About Beyond Salvation

Beyond Salvation is an Adventurer’s League based Oracle of War campaign set in Eberron using the fifth edition D&D ruleset. We play Thursdays from 6:30pm (Japan Standard Time) using the Salt Malt & Meta Discord.

• The Cast

• Adventure Log and Prologue

  • Arc 1: The Spoils of War

  • Arc 2: The Fortunes of War

  • Arc 3: The Dogs of War

  • Arc 4: The Drums of War

  • Arc 5: The Engines of War

  • Arc 6: Dread Metrol

  • Arc 7: The Flames of War

• Welcome to Eberron

…Listen. Everyone has layers… Yes, like an onion… Yes, sometimes you will cry…

 The Cast

• DUNGEON MAXIMUS - Dungeon Master… MWAHUHAHAHA

• EBERRON - A creation of Keith Baker, expanded on by many others.

Player Characters >> Gallery of Sketches!

• Drego d’Deneith

• Bellota Blanco

• Falko ir’Kessler

• Hammer Murphy

• Kili Aztec

• Uta d’Medani

• El

• Galleri d’Deneith

Janbert Goblincrippler

Reconstructed Oath of Inheritance Paladin

RECONSTRUCTED: Warforged tendrils burrow deep into flesh and bone. Internal organs are replaced with chunks of engraved wood or stone, and blood blends with alchemical fluid. Whether they began as organic creatures or pure warforged, the Reconstructed are less alive than either, and are a truer construct. The process of reconstruction doesn’t destroy the subject’s identity, but it is an agonizing process that can cause memory loss and a flattening of emotion. Soldiers who have undergone reconstruction multiple times often find that they can no longer remember their earlier life—sometimes even forgetting whether they began as creatures of flesh or steel.

Constructed in Dread Metrol

DREAD METROL: Dread Metrol is a city enduring an endless siege. The undead legions of Karrnath have maintained their assault for years, and every night, new forces emerge from the Mists. Within the city, Queen Dannel ir’Wynarn tightens her grip, determined to find a way to turn the tide of battle. As resources dwindle, the war machine is consuming the people of Metrol. The bodies of the dead are fused to constructs to create tireless soldiers, while citizens who don’t contribute to the war effort are sent to the Vadalis Kennels and subjected to horrific experiments. As terrifying as the undead forces are, the queen’s relentless pursuit of victory is the source of the greatest horrors.

Dedicated to the cause of Queen Dannel ir’Wynarn

QUEEN DANNEL: Queen Dannel ir’Wynarn is known across the Five Nations, respected even by her enemies for her eloquence, intelligence, and grim determination. She has led her people through four decades of bitter, brutal war, overcoming betrayals and fighting enemies on all sides. But this long struggle has taken its toll. It’s well known that Dannel is a poet and skilled musician, but fewer realize that she’s also a brilliant artificer, and that she contributed to the design of some of House Cannith’s most unique creations, such as the warforged colossus. However, Dannel’s brilliance has an edge, and her creations often have a cost in innocent blood or life-energy. Over the last four years, she has suffered terrible injuries, and was nearly torn apart when a dracolich breached the Royal Vermishard.

• Malone f’Orlorn

• Tommy D. Cat

• Sneezy

• Lamin’r Bartholomew

 Drego d’Deneith - Character Page Link ・ STREAMING ON TWITCH!

Mark of Sentinel Human College of Swords Bard

DENEITH (SENTINEL) The Mark of Sentinel presents on humans descended from the Deneith bloodline and is tied to protection and martial ability. Both during the Last War and through the present day, House Deneith is the most reputable source of personal protection and mercenary services in Khorvaire. House Deneith controls two major guilds: the Blademarks Guild, the largest provider of mercenaries on the continent, and the Defenders Guild, specializing in personal protection. A third branch of House Deneith is the Sentinel Marshals. These elite law enforcers are drawn from the most trusted members of the two previous guilds. The Sentinel Marshals were empowered by Galifar, and now again by the Treaty of Thronehold, to cross national borders in pursuit of criminals.

Born in Thrane

THRANE Thranes are a religious, devoted, and kind people that shun materialism and other vices. This theocracy is officially led by Jaela Daran, Keeper of the Flame—an eleven-year-old girl with a powerful connection to the Silver Flame. The vast majority of Thranes follow the faith of the Silver Flame, and while few led to become bold warriors rooting out supernatural evil, they are all called to lives of goodness and faith. With its fertile lands bordered on most sides by rivers and greater bodies of water, Thrane was the only nation to retain all its territory in the Treaty of Thronehold. It also maintains control of the once-Aundairian city of Thaliost it seized near the end of the Last War, and many citizens of both nations hold bitter resentment toward the other.

In Aundair on the Day of Mourning

AUNDAIR Aundairians are a spirited, intelligent people known for their commonplace magic, proud nobles, and flamboyant fashion. Their nation is a monarchy ruled by the ambitious Queen Aurala ir'Wynarn. Every self-respecting Aundairian knows their fine wines and enjoys a rousing duel.

