One Big Image Based Existence

monsternomicon:

A beholder, sometimes called a sphere of many eyes or eye tyrant is a large aberration normally found in the Underdark. These large, orb-shaped beings have ten eyestalks and one central eye, each containing powerful magic. Powerful and intelligent, beholders are among the greatest threats to the world.

Beholders are immediately identifiable, essentially a floating head with one, single, cyclops-like eye surrounded by ten smaller eye stalks. Other than this, the main feature of a beholder’s anatomy is its massive, gaping maw. Because their entire body is covered in eyes, beholders have the capacity to see in all directions at once, making it nearly impossible to ambush them while also giving them an unusually high degree of perceptive ability. Additionally, beholders have the ability to perceive in even the most darkened environment, although without the capacity to see color under conditions in which a human or similar creature would be rendered blind.

Beholders are also capable of flight, in spite of their lack of wings or similar physical features, simply hovering above ground effortlessly. The effects of this flight resemble those of the wizard spell levitation. Beholders are not particularly strong but are inherently magical creatures, each of their eyes possessing an innately magical nature. Beholders, who often attack for seemingly no reason, will often try to end a battle as quickly as possible, unleashing their terrifying abilities all at once.

Among the most basic of these attacks is their deadly ability to project magical power from their eyes, in varying forms such as instilling fear within, charming, knocking out, petrifying, disintegrating, slowing, or killing their enemies. Any combination of these is possible, although they often use only two at a given time.

Many, but not all, beholders also have the capacity to use their central eye to project a field of antimagic, which cancels the effects of all supernatural abilities within a small cone of 150 feet in length. In addition to enemy spells, prayers, or similar effects this also affects a beholder’s own eye rays, suppressing their power. However, the lack of the ability to cast its eye rays at full strength is hardly a hindrance, as turning to face its enemies in this manner also allows a beholder to attack them with its large, toothy maw.

Beholders are often found occupying deep, underground caverns. Frequently, these lairs are carved out by the beholders themselves, using their eye rays to mold the environment for their purposes. Often, these lairs are built vertically rather than horizontally like most buildings, with beholder architecture frequently exhibiting a large number of vertical shafts through which beholders and other flying creatures can use with ease, while walking creatures find their navigation hindered.

(via swoz)

theartofanimation:

Julie Dillon