Taer Lian Doresh
Lore
Gnomes or eladrin from one of the other feyspires of Thelanis gain a +2 bonus on Arcana checks to learn about Taer Lian Doresh.Arcana DC 20: Nearly every legend told of the eladrin makes mention of one of the mythic feyspires, the glorious cities of Thelanis, the Feywild. Yet of the seven fabled spires, fevr tales in the cur- rent age speak of Shae Doresh, the Spire of Dreams. When asked of its fate, the eladrin cast their eyes to the ground and grow reticent to speak of the deep past. Shae Doresh has been deemed lost to Thelanis and eladrin both, though whispers of the fey suggest it survives somewhere.
Arcana DC 25: Like all the planes, Thelanis drifts within a cosmic cycle of its own; it becomes coterminous with Eberron every 255 years for a period of seven years. Thousands of years before the humans of Sarlona migrated to Khorvaire, the eladrin suffered the loss of one of their feyspires, Shae Tirias Tolai, when it shifted from the plane of Thelanis to the continent of Xen’drik during one such coterminous period. The giants who reigned on Eberron pillaged the tower and enslaved its occupants, forcing the remaining feyspires to bolster their magical defenses. But the lords of Shae Doresh, Spire of Dreams, refused to cower and wait for the next assault. They sought vengeance for their ill-fated kin, spending the duration of the next planar cycle crafting battle spells and armaments of war. Nursing an unforgiv- able grievance for their people’s loss, they rebuilt their citadel into a fortress of destruction and demanded the other feyspires do the same. But the other spires could not be swayed from the defensive stance they believed necessary. At last, when Thelanis became coterminous with Eberron again, the lords of Shae Doresh spoke their challenge.
Alone against the giants, the fey of Shae Doresh had no chance— despite their preparations and their considerable magic. Rather than retaliating with bloodshed alone, the titan king enacted a power- ful ritual, casting the entire fey spire into Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams. Exiled beyond their ability to overcome, the inhabitants of the feyspire languished for thousands of years in that oneiric realm. In time, dreams gave way to nightmares: The eladrin host and their allies were transformed into embittered shad- ows of their former selves. When Dal Quor became coterminous with Thelanis again, the feyspire returned to its ancestral home. But Shae Doresh had already become Taer Lian Doresh, the Fortress of Fading Dreams.
Arcana DC 30: The feyspires of Thelanis have been stranded on Eberron since the Day of Mourning, though none know how or why. Taer Lian Doresh is no exception, though its location remains unknown. Rumors claim that the fey of the Fading Dream foster living nightmares within their citadel, turning dark and errant thoughts into substance and unleashing them upon a hated world. Those who have managed to survive encounters with them say that these twisted fey can turn their enemies’ fears against them. The fey of the Fading Dream harbor a secret that they impart only to those who can serve their interests: Taer Lian Doresh now exists on both the material world and in Dal Quor. Dreams may take physical form within its halls, and both residents and visitors alike can interact with the spirits of mortal dreamers. Even the quori, the nightmare denizens of that plane, come and go in the flesh.
Key Personalities and Groups
Player characters may find themselves entangled in schemes of any of the following individuals or groups, whether within or without the Fortress of Fading Dreams.Shan Lian Doresh, Lord of the Fading Dream
The eldest of his kin, Shan Lian Doresh is the arch- fey warlord who led his people’s crusade against the giants thousands of years ago. Arrogant even for an immortal ghaele, he is nevertheless as powerful as the image he projects, commanding not only the martial prowess of the Lading Dream but also the power of nightmares. Brooding in his tower, he studies the world beyond his cloistered city through the dreams of the innocent and unwitting. When it pleases him to do so, he destroys the minds of the weak with terrible visions only a creature of nightmare can endure.Vengeance Undying: Shan Doresh seeks revenge against the fey lords who abandoned his people to their fate long ago. Most of those lords have long since faded, so he seeks to punish their descendants— the eladrin and other peoples of the feyspires. He does not desire their destruction, only well-deserved tor- ment, and he will manipulate heroes, villains, or entire nations toward this end. The characters are more likely to become unknowing tools of Shan Doresh ’s revenge than targets of his wrath. Elves, gnomes, and especially other eladrin— all of whom can trace their ancestry to Thelanis— are sure to be snared within his intricate plots.