DM: The front of the war between Aundair and Thrane was perhaps the most deadly of the hundred years of war with many dying on both sides, but loses on the Thrane side being in quantity, while losses on the Aundarian side were of quality.

Was a House Agent during the war

HOUSE AGENT You have sworn fealty to a dragonmarked house. If you have a dragonmark, you’re likely a member of one of the house’s influential families; otherwise you’re an outsider who hopes to make your fortune through the house. Your main task is to serve as the eyes of your house, but you could be called on at any time to act as its hand. Such missions can be perilous but lucrative.

Patroned by House Deneith and faithful to the Silver Flame

THE SILVER FLAME The Age of Demons ended when the couatls collectively sacrificed most of their race to create a force that could imprison the overlords within Khyber. Their essences formed the Silver Flame, an eternal force of goodness that empowers mortal champions against the darkness.

CHURCH OF THE SILVER FLAME Hundreds of years ago, an overlord named Bel Shalor threatened to break his bonds. A Thranish paladin, Tira Miron, sacrificed herself and joined her spirit to the Silver Flame to rebind him. A pillar of silver fire rose at the spot of her sacrifice, upon which the city of Flamekeep was founded. Today, templars of the Silver Flame defend the innocent against supernatural horrors, while its ministers and common faithful lead lives of compassion and goodness.

Has a story of gain - The last war proved to be financially beneficial for those graced by the Mark of Sentinel.

Needs 200 gold now to provide for the surviving members of his mercenary troop and give proper respects to the dead.

Met Kalli as a cousin, but she was black sheep and ran away.

Drego regrets betrayal by the one he trained to follow in his footsteps, Glamorgan.

Drego has a secret! (CREEPY DOLL)

Drego was trained with special attention by Endira d’Deneith, a strong influence in his upbringing. She has recommended him for Sentinel Martial and he has bee provisionally accepted into their ranks.

SENTINEL MARSHALL. The Sentinel Marshals are an elite law enforcement order administered by House Deneith since the rule of Galifar I and upheld as a multinatioanal force under the Treaty of Thronehold. Only the most trusted heirs of the house are honored with a position in the Sentinel Marshals, either after serving in both the Blademarks and the Defenders Guild, or by special dispensation of the house. The Sentinel Marshals are elite agents authorized to enforce the law across Khorvaire according to the needs of regional authorities, and they have permission to ignore borders in pursuit of fugitives. They are never authorized to break the law, but are held accountable only to the Five Nations as a whole.

Drego was at the Battle of Cairn hill on contract from House Deneith on the side of Thrane, serving a mostly support role in the back lines.

Bellota Blanco - Character Page Link ・ Streaming on Twitch!

Beasthide Shifter (Racoonish) Path of the Wild Soul Barbarian

SHIFTERS Drawing on their beast within to temporarily shift, shifters can take on aspects of the animal they embody to grant abilities such as increased strength or speed. They value individualism and rely on instinct and emotion. Most shifters live in the Eldeen Reaches, though they can be found in rural areas throughout Khorvaire. Common belief holds that shifters—or “weretouched”—are related to dangerous lycanthropes, but shifters are neither cursed nor contagious. Nearly two centuries ago, fanatical elements within the well-meaning Church of the Silver Flame sought to purge them along with the lycanthropes; as a result, many shifters mistrust the Church to this day.

Born a Cyran

THE MOURNLAND (FORMERLY CYRE) The lost nation of Cyre once represented the best of Galifar. Its vibrant arts and culture were a fusion of the talents of the other nations. From the soaring heights of the Seven Palaces of Vermishard in the capital of Metrol to the vast foundries of Making, home of House Cannith, it was a sight to behold. In 994 YK, this jewel was shattered by a mysterious cataclysm known as the Day of Mourning, where dead-gray mist billowed out from central Cyre and stopped exactly at its borders, killing or horrifically transforming everything that it touched. Cyre is now called the Mournland, and the unnatural dead-gray mist lingers, though it has lost the lethal effect it had on that fateful day. Few brave its horrors except a growing band of warforged led by the charismatic and mysterious Lord of Blades, who live deep in the trackless mists. Cyrans are now a broken people, lost without a homeland. Neighboring countries have taken in Cyran refugees, and Breland has offered them a home in what has become known as New Cyre. This area, little more than an enormous refugee camp, is ruled by Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn, the last surviving member of the Cyran royal family.

