Binder

In the multiverse where magic and divinity are no extraordinary, not all deities are blessed with the faith of mortal sentience. When a deity is abandoned, forsaken, or simply forgotten by its followers, it slowly descends into a shadow of its former glory, or known as a vestige. While divinity has a vastly different concept of life and death from those of the mortal beings, those unfortunate enough to dwindle into vestigal status may suffer from the cessation of existence, or what is closest to the death for the gods. Simply put, with strange aeons, even gods may die.

Some mortals, often estranged from the more civilized part of the worlds, would actively seeks and contact such vestiges. By striking a contact with vestiges, these individuals, known as binders, can perform a cryptic rite to suggest their own body as a vessel for the vestiges, who would then bind themselves into the mortal body to manifest what is left of their divine power to interact with the world.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a dagger or (b) two simple weapons
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a simple weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) a priest's pack
• Leather armor and a dagger

Vestigal Binding

As a practitioner of hermetic yet religious rite, you can call forth shadows of the deities, known as the vestiges.

Choosing Higher-Level Favors

When you bind more than one vestiges to yourself, you gain all favors from the bound vestiges granted at 1st, 2nd, and 6th level. However, gaining higher-level features must be chosen between vestiges. When you bind two or more vestiges to yourself, you must choose one of the bound vestiges to gain its 10th- and 18th-level features. You can choose two different vestiges for each feature, or choose one vestige for both features.

For example, when you reach 18th level and bind Eligor and Leontoeides, you can choose Eligor to gain his 10th- and 18th-level feature, or choose both Eligor and Leontoeides, one for 10th-level feature and another for 18th-level feature.

Acting against the Vestige

Vestiges are normally friendly to its binder, but when the binder acts against the vestige's will, it may attempt to enforce their will. More often that not, acting against the vestige is unavoidable for a binder: Sometimes the vestige's demand is too much for the binder to obey; sometimes a situation shows no other ways than acting against the spectral patron's wills, and sometimes the binder may forget that their body is shared with someone else.

A binder who has acted against their vestige typically performs a special ritual that entreats it, pleading for its pardon. The ritual takes 10 minutes, and can can be performed during a short rest or long rest. After the ritual, the vestige forgives the binder's brief misbehavior.

If a binder actively and deliberately acts against the vestige's will and shows no excuses, the consequences can be more serious. At the DM's discretion, the offended vestige may take one or more of the following actions to enforce its will:

• The vestige attempts to override the binder's body, disrupting their actions. As long as the offended vestige is bound to the binder, they have disadvantage on all ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.
• The vestige refuses to grant one or more of its favors to the binder.
• The vestige forcibly unbinds itself from the binder, and refuses the binder's attempt to bind it, until the vestige is properly entreated.

Your binder determines the number of mana you have, as shown in the Mana column of the Binder table. You can spend these points to fuel various binder features, including the vestigal favors granted by your vestige.

When you spend mana, it becomes unavailable until you finish a short rest or long rest, at the end of which you regain all expended mana. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest performing a special rite to replenish your mana.

Some of your binder features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Portfolio of Aradia

As the hostess of the pagan rites, Aradia's portfolio is associated with magic and rituals. Her portfolios are as follows:

• Seek Magical Wonders. Aradia possesses a passionate avarice toward magic, especially rare spellbooks and artifacts. Aradia would risk even the most lethal hazards if a rare magic is at the stakes — especially since it is her binder's body, not hers, that would meet the fatal end at the worst consequences.
• Spread the Faith. Her mysterious and probably fraudulent history nonwithstanding, Aradia insists her divine status be restored to her past glory. Given any chance, Aradia would boast her magical wonders to awe and sway the gullible into worshiping her as their newfound goddess.
• Suffer Not the Witch to Die. Before her descent as a vestige, Aradia was revered as the patron for witches and pagan occultists, or at least she claims she used to be. As such, Aradia would not harm a witch, and should she do so, she would prefer nonlethal methods.

Vestigal Gift: The Pagan Grimoire

When bound, Aradia grants you a magical tome called the Pagan Grimoire. When you first gain the Grimoire, choose three cantrips from any class' spell list (the three need not be from the same list). While the Grimoire is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these cantrips.

