name = Inspiré image = caption = The Inspiré, from Races of Eberron aliases =The Chosen;<br/> Empty Vessels (when not channeling their il-altas or "great spirits") distinctions = height = 5'8“ - 6'3” weight = 130-220 lbs. lifespan =

language = Commun, Quorien, Riedran

The Inspiré are a race of beautiful Humains from the continent of Sarlona that rule the Unity of Riedra.

The Inspiré first appeared during the events of Le Fractionnement to save the people of Sarlona from the terrors unleashed in the conflict, and were given the mantle of rulership by the various cultures that now make up the Unity of Riedra in gratitude.

They are said to be descended from some mixing of Humain, elvish, and fiendish blood.

The Inspiré are Chosen vessels that have been possessed by a Quorien spirit. Ruling over the ever expanding nation of Riedra in Sarlona the Inspiré have slowly began expanding into Khorvaire, starting to make trips to its eastern shores.

Chosen not currently inhabited by a Quorien are known simply as “empty vessels.”

The Inspiré are powerful Psions and may embed Fragments de Siberys into their bodies to enhance their innate psi-like abilities.

The Inspiré make up the highest echelon of Riedran society.

The Chosen are the mortal apotheosis of the cycles of spiritual rebirth and growth known as the Chemin de l'Inspiration. Followers of this faith believe the Chosen the mortal vessels for the il-altas, or great spirits, and that the Inspiré will join their number on death.

Through their powers and the faith of the Chemin de l'Inspiration the Inspiré rule the various cultures of Humains, Changelins, Férals, Ogres, and oni of Riedra and much of the continent of Sarlona.

The Quorien of Dal Quor that puppet the Inspiré view the Rêve Obscur as their god, with themselves as its immortal angels.

“Kill me a thousand times. It will not matter. I will always return, and when the time is right I will have my vengeance.” same bonus on weapon damage rolls against animals. —Lady Kashanshara of the Rêve Obscur Against Humains, a lath gains a +2 bonus on these skill checks and on weapon damage rolls. Humainity was born in Riedra, but Humain beings no Animal Companion (Ex): This lath has a Longues-griffes longer rule the land of their birth. The lords of Riedra animal companion. Statistics are found on page 279 are slender and elegant, with delicate features that of the EBERRON Campaign Setting. Bonus trick: attack. Swift Tracker (Ex): Track at normal speed without –5 hint at elf blood. This beauty is a deceptive façade. The penalty, or track at double speed with –10 penalty. people of Riedra believe that their rulers are Inspiré by Wild Empathy (Ex): A lath can improve the attitude ancient wisdom. In truth, they are vessels of darkness of an animal in the same way that a Diplomacy check who have willingly surrendered their bodies to dark can improve the attitude of a sentient being. The lath spirits from the Outer Planes.

THE Inspiré

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vessels; as the planes grow closer, their power continues to grow. Power Groups: Thirty-six fortress-metropoli are in Riedra. Each fortress has an overlord, supported by an efficient bureaucracy formed of lesser Inspiré and empty vessels. As a whole, the country is ruled by a council of Maîtres Démoniaques, who meet in Dal Quor each night to discuss the affairs of the nation. This council is responsible for maintaining the affairs of Riedra, but it is the Rêve Obscur that determines the destiny of the quori. The Dévoreur of Dreams stands above the council, and any agent of the Rêve Obscur can command the obedience of a member of the Riedran court. The Rêve Obscur is most active in Khorvaire and Xen’drik. Its agents are rarely seen in Sarlona, and the Commun folk know nothing about L'Ombrey cabal. After centuries of conditioning and exposure to the hanbalani, the people adore their Inspiré Maîtres Démoniaques and have complete faith in their enlightened masters. The security of Riedra lies in the hands of the Thousand Eyes. The Inspiré commanders of the Thousand Eyes oversee military operations, including coastal defense and the continued siege of Adar. They also maintain a vast web of spies and assassins within Riedra. These agents primarily watch for foreigners and kalashtar saboteurs. If any Riedran should turn against the Inspiré or threaten the stability of the nation, however, the Eyes will quickly cut him down. The bulk of the Eyes are Humain rogues and monks, while the commanders and elite agents are Inspiré soulknives, telepaths, and psychic warriors. Beliefs: The beliefs of the citizens of Riedra have been carefully crafted to serve the needs of the Inspiré. They believe that existence is a long cycle of physical reincarnation en route to spiritual enlightenment. Enlightenment comes from hard work and serenely accepting your place in society. A Riedran doesn’t expect to achieve anything in his current lifetime, but if he works diligently and obeys the Inspiré, his soul will be reborn in a higher state in his next life. Riedrans don’t believe in the existence of other planes, gods, or outsiders; they say that everything is a manifestation of the Humain spirit. Démon and gods alike are the remnants of twisted souls who strayed from the true path and must now be destroyed. Arcane magic and divine magic both draw on the power of these twisted spirits, and by using these forces a character puts his own soul at risk; as a result, no loyal Riedran would consider becoming a spellcaster. The Inspiré are believed to be the hosts of the most enlightened spirits, allowing the greatest souls of the past to guide the people in the present; their psionic powers come from within and are the result of their bond with the universe, unlike the unnatural powers of a wizard or a cleric.

