"This is a waste of
time," Krogar snarled. "She's suffering from some sort of disease, nothing more.
We should be looking for a priest, not crawling around in her dreams."
"I am a priest,
remember?" Sera replied. "There's definitely a supernatural force at work, and
if something is keeping Rain asleep I think it's worth taking a look at her
dreams."
"And what are we
looking for?" Krogar said, as they reached the top of the crystal ridge.
Sera looked down,
shading her eyes against the violet sun. At the base of the valley, a tower rose
out of the earth. Formed of a single piece of black marble, it was carved in the
shape of a massive, withered tree trunk. As they watched, three warriors
shimmered into existence and entered the gates. "Oh
that, maybe?" Sera said.
The world of dreams can be
a dangerous place. Atlas Games' Occult Lore provides rules for
adventuring in dreams and for dealing with the natural manifestations of a
dreamer's psyche. But there are other forces lurking in the nocturnal realms.
These include the Forgotten, a fanatical cult who abandoned the material world
ages ago to haunt the realms of night. In the waking world their fortress are
dust. But they continue to fight an eternal battle, spreading terror and
nightmares throughout the world of dreams.
If one pores over dusty
tomes of history, one might find a cautionary tale of a city-state that fell to
madness hundreds of years ago. It is said that the inhabitants of the city
"
heard the call of the Voice in the Night", and that "
they became as fiends in
human form, bringing terror to lands that had only known peace." Curiously,
while these tales describe the fear that gripped the land in great detail, there
seem to be remarkably few records of death or serious damage to the surrounding
communities; it is almost as if the "fiends" were trying to scare people without
actually harming them. If this was the case, it escaped the notice of the
victims. They gathered together to fight these madmen and drove them back to the
walls of the city. But when the walls were breached, "
all within were dead as
stone, though flesh appeared untouched by blade or plague. Some said that the
fiends had drunk poison in remorse, while others praised the gods of light for
striking down the forces of darkness. All agreed that the name of the city
should never be spoken again, and that it should be torn from all records, lest
the very sound open the gates of darkness once more."
This is the outsider's
view of events. Those who once inhabited the city have a very different story to
tell a tale of sacrifice and a long journey through darkness.
The people of the city of
Kintar were prosperous and peaceful. But some among them were troubled by dark
dreams, visions in which they saw the world collapsing into flames and shadow.
Eventually a council was called to discuss these visions. At this gathering a
young oracle named Kennan proclaimed that the dreams were warnings of a possible
future. He spoke of a goddess who had created the world in her dreams, who was
now stirring in her sleep of eons; if she woke it would collapse the world back
into primal chaos. This goddess the Voice in the Night delighted in visions
of terror, and the only way to soothe her rest was to spread fear across the
land. Kennan explained that as they had been shown these visions, it was their
duty to stop them from occurring even though this would turn the world against
them, causing all to view them with hatred and fear.
And so the people of
Kintar took up arms against their neighbors. They sought to cause dread while
avoiding bloodshed, for their goal was to preserve life and not to destroy it.
But knowing only fear, their victims fought back. Ultimately they were besieged
in the city of Kintar. There Kennan spoke to the survivors, saying that there
was only one course left to them; they would abandon the world of flesh and
enter the realm of dreams, and continue their vital work there. Together with
the greatest wizards of Kintar, Kennan called upon strange powers and opened a
tear in the fabric of reality, pulling the souls from the bodies of his people
and channeling these spirits into the dreams of the world.
The city of the
Forgotten could be placed anywhere in your game world. The tale of the city of
the fiends is fairly obscure, but a character could recall the story by making
any of the following checks successfully: Bardic Lore (DC 23), Knowledge (Arcana)
(DC 28), or Knowledge (History) (DC 23). If the character makes the roll by at
least five points, he has heard rumors about the motivations of the fiends and
the tale of their escape into dreams.
For centuries the people
of Kintar were scattered throughout the dreaming minds of the world. Fighting to
survive in the nocturnal realm, many became skilled warriors and oneiromancers,
and in time the greatest dream wizards among them were able to locate the
refugees and gather them together in one place. Kennan, now an oneiromancer of
tremendous power, addressed the survivors. "We are forgotten by the world. But
our duty remains. We are the wall that stands between humanity and chaos. Let
our name remain forgotten, but let the fear that we spread bring salvation." And
so the Forgotten divided into bands, dispersing across the night to sow terror
in dreaming minds.
