Vestiges of the 5th Circle
Dantalion, The Star Emperor
Binding DC: 18 | Minimum Binder Level: 10th 10-foot-tall humanoid, resplendent in crimson and gold robes rises before you. His head is a terrifying conglomeration of dozens of human faces—male and female, young and old.Legend
Binders know little of how Dantalion came to be. The most common legend of his origin presents him not as one spirit, but as a conglomeration of the souls of a royal line whose members were cursed not to join their deities in the afterlife. This ancient imperial line is not now connected to any living leaders. Supposedly, however, descendants of this family still live, ignorant of both their heritage and their curse. Some binders profess to be scions of Dantalion—the true heirs of the royal line—but these claims are likely just the fancies of romantic minds.Special Requirement
The Star Emperor is the truest of noble blood. He requires you to recall the name of one in his lineage with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check before he will answer your call.Physical Sign
One of Dantalion’s faces appears on your torso, as though it were a vestigial conjoined twin. It seems lifeless most of the time, but when you activate an ability granted by Dantalion, it opens its eyes and mouth, revealing a starry void within.Influence
If you make a poor pact with Dantalion, he influences your personality in one or both of the following ways.- Personality Trait: I am constantly aloof to those I speak to, and my speech is riddled with stately gestures and flourishes.
- Personality Trait: I am insatiably curious about current rulers, nobility, and heads of state. I will always attempt to discover information about them, even to my detriment.
Granted Features
Dantalion’s Knowledge
You receive insight on any topic which you might be researching. You can add you Charisma modifier instead of your Intelligence modifier to all Intelligence skill checks. Additionally, you gain advantage on Intelligence skill checks made concerning royalty, nobility, current or ancient kingdoms, and similar topics.Dantalion’s Awe
You invoke the full awe and might of Dantalion, cowing your enemies before you. You can cast sanctuary without using a spell slot.Telepath
You can speak with your mind and read the thoughts of others. You can cast the detect thoughts spell without expending a spell slot or spell components. As long as you maintain concentration on the spell, you can use a bonus action to send a telepathic message to a creature you are focused on. It can reply—using a bonus action to do so—while your focus on it continues.Thought Travel
You can instantly transport yourself to a location that you can call to mind. You can cast the spell dimension door without using a spell slot. After casting this spell, you must take a short or long rest before casting it again. At 18th level, you can cast this spell at will. You consider this spell known and on your spell list so long as you manifest Dantalion.Dantalion’s Domination
Dantalion's royal lineage allows you to control others. You can cast the spells compulsion and dominate person without a spell slot or spell components. After casting one of these spells, you must take a long rest before casting it again. You consider these spells known and on your spell list so long as you manifest Dantalion.Teleport
Beginning at 15th level, you can cast the spell teleport without expending a spell slot. After casting this spell, you must take a long rest before casting it again. You consider this spell known and on your spell list so long as you manifest Dantalion.Kas, The Bloody Handed
Binding DC: 18 | Minimum Binder Level: 10th A vampire in armor swirling with shadows steps from the smoke above the sign. He nods, and throws his black longsword at your feet.Legend
That Vecna, Master of All that is Secret and Hidden, once existed as a cruel-minded lich is no mystery. As Vecna ascended to power, legions of undead rose under his black banner. Among the most powerful was the vampire Kas, who Vecna made his lieutenant, and gifted with a black sword forged from the metal of a fallen star. Kas and his infamous blade led Vecna’s armies for years, forging a legend as bloody as his lord was cruel.After a significant loss on the field of battle, a weakened Vecna returned to his throne to find Kas waiting. Armed with his black blade, the betrayer Kas struck and a titanic battle ensued. During the fray, despite Vecna’s dark powers, Kas sliced the lich’s left hand from his body and cut an eye from his face. Fearing his destruction, Vecna employed frantic dangerous magic that annihilated both himself and Kas—or so it seemed.
However, in some misty realm avoided by the gods, Vecna and Kas somehow continued to exist and battle for centuries. Eventually, through dark, primordial magic, Vecna escaped, ascending to godhood. Kas, meanwhile, was lost in the ether, becoming a vestige.
Special Requirement
Kas hates Vecna and all undead. You have advantage on your Charisma check to bind this vestige if you have slain an undead in the last 24 hours.Physical Sign
An angry, catlike eye opens in the palm of each of your hands. These eyes provide no additional senses.Influence
If you make a poor pact with Kas, he influences your personality in one or both of the following ways.- Personality Trait: I despise the undead and slay any I encounter.
- Bond: You should destroy your enemies using guile, betrayal, and malice, rather than brute force alone.
