill for denizens of Xoriat, the Realm of Madness. :smallamused:

As the Daelkyrs themselves are humanoids, suppose the dog-mother could be really surprised to see such mishapen puppies (aka, look like humans)?

[Greenish]

As the Daelkyrs themselves are humanoidsNot just humanoids, for that matter, but they look distinctly like handsome humans. (Hobgoblins were majorly freaked out when humans started migrating to Khorvaire.)

[CRtwenty]

Actually, and I'm not sure on how the RAW actually shakes out, wouldn't the dog give birth to a litter of daelkyr half-breeds? The dog part causes multiple births, so I can see an argument for each would-be dog getting corrupted into a litter of adorable very small humanoid babies.

You think that's bad? Infect a Giant Ant Queen. You'd have hundreds of the things in months.

[Kymme]

It's not a question of why Daelkyr look so much like humans.

It's why humans look so much like Daelkyr.

[Slipperychicken]

You think that's bad? Infect a Giant Ant Queen. You'd have hundreds of the things in months.

Would an ant-queen's reproduction be considered a pregnancy?

[12owlbears]

:smalleek: wow that would be the most ridiculous and yet tragic back story for a character.

[Scootaloo]

Actually, and I'm not sure on how the RAW actually shakes out, wouldn't the dog give birth to a litter of daelkyr half-breeds? The dog part causes multiple births, so I can see an argument for each would-be dog getting corrupted into a litter of adorable very small humanoid babies.


...What do you think the symbionts are made of?

Daelkyr: Creepy on a level that makes the other Aberrations go "Daaaaaaayyum, brah!"

[(Un)Inspired]

The thing is, this isn't so much creepy as it is perfect fodder for paternity hijinks.

An elven man is married to a human woman but their baby comes out looking fully human? Oh you saucy Daelkyr! What will you corrupt next?

[Coidzor]

Brings new meaning to the term raised by wolves, and I imagine there'd be quite a few Feral Daelkyr Half-Bloods as a result.


One of the most great horrible parts of this is that the DHB's aren't naturally twisted or evil or aberrant in mindset. They have the personalities of normal humans.

Yeah, it's not like that one template in Heroes of Horror that makes demon babies that are able to mindcontrol their mothers while still fetuses. Now if one combined the two...

[Xuldarinar]

Yeah, it's not like that one template in Heroes of Horror that makes demon babies that are able to mindcontrol their mothers while still fetuses. Now if one combined the two...

A daelkyr half-blood unholy scion?

A daelkyr finds a way to, possibly by means of the fiend of possession PrC, possess the unborn child of a creature passing it's containment cylinder.

Bonus points if the resulting being goes into a class with a familiar or animal companion the half-blood can call mom.

[Phelix-Mu]

A daelkyr half-blood unholy scion?

A daelkyr finds a way to, possibly by means of the fiend of possession PrC, possess the unborn child of a creature passing it's containment cylinder.

Bonus points if the resulting being goes into a class with a familiar or animal companion the half-blood can call mom.

Add in some Lichloved/minion of orcus or Tainted One or Lost template and create a trifecta of unwholesome.

Alright. *cracks knuckles*

A woman is in quite a state. She can't conceive, and has only ever wanted to be a mother. Her husband is also quite frustrated, and is driven to less-than-reputable sources researching a solution.

The woman slowly goes mad, driven to distraction by her plight, and attracts the attention of a fiend of possession, but it really just sits back and watches, while eating the figurative popcorn.

Her husband happens upon stories of these symbiotes that can allow the birth of children, and maybe prove the solution to their problem. He presents his wife with the concept, and the demon-in-the-wife, drawn face and eyes running mascara, chimes in "oh, honey, I'd do anything in order to have a child," and rolls Diplomacy on the husband, with the appropiate NI circumstance modifier.

The husband promptly sells his soul to *plot appropriate fiend/evil thing* in order to acquire a symbiote. As per the normal soul contract, evil thing now arranges the husband's death in the most heinous/expedient way possible. I'm leaning toward mauled by the couple's pregnant female dog, who has been supernaturally infected by rabies. Thus, we are in keeping with our dog postulate, while adding appropriate levels of squick.

The rabid dog consumes/is infected by the symbiote, and the corpse of the husband lies on the kitchen floor. The mad wife, listening to the whispers of the demon, makes love to the corpse, promised with conception and...well...frankly just about drooling bonkers at this point.