Unswerving Terror: An order of loyal warriors, the Knights of Terror, attend Shan Doresh on all mili- tary matters and sow fear among his enemies. Each of the seven embodies a primal fear of the mortal world: death, failure, isolation, pain, vulnerability, remorse, or the unknown. The Knights usually remain in their lord’s court, but some ride on errands across Khor- vaire, leaving calamities in their wake. The characters might catch wind of the Fading Dream through the actions of one of these dread cavaliers.
Samtyriana, Mistress of the Shroud
A creature of calculating atrocity and detached malice, Santyriana is the most powerful night hag in service to Shan Lian Doresh. She defers her will to him out of admiration, envy, and an unsavory lust.She spends time abroad within Dal Quor, acting as an emissary on behalf of the Fading Dream. She is even personally acquainted with— and mutually despises— the night hag Kyrale, ambassador to the fiends of the Demon Wastes. She leads the council known as the Shrouded Sages.
The Stuff of Nightmares: Santyriana maintains a larder of subjects for her own amusement, often tapping the resources of Taer Lian Doresh to seek out choice mortals from beyond its walls. During the day, she keeps her victims comfortable and reasonably content, even prompting her more pleasing servants to “befriend” them. At night she becomes their night- mares in the flesh and tastes of their terror, devouring them only when madness has stripped them of fear- but not pain. Having gathered victims from among Khorvaire’s populous races, Santyriana will pay spe- cial interest to any characters of unusual heritage who fall under the influence of the Fading Dream. Though she can haunt the dreams of any mortals whose nightmares bring them to her doorstep, she ultimately craves flesh and bone.
The Paranymph Bridesmaid of Souls
The creature known only as the Paranymph is responsible for establishing, managing, or dissolving any and all pacts made with warlocks. When a mortal forges a pact with the Shan Lian Doresh, he weds his soul to the power of the Fading Dream in exchange for unearthly magic. In that spiritual marriage, the Paranymph is the sole bridesmaid, attending the ritual and serving as a spokeswoman for the fey. Robed and cowled at all times in slithering, overlong garments of white or black (never both at once), only her mouth and delicate feminine hands are ever seen. She speaks in whispers or screams, never in moderate tones. Not even the other fey can recall precisely what she used to be. Some suspect she was a water nymph before Shae Doresh was exiled to Dal Quor. Others say she was an eladrin princess betrothed to a lord of Shae Tirias Tolai before giants razed it. Whatever her past, the Paranymph is now the mouth for the collective spirit of the Fading Dream and its master.Eager Pacts: The characters are likely to encounter the Paranymph in their dreams long before they ever meet her in person. Generally speaking, one simply does not seek out the nightmare fey; one must be approached, and it is the Paranymph who makes the final offer. Existing warlocks bonded to the Fading Dream act as recruiters in the wider world. When someone of interest is found, the warlock notifies the Paranymph.
Epic Tragedy: While mostly evil warlocks are likely to become willing agents of the Fading Dream, the fey take pleasure in spreading sorrow far outside their immediate domain. Good or unaligned warlocks might enter into a pact unwittingly or simply because they are misinformed. If the Paranymph forges a pact with a warlock character, she either believes his actions will advance the agenda of the Fading Dream or that the pact will seed in him a delicious tragedy she hopes to one day harvest.
