Elan [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Elan [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Wymarc
06-21-07, 04:35 PM I'm slightly confused about the Elan in Eberron.

The fluff about the Elan says that they are created when a Quori criminal is trapped within a human body.

But assuming I'm remembering correctly, killed Quori are reborn, the population doesn't change. So why not just kill the criminal? Kill the Quori, another gets born, no problem. By trapping Quori in humans, they give the Kalashtar possible allies and limit their numbers.

What am I missing? :confused:
Vharuck
06-21-07, 05:09 PM An outsider that's reborn usually has memory of who it was. It would come back weaker, but still the same personality.

Also, it's a deterrant. No quori wants to be trapped, powerless forever. I'd think they'd go to any lengths to avoid this fate, and the fate is only feared if it's enforced.
Wymarc
06-21-07, 05:25 PM An outsider that's reborn usually has memory of who it was.

Ok, that would be the part I was missing. Thanks
Bentley Mirrorshade
06-23-07, 02:35 PM An outsider that's reborn usually has memory of who it was. It would come back weaker, but still the same personality.

I believe that this is the case only with the more powerful outsiders. For example, your typical, unadvanced zakya rakshasa or tsucora quori straight from the ECS would get their memory wiped crystal-clear.
Rerecros
06-23-07, 03:50 PM Quori aren't reborn when they die, they are replaced, like modrones.
And rakshasa are born (not exactly sure on the details), they just don't pop up on the prime.

The Elan imprisonment thing would hardly make a big impact on the quori population, and if they need a few extra hands, simply killing all the elans wouldn't be a big deal.
Teron Gorefiend
06-23-07, 10:52 PM A killed outsider is not reborn - it's replaced. Its essence reforms into a completely new individual of aproximately the same power, but not necessarily the exact same kind - for instance, an ak'shazar might come back as a zakya with enough fighter levels to make up the CR difference (also note that an outsider's class levels - if any - are inborn and rarely change after its creation). If the original was powerful enough (around 15 HD or so), the new outsider has access to its memories and often uses the same name, but its personality can be drastically different. Thus, a newly-spawned quori will almost certainly be loyal to il-Lashtavar, regardless of its predecessor's outlook.

So, yeah, the official explanation for elans in Eberron doesn't make much sense, but what did you expect? It's from a PGtE sidebar.
The White Sorcerer
06-23-07, 11:02 PM (also note that an outsider's class levels - if any - are inborn and rarely change after its creation).

'kay, you're going to have to back that up.
Wymarc
06-23-07, 11:03 PM actually I've never read the PGtE, I got it from SoS
Teron Gorefiend
06-25-07, 03:04 AM 'kay, you're going to have to back that up.
It's from Keith Baker's excellent article on the Lords of Dust in Dragon #337. He wrote that an outsider can only gain levels after its "birth" through extreme measures such as discovering ancient sources of power or draining the magic from artifacts.
Oorlof
06-25-07, 04:34 AM For what it's worth, I inverted the imprisoned-Quori-shtick in my campaign. (Didn't think of it myself, but can't remember who on these boards inspired it...regardless: have a :cookie: )

Anyway, IMC Elans are made by Kalashtar out of people that are both psionically gifted and vulnerable to Quori posession. The Elan-ritual binds a possessing Quori deep inside the new Elan's subconscious. Score for the Kalashtar! One less enemy, one more ally. Because the Elan is a different person than the old human, the Quori can't simply track him down and release their captured buddy. (Makes playing an Elan as a PC into more than going to sleep once and dying in a horrendous nightmare.)