When you first gain the Grimoire, it also holds two 1st-level spells that have the ritual tag from any class' spell list (the two need not be from the same list). While the Grimoire is on your person, you can cast any of the spells as ritual. You cannot cast these spells except as rituals, unless you have learned them by some other means. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the spells in your Grimoire.

On your adventures, you can add other ritual spells to your Grimoire. When you find such a spell, you can add it to the Grimoire if the spell's level is equal to or less than your binder level divided by four (rounded up) and if you can spare the time to transcribe the spell. For each level of the spell, the transcription process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp for the rare inks, herbs, and incenses needed to inscribe the spell and practice its ritual.

Vestigal Favors

Aradia's favors are focused on magical expertise, especially casting a spell and interfering with the spellcasting process. When you bind Aradia to yourself, she grants you the following features.

Manifestation of Atropal

When you bind Atropal to yourself, it manifests into your body as follows:

• Your heartbeat slows down, and your skin turns pale and cold, although it does not affect your vitality.
• Skeletal apparition appears on your skin.
• You adopt some of Atropal's quirks, which often involves averting light and fire.
• Atropal may occasionally interrupt and borrow your voice to express its hatred against life and gods, often when you witness a symbol that belongs to a deity associated with life and fertility.

Portfolio of Atropal

Atropal's motivation stems from its undeathly origin and its abandonment from divinity. Its portfolios are as follows:

• Defy Deities. Because of its origin as an divine fetus disposed of and reanimated, Atropal holds a tremendous grudge and hatred against gods and divinity in general. When given a chance, Atropal would actively seek to desecrate a deity's temple, shrine, or relic.
• Honor Among Undeads. Atropal's nature lies in the realm of the dead, and it was fated to rule as the lord of the undeads. Destroying a would-be undead servant will most likely provoke the wrath of the Stillborn God.
• Seek Killings. Consumed by its maddened grudge, Atropal has short temper and violent nature. Atropal would not hesitate to kill a living being, even if it makes no difference from nonlethal methods in resolving the problem.

Vestigal Gift: The Dead Pointer

When bound, Atropal grants you a wand made out of a skeletal hand, called the Dead Pointer.

While holding the Dead Pointer, you can use an action to point creature you can see within 30 feet of you with the Dead Pointer, cursing with Atropal's deathly grasp. Make a ranged spell attack against the target, using your Charisma. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage. The damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Vestigal Favors

Atropal's favors represent its remnant control over the undeads and its nature as an undead. When you bind Atropal to yourself, it grants you the following features.

Breeze Tunes

At 1st level, as an action, you can start a musical performance with the Windsinger until the end of your next turn. On subsequent turns, you can use an action to extend the duration of your performance until the end of your next turn. The performance ends early when your concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell).

During the performance, a swift breeze surrounds you, blurring your visage from observation. All attack rolls against you have disadvantage, and other creatures have disadvantage on the Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks made to spot you with sight. Creatures that has truesight or does not rely on sight does not suffer these effects.

Flyby Steps

Starting at 2nd level, you can spend 1 mana to take the Dash or Dodge action as a bonus action.

When you take the Dash action with this feature, util the end of the turn, all opportunity attack rolls against you have disadvantage. You lose this benefit if you are incapacitated or if your speed drops to 0.

Alluring Visage

When you reach 6th level, you can spend 3 mana to cast gust of wind or warding wind, without requiring material components. For the verbal component of the spell you cast with this feature, you must play a short tune with the Windsinger.

Additionally, when you fail on a saving throw during the performance of your Breeze Tunes feature, you can spend 2 mana to re-roll the saving throw. You must use the new roll.

Gale Steps

Beginning at 10th level, you can choose Chichimec to gain its favor that eludes yourself from incoming harms, both physical and mental. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage on a successful save, and only half damage on a failed save.

Additionally, you cannot be charmed. If you are already charmed when you bind Chichimec, the effect is suspended for the duration.