In Karnnath on the Day of Mourning

KARRNATH Living in the cold northeast, the Karrns are a grim people with a strong martial heritage. Karrnath is home to Rekkenmark Academy, the most respected military academy in Khorvaire. Early in the war, Karrnath experienced a series of famines and crop failures that led King Kaius I to adopt the Blood of Vol as the state religion and accept help from a mysterious group within the faith known as the Order of the Emerald Claw. With their help, Karrnath raised armies of undead troops to bolster their ranks with soldiers who needed neither rest nor food. When King Kaius III took power less than a decade ago, he ousted the Order of the Emerald Claw and declared them terrorists and enemies of the state. The Blood of Vol was also stripped of its exalted status, though many Karrns still follow the faith and approve of the use of undead. Karrnath was one of the strongest proponents for ending the Last War, though Kaius has to keep a firm hand on his warlords, many of whom believe that they would have won the Last War.

Was an Urchin during the war

WAR ORPHAN (URCHIN) Use the Urchin background, with the following additions. The devastation of the Last War spared some, but not you. An attack on your home left your family dead, and you were forced to make your way by any means necessary. You have a driving hatred of whatever military or mercenary force destroyed your home, but your connections to others of your status have made it clear that a new future—and potential fortunes—await in the town of Salvation. It sounds like it might be rough, but it can’t be worse that where you grew up.

Patroned by House Deneith and faithful to the Druids of Khorvaire

DRUIDISM The druids of Eberron draw on the primal magic that sleeps within the earth. Druidism was originally taught to the lesser races by the dragon Vvaraak, who foresaw the daelkyr incursion and taught the orcs of Khorvaire how to tap into Eberron's power and seal the daelkyr deep within Khyber. Over the following millennia, Vvaraak's teachings spread across the continent, becoming the foundation for a variety of druidic sects. Eberron holds many more than those named in this section, these are merely the traditions detailed in sources.

Has a story of loss - Her family of Cyran citizens was forced to become refugees in Karnnath as the goblinkin nation of Darguun declared independence and slaughtered and enslaved non-goblinkin remaining in their new borders.

Needs 200 gold now to pay off a debt of her parents. After escaping Cyre, her parents never got used to not having the luxuries of their previous lifestyle. Even while on the streets they tried to keep up the facade of luxury which resulted in racked up debt. After their passing, as they refused to eat anything they wasn’t “fine” their accumulated debt was left to her, their only child.

Met Kalli when she received a gold piece as Kalli took pity on her, and it changed the direction of Bellota’s life.

Bellota regrets not being able to convince her parents to move on from the noble life. Eventually they starved to death rather than eat “common” food.

Bellota was strongly influenced in her youth by Pelopia, a vendor of animals used for magics, who gifted her Bellota’s pet mouse, Leto.

Bellota has a secret! (ABANDONED HEIR!)

Bellota was not directly involved in the Battle of Cairn Hill, but her secret was impacted by one of the fallen.

Egen Marktaros (Falko ir'Kessler) Character link

Half-elf Shadow Sorcerer

HALF -ELVES Elves met humans two millennia ago when elves from Aerenal moved to Khorvaire. Their descendants formed a new race known as Khoravar—the Children of Khorvaire. Half-elves take pride in their race and in the importance of their two dragonmarked houses, Lyrandar and Medani. The Khoravar have easily inserted themselves in Khorvairian culture and can find a home most anywhere on the continent. These half-elves have strong bonds of community and great pride in their racial identity, but also believe in the value of cooperation with other races.

Born in Thrane

THRANE Thranes are a religious, devoted, and kind people that shun materialism and other vices. This theocracy is officially led by Jaela Daran, Keeper of the Flame—an eleven-year-old girl with a powerful connection to the Silver Flame. The vast majority of Thranes follow the faith of the Silver Flame, and while few led to become bold warriors rooting out supernatural evil, they are all called to lives of goodness and faith. With its fertile lands bordered on most sides by rivers and greater bodies of water, Thrane was the only nation to retain all its territory in the Treaty of Thronehold. It also maintains control of the once-Aundairian city of Thaliost it seized near the end of the Last War, and many citizens of both nations hold bitter resentment toward the other.

Was in Breland on the Day of Mourning

BRELAND The Brelish are an independent and skeptical people that fiercely value free thought. However, every virtue comes with a vice, and Breland is home to more corruption and underhanded dealings than any other nation. While governed by the well-loved monarch King Boranel ir'Wynarn, Brelanders see great virtue in democracy; some even believe that upon his demise, a democratic government will be established, as none of his surviving heirs have his charisma.

Was a war imposter during the war

WAR IMPOSTOR (CHARLATAN ) Use the Charlatan background, with the following additions. When you joined the Karrnathi army near the end of the Last War, your life was not going well. Something in your past was haunting you so much that signing up to die was preferable to staying where you were. Then a miracle happened. You witnessed someone die who looked like you, and you suddenly had access to their life. You took their identity, and when the war ended you could let your old self go and become a new person. The town of Salvation is the perfect place to start over as this new person.

Patroned by House Deneith and faithful to the Shadow, (but pretends to follow the Blood of Vol as Falko ir’Kessler did)

The Shadow is the god of forbidden lore and ambition, master of dark magic, and maker of monsters. He represents the dangers and rewards of the pursuit of knowledge and self- improvement, no matter the cost.

