In the Dungeons & Dragons movie from 2000, evil wizard Profion magically places some kind of creature into the head of his lieutenant Damodar. The creature serves two purposes, both enhancing Damodar as well as ensuring his compliance. The creature appears to cause the man great pain, and often ejects tentacle-like limbs from out of Damodar's ears.
What the heck WAS this creature, and does it have anything to do with how Damodar becomes an undead sorceror by the time of the 2005 sequel?
According to relevant sections in the film's official novelisation the creature is described as being a "demon". Beyond that, there's really no further useful info.
Then, as if the worst were surely done, something dark and wet poked its snout from Damodar’s nose. Something pale as death slid from his ears. Damodar shrieked in terror as the mindless, ropy things snaked out of his head, hissed, coiled in anger, then struck at one another, struck at his mouth, struck at his eyes…
“I am sending a companion along to remind you not to fail me again,” Profion said. “A gentle reminder not to make anymore mistakes, my friend. I suggest you take a lesson from your foes and follow the Empress’ tracker. She appears to be somewhat more proficient in her work than you. She will lead you to our missing friends and the scroll. And this time, Damodar, do not fail me.”
Profion paused, watching as Damodar writhed in hellish pain. He found great pleasure in the sight, for he saw a fine irony in what this man had become. Damodar, who masked his evil with the handsome features of a fine aristocrat, now faced the world as the monster he truly was.
“The beast is in us all,” Profion whispered, “and it takes little magic to bring the creature out.”
[later]
At once, Damodar’s flesh began to writhe, tremble, and stretch in tortured disarray. Sharp tendrils of hellish blue lightning began to whip his body. A terrible cry escaped his lips as the corners of his mouth began to crawl up his cheek, smother his nose and envelop his eyes. The damp, quivering tentacles of the demon in his head snaked out of his ears, his nose, and his mouth, jerking frantically, wildly about as if they sensed their time had come. Damodar sank to his knees, clutching the distorted flesh that quivered atop his head and rolled across his face. The watching mages and soldiers shrank back in horror, each one aware that Profion’s wrath could just as easily fall upon them.
I remember seeing somewhere describe what the creatures was supposed to be, but now cant find it.
It does appear to be the reason he comes back in the second movie.
From Wikipedia:
Approximately one hundred years after the events of the first film, Damodar (Bruce Payne) has survived his defeat by Ridley Freeborn, having been cursed by his former master, Profion, to walk the earth as an undead entity.
It seems that the "creature" was part of the curse Profion placed on him, which causes him to be an immortal undead.
Which is cured in the 2nd movie.
Acts and looks a whole like a "fragment of moander" as dedcribed in the forgotten Realms novel "The Song of the saurials". As with the saurials (dinosaur wizards) when corrupted by moander. a fragment of the dark god then grew inside of them, corrupting them and causing them to grow stalks out of their ears... ... this may not be whats in damodars' head, but it sure seems like the inspiration for it.
