Orralax

Back to Cabal of the Unseen Hand

Orralax, The Ebon Eye (Beholder, Master of Arcane Aberrations)

Role in Durnstang’s Cabal:

Orralax is a beholder of immense power and cunning, dedicated to the study and manipulation of arcane forces. As a master of aberrant magic, his role in Durnstang’s Cabal is to exploit weaknesses in the Weave, particularly in areas where planar boundaries are fragile. Orralax’s work with planar manipulation and his knowledge of forbidden magics are critical to Durnstang’s ultimate goal of severing the Cycle of Mortality. He believes that by aiding Durnstang in destroying the Weave, he will gain access to untold cosmic power, remaking the multiverse according to his will.

Background:

Orralax was spawned deep in the twisting caverns of the Underdark, and from his first moments of existence, he sought to dominate and manipulate everything around him. Unlike other beholders, whose paranoid tendencies kept them isolated, Orralax’s ambition drove him outward, as he began an insidious conquest of nearby territories, enslaving and subjugating other aberrations and Underdark denizens. His lair became a nightmare of ever-shifting landscapes and impossible architecture, defying logic and space as Orralax’s aberrant nature warped the very rock around him.

Obsession with the Nature of Reality:

Orralax's obsession with the nature of reality was triggered when he discovered an ancient, hidden temple deep in the Underdark. This forgotten shrine, though mostly destroyed by time and earth, contained powerful remnants of the elven Storm Mage Wars and the magic that once shaped their world. Among the crumbling ruins, Orralax uncovered arcane writings and artefacts that hinted at the lost connection between dragons and the source of all magic.

Orralax learned of the ancient truth: dragons were not merely powerful creatures but living conduits to the Weave, the source of magic itself. Their blood held the key to unlocking and controlling the Weave. The downfall of dragons had crippled magic across the multiverse, and only a fraction of its potential could be accessed without them. These revelations sparked a new hunger in Orralax, driving him to understand and eventually exploit the connection between dragons and the Weave. The knowledge that restoring or manipulating dragonkind could provide unprecedented power solidified his desire to dismantle the Weave and reshape reality in his own image.

Orralax’s Motivation:

At his core, Orralax craves power and absolute control over reality. His ultimate goal is not merely to rule a kingdom or even the multiverse but to transcend the very laws that govern existence. He views the gods, and particularly the Weave they control, as obstacles to his complete autonomy. His paranoia, a core aspect of his beholder nature, drives him to dismantle anything that he perceives as a threat to his continued existence, including the gods themselves.

Orralax believes that by helping Durnstang destabilise the Weave, he will not only protect himself from these perceived threats but also unlock abilities that will allow him to reshape time, space, and magic itself. He dreams of a reality in which he alone holds the power to determine what is possible, bending all existence to his will.

Personality:

Orralax is highly intelligent, calculating, and paranoid. He is suspicious of all those around him, even his allies in Durnstang’s Cabal, and constantly believes that betrayal is imminent. His paranoia is exacerbated by his growing power, as he knows that many would seek to stop him if they understood his plans. He communicates only with those he must and often in cryptic or misleading ways, hiding his true intentions and capabilities at all times.

However, his immense intellect and mastery of arcane magic make him a formidable enemy. He delights in discovering and exploiting the weaknesses of others, especially when it involves manipulating reality or tearing at the fragile boundaries of existence. He is cruel, but his cruelty is cold and calculated, always serving a greater goal.

Current Actions Toward Durnstang's Plan:

Orralax is actively working towards Durnstang’s plan to sever the Cycle of Mortality by focusing on exploiting areas where the Weave is weak or destabilised. His efforts are primarily concentrated in the following areas:

1. Weaken Planar Boundaries: Orralax has begun tampering with the fabric of reality in regions where the boundaries between planes are fragile. In several areas of the Underdark, he has used forbidden magics to thin the veil between the Prime Material Plane and others, such as the Far Realm and the Shadowfell. By doing this, he weakens the Weave in these areas, creating rifts where the laws of reality falter. These breaches allow Orralax to experiment with raw arcane power, observing how the Weave reacts to the stress and seeking further ways to exploit it.

2. Aberrant Arcane Experiments: In his lair, Orralax conducts grotesque magical experiments, manipulating creatures with aberrant and draconic essences. He enslaves and warps the minds of dragonborn, wyverns, and even lesser sea serpents, attempting to siphon their magical potential and learn how to reconnect dragonkind to the Weave. These experiments have yielded unstable but powerful results, creating twisted abominations that possess fragments of draconic power, though none have been able to fully replicate the link between dragons and magic. Orralax intends to eventually uncover the secret to breaking this link and potentially using it to destroy the Weave.