Scroll ahead. The woman has set up a "A Rose for Emily" with her husband's corpse, the demon of possession has moved into the dog, and the human child is born of the b&*ch in a handful of months later. The woman accepts the child as her own, the child worships the demon/dog as its parent (probably leading to the murder/reanimation of the "normal" mother), and the whole family picture is completed by a semi-transparent fiend, whispering dark blessings of madness and perversion to its loved ones.

[Red Fel]

The stuff of nightmares.

And here I thought I would sleep tonight. Nope.

[Phelix-Mu]

And here I thought I would sleep tonight. Nope.

Wait, you're right. Let me spoiler that little nugget.:smallwink:

[otakumick]

I'm fairly certain that Daelkyr half-blood and Unholy Scion are incompatible... due to the half-blood being of the type aberration. Which is a shame, because this seems like some really good nightmare fuel stew.

[Phelix-Mu]

I'm fairly certain that Daelkyr half-blood and Unholy Scion are incompatible... due to the half-blood being of the type aberration. Which is a shame, because this seems like some really good nightmare fuel stew.

Hmm. That is a shame. Now we'd need something more hyperbolic to make it work.

Pssh. I would probably Rule Zero it away in favor of mindscrew, but the best mindscrew is at least kosher-ish.

[Xuldarinar]

I'm fairly certain that Daelkyr half-blood and Unholy Scion are incompatible... due to the half-blood being of the type aberration. Which is a shame, because this seems like some really good nightmare fuel stew.

Yes, and no. Daelkyr Half-blood overwrites everything prior to it, it seems, and unholy scion cannot be applied to an aberration.


However we can argue given the circumstances for both being simultaneous, like fetal possession by a daelkyr, we are applying both effects at the same time to the unborn human (or similar entity).

Of course, we can always, as previously state it, rule zero it.

[cakellene]

Both are inherited templates, so need to be in place at birth. But, what about applying unholy scion first? Converts fetus into an outsider and half-blood template can still be applied since it references the mother and not the fetus.

[phlidwsn]

Both are inherited templates, so need to be in place at birth. But, what about applying unholy scion first? Converts fetus into an outsider and half-blood template can still be applied since it references the mother and not the fetus.

Daelkyr Half-Blood is not an inherited template, it is its own race. So there is nothing to be prior or simultaneous to, you just are a half-blood much like your just a human or elf.

[Xuldarinar]

Daelkyr Half-Blood is not an inherited template, it is its own race. So there is nothing to be prior or simultaneous to, you just are a half-blood much like your just a human or elf.

You are right and wrong.
Its not a template, but its not something one is concieved as. You become one before birth, but its not your original intended state of being.

[Greenish]

You are right and wrong.
Its not a template, but its not something one is concieved as. You become one before birth, but its not your original intended state of being.You're mixing fluff and crunch. Weird things happen when you cross the streams.

[Phelix-Mu]

Fetuses and templates is an area of obvious oversight in the rules. Can't imagine how they didn't think to cover that.

I think we can apply "benefits from multiple affects may be applied in the order preferred by the mindscrew." Neither effect seems necessary from the moment of conception, so, in theory, the new person-to-be exists and we can apply effects in the order desired.

I think.

And, really, is this the part of my brain I should be using for this? Mindscrew is a work of art and devotion. My mastery of 3.5 tells the RAW to sit down and shut up, for this shall be awesome.

[123456789blaaa]

*slaps sleeping thread* Arise!


The Daelkyr are from Xoriat. By definition, everything about them is wrong and creepy, and that's their baseline. "Creepiness" in the Daelkyr or their misshapen spawn is basically redundant.
Congratulations. You have just turned that native creepiness up to 11.
Someday, I will use this on players - probably on a farm or something, watching an animal give birth - and they will straight-up murder me.
And I blame you. My murder is totally your fault now.

Put it your Will for me to be PMed about how things went :smallwink:.


