Bel Shalor

Bel Shalor, the Shadow in the Flame is an Overlord of corruption and shadows from the Age of Demons.^[1]

History

Bel Shalor, the Shadow in the Flame is one of the Overlords who ruled over all of Eberron during the Age of Demons. Bel Shalor was bound by the dragons and couatl after they jointly discovered the Draconic Prophecy, and the couatl sacrificed themselves to form the Silver Flame.^[1]

In ages past, Bel Shalor was imprisoned in the Silver Flame, an abstract object that is the direct opposite of all he is. Where the Flame represents loyalty, goodness, and order, Bel Shalor embodies treachery, evil, and chaos. His strength appears proportionate to (or at least dependent upon) the amount of strife and treason in the world.^[1]

Bel Shalor achieved a partial release from its bonds within the Silver Flame and claimed dominion over the nation of Thrane for a time, before being bound by Tira Miron, a paladin of Dol Arrah, in an event that established the modern Church of the Silver Flame in 299 YK.^[1] This may have been a trick to exert new influence over the world from within its new prison.^[1]

Some believe Bel Shalor was an inspiration for The Shadow, the Sovereign of Magic and Mayhem of The Dark Six, and that the entity taught the dragon Ourelonastrix the arts of magic.^[1]

Appearance & Personality

Bel Shalor is a mighty fiend of shadow who enjoys corrupting pure intentions for his dark ends.^[1]

As with all Overlords, Bel Shalor has no true form, and can assume any shape of his choosing between Fine and Colossal size.^[1]

Abilities

Bel Shalor's power extends far beyond being able to physically thrash any being foolish enough to challenge him. If released, his malign influence would extend across Khorvaire in a matter of weeks. While under that influence, people pale and become sickly, even as they fight each other rather than stand united against him. However, true heroes are powerful enough to be immune to this effect; Bel Shalor either dispatches minions to defeat them, or, if their threat is great enough, deals with them personally. He has vast powers, including the ability to raise the dead as wraiths bound to his service and manipulating shadows.^[1]

Additionally, the shadows of all beings appear sharper, even in dim light. According to legend, these shadows betray their owners, whispering their secret plans to the Shadow in the Flame.^[1]

Though bound again by the Silver Flame following Tira Miron's sacrifice in 299 YK, Bel Shalor is more aware of his surroundings than the other Overlords.^[1] He corrupts those among the Church of the Silver Flame, and delights in tricking the righteous into performing evil acts.^[1]

Servants

Bel Shalor has many servants, and corrupts the Church of the Silver Flame wherever possible from within.^[1]

Durastoran the Wyrmbreaker: Bel Shalor's prakhutu is a Rakshasa known as Durastoran the Wyrmbreaker.^[1] Durastoran, said to be the greatest servant of the Lords of Dust, is an ancient being of great power and knowledge, who ultimately seeks Bel Shalor's release.^[1]^[2] While he waits, he plays deadly games with the draconic organization known as The Chamber.^[1]^[2]
The Tarnished: Bel Shalor influences the corruptible among the Purified of the Silver Flame, and corrupts the Church of the Silver Flame from within his prison in Flamekeep. He promises power, and his followers believe he will deliver. Though largely forgotten in the modern age, Melysse Miron, a petrified prisoner of Dreadhold's Stone Ward for the last 500 years, was counted as the strongest among these corrupted members of the Purified.^[3]^[4]
The Whispering Flame: The conspiracist cults called The Whispering Flame believes Jaela Daran is actually given power directly by the Shadow in the Flame, and follow it in turn.^[1] They believe this conspiracy theory firmly, and may be truly mad.^[4] The cults are destroyed by the knights of Thrane, but new cults always spring up within the larger populace.^[1]^[4]

Notes

Keith Baker has suggested on his website that Bel Shalor encompasses corruption.^[5] He also suggested that while parallels between The Shadow and Bel Shalor exist, and the Shadow in the Flame may have inspired certain myths, they would be considered distinct entities.^[6]