Ascendant Tunes

By 18th level, you can choose Chichimec to walk the air. During the performance from Breeze Tunes, you gain flying speed equal to your walking speed.

Additionally, when you take the Dash or Dodge action with your Flyby Steps feature, you gain flying speed equal to your walking speed until the end of the turn. This benefit only works in short bursts; you fall if you end your turn in the air and nothing else is holding you aloft.

Knightclad Stance

At 1st level, while you are wearing the Knightclad Armor, you are considered one size larger for the purpose of avoiding or resisting being shoved or grappled.

Additionally, when you are shoved or otherwise forcibly moved by an outer force while wearing the Knightclad Armor, the distance by which you are moved is decreased up to 5 feet.

Dragonslayer's Will

Starting at 2nd level, when you take damage while you are wearing the Knightclad Armor, you can spend 1 mana as a reaction to gain temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + your binder level + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1), which takes as much of the triggering damage as possible. You lose all temporary hit points gained this way at the start of your next turn.

The Golden Steed

When you reach 6th level, you can spend 3 mana to cast find steed, without expending a spell slot. When you cast find steed with this feature, your steed summoned this way always takes on the form of a warhorse, is always a celestial, and disappears when Eligor is dismissed from you.

Additionally, you gain the following benefits, but only for the steed you summoned with this feature:

• While you are mounting your steed, you have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off the steed.
• If you fall off your steed and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you are not incapacitated.
• Mounting or dismounting your steed costs you only 5 feet of movement, instead of half your speed.

Knightclad Fortitude

By 10th level, you can choose Eligor to gain his protection from earthly weapons. Whenever you finish a short rest or long rest while Eligor is bound to you, choose one of the following damage types: bludgeoning, piercing, slashing. While you are wearing the Knightclad Armor, you gain resistance against damage of the chosen type from nonmagical weapons that are not silvered.

Knightclad Presence

When you reach 18th level, you can choose Eligor to emanate his noble aura within your proximity. While you are wearing the Knightclad Armor, the area within 5 feet of you counts as difficult terrain for hostile creatures.

Additionally, in combat, you gain a special reaction that you can take once on every creature's turn, except your turn. You can use this special reaction only to make an opportunity attack or use your Dragonslayer's Will feature, and you cannot use it on the same turn that you take your normal reaction.

Manifestation of Focalor

When you bind Focalor to yourself, he manifests into your body as follows:

• Your eyes begin to weep constantly, regardless of your current mood or thoughts.
• Spectral webs appear between your fingers and toes, and your skin develops a faint texture akin to fish's scales. The webs are intangible and serves no benefits or penalties.
• Focalor may occasionally interrupt and borrow your voice to express his grief and despair according to your current situations, or more often, his grief and despair in general.

Portfolio of Focalor

Focalor is an eternal slave to his own sadness and grief, which is reflected in his general behaviors. His portfolios are as follows:

• Apologize for Everything. He Who Weeps From Depth tends to apologize to anything and everything, even if it is evident that he has no reason to do so. A fast apologize and retreat from the scene is, for Focalor, is the immediate reaction in order to avoid further conflicts — or at least he thinks so.
• Brooding yet Tranquil. The psyche of Focalor is always turbulent and restless, like the tides of the distant seas. Yet deep inside his facade of remorse and helplessness, there is a vivid spark of insight and intuition, which makes the Prince of Tears resourceful.
• Seek Solitude. Forever lamenting and anguishing, if there is one thing the Prince of Tears would want, it would be being left alone. As such, Focalor would actively avoid or resist blending into social meetings or sharing an intimate moment with others.

Vestigal Gift: Sturm Und Drang

When bound, Focalor grants you a magical trident called Sturm Und Drang. You are always proficient with Sturm Und Drang while you wield it.

When you make a ranged weapon attack by throwing Sturm Und Drang, attacking at long range does not imposde disadvantage to the attack roll, and you can choose to deal lightning with the attack instead of the weapon's original damage type. After the attack, Sturm Und Drang immediately teleports into your empty hand, regardless of whether the attack hits or misses the target.