Of course, sometimes a little bit of the captured evil seeps out...not enough to make the Elan an agent of the Dreaming Dark, but enough to give them really psychotic tendencies: one BBEG coming up! :D
Wymarc
06-25-07, 09:50 AM I had another idea for them too. In SoS, it states that there are a few Quori who have agree with Tatari but are hiding their thoughts from the DD. Elan could be these Quori binding with humans, similar to when the Kalashtar fled Dal Quor.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Wymarc 06-21-07, 04:35 PM	I'm slightly confused about the Elan in Eberron. The fluff about the Elan says that they are created when a Quori criminal is trapped within a human body. But assuming I'm remembering correctly, killed Quori are reborn, the population doesn't change. So why not just kill the criminal? Kill the Quori, another gets born, no problem. By trapping Quori in humans, they give the Kalashtar possible allies and limit their numbers. What am I missing? :confused:
Vharuck 06-21-07, 05:09 PM	An outsider that's reborn usually has memory of who it was. It would come back weaker, but still the same personality. Also, it's a deterrant. No quori wants to be trapped, powerless forever. I'd think they'd go to any lengths to avoid this fate, and the fate is only feared if it's enforced.
Wymarc 06-21-07, 05:25 PM	An outsider that's reborn usually has memory of who it was. Ok, that would be the part I was missing. Thanks
Bentley Mirrorshade 06-23-07, 02:35 PM	An outsider that's reborn usually has memory of who it was. It would come back weaker, but still the same personality. I believe that this is the case only with the more powerful outsiders. For example, your typical, unadvanced zakya rakshasa or tsucora quori straight from the ECS would get their memory wiped crystal-clear.
Rerecros 06-23-07, 03:50 PM	Quori aren't reborn when they die, they are replaced, like modrones. And rakshasa are born (not exactly sure on the details), they just don't pop up on the prime. The Elan imprisonment thing would hardly make a big impact on the quori population, and if they need a few extra hands, simply killing all the elans wouldn't be a big deal.
Teron Gorefiend 06-23-07, 10:52 PM	A killed outsider is not reborn - it's replaced. Its essence reforms into a completely new individual of aproximately the same power, but not necessarily the exact same kind - for instance, an ak'shazar might come back as a zakya with enough fighter levels to make up the CR difference (also note that an outsider's class levels - if any - are inborn and rarely change after its creation). If the original was powerful enough (around 15 HD or so), the new outsider has access to its memories and often uses the same name, but its personality can be drastically different. Thus, a newly-spawned quori will almost certainly be loyal to il-Lashtavar, regardless of its predecessor's outlook. So, yeah, the official explanation for elans in Eberron doesn't make much sense, but what did you expect? It's from a PGtE sidebar.
The White Sorcerer 06-23-07, 11:02 PM	(also note that an outsider's class levels - if any - are inborn and rarely change after its creation). 'kay, you're going to have to back that up.
Wymarc 06-23-07, 11:03 PM	actually I've never read the PGtE, I got it from SoS
Teron Gorefiend 06-25-07, 03:04 AM	'kay, you're going to have to back that up. It's from Keith Baker's excellent article on the Lords of Dust in Dragon #337. He wrote that an outsider can only gain levels after its "birth" through extreme measures such as discovering ancient sources of power or draining the magic from artifacts.
Oorlof 06-25-07, 04:34 AM	For what it's worth, I inverted the imprisoned-Quori-shtick in my campaign. (Didn't think of it myself, but can't remember who on these boards inspired it...regardless: have a :cookie: ) Anyway, IMC Elans are made by Kalashtar out of people that are both psionically gifted and vulnerable to Quori posession. The Elan-ritual binds a possessing Quori deep inside the new Elan's subconscious. Score for the Kalashtar! One less enemy, one more ally. Because the Elan is a different person than the old human, the Quori can't simply track him down and release their captured buddy. (Makes playing an Elan as a PC into more than going to sleep once and dying in a horrendous nightmare.) Of course, sometimes a little bit of the captured evil seeps out...not enough to make the Elan an agent of the Dreaming Dark, but enough to give them really psychotic tendencies: one BBEG coming up! :D
Wymarc 06-25-07, 09:50 AM	I had another idea for them too. In SoS, it states that there are a few Quori who have agree with Tatari but are hiding their thoughts from the DD. Elan could be these Quori binding with humans, similar to when the Kalashtar fled Dal Quor.