Dulopos
Ruler: Gazzall’et (CE lesser power of vermin, domination, slavery [It/Its], Dromite pantheon).
Venture into the depths of Descolada, and if you’re really unlucky you might find Dulopos, a subterranean realm ruled by the malevolent deity Gazzell’et, an awful god of the dromites whose presence taints the air with decay and ushers forth the winds of devastation. Imagine a domain where the very earth groans under the weight of corruption, and the shadows that dance on the walls seem to whisper of impending doom, where the stinking soil itself hums with a quiet malevolent energy, and the air is thick with the scent of damp and the faint rustling of wings. And then make it twice that bad.
Dromites [3.5e statistics], those insect-like humanoids from a prime world named Eberron, are the architects of this nightmarish dominion. They scuttle through the labyrinthine tunnels that wind like cancerous veins, their movements fuelled by an unholy purpose. The walls here are etched with grotesque symbols, eerie runes that pulse with a sickly light, casting an unsettling glow on the twisted passages.
At the heart of Dulopos lies a sprawling hive city, a grim expanse of chambers and tunnels that echo with the tormented cries of the slaves of the dromites. Structures emerge from the very stone, misshapen and malevolent, as if born of nightmares. The air here is heavy with the stench of decay, carrying the sickly-sweet aroma of rotting matter. Dromite slaves move about like marionettes, their once-precise motions twisted into grotesque parodies of life, mind-controlling fungus eating them from the inside.
Gazzell’et, the malevolent deity that reigns over Dulopos, is a looming shadow that suffocates every corner of the realm. It’s like a discordant melody that resonates with every dromite, driving them to acts of unspeakable horror. This vile power, a being of decay and devastation, is manifested in the very architecture of the city. Spine-like structures, grown from corrupted earth, pierce the ceilings and walls, dripping with foul ichor that eats away at the very essence of life.
Don’t be fooled into thinking Dulopos is a solitary hive city. It’s an interconnected network of settlements, each perpetuating its own brand of misery. Farms of diseased flora and twisted, writhing creatures provide sustenance, while workshops churn out tools of torture and instruments of suffering. The dromites labor relentlessly under the weight of their deity’s malevolence, their thoughts tainted by the dark presence that guides their every move. They are an extension of the land they inhabit – a nightmare realm where Gazzell’et’s influence is a force that corrupts not only the physical surroundings but also the very souls of its unfortunate denizens.
Canonical Reference: Fiendish Codex 1 (3e) p38-39 (ekolid), Expanded Psionics Handbook (3.5e) (dromites).
Source: Jon Winter-Holt, mimir.net