OTHER RACES

The Inspiré are a race created through generations of controlled breeding and psionic manipulation. This created a subspecies of Humainity ideally suited to channeling the essence of a quori spirit. Only a fraction of these vessels ever bond with quori and become Inspiré; the majority serve as administrators in the courts of Riedra and captains in the armed forces, fulfilling tasks too important to be trusted to Humain hands yet too demeaning for one of the Inspiré to handle. For more than a thousand years, the quori have focused their energy on Sarlona. In the last millennium they have forged the disparate kingdoms into a mighty empire, transformed the populace into an army of devoted followers, and created a race of perfect hosts. Now the Inspiré are turning their attention to Khorvaire. Inspiré ambassadors can be found in most of the courts of Khorvaire, and some have taken up positions as advisers to noble families or guilds. The more dangerous quori are those who cannot be easily seen: the agents of the Dreaming Dark, who have used the chaos of the La Dernière Guerre to gain footholds throughout the Cinq Nations. Slowly, they are building their power—and the adventurers may be the only force that can oppose their plans. Lands: Riedra is a vast territory, almost as large as Khorvaire itself. The terrain is dominated by temperate plains and gentle hills, but forests, deserts, and mountains are scattered across the realm. Settlements: The communities of Riedra come in two sizes: small and enormous. Most people live in self-sufficient agricultural villages. Each network of villages is supported by a massive fortress-metropolis, which is home to the Inspiré who govern the region. The overall aesthetic of Inspiré cities is odd to Humain eyes; structures are built from crystal and glass alloyed with iron or hardened through the power of thought, and everything is curved and bent. These cities are beautiful, but they are dizzying and strange to foreign eyes. At night the buildings glow with an inner light, powered by the thoughts and dreams of the inhabitants. One of the many wonders of Riedra are the hanbalani altas, or “sanctuaries for the soul.” These are monoliths of stone and crystal, so large that they Nain the nearby cities. The Inspiré devote a tremendous amount of resources and manpower to the construction and maintenance of the hanbalani. The people of Riedra believe that these monuments are tombs for the memories of the departed—that the essence of the dead remains within a hanbalan while preparing to move on to the next life. In truth, the hanbalani are psionic anchors. Powered by the dreams of Riedra, these monoliths are slowly pulling Dal Quor into alignment with Eberron, repairing the damage done in the cataclysm that destroyed Xen’drik. Already, the quori have gained the power to possess creatures beyond their custom-bred

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OTHER RACES

These beliefs extend to the vessel families as well as the Commun peasantry; empty vessels eagerly await the chance to serve as bearers of the wisdom of the past, believing that it is the final step to enlightenment. Through the course of the bonding a vessel will eventually learn the true nature of his quori partner, but most vessels are soon corrupted by the power of the Inspiré personality and no longer care about their old beliefs. Riedrans consider all foreigners to be barbarians. Foreigners live for the pleasures of the moment and risk their eternal souls for temporary power. They are superstitious fools who make up gods and Démon to avoid facing their own fears. They are violent and dangerous. As a result of these beliefs, Riedrans pity foreigners and do their best to avoid them. As for the Inspiré themselves, the quori believe only in the quori and the supremacy of the Dreaming Dark. The Dark is their god, and they see themselves as angels: divine and immortal, superior to any creature of mere flesh and blood. Humains are toys and cattle, tools to be put to use and thrown away when they have served their purposes. Language: Riedran is the dominant tongue of the land. All vessels learn Quor, which is considered to be the language of the enlightened; most business in the Riedran courts is conducted in Quor. Many vessels learn Commun in order to conduct business in foreign courts. Relations: Throughout the history of Galifar, Riedra was an isolationist nation that had virtually no contact

with the outside world. Over the last forty years this changed dramatically. Today Inspiré ambassadors can be found in cities across the globe. Beautiful, clever, and generous with the wealth of their nation, the Inspiré have found favor in the courts of Khorvaire. While they maintain a strict policy of neutrality, the lords of Riedra have strong ties to the young nation of Q’barra. The Inspiré want access to the rich dragonshard deposits of Q’barra; the Q’barrans primarily trade for food and spices, but they have also accepted the aid of Riedran troops, allowing the Inspiré to establish two garrisons to help defend against the Homme-lézards and Lhazaar raiders. So far the Riedran soldiers have been a great help for the people of Q’barra, but the time could come when this foothold will prove a threat to Q’barra and Khorvaire itself.

