Eberron Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Eberron Wiki

Xoriat, called the Realm of Madness, is a plane beyond description. By merely visiting the plane, non-natives risk having their minds shattered at the sight of the chaos. It is the home of the daelkyr. Over 9,000 years ago, Xoriat became coterminous with Eberron, and the continent of Khorvaire was overrun by the daelkyr and their aberrations. This started the Daelkyr War. The daelkyr destroyed the Dhakaani Empire, but were pushed back to Xoriat by the Gatekeepers. Dimensional seals created by the magic of the Gatekeepers, with the help of the dragon Vvaraak, have disturbed Xoriat's orbit, preventing it from becoming coterminous again. Since then, the Gatekeeper druids patrol the seals to Xoriat, making sure that no abominations return to Eberron. However, not all daelkyr were pushed back, and many of them were sealed in Khyber.[1]

The cosmic force it personifies is the unnatural, all the possible ways that reality could be but is not, or is but unknown to the vast majority of reality's inhabitants.[2]

Description[]

Xoriat consists of many stacks of translucent layers, an apparently infinite amount of planes stacked upon one another.[1][3]

A visitor to Xoriat is constantly bombarded with hidden truths, often driving them mad, but giving them great insight and wisdom in the process.[2] Xoriat is completely disconnected from the natural flow of time, and it is possible, even likely, to travel to the past through it. The githzerai theorize that at some point they were native to Eberron, but their empire was erased from history by the daelkyr using the plane's timeless nature.[2]

Since the end of the Daelkyr War, Xoriat has been kept away from Eberron by the magics of the Gatekeepers, taught to them by the ancient dragon Vvaraak. However, the magics of the gates have been weakening over the thousands of years since then, and it is presumed that Xoriat will return.[1][4] There are those who believe the rituals followed by the Gatekeeper druids do nothing to maintain the seals keeping Xoriat at bay, and that its return is only a matter of time.[5]

Even with Xoriat being kept away from Eberron, it is still reachable via portals, summons, planar shifting, and manifest zones. However, traveling from Xoriat to Eberron, or vice versa, is more difficult than with other planes.[1] Since their exile, there have been many who would plumb the secrets of Xoriat and its daelkyr lords, including cataclysm mages,[6] the Children of Xoriat,[7] the Closed Circle,[8] the various Cults of the Dragon Below,[1] the dragon Dah'mir,[9][10][11] the Gibbering Cults,[12] Ketheptis the One-Eyed Crone,[13] Messal'thirokktan of the Chamber,[6] Mordain the Fleshweaver,[1][14] and the Outguard (a branch of the Karrnathi army).[15]

Inhabitants[]

Daelkyr

A daelkyr.

The daelkyr are the lords of Xoriat. They are powerful creatures who can manipulate reality and warp flesh, and are kings of chaos. They were pushed back from Eberron thousands of years ago, but continue to rule Xoriat.[1]

Many creatures serve the daelkyr, and who may or may not have been created by them, though only some of them are native to Xoriat. The most powerful of them are the illithids.[1] Others include the various species of ethergaunts, who ran Xoriat on behalf of the daelkyr while they were on Eberron.[16]

Creatures created by the daelkyr on Eberron were also pushed back to Xoriat. Those include beholders, chokers, dolgarrs, dolgaunts, dolghasts, dolgrims, dolgrues, fetid fungi, grells, gricks, harpoon spiders, neogis, opabinias, ropers, runehounds, shrieking terrors, tsochars, xenostelids, and xorbeasts.[1][3][4][17][18][19]

Besides the daelkyr, other creatures call Xoriat home, including the adaru, akleu, kaorti, kyra, odopi, rukarazyll, wyste, and the various species of obyriths.[1][3][18][20] Other denizens of Xoriat include pseudonatural creatures and voidmind creatures.[1][17]

Most forms of oozes were originally created by the daelkyr, though their continued creation is at the hands of various arcane masters across Eberron.[12][14]

Manifest Zones[]

Madwood

The Madwood.

