Sunday, April 10, 2016

Travel in Khorvaire

Travel in Khorvaire

House Orien Lightning Rail
     The Orien lightning rail is a marvel of magical invention. When the kingdom of Galifar was at its height, House Orien and House Cannith took on a special commission from the king. The king wanted a means to connect the farthest parts of the kingdom that could move people and goods quickly and efficiently. House Cannith created conductor stones - wondrous items that, when arranged along a route in pairs, formed a conduit through which a coach could travel at great speed. For propulsion, it turned to Zilargo for a vehicle with a bound elemental - in this case, an air elemental to propel the coach through the conduit. When the stones mounted on a coach pass over stones arranged n the ground, a sparking effect is produced, giving the lightning rail its name.
     House Cannith provides the means, while House Orien maintains and operates the lightning rail system. A limited pathway of conductor stones are laid out across what was once Galifar. Today, conductor stone paths connect the nations of Aundair, Breland, Thrane, and Zilargo in the west, and Karrnath, the Talenta Plains, and the Mror Holds in the east.

House Lyrander Airship
House Lyrander operates elemental flying vessels (usually utilizing bound air or fire elementals) to make rapid air travel possible across Khorvaire. Built in Zilargo, these vessels can sometimes be found in privateer hands, but the pilots of House Lyrander are renowned for their skill and expertise. Airships have the advantage of being able to go anywhere - provided the pilot and crew are willing to make the trip. Most House Lyrander vessels only fly between metropolises and large cities. To go elsewhere by air, you need to find a privateer. Since they are relatively new, airships have not come into widespread use yet.

House Lyrander Wind Galleon
House Lyrander's galleons, built to specifications  in Zilargo, use bound elementals to speed them across the seas. The hull of a wind galleon is similar to that of any traditional wind-powered vessel, but it has only rudeimentary mast and sails. On the aft deck, a large tower holds a massive ring with a bound elemental.

International Travel

International Travel

     House Deneith is charged by international decree with securing international borders. The border guards are adept at using magical and mundane means to patrol their jurisdiction. At road and lightning rail crossings, border towns, and airship docking towers, House Deneith's scrutiny is intense. Here, rather than falcons and dogs, Baron Breven's chief security tool is a set of documents known as traveling papers.
     To cross a border legally, a traveler must present traveling papers to the border guards on duty. The Notaries Guild of House Sivis issues traveling papers that are valid for 4 years. The papers identify all travelers, list their residence, destination or destinations, and reason for travel. House Sivis charges 25gp to prepare these papers, and many travelers protect their documents with a densewood flipcase (5gp).
     If a traveler stopped by a border guard does not have his papers, he can purchase temporary traveling papers from any House Orien, House Lyrander, or House Deneith agent (including the arresting border guard himself). A character witness must be present. These papers expire after one journey. Temporary traveling papers are scribed on cheap ash pulp, yet they cost 100gp.

Five Things Every Brelish Knows

1. The Galifar Code of Justice. Every citizen of Breland learns the basics of the Code of Justice, especially as it pertains to the rights afforded individuals in any situation. This knnowledge boild down to the right to defend yourself, the right to confront your accuser, and the right to open debate. Of course, the Code contains many additional rights and las, but these tend to be the most important for the average Brelish citizen.

2. That different is just different. Tolerant and accepting, the average Brelish believes that different isn't better or worse, good or bad; it's just different. Different races, different faiths, different cultures...the Brelish, on the whole, are the most accepting and unifying people of Khorvaire.

3. Something about the weather. Everyone in Breland has an opinion about the weather, and they love to discuss their views and share them with others This is especially true in the southern portions of the country, where the weather seems to vary between two states - hot and wet, or hotter and wetter.

4. The virtues of democracy. Unique among the Five Nations, Breland has long been experimenting with a new form of government. While the monarchy remains in place, many other duties of government, including legislation, falls to a partially elected body - the Brelish Parliament. Thanks to town meetings where all citizens have a voice and the right to vote for the elected members of the parliament, the Brelish understand the rights, responsibilities of democracy, as well as the great gift they have to live in such a progressive nation.

5. The wisdom of Beggar Dane. Out of the pages of the Sharn Inquisitive, the simple lessons for living popularized by this anonymous street bard have become ingrained in the Brelish mindset. The include: "A copper piece in the cup is a copper piece earned", "Never borrow, never lend", "The silent man has noone to blame but himself" and "A magewright in the town is worth an army in the winderness."

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Wir, 7th Olarune, 998 YK

The party succeeds in dispersing the ravenous beetle horde, and explores further into the cavernous ruins. As Irieries' psionic crystal surveys the room from atop a crumbling wall, it spies two fearsome-looking rats sniffing the still air with keen interest...


