Though it is now universally known as dread Engidir, dreadful Engidir, baleful Engidir, or the Red Omen, this was not always so. Indeed, when this powerful denizen of the Beyond began appearing to the world of matter in the form of cryptic dreams, many saw it as a way to bypass the stranglehold on knowledge and communication that Qudma, the first of the Firstborn, exercised in her early days, when her form and voice were still conceivable to minds made of matter.

The idea of another Firstborn, to reveal the purported secrets of the Beyond and the immortality and infinite power that many believed lay within, was tempting, and it appears that Engidir was able to make its goals known even though its touch, even in dreams, was enough to result in permanent and debilitating insanity. This is why all three known Firstborn of Engidir were said to be born in asylums, and why its gaze soon came to be regarded as less of a blessing than a curse.

Unlike Sukhallu, who for whatever other ulterior motives it may have had seemed to be interested in communication first and foremost, Engidir seemed from the start to be seeking control. Its Firstborn–Hasis, Taasme, and The Xikru–were all known to suffer frequent monologues from their “father”–though unlike Sukhallu, the use of “it” to refer to Engidir is near-universal–and appeared to occasionally fall under direct control from the Beyond.

To the extent that any motivation can be ascribed to the presences of the Beyond, Engidir’s seemed to be “what may I gain” as opposed to Sukhallu’s “what may I learn.” Its interest seems to have waned, as has Sukhallu’s, but for a time it and its Firstborn were among the most active Beyond influence in the world of matter.