Mark of the Wild Hunt

At 1st level, you can use a bonus action to designate a creature other than construct or undead you can see within 30 feet of you, marking with the curse of the Horned Hunter.

You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks made to spot and track the marked creature. Additionally, when you make a ranged weapon against the marked creature, you ignore its half cover and three-quarters cover.

The mark lasts for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). You can end the mark early on your turn (no action required).

Force of Nature

Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with an attack using the Gamekeeper's Arch, you can spend 1 mana to deal an extra 1d8 poison damage with the attack.

When you hit a creature with an additional attack from your Gamekeeper's Arch, you can use this feature with the attack without spending mana.

Hunting Spree

Beginning at 6th level, when you make an additional attack from your Gamekeeper's Arch, you can spend 1 mana to target a different creature that you can see within 30 feet of the original target with the attack.

Additionally, you can spend 3 mana to cast locate animals or plants or pass without trace, without requiring material components.

Gamekeeper of the Wild

By 10th level, you can choose Kernos to implement its supernatural moxie into your defense and mobility. Your walking speed increases by 10 feet, and moving through nonmagical difficult terrain no longer cost extra movement for you.

Additionally, you gain immunity against poison damage, and you cannot be poisoned. if you are already poisoned when you bind Kernos, its effect is suspended for the duration.

Survival of the Fittest

When you reach 18th level, you can choose Kernos to manifest the absolute force of nature. Creatures marked with your Mark of the Wild Hunt feature loses resistance and immunity against poison damage, if it has any.

Additionally, when you hit a creature with an attack with the Gamekeeper's Arch, if the creature is poisoned or marked with your Mark of the Wild Hunt feature, you deal an extra 1d8 poison damage with the attack. If you use your Force of Nature feature with the attack, you add this damage to the extra damage of your Force of Nature feature.

Manifestation of Leontoeides

When you bind Leontoeides to yourself, he manifests into your body as follows:

• Your hair and pupils turn fiery red.
• Your voice develops a booming streak, as if you are speaking through a brass pipe.
• A spectral ring of fire forms around your head. The fire does not emanate heat or light, and has no functional benefits or penalties.
• Leontoeides may occasionally interrupt and borrow your voice to admonish anyone who has been rude to you, even if said person happens to be of a position superior to you.

Portfolio of Leontoeides

Even after his fall from the celestial honor, Leontoeides keeps his arrogance and pride above all others. His portfolios are as follows:

• Ambition for the Ambition's Sake. Despite his false neglect, Leontoeides adores those who will do anything to achieve what they want, be it fortune, power, love. For those who aspires for the best, the Prideful Sun would be the most supportive vestige to ask for power.
• Scorn the Weak. To the Prideful Sun, the weak are there for a reason or another. Arrogant and lusting for power, Leontoeides does not even pretend to pity for those who cannot help for themselves, and will openly mock and gloat them for being a prey for the strong. "Survival of the fittest" is not only the portfolio of the False Almighty; it is the motivation behind every single action he makes.
• Seek Authority. The cause of the fall of the Prideful Sun was his hubris to usurp his master's throne, and even after being reduced to a vestige, he has not given up his ultimate goal. In fact, he already acts as if he is the almighty, and always demands the authority appropriate for his self-claimed position.

Manifestation of Orthos

When you bind Orthos to yourself, it manifests into your body as follows:

• Your voice becomes quiet and hoary, as if you are always attempting to speak while being strangled.
• Your feet are perpetually covered in black, spectral fog. The fog can be repelled with brigh light.
• Orthos may occasionally interrupt and silence you when you bring up a subject that is supposed to be secret to anyone else, even if you intend to tell the truth.

Portfolio of Orthos

Silence and mysteries are what defines Orthos, and as such, the Primal Shadow demands the same attitude to its binder. Its portfolios are as follows:

• Golden Silence. Orthos actively avoids bright and noisy places, and its standard for "noisy" is stricter than common beliefs. The Howler in the Dark would, contrary to its fancy alias, not tolerate even the distant howls, the chatters in the pub, or even a bump in the night.
• Lurk, Hide, Observe. Orthos acts like the darkness from which it originates. It never stands but lurks; it never walks but stalks; it never speaks but whispers. Orthos demands its binder to keep the low profile, even if it is evident that nothing is following them.
• Seek Secrecy. The Primal Shadow would prefer not to spill any secrets, even to its allies and friends. Whatever Orthos knows, should be known only to Orthos only, and in some extreme cases, the Howler in the Dark would even blindfold and mute its binder to keep the secrets.