Inspiré CHARACTERS Inspiré are not intended for use as player characters. Virtual immortality and biplanar existence are both difficult abilities to balance within a party. The kalashtar are a better match for PC adventurers; newborn kalashtar (see page 59) are an option for characters who want to have a close tie to the Inspiré for purposes of backstory. Adventuring Inspiré: The Inspiré have no interest in personal wealth or power; their daily life is merely a shadow of their true life on Dal Quor. An Inspiré may assemble a team of dungeon delvers to

pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs ROLEPLAYING AN Inspiré The Inspiré are cunning and subtle creatures. As true immortals, their patience is even greater than that of the elves; an Inspiré scheme may take years or even centuries to come to fruition. If the Inspiré have a racial flaw, it is their arrogance. An Inspiré considers all mortal creatures to be animals, incapable of matching wits with an immortal; this may cause the Inspiré to underestimate the abilities of an adventuring party. The Inspiré are also extremely vain. They can overcome this flaw in order to accomplish a critical mission, but in general they expect to have the best of everything: fine clothes, exotic foods, and most of all beautiful hosts. An Inspiré will quickly abandon a host who is crippled, disfigured, or beginning to suffer the ravages of age. When dealing with the Inspiré, it is important to bear their biplanar nature in mind. The quori spirit within the Inspiré returns to Dal Quor while its host is asleep or unconscious. Because of the time differential between the planes, this means that a quori spends 40 hours in Dal Quor for every 20 hours it spends in the waking world. Among other things, this gives the Inspiré an unparalleled ability to communicate and scheme. An Inspiré spy in Fort-de-la-Flamme and an infiltrator in Sharn can

meet every night in Dal Quor and spend hours planning their next moves. Being virtually immortal, Inspiré make ideal recurring villains. Death and imprisonment are only temporary setbacks for an agent of the Rêve Obscur; as soon as she settles into a new vessel, she can return to battle the party once more. The Inspiré should be the villains adventurers love to hate, turning up when least expected. After all, can a character ever be certain that the seemingly harmless innkeeper isn’t possessed by his archenemy Torashana? Here are some tips and ideas to use when playing one of the Inspiré. These apply only if the true nature of the character is known; otherwise, the quori acts in a manner that fits its current disguise. In a diplomatic situation, appear to be kind, generous, and understanding. Always maintain your composure and your manners. When your true nature is revealed, turn cold, calculating, and cruel. Look for any opportunity to sow discord between characters. Sense Motive and telepathy allow you to identify touchy subjects—use these to your advantage. Always remember that nothing that happens in this world can truly harm you. Laugh off threats of torture or death. The only thing that you fear is the Rêve Obscur itself.

pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs

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EL 8: This is a typical Inspiré observer and insurgent. She could be encountered as an ambassador, a socialite, or an advisor to a wealthy family or guild. Combat is not her specialty; she will try to study the characters, learn their weaknesses, and use her unnatural charisma and mental powers to trick others into destroying the party.

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Inspiré Manipulator: Female Inspiré psion (telepath) 5/monk 2; CR 8; Medium Humainoid (Humain); HD 5d4 plus 2d8+12; hp 37; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +3; Grp +2; Atk +2 melee (1d6–1, unarmed strike); Full Atk +2 melee (1d6–1, unarmed strike); SA psi-like abilities; SQ dual spirits, evasion, flurry of blows; AL LE; SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +12; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 19, Wis 18, Cha 21. Skills and Feats: Autohypnosis +13, Bluff +20, Concentration +13 (+17 to gain psionic focus), Diplomacy +22, Disguise +5 (+7 when imitating a Humain), Gather Information +10, Hide +6, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +9, Knowledge (the planes) +16, Knowledge (Psioniques) +16, Listen +9, Move Silently +13, Psicraft +16, Sense Motive +18, Spot +13; Deflect ArrowsB, Greater Psionic EndowmentB, Improved Unarmed StrikeB, Narrow Mind, Psionic Body, Inspiré ENCOUNTERS Psionic Endowment, Psionic The schemes of the Inspiré should be difficult for a mortal mind to MeditationB, Strength of Two, unravel. Any single encounter is Stunning FistB. probably part of a larger scheme. If *New feat described in this book. the party finds and destroys a thieves’ A pair of Inspiré—a female soulknife Psi-Like Abilities: 1/day—body adjustand a male psion guild controlled by the Inspiré, it’s ment, id insinuation (DC 17), mindlink, psionic charm (DC 15), recall agony (DC possible that’s exactly what the Inspiré 17); 3/day—body equilibrium, far hand, inertial armor, wanted; a month later the party may discover that the psionic scent. Manifester level 6th. power vacuum created by the destruction of the guild Telepath Powers Known (power points 42, maniallowed the Inspiré to establish a new and stronger fester level 5th): 1st—conceal thoughts A , defensive guild in place of the original. The goals of the Inspiré should always be a mystery. The party may learn the precognitionA , mind thrustA (DC 15), mindlinkA , psionic truth in time, but it should never be easy. charmA (DC 15); 2nd—brain lockA (DC 16), cloud mind With the notable exception of soulknife assassins, (DC 16), psionic suggestionA (DC 16), read thoughts (DC the Inspiré prefer to avoid direct combat. The weapons 16); 3rd—hostile empathic transferA (DC 17), time hop of the Inspiré are guile and psionic manipulation. An (DC 17). A: Power can be augmented. Inspiré is far more likely to trick the local guards or thieves’ guild into attacking the PCs than to face them Possessions: brooch of shielding, ring of protection +1, cloak in open combat. of resistance, headband of intellect +2, psionic tattoo of body

