Daelkyr Half-Blood

Eberron's children are never free from the evil that is bound beneath them in the Dragon Below. At the thin places on the surface world, or even in the shadowy caverns of Khyber itself, the flesh-warping magic of the Daelkyr can twist the unborn to become Half-Bloods. These corrupted children are born alongside a monstrous symbiotic twin.

Khyber's Corruption

When the corruption of Xoriat takes hold of a pregnant mother, her child may be twisted by that evil magic as it develops. These children may be prone to fall for the outlandish promises of the Cults of the Dragon Below, but in the most extreme cases the madness of Xoriat may take physical form. A mother may find her child born alongside a twisted aberration, with the newborn pair subject to an unbreakable magical bond. The Daelkyr half-blood and symbiont are two halves of a terrifying whole.

Some families may choose to conceal a symbiont as long as possible, others may seek to destroy their child before they can realise their potential as agents of Madness.

Twin Minds

Having been shaped by the magic of Xoriat from birth, the Daelkyr half-bloods are prone to wandering sanity. However, the murmurings of a Daelkyr half-blood are not a symptom of madness, but a communication between two linked minds. Daelkyr half-bloods are in constant struggle to maintain control over their symbiotic twin, and though more often than not they are the stronger of the pair, the symbionts exact their toll as the years and decades wear on.

Some half-bloods, through choice or by submission, may come to embrace the madness of Xoriat. These half-bloods are among the truest and most powerful expressions of the will of the Daelkyr in all Eberron.

Daelkyr Half-blood Names

Daelkyr half-bloods often adopt the naming conventions of where they are raised. However, many half-bloods are ostracised or cast out of their homelands and may be inclined to choose a new name for themselves rather than use a label tied to an unforgiving homeland.

Half-bloods who embrace the madness of Xoriat, or at least express it as an aspect of their identity, may choose a Daelkyr name to either replace or use alongside their others. Some may use a Daelkyr name to refer to their symbiotic twin.

Daelkyr Half-blood by Steve Prescott

Daelkyr Half-blood Traits

The corruption of the Daelkyr grants you the following traits and abilities:

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. As with humans, half-bloods reach maturity at approximately 18 years old and can live up to a century.

Alignment. Half-bloods are often rejected from society and must struggle against the influence of their symbiotic twin. Many are chaotic and evil.

Size. Without their symbionts, Daelkyr half-bloods are indistinguishable from humans in height and build. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Thanks to your aberrant blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Aberrant Clarity. Your nature and duality give you unique insight into the way people think. You have proficiency in the Insight skill.

Unbalanced Mind. Your thoughts are shattered and erratic, and therefore difficult to influence. You have advantage on saving throws to resist becoming frightened or charmed.

Bonded Symbiont. All Daelkyr half-bloods are born alongside a bonded symbiotic twin. At 1st-level, you may select one uncommon symbiont (see below) as your bonded symbiont. If your bonded symbiont is killed, you may reform it upon completing a long rest. If you choose to do so, you do not regain any spent hit dice as part of that long rest.

You can change the form of your bonded twin to any other uncommon symbiont by spending three days of downtime in close contact with your twin. At 5th-level and higher, you may also change the form of your bonded twin to any rare symbiont.

Symbiont Dependency. If your bonded symbiont is removed, you immediately suffer one level of exhaustion. While separated from your bonded symbiont, you cannot reduce your exhaustion level when you finish a long rest. In addition, for each day you are separated you suffer one extra level of exhaustion.

Languages. You can speak, read and write

Common and one other language

of your choice.