  • Some theorize that the Madwood forest of Aerenal is a manifest zone of Xoriat, while others think it is simply cursed.[6]
  • There is a small manifest zone to Xoriat in the Nightwood in Karrnath.[15]
  • There are a number of manifest zones to Xoriat in the Shadow Marches. However, the Gatekeeper druids placed dimensional seals at these planar intersections. Even thousands of years later, the Gatekeepers watch these seals in case the agents of Xoriat try to breach the seals. Known dimensional seals in the Shadow Marches include the Aal'drash Seals,[6] the Gate of Corruption,[17] and Yarkuun Draal.[21]

Effects on the Material Plane[]

Coterminous[]

When Xoriat is coterminous, madness pierces through the planar walls. Creatures from Xoriat are able to pass through from Xoriat to the Shadow Marches.[1]

Remote[]

Remoteness of Xoriat has no apparent impact.[1]

Historical[]

Nine thousand years ago, the planar incursion of Xoriat begun. Daelkyr began spilling out of the Shadow Marches, intent on subjugating Eberron to their mad will. They clashed with the Dhakaani Empire, transforming their fallen foes into grotesque creatures. The daelkyr and their servants were eventually defeated by the Gatekeeper orcs.[1][3] During the Daelkyr War, a hobgoblin prince named Aal'drash turned against the Dhakanni Empire to side with the daelkyr. The Gatekeepers trapped him and his aberration servants behind the Aal'drash Seals in the Shadow Marches.[6]

In the year 998 YK, a group of Karrnathi soldiers were experimenting with symbionts. Due to the trickery of a dolgaunt, they twice opened a portal to Xoriat, almost releasing a daelkyr lord. Both attempts were stopped by Captain Lirra Brochann.[15] The same year, Kathrik Mel the Blasphemer opened a sealed portal to Xoriat in the Eldeen Reaches.[22]

Appendix[]

References[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 99–100. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Keith Baker (2020). Exploring Eberron. (Dungeon Masters Guild), p. ?.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Nicholas Herold (October 2006). “Horrors of the Daelkyr”. Dragon #348 (Paizo Publishing).
  4. 4.0 4.1 James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Eberron Campaign Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.
  5. Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Ari Marmell, & C.A. Suleiman (2006). Faiths of Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-3934-6.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 David Noonan, Rich Burlew, & Frank Brunner (2005). Explorer's Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 58. ISBN 0-7869-3691-6.
  7. Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, James Desborough, C.A. Suleiman (2008). City of Stormreach. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-4803-5.
  8. Keith Baker & James Wyatt (2004). Sharn: City of Towers. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-3434-4.
  9. Don Bassingthwaite (2005). The Binding Stone. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-3784-X.
  10. Don Bassingthwaite (2006). The Grieving Tree. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-3985-0.
  11. Don Bassingthwaite (2006). The Killing Song. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-4243-6.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Keith Baker (July 2011). “Eye on Eberron: Kyrzin, the Prince of Slime” (PDF). Dungeon #192 (Wizards of the Coast) (192)., pp. ?1–3.
  13. Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Nicolas Logue, & Amber Scott (2007). Dragons of Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-4154-5.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Keith Baker (2005/07/25). Masters of Magic. Dragonshards. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016/10/31. Retrieved on 2021/06/30.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Tim Waggoner (2010). Lady Ruin. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-5625-9.
  16.  (July 2006). Monster Manual IV. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-3920-6.
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Stephen Schubert, and Chris Thomasson (2005). Magic of Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-3696-7.
  18. 18.0 18.1 Andrew Finch, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Chris Perkins (August 2004). Monster Manual III. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-3430-1.
  19. Keith Baker (2005/07/04). Lords of Madness. Eberron Expanded. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016/11/01. Retrieved on 2021/08/15.
  20.  (July 2007). Monster Manual V. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 0-7869-4115-4.
  21. Bill Slavicsek, David Noonan, and Christopher Perkins (2005). Five Nations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 67. ISBN 0-7869-3690-8.
  22. James Wyatt (2010). Dragon War. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-5482-5.

Connections[]

The Planes of Eberron
The 13 Major Planes: Daanvi · Dal Quor · Dolurrh · Fernia · Irian · Kythri · Lamannia · Mabar · Risia · Shavarath · Syrania · Thelanis · Xoriat

Fundamental Planes: Astral Plane (Siberys) · Material Plane (Eberron) · Elemental Chaos (Khyber)
Transitive Planes and Demiplanes: Ethereal Plane · Shadow Plane · Baator

Advertisement