The inhabitants of Kintar
were predominantly human. The Forgotten are human only in appearance. Having
abandoned their physical bodies centuries ago, they now exist as creatures of
pure spirit. The Forgotten are not undead; they are living creatures who had
their life-force translated into dreams. As such, the essence of one of the
Forgotten replenishes itself over time, as opposed to a dream lich which must
drain energy from other creatures to maintain its unnatural existence. As beings
of dream energy, the Forgotten no longer need to eat or sleep, and they do not
suffer from age or illness. However, they can only exist in the dreams of other
beings; as a result, it is difficult for them to establish permanent
settlements. The leaders of the Forgotten have tried a few different approaches
to this problem. Some have settled in the dreams of fading gods or ancient
cities stagnant dreams of beings that never wake, thus leaving the Forgotten
in peace. But these nocturnal backwaters are useless to those who wish to be on
the front lines of the campaign of terror. The master oneiromancers have created
artifacts that can trap the soul of a dreamer, creating a forward base to
terrorize the dreams of those around her; each active Forgotten cell carries one
of these relics with them.
The Forgotten are
relatively few in number. Many of the original inhabitants of Kintar died before
the transition into dreams, and those that survived can no longer reproduce as
flesh and blood creatures do. When one of the Forgotten reaches a certain level
of spiritual strength it may choose to divide its energy, creating two weaker
spirits with the memories and form of the original. But many of the Forgotten
never attain this level of energy, while others usually those diminished by
ennui or repeated defeat in battle eventually lose the ability to maintain a
coherent form. The oneiromancers try to preserve the memories of these weak
souls by storing them in mystical pendants, with the hope that they may one day
be reconstituted. But for now, the Forgotten are a slowly dying race. As a
result, they operate in small groups. A cell of around twenty individuals will
establish a beachhead in the mind of a vulnerable dreamer. Scouts examine nearby
dreams, paving the way for small strike teams to spread terror across the local
dreamscape. Forgotten cells rarely stay in one location for more than a month
before moving along in search of fresh minds.
Forgotten society is bleak
and austere. While they live in a world of dreams and have the power to create
visions of joy and happiness, they are driven by their sacred mission and have
no energy to spare creating comforts for themselves. The Forgotten are not evil;
they truly believe that through their actions they are saving lives and
preventing the destruction of the world. However, centuries of causing
nightmares, never eating, never sleeping, never watching children grow or living
in a normal family have taken their toll on the minds of the Forgotten. They are
warriors who have been fighting a war for centuries, a war they can never win,
and as a result they have become somewhat inured to the pain that they cause.
While their goal is to save humanity, and while they do not act with malicious
intent, the Forgotten are not truly good; the best they can do is to cling to
grim neutrality. The warriors and scouts rarely speak, caught in a constant
struggle with despair and pessimism. The oneiromancers are often more talkative
and possess powerful personalities that keep the cells moving, but they are
obsessed with their cause and have little interest in other subjects.
The Forgotten are a
race of humans who abandoned their physical bodies to exist in dreams. A member
of the Forgotten generally maintains the appearance she had in her mortal life,
but it is a simple matter for her to alter her appearance by using Lucid
Dreaming to mimic change self. In dreams, language is no barrier, but the
Forgotten do share a noticeable accent. Everything about the Forgotten, from
their black and gray clothing to their identical weapons, is designed for pure
function. They are obsessed with their quest and have no time for aesthetics.
One notable thing
about the Forgotten is how they are affected when they are slain in dreams.
Unlike mortals, the Forgotten cannot return to the waking world; they have no
bodies to return to. Instead, they are dispersed into the dreamscape. Once
slain, the Forgotten cannot return to the dreams of the individual whose mind he
was killed in, and he can never again enter that person's dreams. But within 24
hours he can reform in any adjacent dreamscape. The only way to permanently kill
one of the Forgotten is through damage inflicted by an oneiric bolt
spell. With that said, each death does drain the energy of the spirit;
weaker-willed members of the Forgotten may lose the ability to maintain a
coherent form after multiple deaths. The memories of these individuals are
stored in dream cameos. The master oneiromancers have been searching for
a way to restore these lost souls, but so far without success.