The Dreaming Dark
Due to magic enacted during the Age of Giants, most ties between Eberron and Dal Quor have long been severed. Taer Lian Doresh is not a true bridge between the waking world and the Region of Dreams. It overlaps and exists on both planes, but whenever a creature from either exits the feyspire, it returns to its plane of entry. In this way, quori cannot venture beyond the bounds of the citadel into Eberron proper, and denizens of Eberron cannot pass fully into Dal Quor. Yet Taer Lian Doresh still provides a unique opportunity for the Dreaming Dark. The quori have taken keen interest in the feyspire ’s unique position and regularly negotiate with Shan Doresh and his diplomats for its use.Enemies Within: Kalashtar characters or any other servants of il-Yannah who have proven a nuisance to the Dreaming Dark may find themselves invited by the fey to visit Taer Lian Doresh, unaware that the quori have “hired” them to do so. What may seem a unique opportunity to interact with the lords of a lost feyspire might, in fact, be a trap. In exchange for unknown services, the eladrin are merely delivering them into nightmarish hands. As terrifying as the quori are in dreams, their manifestation in the flesh is far worse.
The Shrouded Sages
Governed by Santyriana, the Shrouded Sages are a cabal of mystics who regularly part the veil between planes to discern patterns and prophecies that can be exploited by the Lading Dream. They sift through relics and lore gathered from the world outside, either from equipment their victims carry or in dreams they harbor. Each Sage wears long, dark robes made ragged by centuries of nightmares, while deep hoods conceal their faces. Most appear to be eladrin, but a disturbing handful are smaller in size, suggesting the bodies of gnomes or eladrin children.Avaricious Acquisition: The Shrouded Sages excel at giving substance to the imagined. When they have identified a mortal whose dreams they wish to cultivate, they arrange for one of their agents to seek that individual out in the wider world and bring them to Taer Lian Doresh in person. Within the citadel, the victim’s nightmares can materialize fully and be shackled for the Lading Dream’s own purposes.
Philters of Fear: The Sages brew a draught spe- cially designed to incite nightmares. Drinking this otherwise innocuous solution draws the spirit of a dreamer to Taer Lian Doresh the next time he or she sleeps. In this way, the fey can communicate with prospective allies and victims. Such draughts are supplied to agents of the fading Dream specifically for this use. More than one courtier or diplomat from the Live Nations has been interrogated by Shan Lian Doresh himself in this way— only to awaken hours later in bed, sweat-soaked and terrified. In most cases, the subject is made to forget the dream, recalling only shreds of a nightmare that he or she would rather not think about.
Locations
Taer Lian Doresh is a place like no other. Existing on both Dal Quor and Eberron, it is a city in constant psychic flux. At the core, its majestic, curving architecture and elegant design remains fixed, but no two visitors— be they intruders or guests— perceive it the same way. From within or without, the fortress takes on an unsettling aspect, reflecting the fears and nightmares of its viewer. Within, reality and even the rules of magic behave in unpredictable ways, subject to the erratic will of the Region of Dreams.1. The Whitepine Forest
Seen from above, the Whitepine forest is pale in hue. The needles of its lush evergreens are the color of jade, and mist clings to the canopy long after dawn. Dusted with snow for the better part of each year, the woods evoke a sense of cold serenity and wondrous beauty. But so dense is the Whitepine that travel- ers find it exceptionally dark even in daylight hours.Without a guide or a keen awareness, it’s easy to become lost.
Wailing Spirits: The woods immediately surrounding Taer Lian Doresh are haunted by ghosts risen from the victims of the feyspire— usually those who intruded uninvited or were hunted down by the vindictive fey. Banshees are common among them, filling the lonely hollows with their anguished cries. Most express their rage by attacking any living intruder they encounter, while a rare few actually try to warn away adventurers so that they do not suffer the same fate.
Walls of Steam: The region in which Taer Lian Doresh now resides is scattered with warm natural springs and volatile geysers that keep the colder temperatures at bay. From above, the feyspire is concealed by perpetually rising steam. In fact, the seething mists immediately encircling the glade mark the border between planes, where Dal Quor bleeds into the waking world.