3. Planar Warping of Magic: Using his knowledge of planar manipulation, Orralax is focusing on disrupting ley lines—natural channels through which magical energy flows—by bending and redirecting them through fractured rifts he has created. These disruptions cause wild surges of magic in certain locations, leading to catastrophic failures of magical spells and rituals. Such instability in the Weave further weakens its grip on reality and creates openings that Durnstang's Cabal can exploit in their broader plan to tear down the Cycle of Mortality.

4. Corruption of Magical Sites: Orralax has been corrupting ancient elven and dwarven sites of power that once drew from the Weave to sustain their own magical defences. By desecrating these locations with his aberrant magics and infusing them with the essence of the Far Realm, he transforms these sites into points of instability. As these corrupted nodes grow in number, the Weave becomes increasingly strained, causing localised anomalies in time, space, and magical energies, setting the stage for further unraveling of the magical fabric.

5. Allies Among Aberrations: Orralax has covertly aligned himself with other powerful aberrant entities, such as mind flayers and aboleths, who share his desire for reshaping reality. These alliances are tenuous at best, with each party seeking to exploit the other, but Orralax sees their collective influence as useful tools to destabilise the Weave across multiple planes. The aberrations help spread chaotic, destructive magic that adds to the growing instability Orralax has created.

6. Infiltrating Magic Academies: In an especially insidious move, Orralax has sent his thralls to infiltrate several magical academies in the surface world, where promising young wizards are trained. These spies report back on breakthroughs in arcane research, particularly any knowledge related to ancient dragons or forgotten magics. Orralax uses this intelligence to guide his next moves, ensuring that no magical discovery threatens his plans and that any forgotten lore that could aid Durnstang's Cabal is brought to him.

Orralax's overarching strategy is not just to destabilise the Weave but to create multiple points of failure, each weakening reality itself. As more areas fall into chaos and the boundaries between planes continue to fray, Durnstang's ultimate goal of severing the Cycle of Mortality comes closer to fruition, with Orralax eagerly awaiting the moment when he can seize control over whatever remains of existence.

Stat Block:

Orralax, The Ebon Eye (CR 16 Beholder, Master of Arcane Aberrations)

Large aberration, lawful evil

Armour Class 18 (natural armour) Hit Points 180 (19d10 + 76) Speed 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)

STR 10 (+0) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 18 (+4) | INT 19 (+4) | WIS 17 (+3) | CHA 17 (+3)

Saving Throws Int +8, Wis +7, Cha +7 Skills Arcana +12, Perception +12 Damage Resistances Force; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities Prone Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 22 Languages Deep Speech, Undercommon, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 16 (15,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5

Traits

Antimagic Cone. Orralax’s central eye creates an area of antimagic, as in the antimagic field spell, in a 150-foot cone. At the start of each of its turns, Orralax decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active. The area works against the beholder’s own eye rays.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.

Eye Rays. Orralax shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to three targets it can see within 120 feet:

1. Charm Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the beholder for 1 hour, or until the beholder harms the creature.
2. Paralyzing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be paralysed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
3. Fear Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the beholder is visible to the target, ending the effect on itself on a success.
4. Slowing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target’s speed is halved for 1 minute. In addition, the creature can’t take reactions, and it can take either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
5. Enervation Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
6. Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or the beholder moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. It is restrained by the telekinetic grip until the start of the beholder’s next turn or until the beholder is incapacitated. If the target is an object weighing 300 pounds or less that isn’t being worn or carried, it is moved up to 30 feet in any direction. The beholder can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a door or a container.
7. Sleep Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or fall unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it.
8. Petrification Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
9. Disintegration Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 45 (10d8) force damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, its body becomes a pile of fine grey dust. If the target is a Large or smaller nonmagical object or creation of magical force, it is disintegrated without a saving throw. If the target is a Huge or larger object or creation of magical force, this ray disintegrates a 10-foot-cube portion of it.
10. Death Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.

Legendary Actions

Orralax can take 3 legendary actions, using the Eye Ray option below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Orralax regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

• Eye Ray. Orralax uses one random eye ray.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Orralax can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects:

1. A 50-foot square of the lair becomes warped, creating a twisted landscape of planar distortion. Any creature that starts its turn in the area must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or be teleported to another part of the lair chosen by Orralax.
2. Planar rifts briefly open in the lair, emitting aberrant energy. All creatures in a 20-foot-radius sphere centred on a point Orralax can see must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) psychic damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.
3. A zone of magical darkness expands in a 40-foot-radius sphere within the lair. Nonmagical light can’t illuminate the area, and creatures within are blinded. Orralax can see through this magical darkness.

Magical Aura: Detect Magic reveals a strong transmutation and necromancy aura from Orralax’s eye rays and abilities. His presence distorts the Weave itself, appearing as a shifting, unstable force in the magical perception of others.