Thursday, July 23, 2015

Wir, 3rd Olarune, 998 YK

Wir, 3rd Olarune, 998 YK

Passages from the adventure:

The Bloody Bridge
    Curtains of water fall from the sky as you traverse the labyrinthine walkways of Sharn. The stone and wooden paths wind around and between the towers and spires high above the ground, forming a complex latticework that can be very confusing on evenings such as this. The rain falls hard, running off higher walkways and balconies in drenching waves, making it difficult to see much more than a few feet ahead of you. The distant glow of everbright lanterns, barely visible in the soaking gloom, does little to light the paths on this warm, wet evening.
     The skybridge ahead spans the distance between platforms attached to the sides of two different towers - Dalanna Tower and the Kelsa Spire. A body lies on the floor of the bridge, and you can see a mixture of rain and blood pooling around it. A leather satchel, still clutched tightly in the body' hand, lies in the expanding puddle of water and gore.
     As Ahman, Gungnir, Irieries, Vatrait, and Xyr begin to investigate the body, a cloaked figure leaps onto the bridge brandishing a battleaxe. "Cutter" dives into combat with the closest opponent - Gungnir, proclaiming him to be a "flesh-loving traitor". During the fight, shouts and cries of alarm can be heard from nearby residents, from the safety of their windows. The group works together to disarm him and eventually subdue Cutter. As he falls to the ground, a spidery, winged device springs from his chest and quickly takes to the sky. The group attempt to catch the flying filigree and to shoot it down, but to no avail.
     The body is none other than Bonal Geldem, an elderly human scholar from Morgrave University. The satchel contains an apple and a small journal, measuring about 3” x 6” and 1” thick, has a cover of dark brown leather with strands of mithril thread woven in a strange pattern. It bears no title, just the mithril-thread icon on the front cover. Inside, every page is blank, but the sheets have a strange feel: they don't seem to be paper or leather, rather something not readily identifiable. Irieries pockets the journal immediately before the Watch arrives.

The City Watch
     Two males and a female, wearing the green-and-black studded leather of Sharn's City Watch, emerge from the rain-drenched night. The leader, a powerfully built bald dwarf with a close-cropped beard, steps forward, leveling his crossbow in your direction. The small ball of arcane light, hovering just above and behind his left shoulder, illuminates the area. To either side, a human male and female stand with halberds at the ready.
     "Olladra's bloody nose! By the order of the Watch, drop your weapons and explain yourselves!"
      Irieries does all the talking and easily convinces Sargeant Dolom that they were not involved, only stopping to help as good samaritans. Dolom rewards their heroism and bravery with 2gp each, and invites them to visit anytime.
     As the group leave the scene, they are confronted by another cloaked figure. He shows them a signet ring with the House Cannith symbol emblazoned on it. "If you would know the truth of Bonal Geldem's murder, go to the Broken Anvil Tavern at dawn." Before the group can ask any questions he disappears into the night.

The Broken Anvil
     The human female in the dark blue cloak has delicate features, dark blue eyes, and sleek black hair bound with silver and turquoise ornaments. She wears a signet ring of House Cannith on her right finger and speaks in a soft but clear voice. “Thank you for coming. We have important business to discuss that relates to the unfortunate death of Bonal Geldam. Please, sit down.”
     “I have been working with Provost Geldem to recover a family heirloom. We were to meet earlier tonight, but as you know, he never made it. I learned from the Watch what had transpired, and so sent one of my men to track you down.”
            “The heirloom, according to family legends, was locked away in a foundry that dates back to pre-Galifar Sharn. Poor Bonal believed he discovered the location of the foundry in an ancient House Cannith journal. I was going to fund an expedition to go to the site, but without Bonal...”
            Her voice trails off. Then she leans close.
            “Perhaps you would be willing to recover the heirloom for me. For a generous reward, of course.”
            Elaydren's signet ring and the mithril threads on the cover glow in unison as she takes hold of the small book. When she opens it, the blank pages begin to fill with delicate script and line drawings. She turns to a specific page, studies it for a moment, and the pulls out a folded map from inside her cloak.
            “The location of the lost foundry is deep within the Dorasharn Tower, fifty-seven levels below the tower's present day sewer system. I offer you one thousand gold pieces and the good will of my house if you help recover the heirloom and return it to me. Will you help me?”
            “The relic I seek is an adamantine plate in the shape of a seven-pointed star about the size of your hand. It has no special power by itself, but is an ancient schema – a piece of a pattern used by Cannith artificiers of old to craft unusual items. Recover this piece of history for us, and House Cannith will be extremely grateful.”
            “This map shows the way to reach the sewers of the Dorasharn Tower. Sonewhere beyond the E-213 Valve Cluster you'll find a sealed door with the same mark as the one on Bonal's journal. Open the seal, and the tunnel beyond will take you to the long-forgotten level far below, where the foundry resides.”
            “Other than the Lord of Blades, who may have other agents seeking the schema, who knows what lurks in the hidden places beneath the city? Now that I think about it, Bonal did say that he would definitely need to bring fire on the expedition. I wonder what he meant? Anyway, I urge caution, but I am completely confident that you can handle anything you may encounter in your search.”