2. The Approach
Though Taer Lian Doresh was reconstructed thousands of years ago into an engine of war, the lofty towers of this dark citadel are still beautiful to behold— at least initially. Like the worst of nightmares, what begins as pleasing to the eye gradually shifts into something disquieting.Misdirection: As in dreams, a visitor’s sense of direction in the Fortress is permanently upset. There is no north or south; no matter which direction a visitor approaches the city, they face the “front” of the feyspire at all times. Circling around the glade to approach from another direction, even in separate groups, is futile. Intruders will arrive at precisely the same place.
The Soughing Bridge: A high wall forms the perimeter of a great pool, serving the host as both reservoir and moat. The pool contains whatever an intruder fears or whatever Shan Lian Doresh requires: fouled water, corrosive acid, a miasma of poisonous fumes, or even a gaping chasm. Whatever horror one perceives is phantasmal in nature but can kill, if one isn’t careful. On Shan Doresh ’s whim, the pool can also harden into a plain of polished mirror, allowing his army an easy exit. A narrow bridge of black marble spans the reservoir, where apparitions inspired by a visitor’s regrets take incorporeal shape and murmur their anguish.
3. Trees of Sentinel
When the eladrin prepared their citadel for war against the giants, six mighty trees were shaped into defensible forts, then transmuted into iron. Dal Quor has since transformed these trees into mockeries of their former selves, jagged stumps bereft ofbranches or leaves. Balconies, windows, and arrow slits— carved from the living wood before the transmutation— look down upon the city proper beneath the sharp rem- nants of great iron trunks. Dryads of the Fading Dream lurk within these angular forts, while eladrin archers regularly watch from the windows.Towers
Six great towers, each crowned with narrow spires and domed turrets, rise above the city proper. Seen from afar, some visitors perceive them as colossal furnaces, spewing foul smoke into the sky, while others see great columns of bone weeping vile fluid or melting like mountainous candles. Such visions, born of one’s own darker mind, may be tentatively held at bay for those who are expected, but even they find the citadel’s appearance ultimately disturbing. At their most pleasing, the halls of Taer Lian Doresh still seem not quite right, like a sinister face hidden behind a mask of gallantry. Everywhere one looks there seems a shadowed alcove, a drawn curtain, or a door left slightly ajar, daring and dreading to be examined. Depending upon which balcony or window one looks out from, one may see the singular landscape of Dal Quor or a misty panorama of the Whitepine Forest.Feverish Flux: Many places throughout the city include intermittent squares of fantastic terrain such as mirror crystal, slides, eldritch influxes, and phase mist. If there is a particular terrain type that characters fear or anticipate, it is likely they will find it before long merely by thinking about it.
5. Grottoes and Groves
Between the greater towers of the feyspire lies an array of smaller structures, fey domiciles, pathways, and gardens. Once well-ordered and aesthetic, this part of the city is now a labyrinth of winding tunnels, savage groves, and buildings that look more like mausoleums than homes. Some eladrin live in this district, but mostly the other fey races make their abodes here. Gnomes dwell in half-buried grottoes, while dryads and banshraes lair among twisted trees and razorlike vines. Galleries of shattered stone and empty plazas bereft of any semblance of flora break up this tangled region. More than one coven of hags vies for territory among the ruins, while quickling errand-runners and satyr heralds rove between this district and the greater towers. An assortment of beasts— some previously unseen in Eberron— have been bred here. Many of these pets remain caged, while others prowl freely and sometimes wander far from Taer Lian Doresh.The Battle Breeder: A blind cyclops, the only one of his kind to have served Shae Doresh before its long disappearance, dwells in a warren of volcanic rock somewhere beneath the groves. Known only as Sammet the Eyeshot, he is a wrangler of battlebriars and a stablemaster for the fading Dream’s finest mounts. Although his first instinct is to use the bones of intruders to armor his beasts, Sammet can be molfilled with tales of wonders seen or offers of exotic specimens for his menagerie.
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