Heir of the Fallen Brood

Born from the ashes of a doomed draconic lineage, you are the final echo of a bloodline that once burned with power. Your ancestors — half red, half green — were creatures of fury and decay, but their ambition led to ruin. You alone survived their fall, carrying within you a volatile mix of flame and venom.

When death came for you, it was not divine mercy that spared you, but a whisper in the dark — Umberis, a sentient weapon that offered a pact for survival. Bound together, you wander the world as a living remnant of your brood’s legacy, caught between the hunger of the void and the fire of your blood.

Ability Scores:

The legacy of your mixed draconic blood grants you both keen senses and adaptable instincts. You may increase Wisdom or Charisma by +1.

Feat: None by default.
However, DMs may allow you to replace this background’s feature with a feat such as Tough, Alert, or Magic Initiate (Warlock) to represent the awakening of your draconic and eldritch heritage.

Skill Proficiencies: You gain proficiency in Perception and Survival, representing your sharp senses and instinct for danger born of constant vigilance and exile.

 

Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Arcana

You have learned to endure the harshness of the wilds and the mysteries of ancient, void-infused magic. Your experiences have honed your instincts for survival and given you insight into powers beyond mortal comprehension.

Tool Proficiencies: You gain proficiency with Thieves’ Tools and one artisan’s tool of your choice (such as Smith’s Tools, Leatherworker’s Tools, or Herbalism Kit), representing either your resourcefulness or the traditions of your lost brood.

 

Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s Supplies

You are practiced in tracing the shifting, interwoven symbols of draconic and void magic. Your hand is steady enough to inscribe runes of power, record forbidden knowledge, or mark Umberis’ sigils upon your blade.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Deep Speech, Draconic, and Abyssal.

Equipment: The remnants of a life lived between flame and shadow. Your calligrapher’s kit allows you to record the void-runes Umberis whispers to you. The obsidian shard hums faintly in your hand, a sliver of the same darkness that saved your life. The rest is practical gear for surviving on the fringes of civilization — proof that the Heir of the Fallen Brood endures, even when all else has burned away.

 

Equipment:

• A weathered traveler’s cloak (stitched with a faint ember-colored lining)

• A set of Calligrapher’s Supplies (blackened quills and void-ink that never fully dries)

• A small obsidian shard from Umberis’ original resting place (acts as a focus or talisman)

• A hunting trap (relic of his survival days)

• A set of traveler’s clothes

• A pouch containing 10 gp, most of which are scorched or melted around the edges

Spell List

The following spells represent the manifestation of your draconic and eldritch lineage — echoes of fire and shadow woven through your blood. You may gain access to them through class features, items, or DM permission.

Spell Level	Spells
Cantrip	minor illusion, produce flame, thaumaturgy
1st	chromatic orb, hellish rebuke
2nd	darkness, mirror image
3rd	counterspell, fireball
4th	greater invisibility
5th	synaptic static

Spell Level	Spell	Type
Cantrip	Thaumaturgy, Minor Illusion	Draconic presence and whispers of Umberis
1st	Hellish Rebuke, Protection from Poison	Fire and venom intertwined
2nd	Darkness, Mirror Image	The void’s protection
3rd	Fear, Meld into Stone	Instinct and dread as weapons
4th	Elemental Bane, Shadow of Moil	The brood’s wrath returns
5th	Hold Monster, Flame Strike	The legacy of the fallen reborn

Suggested Characteristics

Heirs of the Fallen Brood are beings of deep conflict and greater purpose. Born of draconic power twisted by shadow, they often carry the weight of an ancient tragedy within them. Their dual nature — draconic pride and abyssal corruption — shapes every choice they make. Some embrace their power as a means of redemption, seeking to restore their brood’s honor or protect others from suffering the same fate. Others surrender to the whispers of darkness, letting the shadow within guide their path.

Despite their internal struggle, those who bear the Brood’s mark are often charismatic, passionate, and unyielding. Their presence commands attention, their words carry the echo of something greater, and even their silence feels heavy with purpose. Whether feared, pitied, or revered, the heirs walk a lonely road that few can follow — one that balances the memory of what was with the possibility of what could be.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I rarely sleep easy — the whispers of Umberis are louder in silence.
2	I keep my pain close, but my fury closer.
3	I study ancient relics not for knowledge, but to feel less alone.
4	When I’m threatened, my voice deepens with a hint of something… other.
5	I find beauty in storms, ashes, and endings.
6	I talk to Umberis as though he’s my conscience — even when others can hear.
7	I hide fear behind sarcasm and bravado.
8	I tend to those who are broken; I know what it’s like to be one of them.

d6	Ideal
1	Survival. The strong endure; the weak fade. I will not fade again. (Neutral)
2	Redemption. Even in shadow, light can return. (Good)
3	Power. The world respects only strength — I will claim mine. (Any)
4	Balance. Fire and void must coexist. Neither can rule me. (Lawful)
5	Freedom. No one will ever chain me or my kind again. (Chaotic)
6	Legacy. My brood will be remembered — even if only through me. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	Umberis is my last kin — I’d burn worlds before I’d lose him.
2	The Ember Eye holds a secret tied to my bloodline. I must unlock it.
3	I will find who slaughtered my brood — or die trying
4	A single person showed me kindness when I was nothing; I owe them everything.
5	My dragon ancestry demands I rise above weakness — even my own.
6	I still dream of the dragon that birthed my line, chained and silent in the void.

d6	Flaw
1	I fear what I’ll become if Umberis takes too much control.
2	I don’t trust anyone I can’t overpower.
3	I crave the feeling of my own power — the rush of fire and shadow.
4	I’d rather destroy a relic than let it fall into the wrong hands.
5	I believe destiny owes me for what it took away.
6	I’m haunted by the screams of my brood in my dreams — and sometimes while I’m awake.

Contacts

You maintain few ties, but the ones you keep run deep.

• Umberis, your sentient weapon and constant companion, whispers guidance or temptation.

• The Order of the Ember Eye, an obscure cult seeking remnants of draconic bloodlines.

• The Broodless, wanderers who share your loss and look to you as a symbol of survival.

These figures can serve as allies, antagonists, or fragments of your forgotten past.

Few understand what it means to carry the blood of a fallen brood, but the heir’s journey often crosses paths with those who do — or who think they do. Whether through fate, family, or shared darkness, these individuals shape the heir’s path as much as their own. Some see the heir as a weapon, others as a relic, and a rare few as a hope that the past’s mistakes might finally be undone.

Your connections might include surviving remnants of your draconic lineage, cultists who still venerate the Brood, warlocks bound to similar patrons, or scholars obsessed with draconic corruption. Each knows something about your heritage — though not all wish you well for it.

d5	Contact
1	The Broodkeeper
2	Umberis
3	Scholar of Ash
4	Dravik Stormfang
5	The Sleeper in the Ring

d2	Non-contact
1	Forgotten Hatchmate
2	Cultist of the Ember Eye