Beholders are large, spherical creatures with a single central eye and ten smaller eyes on stalks. They are native to the Underdark, a vast network of caverns and tunnels beneath the surface of the world. Beholders are extremely intelligent and paranoid, always on the lookout for potential enemies and threats. They have the ability to manipulate reality with their eye rays, which can produce various magical effects such as disintegration, petrification, or telekinesis. Beholders exist in many variants, each with their own unique abilities and appearance. The beholder described here is the most common and widely known type, but there are also others such as the death tyrant, the gauth, or the spectator. Beholders are also capable of creating new beholders from their dreams, although these offspring usually end up fighting their parent to the death. Beholders are considered to be one of the most dangerous and feared creatures in existence.
The Origins of the Beholders
Beholders are one of the most iconic and original monsters in Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy role-playing game. They are also one of the most mysterious and alien creatures, with a history that spans across different planes of existence. According to the common lore, beholders were created by Terry Kuntz, a player in Gary Gygax’s campaign, in 1974.
Gygax made some minor changes to the creature before including it in Supplement I: Greyhawk, the first official expansion for D&D. The lore of the beholders has evolved over the years, with different editions and sources adding more details and variations to their origin story. However, the most widely accepted version is that beholders come from the Far Realm, a dimension beyond the known multiverse that defies logic and reason.
The Far Realm is home to many aberrant and eldritch horrors, such as mind flayers, aboleths, and star spawn. Beholders are among the most powerful and feared inhabitants of this realm, as they have the ability to warp reality with their dreams. Beholders are also extremely paranoid and xenophobic, viewing any other creature as a potential enemy or threat.
They rarely cooperate with each other, unless they share a common goal or enemy. Beholders have invaded other planes of existence many times, either by accident or by design. They are especially drawn to the Underdark, a vast network of caverns and tunnels beneath the surface of many worlds. The Underdark offers them a dark and secluded environment where they can build their lairs and plot their schemes. Beholders have also encountered many other races and cultures throughout their history, such as drow, gnomes, dragons, and humans.
They have influenced and been influenced by these interactions, resulting in many variations and subtypes of beholders, each with their own unique abilities and appearance. Some examples of beholder kin are the death tyrant, the gauth, the spectator, and the eye of flame. Beholders are considered to be one of the most dangerous and feared creatures in existence, as they possess immense intelligence, power, and unpredictability. They are also one of the most fascinating and intriguing creatures, as they offer a glimpse into a reality beyond our comprehension.