Nil’Valae

Deep in the darkened region of the Feywilds, wisps of magic coalesce into twisted formations that warp the landscape around them. On rare occasions these magics can spawn a form of bodiless sentience. These creations are feared by other fey creatures who go out of their way to avoid these magics. Once the Nil’Valae is created, their only goal is to find a living creature and convince it to become its host. They can only attach themselves to another sentient being who is willing, so they seek out any they believe they can trick into letting them in.

Once the Nil’Valae has been allowed to attach to the host, it quickly begins trying to wrestle control away.

They do this by smothering the host’s consciousness and establishing themselves as the primary owner of the body they’ve inhabited. During this time, the body begins to undergo a physical transformation. The skin becomes a pale, ashen color, the eyes become cloudy, and the body’s size slowly changes. With the harsh physical changes on the outside and the battle for control happening inside, the host usually appears in a large amount of pain and confusion. While the Nil’Valae hasn’t taken full control of the host, it can be removed with a remove curse spell or other similar magics.

Once a Nil’Valae has fully taken control of the body, it can no longer be removed. Its existence is now tethered to the host body it has chosen to inhabit and it begins experiencing the world as a new being.

Nil’Valae Traits

Ability Score Increases: Your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores all increase by 1.

Age: A Nil’Valae is “birthed” the moment a creature agrees to become a host for the sentient fey magic. It takes anywhere from 3 to 6 months for the creature to gain full control of the host. Once it does, it can live up to 60 years before the vessel dies from hosting the volatile magic.

Alignment: A Nil’Valae’s very existence depends on manipulating a creature into becoming their host. The Nil’Valae’s penchant for manipulation doesn’t end once they’ve found a body to claim as their own. Because of this, Nil’Valae tend to lean towards more evil alignments. Though some may choose to push others around them towards more altruistics causes; it’s a rare occurrence.

Size: Once a Nil’Valae has fully taken control of the host, the physical changes cause the body to shift to a size of around 5 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.

Inherited Memory: Though the remnants of the host’s consciousness is removed when the Nil’Valae takes control, some of the host’s memories do remain that the Nil’Valae can use. You gain either a skill proficiency or tool proficiency of your choice. You also gain an additional language of your choosing.

Magic Mimic: Being birthed from the natural magics of the feywilds, you have an innate understanding of how spells work. Once per long rest, you can replicate any spell no higher than 3rd level, provided you see the spell cast that day. You cast the spell as per the spell’s description, but you do not require any needed material components. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Manipulative: You know the friends cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the charm person spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the suggestion spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.