Statistics are
provided for the most commonly encountered members of the Forgotten, along with
their preferred tactics. It is possible to encounter Forgotten of different
levels or with other skills. In particular, the statistics for the Forgotten
Oneiromancer are those of a combat-oriented sorcerer; an oneiromancer dedicated
to research would have more craft skills and item creation feats. Other classes
are rarely seen, however. In particular, there are no clerics among the
Forgotten. The only deity they acknowledge is the Voice in the Night, and they
do not worship her instead, they fight their endless struggle to prevent her
from rising.
Forgotten Scout (2nd level dream warrior/4th level rogue)
CR 6; SZ M
(outsider); HD 2d8+4d6; hp 23; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30
ft; AC 14 (+2 leather armor, +2 Dex); Atk melee +8 (1d8+3/19-20/x2, +2
longsword), ranged +9 (1d8+2/crit 20/x3, +2 composite longbow); Face
5 ft. X 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft; SQ: +2d6 Sneak Attack, Dreamsteel, Evasion, Forgotten
Racial Traits, Uncanny Dodge; AL N; SV Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +6; Str 12, Dex 14,
Con 11, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 9
Dream
Points: 35
Skills: Balance +9, Climb+6, Hide +10, Jump +8, Listen +7, Lucid Dreaming
+11, Move Silently +10, Spot +10, Tumble +9, Wilderness Lore +6
Feats:
Dream Spy (See below), Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot,
Track
Special Qualities:
Dreamsteel See the Dream Warrior
description on page @@.
Evasion If a successful Reflex
saving throw should result in half damage, it instead results in no damage.
Forgotten Racial Traits All
Forgotten may purchase Intimidate and Lucid Dreaming as class skills. Forgotten
receive a +4 racial bonus when making skill checks with these skills. Due to
centuries of single-minded dedication to their cause, Forgotten receive a +4
racial bonus to resist mind-altering effects, including magical effects and uses
of social skills like Intimidate, Bluff, or Diplomacy. Finally, members of the
Forgotten regain 10% of their total dream points every hour.
Uncanny Dodge Gains Dex bonus to AC
even while flatfooted.
Forgotten scouts are
usually solo operatives. A scout will enter a dream in advance of a strike team
in order to map its borders, study the host, and determine if there are any
outside forces at work in the dream. She will use the Dream Spy feat and Study
Dream Host action to find out all that she can about the dreamer and any
intruders.
Forgotten Warrior (6th level dream warrior)
CR 6; SZ M
(outsider); HD 6d8+6; hp 33; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Increased Initiative); Spd 30
ft; AC 18 (+5 chainmail, +2 large steel shield, +1 Dex); Atk melee +11/6 (1d8+4/crit
19-20/x2, +2 longsword); Face 5 ft. X 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft; SQ: Dreamsteel,
Emulate Feat, Forgotten Racial Traits, Weightless Armor; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref
+3, Will +7; Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 9
Dream
Points: 44
Skills: Balance +8, Lucid Dreaming +11, Jump +10, Spot +10, Tumble +10
Feats:
Blind-Fight (Invisible attackers get no bonus in melee; may reroll first attack
that misses as a result of concealment; darkness reduces speed to
three-quarters; blindness reduces speed to one-half), Cleave (May make one
additional melee attack immediately after dropping an opponent), Increased
Initiative, Power Attack (May reduce chance to hit by up to 6 to add an equal
amount to damage), Sunder (May strike a weapon without provoking an attack of
opportunity), Weapon Focus (Longsword) (+1 to hit with longswords)
Special Qualities:
Dreamsteel, Emulate Feat,
Weightless Armor See the Dream Warrior description on page @@.
Forgotten Racial Traits See
description under Forgotten Scout.