Actually, and I'm not sure on how the RAW actually shakes out, wouldn't the dog give birth to a litter of daelkyr half-breeds? The dog part causes multiple births, so I can see an argument for each would-be dog getting corrupted into a litter of adorable very small humanoid babies.
This is akin to the lycanthrope issue of how much influence each side of the template/creature have on the process. Maybe the dog-process is totally hijacked by the daelkyr-ness, but that in itself would be terrible if taken in a gritty realism direction. If a dog gave birth to a humanoid (large head, longer gestational period to achieve full size), that would likely result in the mother dying as a result. So now the creepy humanoid baby not only needs to adapt to being a "dog," but is ostensibly keeping its mother alive during the process.
Oh yeah. This could get twisted in a hurry. I'm picturing some unicorn forced to watch as its "child" burns down the forest. Hmm. No, wait. I can do better.... *evil*

The RAW doesn't have much to say on the matter so it's up to the DM. Given the fluff surrounding the DHB's, I'm pretty sure RAI only humans and humanoids were supposed to be able to be corrupted.

Assuming animals infected do still have multiple births, I could see forces of the Daelkyr grabbing animals, having them mate, and then infecting the pregnant mothers. Seems like a fine way to build up an army.

Actually this would make for a pretty good adventure. Something like:

Animals have been disappearing from the local town for a while now. At first hunters only noticed this in that they were seeing much less game then they used to. There was a real worry that people might start starving. Then recently, livestock and pets started to disappear. But as the town druid was quick to note...only female animals. Alarmed, the town put together a reward for any adventuring group willing to investigate.

*Fast forward*

After fighting their way through bestial, warped creatures that must have once been human (the cultists perhaps?) the party has finally reached the center of the network of tunnels in Khyber beneath the town. There is a large building made out of some kind of metal with small pinkish-red fibers creeping across the walls from the open door. The party goes in.

There is no metal inside. Only flesh. Living, breathing, pinkish-red flesh that undulates slowly as if in a mockery of breath. What was once a fortress is now a place not suited to any resident from a sane world. As the party ventures in they see an enormous hole in the central room. Around the hole are fleshy mockeries of blasphemous religious paraphernalia. the walls inside the whole are scribed with sigils...Gatekeeper sigils. Almost filling a third of the whole are corpses of various stretched animals, their bellies slit open. The hole currently seems to be trying to digest them.

As the party moves on into the back of the fortress they open a door to find...

Hundreds of babies peacefully sleeping in a bloody, fleshy "nursery". Seemingly untouched by the general devastation. The only sign of abnormality among the babies are the thick black leeches each of them has attached.

What will the party do?

Am I doin it rite?


Which restricts us to just the normal range of pleasant stable average only slightly traumatized human personalities for our DHB dog-boy.
Nope. This can't go wrong.:smallbiggrin:

I wonder if, among the DHB's affiliated with the Daelkyr, there is prejudice depending on what you were born from? The "highest" DHB's being born from humans and the "lowest" being born from animals. Maybe "Dogboy" is a slur...

Which reminds me, I reread the DHB entry in MoE and found this quote:


Daelkyr half-bloods are most often born of human mothers, and as such share almost all physical features in common with humans.

So perhaps "Dogboy" looks something like a weredog in hybrid form? All DHB share the same stats so it can't look much like a normal dog.

It's very vague. I personally find it creepier if they look like humans no matter what animal they come from though so I'm going with that interpretation.


Would an ant-queen's reproduction be considered a pregnancy?

I...think so :smalleek:.


The thing is, this isn't so much creepy as it is perfect fodder for paternity hijinks.
An elven man is married to a human woman but their baby comes out looking fully human? Oh you saucy Daelkyr! What will you corrupt next?

Lawl XD. Though I think they'd be someone more concerned with the gigantic mutant leech attached to the baby when it comes out :smalltongue:.


A daelkyr half-blood unholy scion?
A daelkyr finds a way to, possibly by means of the fiend of possession PrC, possess the unborn child of a creature passing it's containment cylinder.
Bonus points if the resulting being goes into a class with a familiar or animal companion the half-blood can call mom.

I want to see the other party members reactions to this so bad.


Add in some Lichloved/minion of orcus or Tainted One or Lost template and create a trifecta of unwholesome.

Alright. *cracks knuckles*

A woman is in quite a state. She can't conceive, and has only ever wanted to be a mother. Her husband is also quite frustrated, and is driven to less-than-reputable sources researching a solution.

The woman slowly goes mad, driven to distraction by her plight, and attracts the attention of a fiend of possession, but it really just sits back and watches, while eating the figurative popcorn.

