Pact of the Emperor

Ever since the earthquake in Caelester, random people have started having strange nightmares. They begin innicently enough: an onslaught of reminders of injustices suffered, ill turns of fate and perceived slights from the person's past. Eventually each dreamer becomes aware of a presence watching alongside them, described as a shadowy figure and yet instinctively regarded as a kindly old man, perhaps reminding them of a mentor figure from earlier in their life. As the dream concludes, the shadowy figure turns to them and asks if they wish for the power to change things: redress wrongs, increase luck, change the course of fate itself.   This figure is a projection of Kalshazzak Aesymnetes, the last emperor of Asuria, reaching out from his cracked prison and offering power to those who might become his unwitting pawns. Those who accept this offer gain a variety of powers and advantages, seemingly at no cost.   As they use their powers, they deepen their bond with the sealed emperor, allowing him to exert greater influence on them as they sleep. They dream of using their new powers against those they believe have wronged them, particularly figures projecting stability or authority.   Finally, at the first new moon, when neither light of sun nor moon graces the world, they rise as sleeping puppets of Kalshazzak's will, sabotaging the reconstruction efforts, arranging fatal "accidents" for key figures, and generally causing chaos. And, above all else, seeking the relics that maintain the seal over the undying emperor.   Once this bond is established, it is not easily broken, allowing Kalshazzak to take control of his pawns whenever they sleep, regardless of sunlight or moonlight. Even hallowed ground only temporarily disrupts the bond - a sleepwalking minion crossing the threshold of a holy place drops to the ground in a deep sleep, but can still be controlled again when next they sleep. Only exposure to an antimagic field can truly break the bond, though if one were to keep using their powers, that bond could be reforged on the next full moon.