Forgotten
Oneiromancer (4th Level sorcerer/6th Level oneiromancer)
CR 10; SZ M
(outsider); HD 10d4 + 25% (Reinforced Self-Image); hp 32; Init +5 (+1 Dexterity,
+4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft; AC 15 (+1 Dexterity, +4 mage armor);
Atk melee +4 (1d8-1/crit 19-20/x2, longsword); Face 5 ft. X 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft;
SQ Dreamreader, Forgotten Racial Traits, Reinforced Self-Image, Stabilize
Spellcasting; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +5; Str 9, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 12,
Wis 17, Cha 16
Dream
Points: 90
Skills: Concentration +13, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Lucid Dreaming +16, Sense
Motive +12, Spellcraft +7
Feats:
Dodge (+1 AC bonus against a single opponent), Improved Initiative, Silent Spell
(May remove verbal component; spell requires +1 level spell slot), Spell Focus
(Enchantment), Spell Focus (Illusion)
Special Qualities:
Dreamreader The oneiromancer gains a +6 to all Study Dream Host checks.
Forgotten Racial Traits See
description under Forgotten Scout.
Reinforced Self-Image The
oneiromancer gains an additional 25% bonus to his hit points while dreaming.
Stabilize Spellcasting Spells cast
by the oneiromancer always have their intended effect, ignoring the usual chance
for spell malfunction within dreams.
Spells: 6/7/7/7/5/3/0/0/0/0 per day. DC 13 + spell level, 15 + spell level
for illusions or enchantments (indicated by an asterisk).
0 level:
arcane mark, dancing lights*, daze*, detect magic, detect poison, flare,
ghost sounds*, light, mage hand
1st
level: cause fear, change self, mage armor, silent image*, ventriloquism*
2nd
level: blindness/deafness, detect thoughts, minor image*, scare
3rd
level: emotion*, major image*, oneiric bolt
4th
level: circle of dreams, phantasmal killer*
5th
level: greater shadow conjuration*
Strike teams
typically consist of two warriors and one oneiromancer. All three individuals
will be wearing linked bonds of the spirit. These magic rings allow the
wearer to transfer up to 10 hit points or dream points to another ringwearer as
a partial action. In addition, if a ringwearer suffers an injury or uses a Lucid
Dreaming action that should reduce her hit points or dream points below five,
the excess is divided up between the other ringwearers (unless this loss would
reduce the new target below five hit points or dream points, in which case the
original character pays the cost).
The goal of a
Forgotten strike force is to spread nightmares, not quick slaughter. If a scout
locates outsiders in a dream, they will be seen as a welcome bonus a chance to
terrorize multiple minds at once. Members of the strike force will approach the
party under cover of invisibility (using Mimic Spell Effect to produce
this effect) or improved invisibility in the case of an oneiromancer.
Using Silent Spell in order to remain undetected, the oneiromancer will then use
detect thoughts, emotion (despair), major image, and
phantasmal killer. Detect thoughts will be used to try to isolate
fears or hidden secrets. Major image can create scenes that highlight
those fears or bring dark secrets to light. Emotion (despair) will
generally weaken resolve and defense. And phantasmal killer well,
friends suddenly dropping dead is certainly disturbing, provided someone is left
alive to appreciate it. In addition to these spells, the oneiromancer can use
the Modify Reality function of Lucid Dreaming to cause even greater changes in a
dream twisting the environment to fit the needs of the nightmare.
The warriors are
there to serve as bodyguards for the oneiromancer; they will protect him should
he be spotted, and they will help to eliminate the victims once the
oneiromancer's planned nightmare has run its course.
Never forget that
the Forgotten are masters of Lucid Dreaming. An encounter with the Forgotten is
a chance to show your players the full potential of the Lucid Dreaming skill.
Forgotten warriors will use their dream points to emulate feats and increase the
threat range of attacks in order to strike with flurries of critical hits.
Oneiromancers will support their allies by twisting probability or reality,
causing player characters to have terrible luck while increasing the abilities
of their enemies.
The weapons listed
in the entries for the scout and warrior have been created using Dreamsteel. As
a result, they will vanish should they leave the wielder's hand. In addition,
the solider or scout could produce any sort of +2 martial weapon at will; the
weapons listed are standard Forgotten equipment, but if there was a reason for a
warrior to switch to a greatsword or a maul, he could do it by taking a full
action to engage his Dreamsteel power.
