CockroachTeaParty
2009-11-15, 08:51 PM
I love the flavor and mechanics of Pact Magic from the Tome of Magic, but some of the legends behind the vestiges don't quite work in the world of Eberron, what with the different gods and history of the world. Below are a few of my attempts to better fit the vestiges into Eberron. There are a few I'm still rather stumped with, and I'm interested to here if anyone else has attempted anything similar.
If anyone wants to expand on the ideas below, or offer new ones, I'm all ears. :smallsmile:
Acererak
Close to 1,500 years ago, when the Quori began the conquest of Sarlona, Acererak fled the continent of his birth with many other human refugees to Khorvaire. Already a powerful wizard, the Inspired's persecution of all practitioners of arcane and divine magic necessitated his flight. For many years, Acererak traveled Khorvaire, even making a journey to Aerenal to study the necromantic energies that flowed there. A talented necromancer, Acererak was hungry for power. He feared death and the eternal gloom of Dolurrh, so he began research into the secrets of achieving lichdom.
Much to his surprise, he was approached by the undead servitors of a powerful lich named Vol, who invited Acererak to join their organization: a newly birthed cult dedicated to the divinity of blood and the mysteries of undeath.
In time, Acererak became one of Vol's most trusted advisors. He achieved lichdom, and helped Vol create new types of undead, as well as advance her schemes and plots. One of Vol's most ambitious plans involved the creation of a deadly dungeon, called the Tomb of Horrors, and the distribution of rumors implying that untold wealth and knowledge awaited those brave enough and powerful enough to plumb its depths. In actuality, the Tomb was a trap to capture the souls of powerful individuals, with the goal of using the power of these souls to re-awaken Vol's inert dragonmark, the Mark of Death. Acererak was the Tomb's primary custodian and architect, and in secret, he planned to use the power of the Tomb for his own ends. He betrayed Vol, using the captured souls to increase his own power and turn into a demilich. Acererak planned on melding his consciousness with the plane of Mabar, the Eternal Night, and in doing so gain control of all undead and achieve divinity.
What happened to Acererak after this point is unclear. Some believe that Vol discovered her servant's betrayal, and used either her servants, magic, or perhaps even the divine power of the worshipers of the Blood to destroy Acererak. His soul was so powerful it resisted the pull of Dolurrh, but it was unable to go to Mabar, and so it simply went nowhere, becoming a vestige. Others believe that the Keeper learned of Acererak's plans, and trapped his soul within a massive Khyber dragonshard. The lingering power of Acererak's soul was strong enough, however, that he was able to escape the Keeper's realm as a vestige, immortal, but without the power he had amassed in unlife.
The location of the Tomb of Horrors is unknown. Some legends claim it lies within the Demon Wastes, while others believe it stands in a forgotten corner of the Shadow Marches, or perhaps in a desolate island in the Lhazaar Principalities.
Agares
In Eberron, Agares was not a commander on the Elemental Plane of Earth, but rather a powerful general leading an army of devils on the plane of Shavarath, the Endless Battle. He grew obsessed with an enemy commander of the Archon legions, and his obsession slowly turned into a twisted sort of love. Concerned that Agares was losing his focus, and fearing betrayal, his superiors betrayed and murdered Agares in sight of his beloved nemesis. Such was his passion and outrage that his essence became a vestige, rather than reforming into a lemure.
Amon
In Eberron, Amon was never a god, though his power rivaled the deities in his day. A cruel and merciless lord among fiends, Amon controlled vast swathes of the world during the blackest days of the Age of Demons. Too powerful to be truly destroyed by the dragons and couatls, Amon became a vestige after the downfall of the fiendish empire. To this day, it is unknown whether Amon still remains sealed within the bowels of Khyber as a dormant Rakshasa Rajah, or whether he merely exists as a vestige.
Andras
Most of the ancient ancestors of the elves are held in high esteem, even worshipped, by the elves of Valenar. The deeds of their ancestors, in battles against the giants, and later the goblinoids of Khorvaire, are many and glorious. However, one name is never spoke of in reverence among the hosts of Valenar: Andras, the Gray Knight. A skilled warrior and horseman, Andras at first fought for the glory of the elves and the Undying Court in the early clashes against the goblinoids of ancient Dhakaan. However, when the elves finally left Khorvaire, Andras stayed, and fought as a mercenary for the goblins during the Daelkyr War. With his back turned to the light of the Undying Court, Andras began fighting for his own personal glory and insatiable bloodlust, becoming a blackguard.
