Nilshai
Encyclopedia
Nilshai are fictive
creatures that are primarily in the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
of the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
.
setting in Unapproachable East
(2003).
native to the Ethereal Plane and are sometimes referred to as ethereal theurges by star elves.
These malevolent alien sorcerers spend most of their time on the Ethereal Plane, but they sometimes mount expeditions to the Material Plane
to obtain lore and magic. They hate Sildëyuir
, the extraplanar home of the star elves, for some reason, even though the demiplane is not connected to the Ethereal. For several centuries they have been invading Sildëyuir, making portals to the demiplane that alter the plane’s essence, and have recently begun to assault the stars elves’ citadels.
When on the Material Plane, a nilshai is always on a mission, whether searching for magical items, engaging in espionage, or looking for slaves to take to its homeland. When residents of the Material Plane interfere, nilshai profligately hurl spells at them in order to kill them as quickly as possible. When faced with spellcaster
s, a common tactic of the nilshai is to cast a spell and then immediately cast a counterspell to dispel any magic that might be forthcoming from its foe. They can quickly shift back and forth between the Ethereal and Material Planes, and they are naturally resistant to spells and effects of detection and mental influence. Because of their trilateral symmetry and alien minds, nilshai are adept at multitasking.
-like wings that tightly fold against its torso when not in use. Nilshai have a soft, slimy, and slick hide that is a mottled blue and black, but their flesh underneath is extremely hard.
When slithering on the ground, nilshai move in a rolling corkscrew fashion, different limbs touching the ground at different times.
Nilshai keep ethereal marauder
s as pets and ethereal filcher
s as servants. Their strongholds also have ethereal slayers. Nilshai sometimes use other creatures as guards and raiders.
In the default setting of Dungeons & Dragons, nilshai worship the Far Realm
entity Mak Thuum Ngatha
, the Nine-Tongued Worm, as stated in Lords of Madness
.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
creatures that are primarily in the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
of the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
.
Publication history
The nilshai appeared in third edition for the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
setting in Unapproachable East
Unapproachable East (supplement)
Unapproachable East is a hardcover accessory for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Unapproachable East describes locations such as Aglarond, Rashemen, and Thay for the Forgotten Realms setting....
(2003).
Description
Within the game world, nilshai are sorcerersSorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)
The sorcerer is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A sorcerer is weak in melee combat, but a master of arcane magic, the most generally powerful form of D&D magic. Sorcerers' magical ability is innate rather than studied...
native to the Ethereal Plane and are sometimes referred to as ethereal theurges by star elves.
These malevolent alien sorcerers spend most of their time on the Ethereal Plane, but they sometimes mount expeditions to the Material Plane
Prime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
to obtain lore and magic. They hate Sildëyuir
Sildëyuir
Sildëyuir is a fictitious demiplane in the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons & Dragons and is one of the primary settings in the fantasy novel Farthest Reach by Richard Baker...
, the extraplanar home of the star elves, for some reason, even though the demiplane is not connected to the Ethereal. For several centuries they have been invading Sildëyuir, making portals to the demiplane that alter the plane’s essence, and have recently begun to assault the stars elves’ citadels.
When on the Material Plane, a nilshai is always on a mission, whether searching for magical items, engaging in espionage, or looking for slaves to take to its homeland. When residents of the Material Plane interfere, nilshai profligately hurl spells at them in order to kill them as quickly as possible. When faced with spellcaster
Spellcaster
A spellcaster in role-playing games refers to a creature capable of casting magic spells.See also:*Mage *Magician , a practitioner of magic as portrayed in works of fiction...
s, a common tactic of the nilshai is to cast a spell and then immediately cast a counterspell to dispel any magic that might be forthcoming from its foe. They can quickly shift back and forth between the Ethereal and Material Planes, and they are naturally resistant to spells and effects of detection and mental influence. Because of their trilateral symmetry and alien minds, nilshai are adept at multitasking.
Physical description
The nilshai have worm-like bodies and three clawed legs. They have three slender tentacles for arms that each end in three stubby fingers. A nilshai has a bulbous head that sits atop its worm-like body with three eye stalks that each end in a large yellow eye. It also has three flyFly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
-like wings that tightly fold against its torso when not in use. Nilshai have a soft, slimy, and slick hide that is a mottled blue and black, but their flesh underneath is extremely hard.
When slithering on the ground, nilshai move in a rolling corkscrew fashion, different limbs touching the ground at different times.
Society
Very few on the Material Plane or Sildëyuir know anything about nilshai society or organization. The cities of the nilshai are bizarre stone strongholds on the Ethereal Plane that have extremely complex, mazelike chambers and twisting passages. Large strongholds can have about five hundred nilshai residents, but most nilshai live in communities of about fifty. A stronghold’s most powerful sorcerer is its absolute ruler, commanding the obedience of all the others.Nilshai keep ethereal marauder
Ethereal marauder
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, an ethereal marauder is a magical beast with abilities similar to ethereal filchers and phase spiders.-Publication history:...
s as pets and ethereal filcher
Ethereal filcher
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the ethereal filcher is a bizarre aberration.-Publication history:The ethereal filcher appeared in the third edition Monster Manual , and in the 3.5 revised Monster Manual ....
s as servants. Their strongholds also have ethereal slayers. Nilshai sometimes use other creatures as guards and raiders.
In the default setting of Dungeons & Dragons, nilshai worship the Far Realm
Far Realm
The Far Realm is a plane found in various settings in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Creative origins:The Far Realm is a mix of horror, madness, and Lovecraftian geometries....
entity Mak Thuum Ngatha
Mak Thuum Ngatha
In the default pantheon of deities for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Mak Thuum Ngatha is the god of forbidden knowledge and the crossing of planar boundaries. His unholy symbol is nine squiggly lines arranged in a fan.-Publication history:...
, the Nine-Tongued Worm, as stated in Lords of Madness
Lords of Madness
Lords of Madness is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.-Contents:It includes new content for aberrations including new aberration monsters and monsters related to them, and information on how to hunt aberrations.-What Is an...
.
Additional reading
- Baker, RichardRichard Baker (game designer)Richard Baker is an American author and a game designer who has worked on many Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings.-Early life, education, and military:...
. Farthest Reach. Renton, WA.: Wizards of the CoastWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, 2005.
External links
- Nilshai entry at Planewalker.com, the official PlanescapePlanescapePlanescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
Web site
Image
- Illustration of a nilshai from Unapproachable East
