Bale
From Snowblossom
The exact nature of the Bale is unknown. The Bale are a force of corruption and destruction that come from beyond the Seams, likely from the Far Realm.
Some say that the Bale are a group of twisted alien creatures, while others say that the Bale are a sort of pantheon of deities. While they have colossal physical forms covered in slime and tentacles, they have been shown to change forms, take on more 'spirit-like' forms and, in fact, inhabit other creatures. Regardless of their nature, "The Bale" are generally referred to as a group of entities, often used in hushed tones as if they were a pervasive conspiracy.
While the Gods still walked the Eye, clerics say, the Bale dared not tread there. But when the Seams became stronger and the Gods created their own realms beyond, the Bale began intruding into the world, corrupting its inhabitants.
Over time, the Bale became a stronger and stronger force. Some say the Bale has become more insidious as well, corrupting unknowing persons and twisting their motives, including (some believe) powerful political figures. Of course, there's no proof of anything of the sort.
Servants
It is widely believed that some of the aberrations that are found across the Eye are ancient servants or creations of the Bale. While some of them are in the service of the Bale, many of them have their own motives and goals in the Eye. Of course, most aberrations pursue their goals in a way which very well may further the goals of the Bale.
The Bale have followers amongst the other races as well. Cults have formed which perform dark ceremonies to revere the Bale. In the past century, the world has been introduced to the Marauders, humanoid servants of the Bale who are utterly insane and ravage all that stands in their way.
The Bale most easily corrupt those who are full of hate, spite and bitterness. Those who seek vengeance or destruction for its own sake are easy victims for the Bale. The Bale seem to enter the creature, or empower them in some way, bringing about a slow but sure change in the victim's outlooks and perspectives.
Some who serve the Bale do so willingly, thinking it is a path to power. However, the Bale only introduce madness and corruption, disintegrating the mind entirely.
Goals
To many, the goal of the Bale seems to be nothing more than the destruction of everything in the Eye. However, some Bale seem to go out of their way to corrupt or mutate their victims and servants rather than destroy them. Rather than simply burn a forest to the ground, for instance, sometimes the Bale will disease the trees, or twist them with dark energies and use the forest to kill invaders.
Whether this is a strategic choice by the Bale, or whether perhaps they draw pleasure in corruption, is unknown.
The Bale and "Evil"
While the Bale are most certainly evil, not all evil on the Eye comes from the Bale. The Bale merely prey upon weakness and innocence, setting brother against brother for their own ends. Even without the Bale’s assistance, plenty of evil occurs in the Eye.
Likewise, most evil beings in the Eye are the enemies of the Bale. The Bale have many servants, but there are many more evil beings who have their own goals and ideas that run opposed to the Bale. It is foolish to assume that any evil in the Eye serves the Bale's ends as well. An evil red dragon's goals are rarely - if ever - going to mesh with the goals of a Bale cult.
