You have witnessed something terrible. You know the terrible secret behind the rulers of Riedra, the Inspired are the physical presence of the Dreaming Dark on Eberron drawing super natural power from the Region of Dreams. You know of the organization known as the Dreaming Dark, and that malevolent spirits from Dal Quor are infiltrating Eberron through possessed and dominated minions in an attempt to unseal the gates to Dal Quor and allow the Quori to once again invade the world. You don't know this because you were told. You don't believe this because you've seen it. You know it to be true because the Quori influence inside your mind reminds you every hour of every day.
Now you must know more about this hidden truth. You’re driven by a personal need to hunt down even the most elusive clues and reveal what others would keep hidden in the shadows. You skulk in those shadows, steal secrets whether they’re written in locked journals or hidden away in someone’s mind in service to a righteous cause or simply to spread fear. Haunted by something so terrible, the burden has taken its toll isolating you from most people and making you question your sanity. The shadowy nightmare is forever in your thoughts.
Forty-thousand years after the Giants unleashed cataclysmic devastation to drive the Quori from Xendrik, they returned. When the Quori first came to Sarlona, they used infiltration, psionic manipulation, and cunning politics to throw the continent into bloody chaos. Then, presenting themselves as divinely inspired saviors, they came to the “rescue” and now maintain absolute control over Riedra. The Quori created a religion as a means of controlling the common citizens of Riedra. Known as the Path of Inspiration, this faith is based around the concept of reincarnation and spiritual evolution. The truth is far more sinister. Although they would not describe it as such, the reverence the Quori hold for the darkness within the Dal Quor has typical features of their own religion. The Quori have faith in reincarnation, they acknowledge intelligence and power greater than theirs, and they hope that acts of service can influence the Dreaming Dark.
The kalashtar stand in opposition following the Path of Light, and believe that reality is defined by a force they call Quor Tarai, "the Dream of the Age." More powerful than any god, this force radiates out from the heart of Dal Quor, shaping both Eberron and the Region of Dreams & say that the current Quor Tarai is a nightmare, il-Lashtavar — and that the darkness of this dream inspires all the ills that plague the world. But Quor Tarai follows a natural cycle, and given time, this age of darkness will naturally give way to il-Yannah, "the Great Light" that lies ahead.
Only through cultivating the Great Light, il-Yannah, can the adherents to the Path of Light seek to save the world from an eternity of nightmare and evil. Those who follow il-Yannah are almost entirely kalashtar, although a few other beings are also drawn to the idea of a universal force of positive energy and purity of spirit. While the lightbringers seek to change the future, the shadow watchers fight to protect the present. The shadow watchers are the spies and secret police of the kalashtar and exist to guard against the Dreaming Dark and other malevolent groups.
Whether you have joined the Quori Mindhunters, Fists of Dal Quor, Chosen, Inspired, Dreamwalkers, Shadow Watchers, Edgewalker Sentinels, Dreamtouched, Haztaratain, or remain independent your ties to Dal Quor the Region of Dreams can enable you to psychically reach into the minds of mortals, bringing up the most hidden & hateful of their dreams and reveries. Most quori touched are Psi Warriors, Soulknives, Aberrant Mind Sorcerers, or Astral Self Monks, but some Horizon Walker Rangers, Circle of Dreams Druids, Paladins of the Oath of Conquest, or College of Whispers Bards walk this path as well.
While the Quori Touched has its roots in Eberron, the background could be a factor in any campaign world where there is real or perceived threat of planar invasion. The quori mindhunter could easily be shifted to seeking out possessing demons and banishing them back to their home planes. Or the background could be kept as it stands, and the quori could begin their own invasion into a world other than Eberron.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Stealth
- Tool Proficiencies: Your choice of Forgery kit or Disguise kit
- Languages: Quori: The language of the natives of the plane of Dal Quor. The most significant of these inhabitants are the Quori who have invaded Eberron multiple times in the past. The quori have brought their language to Eberron through their Inspired, or the Kalashtar allies. Quori is one of the dominant langauges of the continent of Sarlona. Known words & phrases: Altavars ("Dark Spirits"), il-Altas ("Great Spirits"), il-Lashtavar ("The Darkness that Dreams"), il-Yannah ("The Great Light"), Kalashtar ("Wandering Dreams"), Sheshantol ("Shadow Watchers"), Yannahilath ("Light Speakers"), Yannahsur ("Light Bringers"), Sheshan talarash dasyannah ("Dancing with the shadows on the path to light")
- Equipment: set of dark common clothes including a hood, a Deep crystal Amulet, Crystal, or Totem of the Path of Light or Path of Inspiration, one dose of Dreamlily, a Forgery kit or Disguise kit based on your tool proficiency choice, and a pouch containing 15 gp
Prior to becoming an adventurer, your path in life was touched by the energy of Dal Quor whether that is the Quori spirit tied to you as a Kalashtar, possession by the nightmare Quori of the Dreaming Dark as an Inspired or Chosen vessel, or simply having suffered under the creeping growth of a Mind Seed or other mind altering power from the Region of Dreams. Now you feel those nightmares threatening to consume you, leaving you with an unsettling demeanor. Though you may have it under control, certain stressful triggers bring it out. Choose an erratic behavior or roll one on the Hunted by Nightmares table.