BLOOD OF VOL The Blood of Vol teaches that mortality is a curse, and that true divine power comes from within. The faithful, known as Seekers, believe that if other gods exist, they are cruel. Instead of worshiping a deity, Seekers seek to master the secrets of blood and life itself. This is a grim, practical faith that places high emphasis on unity, community, and making the most of one’s life in hopes of seizing the immortality the gods deny. Life is in the blood, and thus, once a person dies, their body is simply a tool to be used. Seekers have no objection to reanimating the dead, as they’re merely objects that can be put to good use. Some Seekers become sentient undead, such as vampires; outsiders think this means the faith worships undeath, but this is a fundamental misunderstanding. Rather, any Seeker that chooses undeath does so as a martyr, sacrificing their own divinity to preserve their knowledge and protect their communities—and thus, enabling those who still live to continue their pursuit of the Divinity Within.

Has a story of pain: family into necromancy not accepted by silver flame zealots.

Needs 200 gold now to pay off the debts of his assumed personage. The original Falko was the youngest son of his noble family and not entitled to much of the inheritance. Trying to bring his branch of the Kessels to prominence, Falko ir’Kessler tried to join the Aurum. Egen also sees the Aurum as a means to rise beyond his upbringing; and besides, you can’t exactly leave once you’ve joined. The Aurum comes regularly to collect membership dues, while turning a blind eye to the fact that this presumptive Falko ir’Kessel, is not the noble he seems to be.

Met Kalli when they had a con together, but it got too hot.

Egen’s major influence while a teenager was the “pastor’s daughter” of the local chapel to the Silver Flame. While the father constantly warned his daughter to stay away from the son of the undertakers, Egen was sharing his questions about the Silver Flame with her. If the Silver Flame is so pure, why do Silver Flame fanatics commit such murder? When the faith of Egen’s parents became public knowledge, fanatics came upon the town and murdered everyone connected with the corruption, including local faithful. He regrets not finding the daughter, even now, many year later.

Egen was at the Battle of Cairn Hill. It was there that he found Falko ir’Kessler, dead. He took on the identity and fled the battle.

Egen’s secret…

 Hammer Murphy - Character Page Link

Warforged Oath of Conquest Paladin (Sovereign Host)

WARFORGED The warforged are the most spectacular of the Last War’s many innovations. These sentient golems were made by House Cannith for a single purpose: to fight and die for whoever bought them. But to their creators’ surprise, they not only had intelligence, but true sentience—the ability to feel, fear, and love like any race. With the Treaty of Thronehold and the end of the Last War, warforged were declared to be people, free to decide their own futures. This freedom came at a price, however; House Cannith was ordered to dismantle all its creation forges so no more warforged could ever be created. The end of the Last War has not made life easy for these creations of war, and warforged face discrimination across Khorvaire. In some places—notably Breland—they are treated equitably, but still have few opportunities for improving their station. In other regions, especially Thrane and Karrnath, many warforged are little more than indentured servants. Even where treated fairly, many warforged find themselves unsure what to do after spending their lives as obedient soldiers. Unaccustomed to frivolity and having few physical needs, some simply work for a pittance to pay off some debt unscrupulous charlatans convince them they owe. Warforged models can serve a variety of purposes, some as nimble scouts, others as towering juggernauts, but all have some sort of armored exterior that encloses a core of living wood. Every warforged has a unique mark on their forehead, known as a ghulra—a Dwarven word for “truth.” This ghulra serves as a fingerprint, and no two are alike; their cause and meaning are a mystery, even to their creators at House Cannith.

SOVEREIGN HOST Legend holds that eons ago, thirteen great champions fought back the fiendish overlords that ruled the world in chaos. Today, they are worshiped as the Sovereign Host— but though they once numbered thirteen, four of its deities were cast out of the pantheon, and are now part of the Dark Six. Worship of the Sovereign Host is the predominant faith in Khorvaire. Its worship takes many forms and the faith is tolerant of others. Most followers—known as Vassals—worship the pantheon as a whole, making specific offerings to a relevant deity in times of need. Clerics devoted to one Sovereign still revere all the Host, though they dedicate their life to practical service in a particular domain. Arawai is the goddess of the harvest and fertility, of life and love. She represents the positive relationship between the natural world and civilization. Aureon is the god of knowledge, order, and magic as a tool for the good of mortals. He is also invoked when a difficult decision must be made, especially in regard to the law or the morality of pursuing arcane secrets. Balinor is the god of beasts and the hunt, representing the primal cycle of life and death and the struggle to survive on the edge of civilization. Boldrei is the goddess of community and the hearth, representing the simple bonds between people and working toward the common good. Dol Arrah is the goddess of honor and the sun, representing martyrdom, righteousness, and just conflict. Dol Dorn is the god of physical prowess and duty, representing competition, courage, and warfare. Kol Korran is the god of wealth and commerce, representing trade, travel and business. Olladra is the goddess of luck and plenty, representing the boons of civilization and the joys that it brings. Onatar is the god of fire and the forge, representing craft and industry.