Granted Features
Bonus Proficiencies
While bound to Kas, you are proficient with medium armor, longswords, and shortswords.Black Blade (Recharge 5-6)
As a bonus action, you can summon Kas's black blade to your hand. The Black Blade is a magical longsword, and can deal either slashing or necrotic damage (your choice). You can add your Charisma modifier to damage rolls with the Black Blade in addition to your main attack ability modifier. You can only add your Charisma modifier once, even if another source adds it. The blade vanishes if it ever leaves your grasp. Should this weapon be disarmed, it vanishes in blood-red smoke.Undead Reaper
When you hit an undead creature with a melee or ranged weapon attack, you ignore any damage resistances it might have.Kas’s Protection (Recharge 5-6)
When a creature rolls a critical hit against you, roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the attack still hits but does not deal critical damage.Fluent Liar
When you make a Charisma (Deception) check and the result is less than 10, you can treat it as a 10.Blinding Strike (Recharge 5-6)
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can force the target to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target is blinded until the end of your next turn.Otiax, The Key to the Gate
Binding DC: 18 | Minimum Binder Level: 10th Within the seal, a locked gate appears, from which tendrils of blue fog curl out, obscuring what lies beyond. The gate shakes and rattles loudly, and ragged breathing can be heard beyond, as the fog hides some indistinct yet terrible form.Legend
Otiax is a bit of a conundrum because it seems to have originated outside the known cosmology of the planes. A few sources of pact magic lore refer to some plane or place called the Far Realm, but most offer no explanation of Otiax’s past. Some even posit that Otiax is somehow the key to reaching the Far Realm, but that supposition has more to do with Otiax’s appearance than with any real evidence of its nature. Because Otiax never speaks, it can shed no light on the issue. Binding with it is more a matter of instinct and will than of deliberation.Special Requirement
Sometimes binding Otiax also gives you glimpses into the Far Realm. When you bind this vestige, roll any die. On an even number, you take 1d12 psychic damage.Physical Sign
You are surrounded by thin wisps of blue fog, even in the strongest wind.Influence
If you make a poor pact with Otiax, it influences your personality in one or both of the following ways.- Personality Trait: When confronted with unopened doors or gates, I become agitated and nervous.
- Bond: I cannot abide a lock remaining secured. Whenever I see a key, I must attempt to use it to open the corresponding lock.
Granted Features
Bonus Proficiency
While bound to Otiax, you gain proficiency with thieves' tools.Fog Sight
You can see normally through obscurement caused by fog, clouds, smoke, or any other similar effect.Obscuring Mist
You summon a roiling cloud of blue fog, obscuring the area. You can cast the spell fog cloud as a bonus action without a using a spell slot.Fog Hammer
You can whip the fog about you into lashing tendrils of mist, slamming your foes with concussive force. As an action, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 10 feet, dealing 2d6 + your Charisma modifier bludgeoning damage on a hit. You can use Fog Hammer to make opportunity attacks against creatures within 5 feet. At 15th level, you can make two attacks with Fog Hammer as an action; at 19th level, you can make three attacks with Fog Hammer as an action.Unlock
You focus your mist into a lock you can see, popping it open with a thought. You can cast the spell knock without using a spell slot. After casting this spell, you must take a short or long rest before casting it again. You consider this spell known and on your spell list so long as you manifest Otiax.Death Fog
At 15th level, you can create a burst of brilliant blue fog, leeching the life out of creatures unlucky enough to be caught in it. You can cast the spell Cloudkill without using a spell slot. After casting this spell, you must take a long rest before casting it again. You consider this spell known and on your spell list so long as you manifest Otiax.Tenebrous, The Shadow That Was
Binding DC: 18 | Minimum Binder Level: 10th A shadow, visibly darker than any darkness, centers itself on the sign. It stretches and rises up into the form of a man, impossibly gaunt, as if someone had squeezed all the essence from a person, leaving behind only a shade.Legend
Some centuries ago, the great demon lord Orcus sought divinity and attained it. Slain and resurrected by a surge of negative energy, the corpulent demon arose as the gaunt Tenebrous, a god of darkness and undeath. For a time, he traveled the planes in this form, slaying other gods in his quest to gain more power. It was only when he slayed Primus and began the Great Modron March that he recovered the Wand of Orcus, and his true mortal form. True divinity can never fade completely. The tatters of godly power that Orcus shed remained intact, becoming a vestige. Thus, Tenebrous yet exists as a pale reflection of what he once was, a shadow of a shadow.Special Requirement
You must draw Tenebrous's seal in complete darkness. Additionally, he will not answer your call if you are already bound to Primus.Physical Sign
You appear to have a second shadow cast behind you, even when there is no light to form it.Influence
If you make a poor pact with Tenebrous, he influences your personality in one or both of the following ways.- Bond: The loss of something or someone dear to me, or the fear in me that I will lose something or someone forever, aches profoundly in my heart.
- Flaw: My business and well being is of no concern for my allies. I can handle it myself.
Granted Features
Slay Light (Recharge 5-6)
While you are bound to Tenebrous, your newfound affinity for the dark can shy away lit flames and fireflies. On your turn, you can extinguish any nonmagical flames that you can see within 100 feet which fit within a 10-foot cube (no action required additionally, you can end a single spell of 3rd level of lower that emits an area of light as an action.Grave Darkness (Recharge 5-6)
You can cast the spell darkness as a bonus action without expending a spell shot or spell components. Additionally, when you cast the spell, you activate one of the following effects within the darkness, which affects creatures you choose. These effects last for 1 minute or until the darkness is dispelled.- Shadows of the damned crowd the darkness and hinder movement, making every 1 foot of movement inside the darkness cost an additional 1 foot of movement. At 15th level, the area becomes unnaturally silent as per the spell silence.
- The shadows begin to latch creatures within the area and trap them. Each creature within the darkness must succeed on a Strength saving through or be restrained for the duration. A restrained creature can repeat this saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns to end the effect on itself early or be freed by another creature using its action to make a DC 15 Strength check.
- An undead manifests itself in the darkness and patrols the area. This creature is under your control, as per the spell animate dead, must be an undead of Challenge Rating 3 or lower, and can see in this darkness. The undead creature disappears at the end of the duration, if it drops to 0 HP, or if it ever ends its turn in bright light. At 17th level, you summon a second undead of the same kind with a single use of this ability.
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