No one knows what became of Andras during the war against the Lords of Madness. Some say that he was corrupted by the daelkyr, and that the atrocities he committed in their name drove him mad. Others believe that during a pitched battle, he grew so tired of war that he simply dropped his weapons and wandered off, never to be seen again. Whatever happened, Andras is now a vestige, granting his summoners some of the mounted combat skills he had in life.
Andromalius
In life, Andromalius was a clever doppelganger and master of disguise. Supposedly, he was responsible for some of the greatest thefts, pranks, and intrigues of pre-Galifar Khorvaire. Such was his skill at deception, that he was even able to disguise his own soul. The guardians of Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead, failed to pierce his deception, and so ignored it upon his death. With no where else to go, Andromalius became a vestige, where he continues to help his summoners get the upper hand when trickery is afoot.
Aym
Long before the Kingdom of Galifar came to be, or even before humans first came to Khorvaire, the dwarves lived and fought each other in the mountains that would one day become the Mror Holds. One of the greatest of the dwarven barbarian tribes was led by Aym, the self-styled Queen of the Ironroot Mountains. Aym's greed was legendary, and even to this day the dwarves of Khorvaire use her name as a curse. She worked her subjects to death in the deepest roots of the mountains, greedily mining gold, platinum, and valuable dragonshards in the lightless depths. However, by the end of her reign, so much of her strength and resources were dedicated to mining and the acquisition of wealth that her enemies in the other dwarf tribes took advantage of her weakened defenses, and set fire to her stronghold. Such was her greed that she burned alive counting her wagons of gold, unwilling to flee until she had accounted for every last copper. Some say at the last moment she sold her soul to the Keeper, who imprisoned her within a Khyber dragonshard. Others believe her soul melded with the melting treasures of her kingdom, and the lingering force of her own greed kept her essence from truly leaving the world. Whatever happened, she became a vestige, forever doomed to lust after the wealth of a world beyond her reach.
Balam
Balam was a solar who descended to the Material Plane from Syrania, the Azure Sky, in order to fight for the cause of good and justice and serve as an example to the mortal races. The angels of Syrania forbade such direct intervention with mortal affairs, but such was Balam's zeal that she ignored their warnings and traveled to Eberron anyway. Binder scholar's dispute what wars Balam fought in, exactly. It is believed that she always fought in disguise, and legends claim that she fought in battles as far back as the Age of Demons. Some believe she aided the elves in their uprising against the giants of Xen'Drik, while others theorize she fought against the forces of Xoriat in the Daelkyr war. A few even claim she fought in battles as recent as the War of the Mark, the Silver Flame's Crusade against lycanthropy, or even the opening days of the Last War. Regardless of where or when she fought, at some point she grew disillusioned, realizing her championing the cause of good did little to end violence and strife in the world. Unable to return to Syrania, some believe she took her own life, and that her essence became a vestige. Depending on when she disappeared, Balam might be one of the oldest or newest vestiges, though records are contradictory and scarce.
Buer
Buer is just as contradictory and vague in explaining her origins in Eberron as she is in any other setting. Her origins are unknown, though several scholars believe she must have been a powerful hunter or druid from the Eldeen Reaches.
Chupoclops
The true origin of Chupoclops is a mystery, and it is believed that only the quori know the truth. Some legends claim that Chupoclops was the product of some distant, dark nightmare, and that the creature surpassed the power of the greatest quori. It set about devouring the Realm of Dreams, intent on consuming the unknowable dream that made up the heart of Dal Quor. Some legends theorize that the quori's invasion of Xen'Drik was actually an attempt to flee the rampaging terror of Chupoclops, and that when the giants severed the link to the Material Plane from Dal Quor, Chupoclops was somehow banished into non-reality as Dal Quor went spiraling off its rotational orbit. Lost in the unreality between the planes, Chupoclops became a vestige.
Dahlver-Nar
Dahlver-Nar's origin story is largely the same as it is in the Tome of Magic, except that he was originally a cleric of the Church of the Silver Flame who became obsessed with the vestiges, and was cast out of the church for his heresy.
Dantalion
Binder scholars continue to debate the origins of Dantalion. Some believe Dantalion is the conglomeration of outraged souls of noble houses and kings who fell from power when the Inspired took over Sarlona. Others claim that Dantalion consists of the lingering essences of noble families who bore aberrant dragonmarks and fell from grace during the War of the Mark. Because of the association with aberrant dragonmarks, the summoning of Dantalion is reviled by the Dragonmarked Houses in particular, while those who secretly possess the ill-favored aberrant marks seek Dantalion's power and hope to avenge those lost during the War of the Mark.