Illus. by S. Prescott

obtain an artifact on behalf of the Rêve Obscur or to carry out a short-term mission for the nightmare realm. Such adventurers will usually pose as kalashtar and employ Humain and demiHumain dupes to help accomplish the mission. Character Development: The Inspiré generally avoid physical combat. Their feats and powers are typically oriented around mental manipulation and the acquisition of information. Inspiré who do focus on the arts of war are generally monks or soulknives. With the addition of the psionic feats presented in the Expanded Psioniques Handbook and this book, these stealthy warriors can be unpleasant surprises for any party not familiar with their hidden techniques. Character Names: Inspiré names have much in Commun with those of the kalashtar, since both are based on the Quor tongue. Inspiré names are usually three to five syllables long, with a combination of hard and hissing consonants. Male Names: Alharad, Duralan, Farashan, Jolorath, Laramesk, Moshakel, Shoralath, Zorash. Female Names: Adashara, Daralashtai, Halatavi, Kashanshara, Morasha, Olashtai, Sharaktavi, Torali.

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adjustment, psionic tattoo of concealing amorphia, psionic tattoo of elfsight.

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Inspiré ADVENTURES Foreigners are not welcome in Riedra, so it is more likely that the Inspiré will come to the party than that the adventurers will journey to the land of the Inspiré. Because of the quori power of possession, almost any adventure can turn out to have a tie to the Inspiré. An evil wizard, a mercenary leader, a suspicious prince— anyone could be a servant or host of the quori. • A priest of the Flamme d'Argent hates Férals. He has given his body to a quori spirit so that the quori can use its powers to stir up a crusade against the local Féral population. Can the party put an end to the racial violence? Why do the Inspiré want to eliminate Férals? • A kalashtar monk hires the adventurers to join her on an expedition into Xen’drik. She is trying to find an artifact from the first war with the Quorienen before it can fall into the hands of the Rêve Obscur or the Order of the Griffe Émeraude. In reality, she is an Inspiré agent of the Dark. Will the adventurers recognize the truth before it’s too late? • A kalashtar elder asks an adventurer to penetrate the depths of Riedra and destroy one of the hanbalani. Can the party penetrate the borders of this mysterious land and evade the Thousand Eyes long enough to accomplish their mission? Can they find a way to escape with their lives?

HOMUNCULI A homunculus i s a construct servant created fo r certain tasks. Artificers and wizards are responsible for most of the homunculi in existence. Each kind of homunculus has a body constructed from different kinds of materials, including clay, iron, and bits of hair and feathers. The process that creates a homunculus sees those materials mixed with the creator's blood and animated through an extended magical ritual. Constructed Nature. A homunculus doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep. EXPEDITIOUS MES SENGER An expeditious messenger is a speedy flier, designed to quickly carry messages for its creator. Their speedy and efficient attitude makes expeditious messengers quite chatty, and they natter on as fast as they move. These messengers come in a variety of forms, often looking like mechanical birds or sprites. I RON D EFENDER A n iron defender fights fo r its creator. They come in many shapes and are often crafted in the form of animals. More creative artificers craft iron defenders in the shape of hybrid animals or other fantastical creatures.

VAR I A N T: Q U O R I VE S S E L T h e I n spired are vessels for q uori spi rits, allowing the q uori to manifest a portion of their power while the vessel is possessed. An I nspired can gain benefits depending on the type of quori possessing it. The quori also gai n s access to the l nspired's knowledge and featu res. H A S H ALAQ Suggestion (3/Day). The I nspired can cast the suggestion spell (spell save DC 1 3) , req u i ring no material components. KALARAQ All Around Vision. The I nspired can't be su rprised. Arcane Eye (3/Day). The I nspired can cast the arcane eye spell, requ i ring no material components. Ts u co R A Fear (1/Day). The I n spired can cast the fear spell (spe l l save D C 1 3) , req uiring n o material components.