| d6 | Hunted by Nightmares |
|---|---|
| 1 | You believe yourself to be the visible manifestation of a vengeful quori spirit. |
| 2 | You prefer using telepathy over speaking aloud if you are able, you wonder why others can't hear your thoughts if you aren't. |
| 3 | You have developed a Dreamlily addiction and apply euphoric dream logic to mundane situations. |
| 4 | You discuss things out loud with your quori spirit. |
| 5 | You are obsessed with Dreaming Dark conspiracies. |
| 6 | You insinuate yourself into people's lives to prey on their weakness. |
Most people, especially those in Khorvaire, are oblivious to the danger posed by the spirits from Dal Quor. Even if you were to explain it, your story would seem like the ravings of a madman proclaiming the end of the world. Kalashtar, the lightspeakers of Adar, and the Inspired alike on the other hand are all too aware of the truths you speak. Regardless, those who look into your eyes can see that you have faced unimaginable horror and that you are no stranger to darkness. Though they might fear you, commoners will extend you every courtesy and do their utmost to help you. Unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them, they will even take up arms to fight alongside you, should you find yourself facing an enemy alone.
Spell List
Your spells reflect the nightmare & mind twisting powers of Dal Quor. If you have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic feature, the spells on the il-Lashtavar Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.) You excel at manipulating the darkness in moral souls, but this delving into horror does not leave you untouched. When you look at even the most altruistic of people, you see festering fear and corruption.
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | encode thoughts |
| 1st | dissonant whispers, protection from evil and good, sleep |
| 2nd | pass without trace, phantasmal force |
| 3rd | fear, summon shadowspawn |
| 4th | banishment, phantasmal killer |
| 5th | dream, geas |
Consider customizing how your spells look when you cast them. Your il-Lashtavar magic tends to manifest as subtle shadows & swirls phantasmal violet light. A sensation of primal dread & gloom might accompany your spells. When you manipulate an opponent's mind, your spells might even directly touch their souls, briefly surrounding the targets with shimmering stygian blue patterns of magical energy dancing in the air around their head. Using the encode thoughts cantrip described below, you can turn a creature’s thoughts (including your own) into a thought strand that others can potentially read, share, or steal. These thought strands are treated as valuable currency among the Inspired Lords of the Dreaming Dark who feast upon their psychic energy.
Suggested Characteristics
Kalashtar and Inspired alike claim to be the true heirs to the Quor Tarai. Through their study of history each views the other as a perversion of the Path and seeks to drive them from Eberron. Whether you are a Kalashtar, Inspired, or other race influenced by the nearly always nightmarish Quori spirits, you have learned to specialize in the study of the subconscious and are able to tap into the secret uncertainties and terrors of living creatures minds. No one is pure; no one is untainted by depravities or insecurities. Even the most virtuous have hidden secrets that you can turn against them, leading you to question the motivations of all you encounter often manifesting itself in soul-tired weariness and cynicism. And you are a survivor, who can be very protective of those who bring light into your darkened life. Others may only see darkness behind your eyes, but your comrades know that you can be trusted to use the power you draw from the Region of Dreams to assist their cause. Whether you seize the moment with sinew and steel or adopt the more subtle approach of stealth, spell, or psionics depends largely on the path that brought you here. But your abilities can stagger even the strongest opponent, leaving them at your mercy as attacks rend both body and soul.
| d6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I think far ahead, a detachedness often mistaken for daydreaming. |
| 2 | I love hearing about other people's nightmares. |
| 3 | I've left emotion behind me. I'm now perfectly placid. |
| 4 | I like to stick to the shadows. |
| 5 | Some event from the past keeps worming its way into my mind, making me restless. |
| 6 | I indulge vice in excess to quiet my conscience. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Obsession. I've lived this way for so long that I can't imagine another way. (Any) |
| 2 | Protection. I must do everything possible to save society from facing extinction. (Good) |
| 3 | Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral) |
| 4 | Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful) |
| 5 | Confusion. Deception is a weapon. Strike from where your foes won't expect. (Chaotic) |
| 6 | Fear. People should not respect power. They should fear it. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | The world has been convinced of a terrible lie. It's up to me to reveal the truth. |
| 2 | I discovered a secret I can't let anyone else uncover |
| 3 | What I do, I do for the world. The people don't realize how much they need me. |
| 4 | Everything I do is in the service of a powerful master, one I must keep a secret from everyone. |
| 5 | I've seen great darkness, and I'm committed to being a light against it—the light of all lights. |
| 6 | A great evil dwells within me. I will fight against it and the world's other evils for as long as I can. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I believe doom follows me and that anyone who gets close to me will face a tragic end. |
| 2 | I'm convinced something is after me, appearing in mirrors, dreams, and places where no one could. |
| 3 | Fear is a powerful motivator. I will do whatever it takes to prevent those who know what I am from seeing me fail, and from those I care about from knowing what I am. |
| 4 | I'm pretty sure I've done something horrible that I can't remember under the effects of mind magic. |
| 5 | I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them. |
| 6 | I have a particular vice that puts all my secrets at risk if I'm not careful. |