Eligor
In Eberron, Eligor was an elf of Aerenal, a champion of the Undying Court who led many elven armies to victory against the dragons of Argonnessen. A cousin to the noble line of House Vol, Eligor was outraged and ashamed when his own kin revealed their secret pact with the dragons, and the creation of the half-elf, half-dragon abomination that was Erandis d'Vol. Eligor participated in the purges that led to the destruction of House Vol, but the carnage lay heavy upon his heart. Having fought dragons and his own elven kin, Eligor lost his will to live. Somehow, the strange necromantic energies of Aerenal prevented him from truly dying, and he became the vestige he is today.
Eurynome
Eurynome's true origins remain a mystery. Some believe that she was a night hag who betrayed her fiendish allies and joined the dragons and couatls in ending the Age of Demons. Others theorize she was an ally of Eberron and Siberys, the great Progenitor Dragons, and that she gave her life alongside Eberron to seal away Khyber and become one with the surface of the world. Some even claim that Eurynome and Eberron are one and the same, and that she is the vestigial remains of the Dragon Between's consciousness.
Focalor
Focalor's origins remain the same as originally described: that is, completely unknown.
Geryon
Having trouble with Geryon... Any ideas?
Haagenti
Haagenti was a female minotaur who once lived in the Byeshk mountains to the north of modern day Droaam. She periodically led her fellow minotaurs on raids deep into the forests of the Eldeen Reaches, where she terrorized the orc and goblinoid communities there in the days before the Daelkyr War. On one of these raids, Haagenti stumbled upon a nymph's grove. The creature was so beautiful that Haagenti was enthralled, and she swore not to harm the fey or reveal its presence to the other minotaurs if the nymph would grant her the same beauty. The nymph agreed to the minotaur's request, on the one condition that she go on a great quest for her. Haagenti eagerly agreed, and the nymph sent her on a journey deep into the Demon Wastes to retrieve one of the fabled Tears of Siberys, a legendary frozen artifact, supposedly shed from Siberys himself before he died. Though the quest was long and arduous, Haagenti eventually retrieved the Tear of Siberys, and returned to the grove of the nymph. Upon giving the Tear to the fey, the nymph revealed herself to actually be a horrid night hag in disguise. A member of the Lords of Dust, the night hag wanted the Tear for her own foul purposes. Horrified, Haagenti tried to kill the hag, but the magic pact she swore to the nymph had not been undone, and Haagenti was frozen solid. Supposedly, winter came early that year, and lasted far longer than it otherwise should have. Apparently, Haagenti's wronged spirit became a vestige, forever bewitched by false beauty.
Halphax
The gnomes of Zilargo have maintained their way of life for centuries, not through skill at arms, but with words and diplomacy. Even at the height of the Dhakaani Empire, the gnomes enjoyed a relative degree of independence. Halphax was a talented gnome architect who was hired by many hobgoblin warlords to construct impressive fortresses and siege engines. He was one of the greatest architects ever to live, and many of the castles designed by Halphax still stand to this day, either as ruins from the Age of Monsters or repurposed by other nations. Halphax charged large amounts of money for his genius, and most of the Dhakaani warlords were happy to comply. One ambitious hobgoblin warlord, however, kidnapped Halphax's wife and held her hostage, forcing the gnome to build him the most impregnable fortress city ever known. Halphax obliged, but the hobgoblin's rivals refused to let him hoard such a valuable resource as the genius architect. Though it took a year and a day to penetrate the city's impressive defenses, finally the hobgoblin warlord's army was scattered, and he was put to the sword. Tragically, Halphax's wife had been killed in the last days of the battle. When the victorious goblin alliance searched the city for the gnome, they found only his wife's body. Halphax disappeared into his ultimate fortress, never to be seen again. He now exists as a powerful and little-known vestige.
Haures
Much of Haures' story remains the same in Eberron. He was a low-ranking rakshasa in life, who grew bored of the scheming machinations of the Lords of Dust, and decided to amuse himself as a powerful lord in the human lands of pre-Galifar Khorvaire. His ethereal tower supposedly stood in northern Karrnath, where the rakshasa slowly lost his grip on reality and eventually turned into a vestige.
Ipos
Ipos' story remains mostly the same in Eberron as presented in the Tome of Magic. A powerful spellcaster and scholar, Ipos is believed to have lived in pre-Galifar Khorvaire, most likely in what would eventually become Cyre. Some believe Ipos was a blood relative of the noble houses that would eventually become House Orien, primarily because of his legendary obsession with travel to places beyond even the scope of the Material Plane.
