D&D 5E - World of Sarvaelen - The Emoniae, Ancient Descendants of Elemental Sorcerers

Continuing the Sarvaelen "Watchers of the Sullen Vigil" adaptation to D&D 5E:

The People of Emon

Also known as the Emoniae, the people of this distant land exist far in the west, beyond the ruined expanse of the wastelands of Camrinal. Emon was the greatest independent threat to Camrinal in its era of rule, and the Emoniae were a culture of sorcerers much like the Empire. When the Final War erupted, their lands were devastated, and the Empire sought to exterminate their greatest rivals as quickly as possible. When the conflict ended with the destruction of Camrinal, most of Emon’s warriors were caught in the destruction, and destroyed. Still, there were plenty of survivors back home, now mostly dwelling in ancient, deep enclaves within the vast Adasatrak Mountains where they stood guard against the outside world.

Today the Emoniae are still driven by magic as a way of life and such arts find a greater acceptance within their mountain fortresses than anywhere else. The Emoniae remain isolated and tend to mistrust the young eastern kingdoms that have arisen from the ashes of the Final War. It is also the only land where the study and worship of the Old Gods is still permitted.

The Emoniae (singular Emon) as Characters

Many emoniae have a talent for magic, and are most commonly mages by class. Emoniae are, like pureblooded of Camrinal, prone to attracting the attention and interest of demons, spirits, elementals, old gods and other beings from the Elemental Realms. Elves have an abnormal fascination for them, and as a result it is more common to run into half-elves of mixed elvish and emon blood than any other combination. Emoniae are a special type of human, with the following racial traits:

·         Emoniae gain +1 in intelligence or +1 in Dexterity or Strength

·         Emoniae start with the Magic Initiate feat.

·         Emoniae start with proficiency in either Arcana or Insight.

·         Emoniae learn the common (Aeronostic) tongue as well as Emonish, their cultural language.

·         Elemental Affinity: Emoniae revere the elemental old gods, and still worship them. There is a chance on a DC 20 Wisdom check that an emon has some elemental heritage in her or her bloodline. The immediate effect is an innate basic understanding of the elemental language and an affinity for that element, which means that they tend to be regarded favorably by elementals of like type that they meet (+2 reaction modifier on Charisma checks).

·         Elemental Taint: Emoniae may gain the elemental taint feat at 4^th level (GMs may require this automatically). It is advised that each time an emon reached a feat/attribute gain by level, a save against the spellcaster’s primary stat vs. DC 8+total character level must be made. Failure requires the emon to take this feat!

Racial Feat: Emoniae Elemental Taint

Prerequisite: Emon heritage, spell-caster level 4 or higher

When a magic-using emon with elemental taint reaches 4th level in any spell casting class (wizard, sorcerer, paladin, ranger, warlock, cleric or druid) he or she begins to manifest a sign of elemental corruption, usually in the form of a glow or emission from the skin, and a slow but certain "change" on the skin that seems to be a manifestation of that emon's elemental taint (stone-like skin, persistent water running from pores, smoke, or a misty fog following the emon). This first manifestation is cosmetic and can be suppressed with concentration taking one full round.

An emon with this feat must choose one elemental type to exhibit going forward: fire, cold, air, earth, necrotic, radiant. This becomes the primary elemental affinity, which is dominant. If the emon has elemental affinity, this first elemental type must match the one chosen for affinity. An emon who did not have elemental affinity before (see racial traits) gains it with this feat.

Emoniae may have more than one connection to the elements, but each subsequent elemental type exhibits as secondary to the primary elemental affinity. For example, an emon with cold as primary may appear to have icy skin. If he later adds elemental earth affinity, he may display gravel or rocks floating in the ice of his skin. If he later adds fire, his eyes may blaze with hot light as water runs down his flesh.

This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time the feat is taken, a new elemental trait is manifested, rolled for on the table below.

Subsequent taints are harder to suppress, requiring a saving throw (same as above) to quell the effect for one day. When the emon sleeps or is unconscious it reappears. Roll each time the feat is taken to see what manifests:

D12 – Elemental Change

1-4 - a new cosmetic trait related to the source of elemental taint manifests (fire hair, frozen skin, stone skin, levitates slightly off ground). This effect grants resistance to the elemental type. If you roll this again, gain a new trait and a new resistance.

 5-6 – Choose one elemental type (fire, cold, air, water, earth, radiant, necrotic); you may add this elemental type to the damage or effect of a spell you cast as a bonus action.

7-8 – Gain the ability to Conjure Elemental as the spell once per day as if you used a level 6 spell slot. The second time you roll this you treat it as if the spell slot were level 7, and so forth up to level 9. Alternatively, on subsequent rolls you may increase use to twice per day.

9-10 – You gain resistance to one elemental type (as in 1-4 above), unless you already have resistance, in which case you gain immunity to that elemental damage type.

11-12 - gain permanent emission of elemental type: stone skin (gain natural AC 15), fire erupts from flesh (immune to damage from fire but deals 1D6 fire damage to all on touch), air (gains levitate at will), or water (emits water permanently at the rate of 1 liter/hour, gains water breathing). These traits are very difficult to disguise and require a save against the caster attribute at DC 8+level of caster with disadvantage to suppress the trait for 1 hour.

The second time on this chart you roll a 12 your character gains the elemental type (extraplanar) for purposes of classification. He or she is now considered an elemental. The form changes noticeably to be "more" of the elemental type and the emon's humanity becomes suppressed. Breathing is no longer necessary.

The third time you roll a 12 the Emon gains the ability to plane shift to his elemental plane of appropriate type once per day.

The fourth time the emon rolls 12 on this chart he becomes a true elemental and departs the material plane, becoming an NPC at the GM's discretion.

Five Facts About the Emoniae:

1.       The Emon city-states in the Adasatrak Mountains are each said to have been built over an elemental portal which leads to each of the elemental realms. Interestingly there is the seventh portal beneath the city Kalimdar, which is said to open into the Twisting Nether.

2.       Some emoniae claim that a spy and patriot named Eredatha, who was a consort to the old Emperor of Camrinal, was responsible for sabotaging the plans of the mad Emperor, leading to the destruction of the kingdom. This is officially decried as apocryphal, but a secret order of spies and assassins called the Dedicates of Eredatha believe it to be true.

3.       In an emon house finding a member who manifests true elemental affinity is considered a house blessing and automatically elevates the house to the affinity caste, giving them special social privileges. Someone of low caste who develops affinity is usually adopted by a willing house, given title and land privileges.

4.       Emon is not very welcome to outsiders, but the gateway cities of Kerenesk and Rathor serve as the safe harbors for outsider merchants and traders. From these two cities the goods of the outside world are imported to the city-states of the inner kingdoms which otherwise allow no outsiders of non-emoniae blood in their walls.

5.       Most emoniae are of sallow, almost albino complexion, but the emoniae of the coast are dark of skin and prone to elemental earth and fire affinity. The coastal emoniae call themselves the Eredenei, and claim to have migrated from across the ocean long ago, coming from a sunken continent called Dakarast.