Vestigal Gift: The Duskshroud

When bound, Orthos grants you a magical robe called the Duskshroud. By default, the Duskshroud is a robe made out of pitch-black silk, and when placed within dim light or darkness, patterns of dark shades crawl over its surface.

Whenever you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide while wearing the Duskshroud, you are always considered in the Stealth skill, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for the check. You cannot gain this benefit when you are exposed to bright light.

While Orthos is bound to you, you can offer one magical robe or light armor to it, transforming it to the Duskshroud. To do this, you perform a special ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest or long rest. The armor must be within your reach throughout the ritual, at the conclusion of which you touch the robe or armor and offer it to Orthos. You cannot affect an artifact or a sentient armor in this way.

After the ritual, the robe or armor appears whenever you summon the Duskshroud thereafter. The armor no longer imposes disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, if it normally does.

You can have only one robe or armor offered to Orthos as the Duskshroud. If you attempt to offer a new robe or armor, you must first retrieve the first one from Orthos' possession.

Vestigal Favors

Orthos' favors reflects its nature as the primal embodiment of darkness and secrets. When you bind Orthos, it grants you the following benefits.

Searing Momentum

At 1st level, you have advantage on saving throws to resist the effects of extreme heat.

Additionally, once on each of your turn when you hit a creature with the Volcanic Fist, you can deal an extra fire damage with the attack equal to your Charisma modifier + half your binder level (rounded down, minimum of 1).

Volcanic Smelt

Starting at 2nd level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 mana to make one attack with the Volcanic Fist as a bonus action.

Heart of Prominence

Beginning at 6th level, you can attack with the Volcanic Fist twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Additionally, you can spend 3 mana to cast burning hands as a 2nd-level spell, without requiring material coomponents.

Molten Body

When you reach 10th level, you can choose Phaethon to embrace its passionate blaze, which sears through incoming harms. You gain resistance against fire damage, and whenever you are hit by a melee attack, the attacker takes fire damage equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

Soul of Prominence

At 18th level, you can choose Phaethon to channel its fierce blaze to fuel your aggression. Whenever you hit a creature with the Volcanic Fist, you deal an additional 1d6 fire damage with the attack. If you also use your Volcanic Smelt with the attack. you add this damage to the extra damage of your Volcanic Smelt.

Additionally, fire damage you deal with the Volcanic Fist, binder spells, or binder features ignores the target's resistance to fire damage, and treats the target's immunity against fire damage as resistance.

Manifestation of Xixecal

When you bind Xixecal to yourself, it manifests into your body as follows:

• Your body temperature drops down to 50°F, your breath becomes ice-cold, and you become more tolerant against extreme cold.
• Your hands and feet turns pale with a shade of blue, and develops rock-hard skin.
• Xixecal may occasionally interrupt and borrow your voice to nudge its binder to commit to the most pushing .

Portfolio of Xixecal

Xixecal, like the colossal glaciers that it manifests, is constant, stubborn, and unwavering. Its portfolios are as follows:

• Cold Facade, Warm Bemeath. Contrary to popular belief, Xixecal's heart is not frozen solid. It has a deep reserves of emotions and feelings, but its nature as the incarnation of cold and frost, it finds hard to express them, nor does it find a good reason to do so.
• Seek Stability. To Xixecal, to change is to venture into the unknown, and status quo is the golden mean that it should seek. Xixecal would refuse to take sides or make any changes to itself, unless it is absolutely evident that there is no other way.

• Unstoppable Dedication. Unmoving and unwavering like the frozen earth it walks, Xixecal's singular commitment to its objectives is what makes it dangerous and reliable, all at the same time. Once focused on a single goal, it takes more than death to keep it away from achieving it.