Elans. Self Born? Parents? Rituals? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Elans. Self Born? Parents? Rituals? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Andramadus
07-22-07, 03:24 AM I am in a campaign as a elan charcter and was told that elans have parents. Do they undergo some special ritual or something to become an elan? Or do they will themselves into existence? I thought they were made of psionic energy.
Nerana
07-22-07, 03:54 AM Elans were all previously human, and thus had parents, but underwent a special psionic transformation into the form of an Elan--it's a very exclusive process.

So you either had to have sought it out or been chosen for it, basically. Unless your DM is different.
AntiDjinn
07-22-07, 11:42 AM Elan are aberrations who were formerly human, but the process by which each is transformed appears to be world-specific. The standard elan (XPH) is a human selected by a group of elan called the Cullers ("Cull" = "To sort and gather, esp. to remove the unfit or unworthy") to undergo a process that has not been detailed. The being so transformed starts off as a first level character, regardless of the details of its previous life, it had parents, but they didn't beget an aberration.

In eberron an elan is the result when a rogue quori spirit is bound permanently to a human host. Unlike the standard process of Inspiration, this quori has no control over its host and is forced to use its psychic energy to sustain the elan's body and mind, granting the standard elan immortality and racial abilities.

In your DM's world: Process may vary. The racial type and abilities are as listed in the XPH, but how the character got that way is up to the DM. All those details, like every character's backstory prior to first level, adds flavor and should affect roleplaying, but the mechanics are the same.
ck2001wendt
07-22-07, 12:24 PM The typical Elan has the biological human parents that gave birth to them. How the parents feel toward the Elan after the transformation, and how the Elan feels toward the parents, is a PC decision.

The Elan might also have "surrogate" or "adopted" parents within Elan society, depending on the game world, how the transformation happened, etc. They might alternately have a "mentor" or "sponsor" who brought them to the attention of the Cullers.
sijigs
07-23-07, 12:41 AM Just tell people: "My mom is a beholder and my dad is a 'flayer."

That should end all the questioning. :D
Andramadus
07-23-07, 03:28 AM sijigs Wrote: Just tell people: "My mom is a beholder and my dad is a 'flayer."

Or if your Elan is really old he can say....

I... AM.... YOUR FATHER! :D

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Andramadus 07-22-07, 03:24 AM	I am in a campaign as a elan charcter and was told that elans have parents. Do they undergo some special ritual or something to become an elan? Or do they will themselves into existence? I thought they were made of psionic energy.
Nerana 07-22-07, 03:54 AM	Elans were all previously human, and thus had parents, but underwent a special psionic transformation into the form of an Elan--it's a very exclusive process. So you either had to have sought it out or been chosen for it, basically. Unless your DM is different.
AntiDjinn 07-22-07, 11:42 AM	Elan are aberrations who were formerly human, but the process by which each is transformed appears to be world-specific. The standard elan (XPH) is a human selected by a group of elan called the Cullers ("Cull" = "To sort and gather, esp. to remove the unfit or unworthy") to undergo a process that has not been detailed. The being so transformed starts off as a first level character, regardless of the details of its previous life, it had parents, but they didn't beget an aberration. In eberron an elan is the result when a rogue quori spirit is bound permanently to a human host. Unlike the standard process of Inspiration, this quori has no control over its host and is forced to use its psychic energy to sustain the elan's body and mind, granting the standard elan immortality and racial abilities. In your DM's world: Process may vary. The racial type and abilities are as listed in the XPH, but how the character got that way is up to the DM. All those details, like every character's backstory prior to first level, adds flavor and should affect roleplaying, but the mechanics are the same.
ck2001wendt 07-22-07, 12:24 PM	The typical Elan has the biological human parents that gave birth to them. How the parents feel toward the Elan after the transformation, and how the Elan feels toward the parents, is a PC decision. The Elan might also have "surrogate" or "adopted" parents within Elan society, depending on the game world, how the transformation happened, etc. They might alternately have a "mentor" or "sponsor" who brought them to the attention of the Cullers.
sijigs 07-23-07, 12:41 AM	Just tell people: "My mom is a beholder and my dad is a 'flayer." That should end all the questioning. :D
Andramadus 07-23-07, 03:28 AM	sijigs Wrote: Just tell people: "My mom is a beholder and my dad is a 'flayer." Or if your Elan is really old he can say.... I... AM.... YOUR FATHER! :D