Kalashtar

From Sky Pirate Time

Kalashtar, which in Quor means “wandering dreams,” first came to Eberron 1,800 years ago. They came as a renegade group from Dal Quor that sought to escape religious and philosophical persecution for their religious beliefs. Agents of Dal Quor known as the Dreaming Dark hunted them until finally the group’s leader, Taratai, found an audacious way to escape Dal Quor.

Thousands of years after the quori invaded Eberron and the connection between their plane and the Material Plane was severed, the kalashtar were the first of the quori to discover a means to reach the Material Plane once more. Fleeing persecution, they transformed their physical forms into psychic projections that allowed them to enter the Material Plane and possess willing humans. Today, new kalashtar are born, not possessed; neither spirit nor human, they are a new race that breeds true.

It took three hundred years for the other quori to discover a similar means to psychically project their spirits out of Dal Quor and possess human bodies, forming the Inspired, while leaving their own bodies behind—much as mortals project their minds to Dal Quor when they dream. For fifteen hundred years now, the Inspired in their vast kingdom of Riedra have continued to persecute and oppress the kalashtar.


History

The kalashtar race has existed for only eighteen hundred years. It began in Dal Quor, where Taratai and her followers of light were being hunted down and exterminated by the Dreaming Dark. But there is more to Dal Quor than the realm of the Dreaming Dark. Every sentient creature touches Dal Quor when it dreams, and every soul, every race, shapes its own piece of the fringes of Dal Quor. Fleeing from the Dreaming Dark, Taratai led her followers on an exodus through mortal dreams. While the quori could not travel physically between the planes, Taratai believed that she had found a way to cross through the subconscious and into mortal bodies—provided that the proper portals could be found and that the hosts could be convinced to accept the travelers.

For a year they traveled from dream to dream, passing through the dreams of dragons and beasts, never finding a place to rest. The Dreaming Dark was still baying at their heels, and between the Dark and the dangers of the dreams themselves, Taratai’s followers were slowly being destroyed. Finally, Taratai found the passage she needed—a subconscious conduit into the mind of an Adaran monk. She knew that she couldn’t maintain the connection for long, but she pleaded her case to the master of the monastery—and to her surprise, he agreed to accept her band of fugitive spirits. Adar was the land of refuge, he said, and no creature would be turned away.

Sixty-seven men and women—including the master himself—volunteered to share their bodies with the renegade quori. In order to establish a permanent bond and truly escape from Dal Quor, it was necessary for the quori to merge fully with their hosts, creating a synthesis of both personalities. These were the first of what Taratai called the kalashtar, a word in the Quor language that roughly translates as “wandering dreams.”

It took time for the kalashtar to adapt to their new existence, but they were finally free from the Dreaming Dark. Taratai continued her studies of the nature of Dal Quor and the Dream of the Age, and she developed the traditions that are the core of the Path of Light—a series of practices and devotions that she believed would accelerate the turn of the age. There was only one uncertainty: What would happen when one of the kalashtar died?

Before they found the answer to this question, another mystery was revealed: that of birth. When the first kalashtar child was born, they found that the spirit that was tied to the parent now also had a bond to the child. The spirit, Harath, found that it took more of an effort to communicate with either of his hosts, but that he was nonetheless aware of the experiences of each. Over the next few centuries, the process continued.

As more and more kalashtar were born, the quori spirits were spread thinly among them, and it became almost impossible for the spirit to communicate directly with the kalashtar. The memories and basic personality were still there, however; even if they couldn’t communicate, the spirits were still alive and conscious, experiencing the world through the eyes of hundreds of descendants.

Each generation was more physically distinctive than the last, and each lived longer than the one before; it was clear that the spiritual symbiosis was having a minor physical effect as well. As they slowly adapted to better suit their spiritual companions, the kalashtar began to develop psionic abilities. The kalashtar did not have access to the full power of their ancestors, but they still had astonishing abilities. They could fly, send messages from one mind to another, transform their bodies into living weapons. It was a time of wonders.

It would not last. Three hundred years had passed in the world, but three thousand years had passed for the agents of the Dreaming Dark. They had spent millennia studying Taratai’s flight, and they had found a way to improve upon it. Traveling the fringes, they could whisper into dreaming minds, implanting ideas and suggestions into people’s heads. After a century of this manipulation, they managed to throw the nations of Sarlona into chaos. In the process, they arranged for certain people to meet, for bloodlines to be formed, and ultimately to create human hosts that the quori could possess and control—without any degree of cooperation from the subject.