Her husband happens upon stories of these symbiotes that can allow the birth of children, and maybe prove the solution to their problem. He presents his wife with the concept, and the demon-in-the-wife, drawn face and eyes running mascara, chimes in "oh, honey, I'd do anything in order to have a child," and rolls Diplomacy on the husband, with the appropiate NI circumstance modifier.

The husband promptly sells his soul to *plot appropriate fiend/evil thing* in order to acquire a symbiote. As per the normal soul contract, evil thing now arranges the husband's death in the most heinous/expedient way possible. I'm leaning toward mauled by the couple's pregnant female dog, who has been supernaturally infected by rabies. Thus, we are in keeping with our dog postulate, while adding appropriate levels of squick.

The rabid dog consumes/is infected by the symbiote, and the corpse of the husband lies on the kitchen floor. The mad wife, listening to the whispers of the demon, makes love to the corpse, promised with conception and...well...frankly just about drooling bonkers at this point.

Scroll ahead. The woman has set up a "A Rose for Emily" with her husband's corpse, the demon of possession has moved into the dog, and the human child is born of the b&*ch in a handful of months later. The woman accepts the child as her own, the child worships the demon/dog as its parent (probably leading to the murder/reanimation of the "normal" mother), and the whole family picture is completed by a semi-transparent fiend, whispering dark blessings of madness and perversion to its loved ones.

...nice. I prefer the torment experienced when the DHB is actually moderately "normal" but this is pretty cool too :smallcool: (though instead of being unable to conceive, I'd change it to her being unable to bring the baby to term).

Actually there's a perfect demonic Overlord to tie the FoP with: Truth in the Darkness, Overlord of secrets, darkness, and madness. She's already prone to working with the Daelkyr anyways :smallamused:.

[Coidzor]

That's wonderfully terrible. :smallamused:

[SassyQuatch]

In my mind I have already corrupted a classic movie because of this thread.

Old Yeller wasn't just some stray dog, but was Arliss' parent. Arliss was adopted by the family. Old Yeller was just feeling some familial instinct. After being put down Arliss must have figured it out because he refused a replacement dog.

It makes so much more sense now.

[123456789blaaa]

That's wonderfully terrible. :smallamused:

Which part? The adventure idea?

[Raven777]

It's not a question of why Daelkyr look so much like humans.

It's why humans look so much like Daelkyr.

Oh sh-

All humans are very thin blooded Daelkyr Half-Blood descendants.

[Coidzor]

Which part? The adventure idea?

All of it, but especially that part. :smallbiggrin:

[Phelix-Mu]

This is a great thread that needs to stick around for the weekend.:smallwink:

I now want to retrofit Daelkyr Half-Blood to fit the Zuggtmoy v Jubilex fight, using it to add a philosophical dimension to their rivalry. Jubilex would personify an incorporate/consume mentality, whereas Zuggtmoy would (with a bit of refluff) be interested in more of a diversify/proliferate mentality (using DHB to exemplify this proliferation). Jubilex: Everything becomes me, while Zuggtmoy: I become everything.

Hmm, maybe instead of Jubilex and Zuggtmoy (my favorite demon lords), I should use some of my gods in my custom setting. I already have an Elder God of Proliferation, who is associated with the introduction of incarnum in my setting.

In any case, lots of good ideas bubbling around this thread.

[Coidzor]

I am becoming more and more enamored with playing with the idea of this being part of the genesis of humanity in a setting/plane/planet, I must admit. XD

[Phelix-Mu]

Meanwhile, I am going to be cherry-picking bits of this for my current Exalted campaign. Definitely ambiguously evil mindscrew? Sounds par for the course.

[zabbarot]

Oh sh-

All humans are very thin blooded Daelkyr Half-Blood descendants.

It makes sense. Daelkyr breed true with everything. Humans can breed with almost everything.

[HaikenEdge]

A daelkyr half-blood unholy scion?

A daelkyr finds a way to, possibly by means of the fiend of possession PrC, possess the unborn child of a creature passing it's containment cylinder.

Bonus points if the resulting being goes into a class with a familiar or animal companion the half-blood can call mom.

I totally want to play this as a character, now, the druid/wizard/sorcerer who is a little too intimate with their familiar/animal companion.