Born in Karnnath… was in Breland on the day of mourning.

KARRNATH Living in the cold northeast, the Karrns are a grim people with a strong martial heritage. Karrnath is home to Rekkenmark Academy, the most respected military academy in Khorvaire. Early in the war, Karrnath experienced a series of famines and crop failures that led King Kaius I to adopt the Blood of Vol as the state religion and accept help from a mysterious group within the faith known as the Order of the Emerald Claw. With their help, Karrnath raised armies of undead troops to bolster their ranks with soldiers who needed neither rest nor food. When King Kaius III took power less than a decade ago, he ousted the Order of the Emerald Claw and declared them terrorists and enemies of the state. The Blood of Vol was also stripped of its exalted status, though many Karrns still follow the faith and approve of the use of undead. Karrnath was one of the strongest proponents for ending the Last War, though Kaius has to keep a firm hand on his warlords, many of whom believe that they would have won the Last War.

Was a disciple of the Sovereign Host during the war

DISCIPLE OF THE SOVEREIGN HOST (ACOLYTE) Use the Acolyte background, with the following additions. You were raised and trained in the light of the Sovereign Host. You do not raise any of the nine deities above the other, instead worshipping all of them in the understanding that only taken together do they show a complete picture of life on Eberron.

Patroned by House Deneith and faithful to the Sovereign Host (see above)

Has a story of gain: the Treaty of Thronehold, ending the war brought this warforged his freedom.

He needs 200 gold now to start his fighting academy.

Met Kalli during the war when they served as sappers in the same company.

Hammer has a regret. He was unable to save the child changed into a boar and eaten by a spiked devil dedicated to the Lords of Dust, among others. In particular he regrets not saving his mentor, artificer and medic, Allastair Murphy, who served alongside Drego at the Battle of Cairn Hill in 987.

Hammer has a secret! (WARFORGED SMUGGLER) Inside a compartment in his upper back is a contraption that forms new docents over time. He just recently created one.

Hammer rescued a Karrnathian Husky from the “Master of Cruelties” named Flint. After he used his lay on hands, Flint wouldn’t leave his side.

Kili Aztec - Character Page Link

Kalashtar Celestial Warlock

KALASHTAR Kalashtar are descended from human monks that melded their minds with quori—dream spirits of light that fled Dal Quor in search of refuge on the Material Plane. The children of these monks became the kalashtar, and while they appear like uncannily beautiful humans, they are a separate race. These psionically gifted people carry a genetic link to those same spirits their ancestors bonded with millennia ago. Kalashtar are born into a secretive interplanar conflict that they rarely entrust other races with knowledge of. They believe that sinister quori spirits rule Dal Quor, the Plane of Dreams. Through following their faith, the Path of Light, the kalashtar hope to bring about a new age in Dal Quor—one of light instead of nightmares.

Some kalashtar emigrated from their Adaran home to the continent of Khorvaire, blending the culture of their homeland with the lifestyle of the Five Nations. The kalashtar have established close-knit communities in major cities, preferring to blend in rather than cause trouble. They tend to distrust outsiders for fear of agents of the Dreaming Dark, and prefer to deal with problems themselves rather than try to convince authorities of the incredulous threat from nightmare spirits. Khorvairian kalashtar are more likely to take an active stand against evil than their Adaran relatives, some choosing the difficult path of “shadow watchers.”

Born in Breland to Adarian refugees

ADAR Adorning the southern tip of Sarlona is Adar, the mountainous home of spiritual warrior-monks with psychic powers. The first kalashtar came from Adaran human monks who bonded with dream spirits escaping the reach of the Dreaming Dark, the ruling body of Dal Quor. The temple-citadels of Adar work together to maintain a psychic shroud that protects them from the scrying and teleportation capabilities of Riedra, whose empire constantly assails their borders in an attempt to conquer this last pocket of resistance against Riedran dominance of the continent.

BRELAND The Brelish are an independent and skeptical people that fiercely value free thought. However, every virtue comes with a vice, and Breland is home to more corruption and underhanded dealings than any other nation. While governed by the well-loved monarch King Boranel ir'Wynarn, Brelanders see great virtue in democracy; some even believe that upon his demise, a democratic government will be established, as none of his surviving heirs have his charisma.

Was a university professor (sage) during the war

MORGRAVE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR (SAGE) Use the Sage background, with the following additions. You’ve gained a great deal of knowledge while you studied, and then taught, at Morgrave University in Sharn. When the Last War ended a few years ago, even the most learned academics scratched their heads at who or what caused the Day of Mourning that destroyed Cyre. Many of these are too cautious to truly investigate the Mournland, but your sense of curiosity outweighs that of self-preservation. Journeys into the Mournland might reveal its cause, which would make you the toast of the academic community.