Another three centuries passed, and a wave of charismatic young lords appeared among the war-torn realms of Sarlona. This new generation of rulers claimed to be divinely inspired, and they had the supernatural powers to prove it. After a few more centuries, this alliance had “restored peace” to the shattered land—failing to mention that they’d been responsible for the war, centuries ago. They established the nation of Riedra, home to hundreds of thousands of humans who were fanatically devoted to the new Inspired overlords.

The young kalashtar paid little attention to the events in Riedra, concentrating on their Path of Light—until the first army of the Inspired laid siege to Kasshta Keep. The kalashtar had been lucky to find Adar; the natural defenses of the mountainous land were almost impregnable. The Inspired had the resources of an entire continent at their disposal, however, and were growing more powerful every day.

More than a thousand years later, the stalemate still stands. The kalashtar continue their devotion to the Path of Light, but many believe that the Inspired have come up with a counter to Taratai’s plans. The Inspired have created a stagnant society in Riedra, and they are spreading their enormous monoliths across the land. Many kalashtar believe that the Inspired plan to spread these monoliths across the entire world—and that if enough of them are built, it will finally secure the safety of the Dreaming Dark.

The kalashtar don’t intend to let that happen.

And so the struggle begins anew. . . .


Personality

Many Kalashtar are reclusive and prefer to stay in the temple-keeps of Adar however, some driven by purpose venture out into Eberron. Some of those that leave wish to end the siege on Adar by the Riedrans and others leave in an attempt to escape the Dreaming Dark. Kalashtar are commonly reserved, tranquil and tend to spend a significant time thinking something through before acting. They're kind and caring towards others though, in an intellectual manner rather than emotional. It is not known exactly why kalashtar take a keen interest in controlling their emotions however, it is commonly believed that it is due to the turmoil they suffer from their conjoined souls. They express their friendship with a wry smile and through offhand comments rather than being cordial or making lewd jokes. The fragment of quori soul in kalashtar remember the escape from Dal Quor. Kalashtar who're on the run from the Dreaming Dark grow cautious of others though, they remain polite and kind. Kalashtar are unable to merge their human half's sensitivity with the strange and wild visions and memories of their quori souls. Beneath their serene makeup, kalashtar are at conflict with themselves and struggle to fend off insanity. At times they can begin to lose that struggle and display confusing and sometimes dangerous behavior. The Dreaming Dark is incredibly important to kalashtar characters as most see the organization as the ultimate evil.

Society

The kalashtar were born in the mountains of Adar. Descended from a race of immortals, kalashtar have endless patience and a firm conviction that their traditions will some day usher in a golden age for all creatures. They do not want to change in any way; they know what needs to be done to fight the Dreaming Dark, and they will continue until they succeed or have been destroyed. This attitude is reflected in the rigid monastic lifestyle of the Adarans, which has remained unchanged and uncontested for more than a thousand years.

Almost all of the kalashtar live in one of the eight temple-fortresses that dot the mountain sides. What time isn’t spent in meditation or prayer is devoted to defense of the realm, holding the natural battlements against the endless onslaught of the Inspired. The Adaran kalashtar have no time for cultural change and no reason to believe that change is necessary.

Things are different on the continent of Khorvaire. The kalashtar of Khorvaire come from a variety of backgrounds. Some migrated to Khorvaire before the Inspired arrived on Sarlona, blending quietly into the humans of the Five Nations before Galifar united them. Others have been sent by kalashtar elders over the course of the last few centuries. Some came to study Khorvaire, while others were sent away to ensure that kalashtar society could not be eliminated in a single blow. The kalashtar of Khorvaire have more interaction with other cultures and don’t have to deal with the constant distraction of war.

As a result, the kalashtar of Khorvaire are generally more optimistic and innovative than their Adaran counterparts, and they enjoy experimenting with new things. The most significant innovation has been the development of the path of the atavist.

The kalashtar population of Khorvaire is split between a number of racial enclaves in the major cities of the continent. This pattern has largely been driven by the war with the Dreaming Dark. The Inspired might be able to arrange for the destruction of a small rural community, but they would never get away with smuggling an army into Sharn. By placing themselves in the capitals of Khorvaire, the kalashtar are also able to monitor the activities of the Inspired ambassadors: They already have strong roots in the cities the Inspired are now working to infiltrate. They cluster together not because they are uncomfortable around members of other races, but because they need the sense of safety in numbers, and it’s easier to spot the actions of the Dreaming Dark in a closed system.