Karsus
Legends claim that Karsus, a powerful human spellcaster, sought to steal the powers of the Shadow, the dark god of magic cast from Aureon's body. He believed that as the sentient shadow of Aureon, the Shadow was not a true deity, or at the very least, much less powerful than the other gods, and that its power could be harnessed by a mortal with enough skill and power. Some say that the Shadow struck him down for his hubris, and cast his soul into the darkness beyond reality, turning him into a vestige. Others believe that he almost succeeded, but his mortal form could not contain the unbridled power of a deific being, and he was warped into a vestige before his apotheosis was complete. Many scholars believe that certain manifest zones to Mabar are the sight of Karsus' attempt to absorb the Shadow's power, although there is no conclusive evidence for any of them.
Leraje
Leraje's story is slightly different in Eberron. A champion of the Undying Court on Aerenal, Leraje defended the island home of the elves from the dragons of Argonnessen with her masterful skills with the bow. Eventually, her fellow soldiers began to claim that her archery skills surpassed even those of the greatest archer among the Undying Court. Said ancient, powerful deathless elf challenged Leraje to an archery contest, with the target being her heart, and Leraje wound up killing herself in the same way described in the Tome of Magic. Unwilling to allow Leraje to join the Undying for her pride, her restless spirit became a vestige.
Malphas
Malphas' legend is much the same in Eberron, except that he was an ambitious noble on the island of Aerenal in the distant past. It seems the weird necromantic energies of Aerenal are particularly prone to producing vestiges...
Marchosias
Marchosias' tale is much the same in Eberron, except that his soul was sent to Dolurrh upon his death, as normal. However, the number of souls he had sent there himself were so outraged at Marchosias' presence that they actually managed to overcome the mind-numbing stupor of the Realm of the Dead and destroy Marchosias' soul before the Maruts and Nalfeshnees could stop the mass of rebellious dead.
Naberius
Naberius is a mysterious and ancient vestige in Eberron. Historically, his name and form have changed many times, and some scholars postulate that Naberius was a doppelganger or other shapeshifter in life. Some even think he was a favored servant of the Traveller before deciding to journey beyond the limits of reality.
Orthos
An ancient and alien vestige, very little is known about Orthos, though his symbol and mentions of his name appear throughout history, on all the major continents of Eberron. Some believe Orthos is somehow tied to the Draconic Prophecy, and some legends say that Orthos is the missing thirteenth moon of Eberron. Whatever the truth, Orthos is silent and distant.
Otiax
The mysterious vestige known as Otiax is believed to be closely tied to Xoriat, the Realm of Madness. Some scholars postulate that Otiax is the remains of a daelkyr that was destroyed during the invasion of Khorvaire near the end of the Age of Monsters. Others believe that Otiax was formed when the Gatekeepers severed the link between Xoriat and the Material Plane, and that he is somehow the key to returning Xoriat back to its proper orbit. Whatever it is, it refuses to provide any insight, and the daelkyr themselves are far too insane and distant to provide any insight, even to their most devoted servants.
Paimon
Paimon's legend is mostly the same in Eberron. He is a relatively new vestige, having lived and died in pre-Galifar Breland.
Ronove
Ronove's story is essentially the same in Eberron. She was a monk and ascetic who lived in ancient Sarlona, thousands of years before the rise of the Inspired. Some believe her influence helped spread the use of psionics across the ancestral home of humanity, and that the monks of Adar can trace their lines back to Ronove's teachings.
Savnok
In life, Savnok was a powerful rakshasa zakya, a servant of the Lords of Dust who spread terror and violence throughout western Khorvaire. Shortly after the formation of the Church of the Silver Flame, a lone paladin, armed with her blessed bow and arrows, sought out Savnok. The two engaged in an epic battle, but in the end the paladin's magic arrows pierced Savnok's fiendish armor and slew him. Such was Savnok's hatred and stubborn malice that his soul refused to truly die, and he became a vestige.
Shax
While the ancient giant empire of Xen'Drik is well known for its cruelty towards the ancient elves, few realize that the giants' tyranny extended into the ocean. The sahuagin tribes of Shargon's Teeth were enslaved by the giants, and the cruel storm giant Shax ruled these slaves in her own personal underwater kingdom with an iron fist. During the upheavals of the Quori invasion and the subsequent uprising of the elves, the sahuagin seized the opportunity to rebel against Shax and her servants. Such was Shax's terrible power that it seemed like the sahuagin would all perish before her wrath, even as the rest of Xen'Drik burned. In desperation, the sahuagin prayed to the Devourer to lend them aid, and at the darkest hour, when Shax and her giant soldiers had the last pocket of sahuagin resistance cornered, a terrible host of krakens appeared from the depths and decimated the giant forces. When the bloody waters had cleared, the sahuagin emerged to find the giants utterly destroyed. Shax's body was nowhere to be found, however, and thereafter she appeared as a vestige of the deeps.
