The Dream Eater

The Dream Eater was a dusk hag responsible for the outbreak of the Memory Plague 15 years ago in Hommlin.

Appearance
The Dream Eater looked like an old woman with red skin, glowing orange eyes, horns, and a noticeable hunch. She also had sharp, rotten teeth, revealed when she smiled.

Personality
The Dream Eater was cruel and arrogant. She cared nothing for the lives destroyed by the Memory Plague, considering half of Hommlin's population "a few mortals" virtually worthless when compared to her own well-being. While she claimed to not be without mercy and offered to assist the Champions Valoris in exchange for a truce, they understandably did not trust her to keep her end of the bargain. She also frequently taunted the Champions Valoris during their battle with her, revealing knowledge of their lives that she shouldn't have had, such as Reides's royal status and Ashara's Vrinian origin. Even in her dying moments, she maintained that she was above mere mortals and that death could not come for her.

Background
It is unknown exactly how long the Dream Eater had been operating, but she was presumably very old. For much of her life, she subsisted on the dreams of mortals, creeping into those dreams and consuming them. However, at some point she realized she could use her abilities to eat memories instead and these quickly became her preferred food. Her consumption of memories became known as the Memory Plague to the people who witnessed its effects on her victims, unaware of her role. Her most recent "meal" occurred in Hommlin around 583, when an outbreak of the Memory Plague claimed the lives of roughly half of the village's population. During this time, she also commanded a group of doppelgangers to take the places of some of the villagers she had killed. The plague subsided once the Dream Eater had eaten enough memories to sleep. She remained dormant in a part of the Feywild connected to the shrine at the center of Aidan's Glen for 15 years.

Jorah's Homecoming
As the Dream Eater awoke again, the veil between the Material Plane and the Feywild grew thin in Aidan's Glen. The people of Hommlin and its surrounding woods began to have strange dreams and creatures in service to the Dream Eater began to invade the Material Plane's version of the Glen. Via the doppelgangers who replaced his family, Jorah and his companions learned of the Dream Eater's existence and her responsibility for the Memory Plague. Despite the efforts of lesser fey in service to the Dream Eater, the Champions Valoris made it to the center of Aidan's Glen to confront her. Although the Dream Eater offered to guide them to an Abyssal Crest as well as Slumberjack if they would leave her in peace, her offer was rejected and she came to blows with the adventurers. Despite her confidence that she would survive the encounter, the Dream Eater was killed by Jorah, impaled and pinned to the shrine's stairs by Quickbrand. Before she died, she seemed to perceive some entity standing behind Jorah, but Reides saw nothing there. After she died, the influence of the Feywild on Aidan's Glen lessened and the Champions Valoris were returned to the version of the forest that exists on the Material Plane. The Dream Eater's body faded away soon after.

Goals
The Dream Eater wanted to live in comfort, feasting on the dreams and memories of mortals and sleeping for long (to mortals) periods of time. She changed her focus from dreams to memories, unbothered by the resulting casualties, because they tasted better to her and were more satisfying.

Abilities
The Dream Eater was able to invade people's dreams and consume their memories, causing the Memory Plague. She also had command over a variety of evil fey creatures, such as redcaps, darklings, quicklings, and yeth hounds. Her knowledge of those who entered her part of the Glen, such as Reides and Ashara, may have also been a special ability of hers. In combat, the Dream Eater could cast spells such as Sleep and Hypnotic Pattern. She was also able to cause nightmares in sleeping foes, doing psychic damage to them when they awoke.

The Dream Eater and Jorah
The Dream Eater killed Jorah's family. While Jorah claimed that there were possible explanations for this that would satisfy him without needing vengeance, he did not expect any of them to be true. He was extremely correct about this, and Jorah was able to kill her to avenge the people of Hommlin.

Quotes

 * "Little heroes need to get their rest... and you too, princeling."

Trivia

 * Trivia 1
 * Trivia 2