Within a kalashtar community, the most influential form of social group is the lineage—the quori spirit that a kalashtar is bound to. This is not the same as a family group. Kalashtar inherit the spiritual bond from their parents, but the bond is always based on gender; a son always takes the father’s bond, while a daughter inherits from the mother. Thus, each lineage is composed of a single gender. All members of a particular lineage think of the others as brothers or sisters, even if they are actually distant cousins at best. Most kalashtar live with other members of their line.

There is no tradition of marriage among the kalashtar. Members of different lines socialize together and procreate (with the children being adopted and raised communally by the others of their lineage), but it is difficult for a kalashtar to imagine living with a member of another line for the rest of his life. In Khorvaire many old traditions are being questioned, however. A kalashtar adventurer would be especially likely to break the old traditions, since he spends so much time away from his line to begin with.

The kalashtar respect age and wisdom, and most kalashtar communities are governed by a council with a representative from each lineage that has a presence in the community. Conflicts between lines are uncommon; the greater threat of the Dreaming Dark has always held the kalashtar together through periods of possible unrest. The method used to select a representative varies by lineage; in general, the leader is simply the person who has the overall confidence of his line, and it will change if that confidence is ever lost. The different communities are linked by lines of psionic communication; most communities have one psion who can manifest correspond, which is used to check in with the guiding councils of the other cities in Khorvaire and the elders of Adar.

As a whole, kalashtar are inclined to be of lawful good alignment. Mental discipline is part of kalashtar life, and this is reflected by their well ordered society. Kalashtar generally act in the interests of what they consider to be the greater good, and mercy, kindness, and hospitality are important virtues within their society. Well-mannered visitors are always welcome, though a shadow watcher keeps a sharp eye on outsiders until he is certain they are not agents of the Dark.

Most people find kalashtar communities to be austere; the disciplined kalashtar have few vices, and most donate any extra income to the community in the interests of defense, so they have few luxuries. But they are capable of enjoying life without much in the way of material goods, taking pleasure from the company of their kin. Some humans find this admirable, while others simply find it to be disturbing—because humans can’t understand the mental bond between kalashtar of the same line, the level of cooperation and lack of conflict often seems unnatural.

The Edge of Madness

As a true hybrid of human hosts and quori spirits, the kalashtar possess keen intellects but are not ruled by logic. They seek the perfection of their minds and spirits, often to the exclusion of any physical pursuits. They are generally warm and compassionate, but their manners and ways of thinking are alien to the native races of Eberron. They are more interested in psionics than in the magic that pervades Khorvaire, and often lace their discourse with esoteric terms such as “matter,” “kinetics,” and “ectoplasm.”

The kalashtar are outcasts from their home plane and can never return there—not even in dream. The combination of life in exile and a dreamless existence makes the kalashtar slightly inclined toward madness, and some have speculated that the kalashtar devote themselves to psychic and physical discipline in order to keep themselves safely sane.

The mind of a kalashtar is a synthesis of human soul and quori spirit. The quori spirit empowers its host, granting mental power and long life. The quori is not an independent presence; it is an integrated part of the kalashtar’s personality. At the same time, the quori soul has memories that are completely alien to a human. The visions of its former life in Dal Quor might range from a battle against a tsucora horde on the Field of Forgotten Anger to the smell of a color or the taste of a sound. In Dal Quor, the impossible is not only possible—it’s commonplace. A kalashtar must maintain the delicate balance between her two inner forces or risk going mad.

This is exacerbated by the fact that kalashtar do not dream; the exodus that brought the kalashtar from Dal Quor required the spirits and their hosts to sever all ties to the Region of Dreams completely. Humans settle many subconscious issues through dreaming, but kalashtar must use focused meditation to accomplish the same task.

Other-Worldly Beauty

Kalashtar appear very similar to humans, but they have a grace and elegance that makes them seem almost too beautiful. They are slightly taller than the average human, and their faces have a slight angularity that sets them apart from the human norm, but these deviations only make them seem more attractive.

Kalashtar are born diplomats and relate fairly well to individuals of all races—except the Inspired. They relate best to humans, with whom they share the greatest physical similarity, but some kalashtar find themselves strongly drawn to other races instead.


