Dolgaunt
In the twisted and nightmarish depths of Khyber, where no sunlight dares to pierce, dwell creatures so vile and malevolent that the mere whisper of their name sends chills down the spines of even the bravest warriors. Among these monstrosities are the dolgaunts, beings so grotesque and deformed that they seem to defy all logic and reason.
Dolgaunts were once hobgoblins, robust and fearsome creatures, but now they are something far more terrifying. Their once robust bodies have become emaciated and sickly, with flesh that takes on a disturbing hue, like the pallor of disease-ridden corpse. Eyes that might have once gleamed with savage intelligence now gape open, empty and hollow, like endless pits into an abyss from which no light escapes. Above their gaping maws extends a wormlike tongue, writhing and twisting as though possessed of its own malevolent will.
But it is the cilia that cover their bodies that truly mark them as aberrations. These writhing tendrils seem to dance and pulse with a life of their own, covering every inch of the dolgaunt’s skin. Around their heads, the tendrils grow longer, reaching out like grotesque feelers, seeking to touch and grasp. And from their bare, withered shoulders protrude two wiry tentacles, appendages capable of absorbing life itself.
Though blind, a dolgaunt perceives the world around it through the sensitive cilia that blanket its form. It senses the warmth of life, the beat of a heart, the very essence of vitality. And with its tentacles, it can drain that vitality, sapping the life from any creature it touches, leaving behind nothing but a drained husk.
These abominations were not born of nature but crafted in the dark forges of madness. When the daelkyr emerged from Xoriat to conquer Khorvaire, they sought to create armies of hideous warriors, perfect instruments of terror and destruction. Dyrrn the Corruptor, a name whispered with dread, took the hobgoblin stock and molded them, twisted them, reshaped their very being until the dolgaunts were born.
Intelligent, cold, and ruthlessly efficient, the dolgaunts became killers without equal, soldiers without mercy. Their minds were honed to a singular purpose, their bodies forged into living weapons, dedicated solely to the dark and inscrutable missions bestowed upon them by their nightmarish masters.
When the daelkyr were defeated, driven back into the depths from whence they came, the dolgaunts descended with them. In cavernous monasteries hidden far beneath the earth, they continue their studies, refining their monstrous abilities, ever faithful to the dark will of the daelkyr.
Often, they are found commanding squads of dolgrims, leading them with an iron will. They are also known to ally with the Cults of the Dragon Below, particularly those devoted to Dyrrn the Corruptor, lending their terrifying strength to causes that can only spell doom for the surface world.
The dolgaunts are a grim reminder of the horrors that lurk in the shadows, a testament to the corrupting influence of the daelkyr and the dark powers they wield. To encounter one is to face a being that transcends fear, a creature from the very heart of nightmare, a living embodiment of all that is dark, twisted, and unnatural. They are a whisper of madness in the dark, a chill wind that carries with it the scent of death, a living nightmare that stalks the hidden corners of the world.