The character is
exceptionally skilled at sensing mental emanations within dreams, and may probe
the minds of outsiders invading a dream as well as the dream host himself.
Prerequisite:
4 ranks of Lucid Dreaming
Benefit: A
character with this feat receives a +3 to any Lucid Dreaming made in conjunction
with the Study Dream Host action. In addition, the character can use Study Dream
Host in a few additional ways. By making a Lucid Dreaming check with a DC of 15,
she can sense the presence of other outsiders in the mind of the dream host;
this check provides her with the number of outsiders but does not reveal their
location. She may then use any of the other functions of Study Dream Host on any
of the outsiders, with the usual DC for the action and the normal modifications
for the user's connection to the target. The only exceptions are analyze
dream image and see recent event, which can only target the dream
host.
Over the centuries the
master oneiromancers of the Forgotten have designed many magic items to help in
their crusade of fear. Two of these the bonds of the spirit and
dream cameo have been described elsewhere. Here are two additional tools
in the arsenal of the Forgotten.
The Forgotten live
in the dreams of others. This can make long-term planning quite awkward, as a
crucial base of operations can suddenly wake up and remove her mind from the
dreamscape. The soul keep is designed to solve this problem. The keep
is a sphere of dark crystal, about 3" in diameter. If the character holding the
sphere possesses the spell oneiric bolt, he can channel the bolt through
the sphere. This has two effects. First, the bolt gains the benefits of the
Maximize Spell feat, inflicting maximum damage. The second effect only occurs if
the bolt strikes and kills the dream persona of the current dream host. In this
case, the victim must make an opposed Will Saving Throw against the holder of
the sphere. If she fails, the target's spirit is pulled into the sphere and her
body falls into a coma (the keep does provide magical sustenance, so she
won't starve to death). As soon as the sphere is occupied it will take root in
the ground and a fortress will rise up around it, remaining in place until the
spirit is released from the sphere.
Anyone who is
touching the sphere of an occupied soul keep is considered to be the
dream host for as long as he remains in contact with the sphere; this can allow
a character to alter reality to a degree that would normally be impossible
(including dictating the appearance and layout of the fortress surrounding the
sphere). The only action that the trapped spirit can take is to communicate
telepathically with anyone who touches the sphere. Releasing the spirit from the
sphere requires a Lucid Dreaming check with a DC of 15. If the spirit is
released the fortress disappears and the sphere comes loose from the ground.
A soul keep
is not a transient item. If a dreamer is killed while the keep is in his
possession, it will be left behind on the dreamscape.
Caster Level:
16th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, 16 ranks of Lucid
Dreaming, Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion, oneiric bolt, trap the soul;
Market Price: 150,000 gp; Weight: -
For the most part
the Forgotten are content with their exile in the realm of dreams. After all, it
allows them to pursue their nightmare crusade without having to worry about
accidental bloodshed. But occasionally it is necessary for one of the Forgotten
to return to the material world. And since the Forgotten have no physical
bodies, to return to the waking world they first obtain a body.
A spirit vessel is a
special form of transient object. In dreams, it takes the form of a humanoid
figure carved from stone, about six inches in height. To activate the vessel, a
character must hold it in one hand and use the Wake at Will action. A normal
mortal cannot use the vessel, and it will be left behind in dreams. But if the
user is a spiritual entity like a dream lich or one of the Forgotten, the figure
will be transported to the waking world and placed at a random point within a
one-mile radius of the host of the previous dream. The figure will grow in size
and assume a fleshy texture, using an automatic alter self enchantment to
assume the natural appearance of the user.
A character
inhabiting a spirit vessel possesses the same statistics in the waking world
that he has in the world of dreams. The vessel temporarily becomes flesh and
blood, so the spirit does not gain any sort of increased armor class. If the
character becomes unconscious or falls asleep the figure shrink and disappear,
returning both vessel and spirit to dreams. If the user is killed in the
material world, the spirit will return to dreams and the vessel will shatter,
leaving shards of shrinking stone as the only trace of the spirit's passage.
Needless to say, the
market price for this item is primarily for construction purposes. Very few
beings would have any reason to wish to purchase such an item.
