The Drae'Khul are an ancient and deadly group of hunters and swordsmiths who reside in the western reaches of Regulus. Known for their brutal and ruthless nature, the Drae'Khul are skilled in the dark art of summoning demons from the underworld through cursed swords forged from unholy metals. These demons serve as their servants, empowering the Drae'Khul warriors with otherworldly strength and abilities.
The Drae'Khul live in a small, quiet city known as Sol-Athra, a tranquil principality surrounded by yellow maple trees that seem to shed their leaves eternally. The city is built from jade and obsidian, giving it a hauntingly beautiful turquoise hue. The architecture features intricate crystal adornments, which glisten in the light. At the heart of their city is a mountain ravine, where a shrine dedicated to communing with the dead exists. This shrine allows the Drae'Khul to communicate with the spirits of fallen warriors and consult with their demonic patrons.
The Drae'Khul are feared across the land for their martial prowess and mastery of demonic rituals. A single Drae'Khul warrior is capable of wiping out entire armies, their power fuelled by the demons bound to their cursed blades.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics and Intimidation
- Tool Proficiencies: Smith's tools (for crafting cursed weapons)
- Languages: Infernal, one language of your choice (often tied to the cultures or creatures the Drae'Khul encounter)
- Equipment: A cursed sword of your choice (crafted by the Drae'Khul), a set of smith’s tools, a ceremonial dagger, a symbol of your pact with the underworld (such as a necklace, pendant, or mark), and a set of traveler's clothes.
You have made a pact with the demonic entities that the Drae'Khul summon from the underworld, granting you their protection and power. As part of your bond with the demons, you gain the following benefits:
You have entered into a powerful and binding pact with the demonic forces that the Drae'Khul summon from the underworld. This pact grants you unique abilities and protection, but also comes with the constant weight of their expectations and a dangerous thirst for power.
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Demonic Empowerment: The demons you have communed with lend you their strength in battle. You gain resistance to fire or necrotic damage (choose one when you select this feature). Additionally, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can deal an additional 1d6 necrotic or fire damage (depending on your choice of damage type) once per turn.
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Fiendish Allies: The pact you've made has opened doors to fiendish contacts. You can call upon your demon allies for aid, though their assistance is never guaranteed. Once per long rest, you can request a favour from a fiendish entity. This can take the form of information, a small magical favor (such as a Minor Illusion or Prestidigitation), or a temporary boon, such as advantage on a Charisma (Persuasion) check with fiends. The favour may come with a cost, depending on the fiend’s mood and the nature of your request.
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Demon’s Whispers: The demons you’ve bound yourself to sometimes offer cryptic advice or warnings. You gain the ability to cast Detect Thoughts once per long rest without expending a spell slot. This ability allows you to delve into the minds of others, gaining insight into their feelings or surface thoughts for a brief moment. The more you rely on these whispers, the greater the influence the demons may begin to have over your actions.
Spell List
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | chill touch, eldritch blast, minor illusion, thaumaturgy |
| 1st | burning hands, hellish rebuke, mage armor |
| 2nd | [Tooltip Not Found], hold person, mirror image, misty step, scorching ray, [Tooltip Not Found] |
| 3rd | animate dead, counterspell, fear, fireball |
| 4th | blight, fire shield, greater invisibility, phantasmal killer |
| 5th | cloudkill, dominate person, flame strike |
| 6th | true seeing |
| 7th | finger of death, plane shift |
| 8th | incendiary cloud |
| 9th | meteor swarm |
Suggested Characteristics
Drae'Khul Warriors are steeped in their harsh and brutal culture, which shapes their worldview and interactions with others. Their relationship with demons and their constant training for battle impacts their personalities and how they approach the world.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I take great pride in my strength, and I believe that only the strong deserve to rule. |
| 2 | I am ruthless in battle, but I have a deep respect for those who challenge me. |
| 3 | I constantly seek to improve my martial prowess, pushing myself beyond my limits. |
| 4 | I hold my pact with the demons close to my heart and often consult their whispers for guidance. |
| 5 | I carry the burden of my past—having been shaped by the Drae'Khul rites—and seek to prove my worth. |
| 6 | I am haunted by the souls of those I've defeated, and they sometimes appear to me in visions. |
| 7 | I value my honour above all else, and I cannot stand to see weakness or dishonour. |
| 8 | I keep my emotions hidden, revealing only what is necessary for those who challenge me. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Strength. The strong will survive and rule. Weakness is a stain on the soul. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Honour. The Drae'Khul fight with honour, and I carry their ideals with me into every battle. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Power. Demons offer great power, and I will wield it to become unstoppable. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Revenge. I fight for those who have wronged me, and for those I have lost. (Neutral) |
| 5 | Freedom. I do not bow to any master—demonic or otherwise. (Chaotic) |
| 6 | Conquest. The world is mine for the taking, and I will carve my name into its history with blood. (Neutral) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I will avenge the death of my mentor, who fell in battle during at the hands of a demon. |
| 2 | The Drae'Khul society owes me respect for my martial prowess, and I will not tolerate disrespect. |
| 3 | I carry a cursed sword crafted by my forebears, and I will protect it at all costs. |
| 4 | I owe my survival to the demons I communicate with, and I will never forsake them. |
| 5 | I have a rival among the Drae'Khul, and I will prove my strength by defeating them in a duel. |
| 6 | I seek to unlock the secrets of the underworld and ascend to a higher plane of existence. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am prone to fits of rage and lose control when my emotions are pushed to the limit. |
| 2 | My loyalty to the Drae'Khul runs so deep that I sometimes forget that not everyone follows the same code. |
| 3 | I am obsessed with obtaining greater power, sometimes at the expense of my relationships or sanity. |
| 4 | I harbour a dark secret—a pact with a demon—that I am terrified will be discovered. |
| 5 | I cannot resist a challenge, even if it means putting my life and the lives of others at risk. |
| 6 | I am haunted by the spirits of those I’ve slain, and they sometimes torment me in my dreams. |
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