The Rat's Market
     The tunnels and corridors at this level of the tower are narrow and dark. An occasional window slit looks out upon the crowded walls and foundations of other towers, and infrequently placed torches sputter here and there, giving off pallid pools of light and clouds of smoke. Even so, rough and dirty people crowd the narrow corridors, and the smell of sweat and sewage permeates the stale air.
      One tunnel opens onto a large chamber, where a mix of goblins, humans, and shifters gather around a small pile of rotting garbage spread across three rotting blankets. One of the goblins shouts, “No pushing! No pushing! There's always enough for everyone at the Rat's Market!”
     Skalan continues: "I've got a rare stick of sealing wax, only partially used, for a mere sixty coppers. Or maybe you could use this fine wollen blanket with just a hint of mildew? Only 39 coppers. How about a skewer of boiled rat meat? For you, just five silver. Or, perhaps, if I could point out the way to a certain valve cluster, what would it be worth to fine explorers such as yourselves? One hundred silver?"

Part 2: Into the Depths
Sharn Sewer
The party convinces Skalan to take them to the valve cluster. He convinces them it's a dangerous journey and that he must guide the way. He leads them through a winding maze of shops before reaching a narrow passageway from which horrible sounds and stench emerge. It is occupied by a sleeping, possibly passed out goblin snoring and roaring at once. Skalan picks up a pipe and beats the walls as he curses at the wretch to scare him off. With the road safely clear, he points out a narrow passage that leads to a staircase descending deeper into the tower. With each step down, the odor of mold and sewage becomes stronger, and you can hear liquid sounds increasing in volume as you descend.

A warforged strikes from the shadows, his rapier piercing the air with deadly efficiency. “You have the Provost's journal.” the warforged says. It's not a question. “Give the book to me, and you can live to see another day. Refuse, and we will make your deaths slow and painful.” He is joined by two shifters whose faces Xyr recognizes from the market above. The group easily dispatches the two shifter thugs but the warforged proves to be a cunning adversary. Vatrait is severely wounded during the exchange, but after awhile the party succeeds in taking the assassin down. Once more, a spidery metal form takes flight from his chest. The warforged and a shifter are still alive, and the group decides to take them to Sargeant Dolom then to recover before returning.
     Irieries remains with Dolom for the Watch interrogation but is disappointed with the the meager amount of information they can glean from the warforged. The shifter was merely hired muscle. The party heals over the next 3 days (with the help of  Lady Elaydren for Gungnir) before returning to the sewer.

The Door to Yesterday
A circular metal hatch, set into the tunnel wall and engraved with arcane runes, must be the sealed door that Elaydren told you about. In the middle of the hatch, a glowing circle of mithril depicts the same icon as on Bonal's journal – the ancient symbol of House Cannith that predates the founding of the Kingdom of Galifar itself, a stylized anvil and hammer.

Part 3: The Ruins of Dorasharn

The vertical shaft is a mix of crumbling earth and ancient stone, and centipedes and other insects cover the walls like living decorations. The long descent takes you deeper into the bowels of Dorasharn Tower. Soon, the shaft begins to angle, and by bracing yourself you can actually walk along one of the surfaces. Farther still, and the shaft becomes a tunnel, and the footing is no longer difficult to maintain or treacherous.
     The tunnel eventually opens onto a vast chamber, though it emerges about 6 feet above the floor. You can't see the distant walls in the darkness, and the ruins of nearby walls and buildings appear as deep shadows in the eternal tower night, but you can feel the change in air currents and pressue that indicate a large open space ahead of you.
     The adventurers descend to ground level and begin to make their way into the chamber.
     A constant background noise rises from the walls and ruins around you. It takes a moment to recognize, but eventually the sound of chittering and buzzing can be picked out from among the cacophony. It's not unlike the sound of insects in the King's Forest, except that the chamber seems to amplify and echo the noise in disturbing ways.
     A dark carpet slides across the dusty floor and moves towards you. No, not a carpet, but a mass of squirming, chittering, shiny black beetles that swarm toward you with hungry purpose.
     

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Dragonmarks and Houses

 Dragonmarks & Houses
      Magic is the lifeblood of Eberron, encircling it like the Ring of Siberys and seeping up through the earth from the bones of Khyber. Perhaps the clearest manifestation of this pervasive magic is the appearance of dragonmarks among seven of Khorvaire's common races (human, elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling, half-elf, half-orc). Dragonmarks are elaborate skin patterns – more intricate than birthmarks and more distinctive than any tattoo – that grant their bearers innate spell-like abilities. There are 12 families of dragonmarks, each one associated with a number of closely related manifestations.
      The dragonmarked houses have existed for thousands of years. Each dragonmark appears among the members of one large extended family (or, in the case of the Mark of Shadow, two elf families). By no means does every member of a dragonmarked family possess a dragonmark, but it is extremely rare for a person who is not a recognized member of one of these families to develop a dragonmark. Each house specializes in a trade or service for which its mark gives it a competitive advantage, and it controls guilds that regulate commerce in its area of specialization.