Tenebrous
I'm having trouble with Tenebrous... Any ideas?
Zagan
Zagan's legend remains much the same. He was a powerful yuan-ti lord who rose to power in the ruins of the giants' once-proud empire on Xen'Drik.
If anyone wants to expand on the ideas below, or offer new ones, I'm all ears. :smallsmile:
Acererak
Close to 1,500 years ago, when the Quori began the conquest of Sarlona, Acererak fled the continent of his birth with many other human refugees to Khorvaire. Already a powerful wizard, the Inspired's persecution of all practitioners of arcane and divine magic necessitated his flight. For many years, Acererak traveled Khorvaire, even making a journey to Aerenal to study the necromantic energies that flowed there. A talented necromancer, Acererak was hungry for power. He feared death and the eternal gloom of Dolurrh, so he began research into the secrets of achieving lichdom.
Much to his surprise, he was approached by the undead servitors of a powerful lich named Vol, who invited Acererak to join their organization: a newly birthed cult dedicated to the divinity of blood and the mysteries of undeath.
In time, Acererak became one of Vol's most trusted advisors. He achieved lichdom, and helped Vol create new types of undead, as well as advance her schemes and plots. One of Vol's most ambitious plans involved the creation of a deadly dungeon, called the Tomb of Horrors, and the distribution of rumors implying that untold wealth and knowledge awaited those brave enough and powerful enough to plumb its depths. In actuality, the Tomb was a trap to capture the souls of powerful individuals, with the goal of using the power of these souls to re-awaken Vol's inert dragonmark, the Mark of Death. Acererak was the Tomb's primary custodian and architect, and in secret, he planned to use the power of the Tomb for his own ends. He betrayed Vol, using the captured souls to increase his own power and turn into a demilich. Acererak planned on melding his consciousness with the plane of Mabar, the Eternal Night, and in doing so gain control of all undead and achieve divinity.
What happened to Acererak after this point is unclear. Some believe that Vol discovered her servant's betrayal, and used either her servants, magic, or perhaps even the divine power of the worshipers of the Blood to destroy Acererak. His soul was so powerful it resisted the pull of Dolurrh, but it was unable to go to Mabar, and so it simply went nowhere, becoming a vestige. Others believe that the Keeper learned of Acererak's plans, and trapped his soul within a massive Khyber dragonshard. The lingering power of Acererak's soul was strong enough, however, that he was able to escape the Keeper's realm as a vestige, immortal, but without the power he had amassed in unlife.
The location of the Tomb of Horrors is unknown. Some legends claim it lies within the Demon Wastes, while others believe it stands in a forgotten corner of the Shadow Marches, or perhaps in a desolate island in the Lhazaar Principalities.
Agares
In Eberron, Agares was not a commander on the Elemental Plane of Earth, but rather a powerful general leading an army of devils on the plane of Shavarath, the Endless Battle. He grew obsessed with an enemy commander of the Archon legions, and his obsession slowly turned into a twisted sort of love. Concerned that Agares was losing his focus, and fearing betrayal, his superiors betrayed and murdered Agares in sight of his beloved nemesis. Such was his passion and outrage that his essence became a vestige, rather than reforming into a lemure.
Amon
In Eberron, Amon was never a god, though his power rivaled the deities in his day. A cruel and merciless lord among fiends, Amon controlled vast swathes of the world during the blackest days of the Age of Demons. Too powerful to be truly destroyed by the dragons and couatls, Amon became a vestige after the downfall of the fiendish empire. To this day, it is unknown whether Amon still remains sealed within the bowels of Khyber as a dormant Rakshasa Rajah, or whether he merely exists as a vestige.
Andras
Most of the ancient ancestors of the elves are held in high esteem, even worshipped, by the elves of Valenar. The deeds of their ancestors, in battles against the giants, and later the goblinoids of Khorvaire, are many and glorious. However, one name is never spoke of in reverence among the hosts of Valenar: Andras, the Gray Knight. A skilled warrior and horseman, Andras at first fought for the glory of the elves and the Undying Court in the early clashes against the goblinoids of ancient Dhakaan. However, when the elves finally left Khorvaire, Andras stayed, and fought as a mercenary for the goblins during the Daelkyr War. With his back turned to the light of the Undying Court, Andras began fighting for his own personal glory and insatiable bloodlust, becoming a blackguard.
No one knows what became of Andras during the war against the Lords of Madness. Some say that he was corrupted by the daelkyr, and that the atrocities he committed in their name drove him mad. Others believe that during a pitched battle, he grew so tired of war that he simply dropped his weapons and wandered off, never to be seen again. Whatever happened, Andras is now a vestige, granting his summoners some of the mounted combat skills he had in life.
