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THE R E A M I N G DA K this group, which wants to destabilize all of them. Many
of the intense battles near the end of the war might
In the spaces between sleeping and waking, nightmares have been avoided, if not for Dreaming Dark agents fan­
wait with grasping c::laws. The quori spirits that rule Dal ning the flames of fear and hate-often by invading the
Quor spent a thousand years seizing control of the con­ dreams of soldiers and rulers alike.
tinent of Sarlona. Now they have turned their many eyes The feelings of mistrust and festering animosity
toward Khorvaire. The ultimate goal of the Dreaming between the nations that linger after the Treaty of
Dark is to control all the nations . of the world. The plane Thronehold provide the Dreaming Dark with countless
of Dal Quor goes through cycles of light and darkness, points of possible infection. Refugees, expatriates, and
and the current age is coming to an end. The nightmare other displaced people provide the perfect vehicle for
spirits that rule the plane believe that by seizing control the Dreaming Dark to spread its influence across Khor­
of mortal civilization-by forcing all the people of Eber­ vaire, carrying its corruption into new populations.
ron to dream the dreams they devise-they can maintain
this current age of darkness indefinitely. So the fiends of THE ROLE OF D R E A M S
the Dreaming Dark aren't merely hungry for power; they
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are fighting for survival. All dreams occur n the plane f Dal Quor. When
The quori can't manifest physically in Eberron, but mortals sleep, their minds touch the plane and shape
they have other options. They can possess willing hu­ a shard of it. Normally, a dream is shaped by the
manoids, creating agents known as the Inspired (see memories and emotions of the dreamer. But the dream
chapter 6). They can also manipulate the dreams of spell and similar effects (such as a night hag's Night­
mortals. The Dreaming Dark can trick a priest by send­ mare Haunting) can influence a dream from the outside,
ing dreams that appear to be divine visions, or inspire a to a specific and often sinister purpose. The quori are
soldier to rebel against their lord. masters of using the dream spell as a weapon to terror­
The greatest weapon of the Dreaming Dark is its ize their foes.
ability to infiltrate other organizations. Anyone could It's possible for an entire adventure to take place in
become an Inspired vessel, or be prompted into tak- a dream. The trick with a dream adventure is ensuring
ing foolish action by a dream. Its agents are scattered that it feels meaningful, even consequential, and not just
across the world and have no obvious connection to one a waste of time. One of four basic approaches can help
another, until they reveal their true nature and purpose. you do that:
A real monster inhabits a character's dreams and
THE D R E A M I N G DA K I N T H E W A R poses a real threat to that character's mind or body.
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The goal of the adventure is to defeat that monster.
The chaos that reigned during the Last War enabled the
agents of the Dreaming Dark to move and act with abso­ • A dreaming character is incapable of waking com­
lute freedom throughout Khorvaire. Any direct conflict munication-they might be comatose or possessed.
among Eberron's humanoid populations is a boon to The goal of the adventure is to communicate with the
dreamer and free them from whatever is preventing
them from communicating.
TH E ROLE OF DREAMS • A villain has implanted some kind of psychic lock in a
If you plan to use the Dreaming Dark as a major villain character's mind, which prevents them from accessing
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in yo r campaign, it can be helpful to establish the role
of dreams early on. If dreams f e el like a regular part of some knowledge or capability. The goal of the adven­
the story, it will be less obvious when the Dreaming Dark ture is to remove the psychic lock, which might take
starts manipulating the characters' dreams. For example, the form of a complex trap or maze in the dream.
you might establish a pattern of picking one adventurer • The actual objective of the adventure lies in Dal Quor.
and discussing their dreams each time the group takes The first goal is to find a way to break out of the mun­
a long rest. Consider these ideas for the basic seed dane dreamscape and enter the wider plane.
of a dream:
The second challenge in crafting a dream adventure is
Revisit recent events. This can be a useful opportunity how to bring all the characters in a party together in the
to call attention to a detail the characters overlooked. same dream, which might or might not belong to one of
Clearly, this character's subconscious registered the de­ them. Consider these possibilities:
tail as important!
Involve a current villain. This can help build the players' • One of the characters is dreaming, and the others
hatred for an elusive recurring villain! appear in the dream as memories and impressions in
Foreshadow the f u ture. This could simply reflect a char­ the dreamer's mind.
acter's fears, but it might also convey a warning from a • Some exotic magic-a kalashtar ritual or an eldritch
celestial or other supernatural creature. machine, perhaps-allows the characters to share a
Explore the character's past. i ve the player an opportu­ dream or to enter someone else's dream. This magic
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nity to add depth to one element of the character's story. could also allow a character who ordinarily can't
Reflect anxiety. An anxious character might dream about dream (such as an elf, a warforged, or a kalashtar) to
showing up in a u ngeon with no armor or at school enter the dreamscape as well.
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with no clothes. Narratively, these dreams can provide a • Agents of the Dreaming Dark use their magic to bring
moment of comic relief or heighten the players own con­ the dreams of the characters together so they can in­
cern about what's happening in the game. fluence or target the whole party at once.

C H APTER 4 I BUILDING EBERRON ADVENTURES
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