Kili has a friend at Morgrave University. Zell Mar is a bit of nerd and kind of clumsy, but Kili found those things cute. Zell Mar was interested but Kili kept her distance. Too many things going on with the war, her parents, the quori and so on…

Her fairy (Sprite) familiar, Himmel, is a manifestation of the quori spirit that has melded with her and empowers her warlock powers.

Kili has a regret: she couldn’t save her parents. The report was that it was a suicide, but she knows it was actually a setup made to cover the real killers, agents of the Dreaming Dark Quori. She hates newspapers and all media, that lied and slandered her parents.

Kili has a secret! (LAST OF HER LINE)

Kili was too young to participate in the Battle of Cairn Hill, but her parents working at Morgrave University at the time were forced to develop a weapon used by the side of Breland in the combat.

Uta D’Medani - Character Page Link

Half-elf (Mark of Detection) Bladesinger Wizard

HALF-ELVES. Elves met humans two millennia ago when elves from Aerenal moved to Khorvaire. Their descendants formed a new race known as Khoravar—the Children of Khorvaire. Half-elves take pride in their race and in the importance of their two dragonmarked houses, Lyrandar and Medani. The Khoravar have easily inserted themselves in Khorvairian culture and can find a home most anywhere on the continent. These half-elves have strong bonds of community and great pride in their racial identity, but also believe in the value of cooperation with other races.

MEDANI (DETECTION).The Mark of Detection presents on half-elves descended from the Medani bloodline and is tied to finding immediate threats and preventing those yet to come. House Medani serves as private investigators—known as inquisitives—and profited from counterintelligence operations during the Last War. House Medani controls the Warning Guild, which not only licenses non-house inquisitives and sentries, but also trains bodyguards to proactively anticipate and neutralize danger.

Born in Breland

BRELAND The Brelish are an independent and skeptical people that fiercely value free thought. However, every virtue comes with a vice, and Breland is home to more corruption and underhanded dealings than any other nation. While governed by the well-loved monarch King Boranel ir'Wynarn, Brelanders see great virtue in democracy; some even believe that upon his demise, a democratic government will be established, as none of his surviving heirs have his charisma.

Was a house agent during the war

HOUSE AGENT You have sworn fealty to a dragonmarked house. If you have a dragonmark, you’re likely a member of one of the house’s influential families; otherwise you’re an outsider who hopes to make your fortune through the house. Your main task is to serve as the eyes of your house, but you could be called on at any time to act as its hand. Such missions can be perilous but lucrative.

Uta has a secret! (Ex-Sword of Liberty)

 El - CHARACTER PAGE LINK

Changeling Way of the Ascendant Dragon Monk

CHANGELING.Though changelings have an unmistakable appearance—pale skin and hair, and mere hints of noses and lips—it’s rare to spot them in their natural form. This race of shapeshifters is commonly mistrusted, though no more innately dishonest than any race. They live (often unseen) throughout Khorvaire and beyond.

Born in Cyre

THE MOURNLAND (FORMERLY CYRE) The lost nation of Cyre once represented the best of Galifar. Its vibrant arts and culture were a fusion of the talents of the other nations. From the soaring heights of the Seven Palaces of Vermishard in the capital of Metrol to the vast foundries of Making, home of House Cannith, it was a sight to behold. In 994 YK, this jewel was shattered by a mysterious cataclysm known as the Day of Mourning, where dead-gray mist billowed out from central Cyre and stopped exactly at its borders, killing or horrifically transforming everything that it touched. Cyre is now called the Mournland, and the unnatural dead-gray mist lingers, though it has lost the lethal effect it had on that fateful day. Few brave its horrors except a growing band of warforged led by the charismatic and mysterious Lord of Blades, who live deep in the trackless mists. Cyrans are now a broken people, lost without a homeland. Neighboring countries have taken in Cyran refugees, and Breland has offered them a home in what has become known as New Cyre. This area, little more than an enormous refugee camp, is ruled by Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn, the last surviving member of the Cyran royal family.

Was an Ear of Thrane (Spy) during the war and was in Breland on the Day of Mourning.

EAR OF THRANE Use the Spy background, with the following additions. During the Last War, you were an Ear of Thrane, acting as a spy for that nation, pretending to be a loyal soldier for a different nation. When the war ended, your secret identity was learned. Untrusted by your former friends, you found that the nation of Thrane also mistrusted you, thinking you may have been a double agent. Mistrusted now by both sides, you are a spy without a home.

El presents themself using various personas:

• Elivello is an Khorovar (half-elf) sailor on the Montulet, and has connections with House Medani.

• Elazti Devir is a Brelish human.

• Thirty-one is a warforged.