Andromalius
In life, Andromalius was a clever doppelganger and master of disguise. Supposedly, he was responsible for some of the greatest thefts, pranks, and intrigues of pre-Galifar Khorvaire. Such was his skill at deception, that he was even able to disguise his own soul. The guardians of Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead, failed to pierce his deception, and so ignored it upon his death. With no where else to go, Andromalius became a vestige, where he continues to help his summoners get the upper hand when trickery is afoot.
Aym
Long before the Kingdom of Galifar came to be, or even before humans first came to Khorvaire, the dwarves lived and fought each other in the mountains that would one day become the Mror Holds. One of the greatest of the dwarven barbarian tribes was led by Aym, the self-styled Queen of the Ironroot Mountains. Aym's greed was legendary, and even to this day the dwarves of Khorvaire use her name as a curse. She worked her subjects to death in the deepest roots of the mountains, greedily mining gold, platinum, and valuable dragonshards in the lightless depths. However, by the end of her reign, so much of her strength and resources were dedicated to mining and the acquisition of wealth that her enemies in the other dwarf tribes took advantage of her weakened defenses, and set fire to her stronghold. Such was her greed that she burned alive counting her wagons of gold, unwilling to flee until she had accounted for every last copper. Some say at the last moment she sold her soul to the Keeper, who imprisoned her within a Khyber dragonshard. Others believe her soul melded with the melting treasures of her kingdom, and the lingering force of her own greed kept her essence from truly leaving the world. Whatever happened, she became a vestige, forever doomed to lust after the wealth of a world beyond her reach.
Balam
Balam was a solar who descended to the Material Plane from Syrania, the Azure Sky, in order to fight for the cause of good and justice and serve as an example to the mortal races. The angels of Syrania forbade such direct intervention with mortal affairs, but such was Balam's zeal that she ignored their warnings and traveled to Eberron anyway. Binder scholar's dispute what wars Balam fought in, exactly. It is believed that she always fought in disguise, and legends claim that she fought in battles as far back as the Age of Demons. Some believe she aided the elves in their uprising against the giants of Xen'Drik, while others theorize she fought against the forces of Xoriat in the Daelkyr war. A few even claim she fought in battles as recent as the War of the Mark, the Silver Flame's Crusade against lycanthropy, or even the opening days of the Last War. Regardless of where or when she fought, at some point she grew disillusioned, realizing her championing the cause of good did little to end violence and strife in the world. Unable to return to Syrania, some believe she took her own life, and that her essence became a vestige. Depending on when she disappeared, Balam might be one of the oldest or newest vestiges, though records are contradictory and scarce.
Buer
Buer is just as contradictory and vague in explaining her origins in Eberron as she is in any other setting. Her origins are unknown, though several scholars believe she must have been a powerful hunter or druid from the Eldeen Reaches.
Chupoclops
The true origin of Chupoclops is a mystery, and it is believed that only the quori know the truth. Some legends claim that Chupoclops was the product of some distant, dark nightmare, and that the creature surpassed the power of the greatest quori. It set about devouring the Realm of Dreams, intent on consuming the unknowable dream that made up the heart of Dal Quor. Some legends theorize that the quori's invasion of Xen'Drik was actually an attempt to flee the rampaging terror of Chupoclops, and that when the giants severed the link to the Material Plane from Dal Quor, Chupoclops was somehow banished into non-reality as Dal Quor went spiraling off its rotational orbit. Lost in the unreality between the planes, Chupoclops became a vestige.
Dahlver-Nar
Dahlver-Nar's origin story is largely the same as it is in the Tome of Magic, except that he was originally a cleric of the Church of the Silver Flame who became obsessed with the vestiges, and was cast out of the church for his heresy.
Dantalion
Binder scholars continue to debate the origins of Dantalion. Some believe Dantalion is the conglomeration of outraged souls of noble houses and kings who fell from power when the Inspired took over Sarlona. Others claim that Dantalion consists of the lingering essences of noble families who bore aberrant dragonmarks and fell from grace during the War of the Mark. Because of the association with aberrant dragonmarks, the summoning of Dantalion is reviled by the Dragonmarked Houses in particular, while those who secretly possess the ill-favored aberrant marks seek Dantalion's power and hope to avenge those lost during the War of the Mark.
Eligor
In Eberron, Eligor was an elf of Aerenal, a champion of the Undying Court who led many elven armies to victory against the dragons of Argonnessen. A cousin to the noble line of House Vol, Eligor was outraged and ashamed when his own kin revealed their secret pact with the dragons, and the creation of the half-elf, half-dragon abomination that was Erandis d'Vol. Eligor participated in the purges that led to the destruction of House Vol, but the carnage lay heavy upon his heart. Having fought dragons and his own elven kin, Eligor lost his will to live. Somehow, the strange necromantic energies of Aerenal prevented him from truly dying, and he became the vestige he is today.