Displaced Exiles

The kalashtar homeland is a region of Sarlona called Adar, a land of forbidding mountains and hidden fortresses in the southeastern portion of the continent. Even in Adar their numbers are small, and the number of kalashtar found in Khorvaire is much smaller still. However, they can be found in many of the largest human cities. The largest kalashtar population in Khorvaire is in the city of Sharn. They oppose the Inspired in all ways, both within Riedra and beyond its borders, and likewise oppose any group or force that corrupts or degrades mortal souls.


Religion

Kalashtar are generally lawful good. They combine a sense of self-discipline that borders on the ascetic with a genuine concern for the welfare of all living things, or at least their souls. Kalashtar do not follow gods, but they have their own religion, called the Path of Light. The center of this belief system is a universal force of positive energy the kalashtar call il-Yannah, or “the Great Light.” Through meditation and communion with this force, the kalashtar seek to strengthen their bodies and minds for the struggle against the forces of darkness that threaten all life on Eberron. Though il-Yannah is not a deity, its few clerics draw power from the Path of Light. A greater number of devout followers of the Path are psions and psychic warriors. The majority of kalashtar, however, devote their energies to spiritual warfare. These kalashtar, called lightbringers, believe that the only way to truly destroy the Dreaming Dark is through spiritual change, that through their religious rituals they are slowly turning the wheel of the age, banishing the dark and bringing in the light. Thus, most kalashtar appear to be peaceful mystics, but in their minds, they are soldiers in the midst of a war.

The Lost Souls

Many of Taratai’s followers were lost in the exodus from Dal Quor. Some were destroyed, but others were simply . . . lost. Many kalashtar psions believe that more rebel quori are still out there in the fringes of Dal Quor, trapped in the minds of bizarre and ancient creatures. Can they be freed?


The Fate of Taratai

Taratai was the first and greatest of the rebel quori. She was mother of the kalashtar and the founder of the Path of Light, and her power and wisdom were legendary. But she was also the most terrible casualty in the war against the quori. In the early days of Riedra, before the kalashtar had learned to respect the power of the Inspired, the agents of the Dreaming Dark launched a concentrated attack and managed to eliminate all of Taratai’s hosts. No one knows what became of her soul—whether it was destroyed, or if it is still floating in some nether realm. But the kalashtar mourn her loss to this day.


Kalashtar Names

Kalashtar names have much in common with the names of their people: They are three to five syllables long, with a combination of hard and hissing consonants.

Male names end with one of the masculine name suffixes –harath, –khad, –melk, or –tash.

Female names use the feminine suffixes –kashtai, –shana, –tari, or –vakri.

Male Names: Dalharath, Halkhad, Havrakhad, Kanatash, Lanamelk, Lanharath, Malharath, Minharath, Nevitash, Parmelk, Talkhad, Thakakhad, Thinharath, Zeratash

Female Names: Ganitari, Inatari, Khashana, Lakashtari, Mevakri, Novakri, Panitari, Sorashana, Thakashtai, Thatari, Ulshana

Kalashtar Traits

You kalashtar character has certain traits deriving from your Dal Quor ancestry.

Ability Score Increases. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. Kalashtar age at a rate similar to that of humans.

Alignment. The Quori who became the Kalashtar were born of the light in Dal Quor’s endless cycling between light and dark. They combine a sense of self-discipline that borders on the ascetic with a genuine concern for the welfare of all living things, or at least their souls.They believe in a sense of something orderly and compassionate; hence they tend toward Lawful and Good in nature.

Size. Kalashtar are medium size, and range in height and weight similar to humans.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Commanding Presence. You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill.

Dreamless. Kalashtar sleep but do not dream. The kalashtar is immune to any effect that requires the target to be dreaming or places the target into a dreaming state. Spells that conjure or manifest a creature’s nightmares also have no effect on the kalashtar.

Dual Soul. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws versus enchantment effects and possession.

Mindlink. You can communicate telepathically with a willing intelligent creature within 30 feet of you. You can communicate telepathically even if you do not share a common language.

Natural Psychic. If you take a level in any class that provides Ki or Psi, you gain 1 extra point per level. (Thus, the first level in Monk allows you no extra Ki point, but you would have 3 points at level 2, 4 at level 3, and so on.)

Languages. Kalashtar speak Quor, the language of the quori, and the common tongue of their homeland (Common in Khorvaire, or Riedran in Adar). Quor is a hissing, guttural tongue more suited to the alien forms of the quori than their humanoid hosts. It has its own written form, a flowing, elegant script with many circular letters.



Source: http://www.eberron5e.com/creating-a-character/races/kalashtar