Caster Level:
16th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Object, 14 ranks of Lucid
Dreaming, limited wish, polymorph any object; Market Price:
100,000 gp; Weight: 1 lb
The Forgotten can be a
good tool for pulling characters into dreams. If an ally of the party is
suffering from Forgotten raids, the party may need to find a way to get inside
her dreams and evict these unwelcome visitors. Conflict with the Forgotten can
help to teach characters the many ways to use Lucid Dreaming even if they
learn these tricks the hard way. And given that they are effectively immortal,
the Forgotten can also serve as effective long-term villains in a campaign in
which dreams play a significant role. You may have forced Kol the Oneiromancer
from the mind of your friend, but who knows when your paths will cross again?
Of course, when using the
Forgotten as villains, it is important to remember that they are not evil as
such. In a sense, they are tragic figures, doomed to live amidst endless horror
in order to save the world (at least, that's what they believe).
Here are a few specific
ways you might use the Forgotten.
"You shall never claim
the Orb of Drusirius, mortal!"
There are only a few
static locations in the world of dreams the memories of fading gods, ancients
cities, and similar oddities. Often, these dreams contain powerful transient
relics; these relics may be one of the things that preserves the dream and keeps
it stable. The constant dreams are also extremely valuable to the Forgotten, who
use them as staging areas. So, if a party is following a lead to reclaim the
fabled Sword of Victory from the mind of the Fallen God, they might discover a
force of Forgotten camped out in the temple and the Forgotten aren't too keen
about humans coming in and destabilizing their homes.
"I don't know what's
wrong with Raindrop
but I'm guessing that it has something to do with all these
nightmares we've been hearing about."
At some point a party who
spends a lot of time exploring dreams is going to run into Forgotten crusaders.
This may simply be a random encounter with a wandering strike team. Or it could
be more serious. Perhaps a Forgotten cell seizes the mind of one of the allies
of the party using a soul keep, and starts using her as a base of
operations to terrorize the city. People start talking about terrible
nightmares. Mages can't memorize their spells. Tempers are flaring and people
are afraid. And, of course, the friend of the PCs is in a coma. What do they do?
If there is a dreamwalker in the party, he may choose to investigate the matter
on his own. Otherwise, the PCs can be approached by a priestess of Caeryn
Donaleth. She knows what is going on, but doesn't have the power to stop it;
however, she can use circle of dreams to get the party to where the
action is.
One thing to remember is
that while it is convenient to say that the dreams of one individual border the
dreams of those somewhere in her vicinity, it doesn't have to be a direct
one-to-one correlation to the physical world. It's more interesting to look at
the local population and determine whose dreams are most similar to the victim
of the soul keep. If she's a wizard, then perhaps the wizard's guild will
be hardest hit. If she's always wanted to be an opera singer, perhaps it will be
other aspiring performers. There should be some tie between the victim of the
keep and the others suffering nightmares but it doesn't have to be a
direct physical connection.
"Every moment that I
waste in the waking world places reality in peril. So just give me the necklace
and no one will get hurt."
While exploring dreams, a
party may unwittingly pick up an item that is very important to the Forgotten
something like a dream cameo. Alternately, a group that repeatedly
disrupts the affairs of the Forgotten may be targeted for permanent
assassination. In either case, an agent could be given a spirit vessel
and sent to the waking world. This is most effective if the characters have
become complacent in the belief that the Forgotten can't do anything to them
while they are awake.
"This thing is an
abomination against all life a creature of the darkness we seek to hold at
bay. If we can help you, we shall."
The Forgotten often appear
to be villains. But when the party encounters a powerful dream lich, the
Forgotten may be the only ones with enough knowledge of the dream realms to deal
with the creature. If a dream lich has possessed an ally of the party, the only
chance to defeat the beast may be to team up with a Forgotten strike force.
Dream liches are malicious undead beings, and while the Forgotten usually have
no interest in mortal affairs, they could be convinced to help fight such a
monster.
Another possibility is to
seek the help of the Forgotten in dealing with a modern-day cult of the Voice in
the Dark. This group is trying to spread terror to placate the Voice, but they
are doing it through a serious of horrific murders. The Forgotten believe that
fear is necessary, but they dislike bloodshed. Can they help the party find the
killers?