Eurynome
Eurynome's true origins remain a mystery. Some believe that she was a night hag who betrayed her fiendish allies and joined the dragons and couatls in ending the Age of Demons. Others theorize she was an ally of Eberron and Siberys, the great Progenitor Dragons, and that she gave her life alongside Eberron to seal away Khyber and become one with the surface of the world. Some even claim that Eurynome and Eberron are one and the same, and that she is the vestigial remains of the Dragon Between's consciousness.
Focalor
Focalor's origins remain the same as originally described: that is, completely unknown.
Geryon
Having trouble with Geryon... Any ideas?
Haagenti
Haagenti was a female minotaur who once lived in the Byeshk mountains to the north of modern day Droaam. She periodically led her fellow minotaurs on raids deep into the forests of the Eldeen Reaches, where she terrorized the orc and goblinoid communities there in the days before the Daelkyr War. On one of these raids, Haagenti stumbled upon a nymph's grove. The creature was so beautiful that Haagenti was enthralled, and she swore not to harm the fey or reveal its presence to the other minotaurs if the nymph would grant her the same beauty. The nymph agreed to the minotaur's request, on the one condition that she go on a great quest for her. Haagenti eagerly agreed, and the nymph sent her on a journey deep into the Demon Wastes to retrieve one of the fabled Tears of Siberys, a legendary frozen artifact, supposedly shed from Siberys himself before he died. Though the quest was long and arduous, Haagenti eventually retrieved the Tear of Siberys, and returned to the grove of the nymph. Upon giving the Tear to the fey, the nymph revealed herself to actually be a horrid night hag in disguise. A member of the Lords of Dust, the night hag wanted the Tear for her own foul purposes. Horrified, Haagenti tried to kill the hag, but the magic pact she swore to the nymph had not been undone, and Haagenti was frozen solid. Supposedly, winter came early that year, and lasted far longer than it otherwise should have. Apparently, Haagenti's wronged spirit became a vestige, forever bewitched by false beauty.
Halphax
The gnomes of Zilargo have maintained their way of life for centuries, not through skill at arms, but with words and diplomacy. Even at the height of the Dhakaani Empire, the gnomes enjoyed a relative degree of independence. Halphax was a talented gnome architect who was hired by many hobgoblin warlords to construct impressive fortresses and siege engines. He was one of the greatest architects ever to live, and many of the castles designed by Halphax still stand to this day, either as ruins from the Age of Monsters or repurposed by other nations. Halphax charged large amounts of money for his genius, and most of the Dhakaani warlords were happy to comply. One ambitious hobgoblin warlord, however, kidnapped Halphax's wife and held her hostage, forcing the gnome to build him the most impregnable fortress city ever known. Halphax obliged, but the hobgoblin's rivals refused to let him hoard such a valuable resource as the genius architect. Though it took a year and a day to penetrate the city's impressive defenses, finally the hobgoblin warlord's army was scattered, and he was put to the sword. Tragically, Halphax's wife had been killed in the last days of the battle. When the victorious goblin alliance searched the city for the gnome, they found only his wife's body. Halphax disappeared into his ultimate fortress, never to be seen again. He now exists as a powerful and little-known vestige.
Haures
Much of Haures' story remains the same in Eberron. He was a low-ranking rakshasa in life, who grew bored of the scheming machinations of the Lords of Dust, and decided to amuse himself as a powerful lord in the human lands of pre-Galifar Khorvaire. His ethereal tower supposedly stood in northern Karrnath, where the rakshasa slowly lost his grip on reality and eventually turned into a vestige.
Ipos
Ipos' story remains mostly the same in Eberron as presented in the Tome of Magic. A powerful spellcaster and scholar, Ipos is believed to have lived in pre-Galifar Khorvaire, most likely in what would eventually become Cyre. Some believe Ipos was a blood relative of the noble houses that would eventually become House Orien, primarily because of his legendary obsession with travel to places beyond even the scope of the Material Plane.
Karsus
Legends claim that Karsus, a powerful human spellcaster, sought to steal the powers of the Shadow, the dark god of magic cast from Aureon's body. He believed that as the sentient shadow of Aureon, the Shadow was not a true deity, or at the very least, much less powerful than the other gods, and that its power could be harnessed by a mortal with enough skill and power. Some say that the Shadow struck him down for his hubris, and cast his soul into the darkness beyond reality, turning him into a vestige. Others believe that he almost succeeded, but his mortal form could not contain the unbridled power of a deific being, and he was warped into a vestige before his apotheosis was complete. Many scholars believe that certain manifest zones to Mabar are the sight of Karsus' attempt to absorb the Shadow's power, although there is no conclusive evidence for any of them.