El has a secret! (PRINCE OF ASHES)

Galleri d'Deneith - CHARACTER PAGE LINK

Human, Mark of Sentinel

DENEITH (SENTINEL) The Mark of Sentinel presents on humans descended from the Deneith bloodline and is tied to protection and martial ability. Both during the Last War and through the present day, House Deneith is the most reputable source of personal protection and mercenary services in Khorvaire. House Deneith controls two major guilds: the Blademarks Guild, the largest provider of mercenaries on the continent, and the Defenders Guild, specializing in personal protection. A third branch of House Deneith is the Sentinel Marshals. These elite law enforcers are drawn from the most trusted members of the two previous guilds. The Sentinel Marshals were empowered by Galifar, and now again by the Treaty of Thronehold, to cross national borders in pursuit of criminals.

Cleric of Order (Aureon)

AUREON is the god of knowledge, order, and magic as a tool for the good of mortals. He is also invoked when a difficult decision must be made, especially in regard to the law or the morality of pursuing arcane secrets

Born in Thrane and in Thrane on the Day of the Mourning.

THRANE Thranes are a religious, devoted, and kind people that shun materialism and other vices. This theocracy is officially led by Jaela Daran, Keeper of the Flame—an eleven-year-old girl with a powerful connection to the Silver Flame. The vast majority of Thranes follow the faith of the Silver Flame, and while few led to become bold warriors rooting out supernatural evil, they are all called to lives of goodness and faith. With its fertile lands bordered on most sides by rivers and greater bodies of water, Thrane was the only nation to retain all its territory in the Treaty of Thronehold. It also maintains control of the once-Aundairian city of Thaliost it seized near the end of the Last War, and many citizens of both nations hold bitter resentment toward the other.

Was an Brelish Deserter (Hermit) during the war.

BRELISH DESERTER. During the final years of the Last War, you’d had enough. After so much death and destruction, you needed to escape the madness of endless destruction. Unable to go home because of your status as a deserter of the Brelish army, you needed to hide. You made your home on the border between Cyre and Breland, dodging patrols of both armies and living alone in the wilderness. With the Last War now over, you find that your knowledge of Cyre’s border is coming in handy.

Galleri has a secret! (BETRAYAL)

>>SPOILERS<<

Galleri was born to two members of House Deneith (dragonmarks are genetic and inherited), but early in the war both were called away to service and he was left with his unmarked but House Deneith member Aunt Jennah who lived just north of Vathirond, on the Thrane side of the Brey river. A hot spot in the war, the town was overwhelmed and he became separated and an orphan. Taken in by the orphanage to the southeast run by Father Eustace of the Sovereign Host, he learned to appreciate the wisdom of Aureon, and learned to love reading. One night, around 10 years old, he was visited in a dream by an angel who woke him. Not sure whether it is was in a dream or not, he got out of bed and wandered to a hidden passage in the orphanage he had never seen before leading to stairs that went down deep under the sanctuary. Quietly descending you saw the Father turn into a half-man, half-boar, wearboar. Father Eustace infected one of the other orphans tied to an altar and forced them to drink a potion turning the child fully into a pig, and then fed the pig to a demon. The half-sleep fell away, and Galleri snapped awake and ran away.

Making his way back to the city of Vathirond, Galleri lived on the streets, and did well for himself. As he hit early puberty, the Mark of Sentinel appeared, giving him the ability to sense when there was a chance he would be watched, making him do exceptionally well at avoiding capture even as Galleri took care to live by a strong moral code of not taking from anyone except those that could afford to let him borrow from them until he could pay them back. Unfortunately he was so successful in living off of what he gleaned from more important persons, and had a pattern of returning to the local library often to borrow and return books, that he was very easy for Armundus d’Deneith to track down, having been called in on account of the dragonmark. Armundus took Galleri under his wing, and as a dragonmarked heir of the house, he had no need to scrounge any more. Galleri d’Deneith had become an upstanding and rightful member of society with a position of respect. He did his best to pay back what he could to those he remembered having taken from earlier, and grew to appreciate how well his faith in Aureon fit with House Deneith’s role as an international and neutral police force. Many of his lessons involved not only a combat role, but in being a beacon of justice, and Galleri spent time within House Deneith being tutored by Sentinel Marshals engaged in field investigation as well as with the in-house clerics of Aureon, god of justice, law and order.