[Phelix-Mu]

I totally want to play this as a character, now, the druid/wizard/sorcerer who is a little too intimate with their familiar/animal companion.

Bonus points if we can tack on some Norman Bates for good measure.:smallsmile:

[HaikenEdge]

Bonus points if we can tack on some Norman Bates for good measure.:smallsmile:

That sounds fantastic. What'd you have in mind?

Also, do familiars and animal companions have unusually long lives?

[Clistenes]

Oh sh-

All humans are very thin blooded Daelkyr Half-Blood descendants.

He knows...he must be..."silenced"

But seriously, why do you think humans are the only race without a racial creator god?

[Phelix-Mu]

That sounds fantastic. What'd you have in mind?

Also, do familiars and animal companions have unusually long lives?

Familiars probably should. Logic: Elven 1st level wizard has rat familiar. This familiar has a good chance of killing the wizard if the doesn't level up. Every ten years or so, this elven wizard is nearly killed by his familiar. Not really fair to the elf, since that is going to happen quite often during his lifetime.

Animal Companions are a different story, and are basically just unusually tough, unusually loyal normal animals. I don't see any logic by which they should live longer (plus, that would kind of be abnormal, and thus not much keeping with the vanilla druid schtick).

As for the Norman Bates thing, and going with familiar for the moment, I was mainly thinking that our character here has projected part of their fragmented personality onto the familiar, regardless of the familiar's actual behavior. Then we can have the fun of the familiar looking kind of confused while the master has a conversation with himself the familiar Mom.

[HaikenEdge]

If only there was a way to turn your familiar into a psicrystal...

[Hangwind]

If only there was a way to turn your familiar into a psicrystal...

Why not get both? Wild Talent gives you the prereq's so you can have the whole family!

On a different note, I have had some weird ideas revolving around Alice in Wonderland...

[Coidzor]

If only there was a way to turn your familiar into a psicrystal...

Indeed, being able to combine psicrystals with familiars/special mounts/animal companions would've been pretty cool. Or maybe I just liked Legend of Legaia too much when I was younger.

[(Un)Inspired]

If only there was a way to turn your familiar into a psicrystal...

There's gotta be right? Something with astral seed and fusion and sharing spells with your familiar?

[N. Jolly]

Yeah, I'm totally stealing the Unborn Terror, and I plan on having it use its mother's former corpse as a throne. This is going to get dark fast.

[Coidzor]

Yeah, I'm totally stealing the Unborn Terror, and I plan on having it use its mother's former corpse as a throne. This is going to get dark fast.

Unborn Terror? That what you're calling the Unholy Scion Daelkyr Half-Blood? :smallconfused:

[N. Jolly]

Unborn Terror? That what you're calling the Unholy Scion Daelkyr Half-Blood? :smallconfused:

Actually, I'm calling it Charles.

Now I just want to look up a proper undead to serve as a post birth throne for this thing. Maybe a Forsaken Shell, or something like that.

[Sith_Happens]

Actually, I'm calling it Charles.

Call it Porky.:smallamused:

[Coidzor]

Call it Porky.:smallamused:

Now to remember where the stats for pigs are. Or just use boars, I suppose.

[HaikenEdge]

Indeed, being able to combine psicrystals with familiars/special mounts/animal companions would've been pretty cool. Or maybe I just liked Legend of Legaia too much when I was younger.


There's gotta be right? Something with astral seed and fusion and sharing spells with your familiar?

Actually, regarding the psicrystal/familiar combination, I was inspired by this (bold for emphasis):


As for the Norman Bates thing, and going with familiar for the moment, I was mainly thinking that our character here has projected part of their fragmented personality onto the familiar, regardless of the familiar's actual behavior.

I figure, why have him project part of his fragmented personality onto the familiar regardless of the familiar's actual behavior, when a psion actually projects a fragment of their personality into their psicrystal, meaning a familiar that's also a psicrystal would legitimately have a fragment of the character's psyche in them.

But yeah, I'm thinking Druid 4/Wizard 3/Arcane Hierophant 10/Uncanny Trickster 3

[Dimers]

You can play a character whose parents are literally dogs.

Really? Son of a --

:smalltongue:

[Big Fau]

Really? Son of a --

:smalltongue:

Yeah, it makes for quite the shaggy dog story.