Leraje
Leraje's story is slightly different in Eberron. A champion of the Undying Court on Aerenal, Leraje defended the island home of the elves from the dragons of Argonnessen with her masterful skills with the bow. Eventually, her fellow soldiers began to claim that her archery skills surpassed even those of the greatest archer among the Undying Court. Said ancient, powerful deathless elf challenged Leraje to an archery contest, with the target being her heart, and Leraje wound up killing herself in the same way described in the Tome of Magic. Unwilling to allow Leraje to join the Undying for her pride, her restless spirit became a vestige.
Malphas
Malphas' legend is much the same in Eberron, except that he was an ambitious noble on the island of Aerenal in the distant past. It seems the weird necromantic energies of Aerenal are particularly prone to producing vestiges...
Marchosias
Marchosias' tale is much the same in Eberron, except that his soul was sent to Dolurrh upon his death, as normal. However, the number of souls he had sent there himself were so outraged at Marchosias' presence that they actually managed to overcome the mind-numbing stupor of the Realm of the Dead and destroy Marchosias' soul before the Maruts and Nalfeshnees could stop the mass of rebellious dead.
Naberius
Naberius is a mysterious and ancient vestige in Eberron. Historically, his name and form have changed many times, and some scholars postulate that Naberius was a doppelganger or other shapeshifter in life. Some even think he was a favored servant of the Traveller before deciding to journey beyond the limits of reality.
Orthos
An ancient and alien vestige, very little is known about Orthos, though his symbol and mentions of his name appear throughout history, on all the major continents of Eberron. Some believe Orthos is somehow tied to the Draconic Prophecy, and some legends say that Orthos is the missing thirteenth moon of Eberron. Whatever the truth, Orthos is silent and distant.
Otiax
The mysterious vestige known as Otiax is believed to be closely tied to Xoriat, the Realm of Madness. Some scholars postulate that Otiax is the remains of a daelkyr that was destroyed during the invasion of Khorvaire near the end of the Age of Monsters. Others believe that Otiax was formed when the Gatekeepers severed the link between Xoriat and the Material Plane, and that he is somehow the key to returning Xoriat back to its proper orbit. Whatever it is, it refuses to provide any insight, and the daelkyr themselves are far too insane and distant to provide any insight, even to their most devoted servants.
Paimon
Paimon's legend is mostly the same in Eberron. He is a relatively new vestige, having lived and died in pre-Galifar Breland.
Ronove
Ronove's story is essentially the same in Eberron. She was a monk and ascetic who lived in ancient Sarlona, thousands of years before the rise of the Inspired. Some believe her influence helped spread the use of psionics across the ancestral home of humanity, and that the monks of Adar can trace their lines back to Ronove's teachings.
Savnok
In life, Savnok was a powerful rakshasa zakya, a servant of the Lords of Dust who spread terror and violence throughout western Khorvaire. Shortly after the formation of the Church of the Silver Flame, a lone paladin, armed with her blessed bow and arrows, sought out Savnok. The two engaged in an epic battle, but in the end the paladin's magic arrows pierced Savnok's fiendish armor and slew him. Such was Savnok's hatred and stubborn malice that his soul refused to truly die, and he became a vestige.
Shax
While the ancient giant empire of Xen'Drik is well known for its cruelty towards the ancient elves, few realize that the giants' tyranny extended into the ocean. The sahuagin tribes of Shargon's Teeth were enslaved by the giants, and the cruel storm giant Shax ruled these slaves in her own personal underwater kingdom with an iron fist. During the upheavals of the Quori invasion and the subsequent uprising of the elves, the sahuagin seized the opportunity to rebel against Shax and her servants. Such was Shax's terrible power that it seemed like the sahuagin would all perish before her wrath, even as the rest of Xen'Drik burned. In desperation, the sahuagin prayed to the Devourer to lend them aid, and at the darkest hour, when Shax and her giant soldiers had the last pocket of sahuagin resistance cornered, a terrible host of krakens appeared from the depths and decimated the giant forces. When the bloody waters had cleared, the sahuagin emerged to find the giants utterly destroyed. Shax's body was nowhere to be found, however, and thereafter she appeared as a vestige of the deeps.
Tenebrous
I'm having trouble with Tenebrous... Any ideas?
Zagan
Zagan's legend remains much the same. He was a powerful yuan-ti lord who rose to power in the ruins of the giants' once-proud empire on Xen'Drik.