A group of adventurers were fighting a Beholder and decided the most effective way to defeat it was to target its eye stalks. They did so successfully and blinded the Beholder completely. By a manner of luck, the beholder, Aldrax Cane, managed to escape.

During hiding, a cult of Nothics came into life to serve him devotedly. He selected 10 of them to serve as his eyes, allowing him to see through their body. He called them his "Watchful Vessels."

He stays in his lair and sends out the Nothics to watch the world from the shadows. His ability to see in 10 places at once makes him feel like an omnipresent god. Sometimes, he wants to do more than just observe and will seek out "worthy" individuals whom he can manipulate into serving him.

He is also wrathful and angry, and due to his failure against the previous adventurers, he is paranoid of defeat. Though he will not admit it, this is why he stays in his lair, letting his Vessels do his bidding. Here, he feels most in control.