References

↑ ^1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 ^1.11 ^1.12 ^1.13 ^1.14 ^1.15 ^1.16 ^1.17 James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Eberron Campaign Guide. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Template:Cite article/Eternal Evil
↑ "Dreadhold: Eberron's Inescapable Island Prison" (June 2006) by Keith Baker and Jason Bulmahn. Dragon Magazine issue 344. , p. 69-82.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Ari Marmell, & C.A. Suleiman (2006). Faiths of Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-3934-6.
↑ Keith Baker (01/20/2018). Dragonmarks 5/10/16 : Planes, Druids, and Fiends. Archived from the original on 10/11/2017. Retrieved on 2/10/2019. "The Overlords of the First Age aren’t gods, and they can step on each other’s toes. The range of their influence is limited; if Rak Tulkhesh is influencing events in the Five Nations, he’s out of range to also be influencing events in Xen’drik – but there could be ANOTHER Overlord tied to war influencing Stormreach. With that said, the ones you’ve described are different from one another. I’d love to do a more detailed accounting of each of these when the DM’s Guild opens up for Eberron, but in short: Bel Shalor is more about corruption while Eldrantulku is about chaos and discord. Sul Khatesh is the master of arcane secrets, while Tul Oreshka knows the secrets that will drive you mad. Sul Khatesh knows incantations that can destroy cities or raise the dead; Tul Oreshka knows what your lover truly thinks about you, and what’s lurking underneath your bed in the dark. Dral Khatuur embodies the chill that kills the harvest and saps the strength of the strongest man. The Wild Heart is the predator that lurks within, the rabid instincts that lie beneath the surface waiting to be unleashed."
↑ Keith Baker (01/03/2017). Eberron Flashback: The Lords of Dust. Archived from the original on 08/11/2017. Retrieved on 2/10/2019. "You’ve already made clear the differences between the Sovereign Host and the Overlords, but would you consider the Dark Six as a whole to be enemies of the Overlords as well? I’m going to rewrite my original answer to this question, because I think it was unclear. First of all, a defending element of is that their existence cannot be conclusively proven. They are said to be omnipresent and to influence their spheres wherever events occur. The Dols are present anytime blades are drawn. And yet they cannot physically manifest. In this, they are concretely different from Overlords, who influence a limited area (even if potentially a very large one) and can physically manifest. An Overlord can be bound, and an Overlord cannot. So in some ways it’s a meaningless question, because the Dark Six don’t manifest, so HOW WOULD YOU KNOW? With that said, I’d argue that EVERYONE is against the Overlords. If I’m a medusa priestess of the Shadow, I’m not going to look at Bel Shalor and say “I dunno, I kind of like the cut of his jib.” Among other things, most cultures that revere the Dark Six look at their positive elements. You could say that Tul Oreshka and the Fury have some overlap, but Tul Oreshka is PURE MADNESS, while the Fury can reflect the positive aspects of passion and emotion. WITH THAT SAID: Canon sources suggest that many of the myths associated with are drawn from the actions of dragons in the First Age, who may have somehow ascended to become the Sovereigns; this is the foundation of Thir and the Church of the Wyrm Ascendant. By these principles, Dol Dorn, Dol Arrah and Dol Azur were all martial dragons, and Dol Azur was flayed after betraying the others – suggesting that he, at least, was working with the enemy. The dragon who became the Keeper may have had an alliance with Katashka. The MYTH of the Shadow may have been inspired by Bel Shalor – even though the Shadow that is worshipped in Droaam ISN’T Bel Shalor."

Known Overlords
Bel Shalor · Eldrantulku · Horned Prince · Katashka · Levistus · Masvirik · Rak Tulkhesh · Sakinnirot Sul Khatesh · Tiamat · Tul Oreshka · Yad-Raghesh

[:0-1] 1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 ^1.11 ^1.12 ^1.13 ^1.14 ^1.15 ^1.16 ^1.17 James Wyatt and Keith Baker (2009). Eberron Campaign Guide. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-5099-4.

[:3-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Template:Cite article/Eternal Evil

[:1-3] "Dreadhold: Eberron's Inescapable Island Prison" (June 2006) by Keith Baker and Jason Bulmahn. Dragon Magazine issue 344. , p. 69-82.

[:2-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Ari Marmell, & C.A. Suleiman (2006). Faiths of Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-3934-6.

[5] Keith Baker (01/20/2018). Dragonmarks 5/10/16 : Planes, Druids, and Fiends. Archived from the original on 10/11/2017. Retrieved on 2/10/2019. "The Overlords of the First Age aren’t gods, and they can step on each other’s toes. The range of their influence is limited; if Rak Tulkhesh is influencing events in the Five Nations, he’s out of range to also be influencing events in Xen’drik – but there could be ANOTHER Overlord tied to war influencing Stormreach. With that said, the ones you’ve described are different from one another. I’d love to do a more detailed accounting of each of these when the DM’s Guild opens up for Eberron, but in short: Bel Shalor is more about corruption while Eldrantulku is about chaos and discord. Sul Khatesh is the master of arcane secrets, while Tul Oreshka knows the secrets that will drive you mad. Sul Khatesh knows incantations that can destroy cities or raise the dead; Tul Oreshka knows what your lover truly thinks about you, and what’s lurking underneath your bed in the dark. Dral Khatuur embodies the chill that kills the harvest and saps the strength of the strongest man. The Wild Heart is the predator that lurks within, the rabid instincts that lie beneath the surface waiting to be unleashed."

[6] Keith Baker (01/03/2017). Eberron Flashback: The Lords of Dust. Archived from the original on 08/11/2017. Retrieved on 2/10/2019. "You’ve already made clear the differences between the Sovereign Host and the Overlords, but would you consider the Dark Six as a whole to be enemies of the Overlords as well? I’m going to rewrite my original answer to this question, because I think it was unclear. First of all, a defending element of is that their existence cannot be conclusively proven. They are said to be omnipresent and to influence their spheres wherever events occur. The Dols are present anytime blades are drawn. And yet they cannot physically manifest. In this, they are concretely different from Overlords, who influence a limited area (even if potentially a very large one) and can physically manifest. An Overlord can be bound, and an Overlord cannot. So in some ways it’s a meaningless question, because the Dark Six don’t manifest, so HOW WOULD YOU KNOW? With that said, I’d argue that EVERYONE is against the Overlords. If I’m a medusa priestess of the Shadow, I’m not going to look at Bel Shalor and say “I dunno, I kind of like the cut of his jib.” Among other things, most cultures that revere the Dark Six look at their positive elements. You could say that Tul Oreshka and the Fury have some overlap, but Tul Oreshka is PURE MADNESS, while the Fury can reflect the positive aspects of passion and emotion. WITH THAT SAID: Canon sources suggest that many of the myths associated with are drawn from the actions of dragons in the First Age, who may have somehow ascended to become the Sovereigns; this is the foundation of Thir and the Church of the Wyrm Ascendant. By these principles, Dol Dorn, Dol Arrah and Dol Azur were all martial dragons, and Dol Azur was flayed after betraying the others – suggesting that he, at least, was working with the enemy. The dragon who became the Keeper may have had an alliance with Katashka. The MYTH of the Shadow may have been inspired by Bel Shalor – even though the Shadow that is worshipped in Droaam ISN’T Bel Shalor."

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