At 16, Galleri was given his first field assignment a crew of House Deneith mercenaries. House Deneith’s other wing in addition to the Sentinel Marshal law enforcement side of the house, was also to supply mercenary companies to all sides of the war that hired. This was Galleri’s first time assigned outside of the Sentinel Marshal part of the house, and his troop was led by Glamorgan d’Deneith. Glamorgan was also on his first real field assignment having been tutored by Endira d’Deneith, and together were put in charge of a group of goblinkin mercenaries from the Deneith holdings in Darguun. The looser handling of legal matters by both the goblinkin mercs and Glamorgan didn’t set right with Galleri, and at some point he couldn’t handle their excessive cruelty and pillaging in the execution of war. Galleri confronted Glamorgan, and Glamorgan, being the senior officer had him written up. Galleri took his reprimand stoically, but after a short period of reprobation was sent back to the front with the same troop of mercenaries. Only this time, their actions were even further unrestrained. The correct thing to do would be to report further up. But their actions truly disgusted Galleri including rape, theft and violence against civilians. Having been accused before of insubordination, Galleri couldn’t trust the chain of authority to do the right thing. At a key moment in a major battle, he walked away, leaving troops entrusted to his command to die when he could have saved them. And later, the overall loss of the battle was determined to be because Galleri’s position on the line fell. The way it was told, he was singularly responsible for the deaths of over 100 mercenaries, Breland soldiers and even House Deneith dragonmarked heirs.

Galleri never imagined his moment of weakness would result in such loss. He disappeared, ashamed of his own moral weakness, guilty before Aureon even before he faced the awaiting court-marshal. The war ended mere weeks later. He retreated into the wilderness near his aunt’s old home north of Vathirond hoping one day to make peace with his shattered conscience.

It was four and a half years later, when Armundus sent Galleri that fateful letter and called him back into service...

 The Story So Far…

PART 0: PROLOGUE

The railcar rattles and gently sways, speeding through the night across the kingdom of Breland, leaving behind the metropolis of Sharn and racing to the edge of the Mournland. Once the proud kingdom of Cyre, the Mournland was destroyed in the Day of Mourning ending the great war. In an instant Cyre was engulfed in a magical smoke that mutated and destroyed all within...

The camera pans along the length of the train giving us a glimpse into the engine station with human House Orien dragonmarked heirs running the train supported by their crew of artificers, then crew cabins, a kitchen car, a dining car and then passenger cabins.

The dining car is well lit but hazy with pipe smoke. Gathered around one table are the unlikeliest of friends. An invisible magical sphere of chatting voices surrounds this table with background noise blocking all sound from entering and leaving without raising suspicion from any observers. Kalli, a brown skinned Cyran human, one of the most loyal people you've ever known and never without her Mona Lisa smile, leans in and says, "Okay, we'll be arriving at Salvation early in the morning. Let's review what you know. You each were in Sharn in the gnomish neighborhood of Den'iyas in Upper Menthis for your own reasons. It was overcast with a slow drizzle. You were headed to visit the artificer, Herate from Zil. Tell us again how you would have looked as you walked towards the shop, and you don't have to, but it might help us all if you tell us what you wanted to see her about. You there big guy. Why don't you go first? Also, if there are any topics or something that makes you squeamish that you'd like us to skip over or avoid from here on out, now might be a good time to let us know."

… After discussing an incident where a gnomish artificer was killed in Sharn by a member of the fiendish Order of the Emerald Claw, the adventurers search for the cause of the attack through their common friend, Kalli, in the town of Salvation on the edge of the Mournland. Kalli offers some jobs and wishes them luck, returning to be with her crew, the Gray Dogs, before the three intrepid heroes find enough peace inside themselves to fall asleep in their own cabins. In the night, they all see the same dream, a piece of the Draconic Prophecy, before they awake at Salvation station.

DRACONIC PROPHECY The Draconic Prophecy is a record of things to come that has been playing out since creation. It is a massive work found throughout the entire world of Eberron, written in the positions of the moons and stars, dragonmarks, and more. The prophecy is cryptic, but those who study it claim that if the record can be deciphered, the fate of all things in Eberron can be foreseen.

Arc 1: The Spoils of War

Arc 2: The Fortunes of War

ARC 3: The Dogs of War

ARC 4: THE DRUMS OF WAR

ARC 5: THE ENGINES OF WAR

ARC 6: DREAD METROL

ARC 7: THE FLAMES OF WAR

 The Spoils of War

DDAL-EB-01 THE NIGHT LAND

You arrive in the small shanty town of "Salvation" early in the morning, on the second Zol of Zarantyr, 998. From the platform you see a literal dump of a town smeared across a rocky plain with short grass accented by the dreariness of the overcast sky, bordering on light rain. The peeling and faded posters on the platform gently rolling and unrolling in the chilly mid-winter breeze advertise the services of "Scrapper Supreme," Irullan Karnach, drawn as a rosy-cheeked, plump woman in her early forties, wearing a purple scarf draped over one shoulder. On the opposite edge of town is an enormous warforged colossus sitting upright to a height of about 100 meters surrounded by a scrapyard, with the chaotic wall of the clouds of the Mournland beyond making roiling and horrific screaming faces that come and go like waves on the ocean. Smoke rises from one public house in the center of the town and several ramshackle dwellings surrounding the central market that consists of stalls that are part rusty shack, part bunker. The lone stone tower, a church--no, smaller than a church--more like a chapel really, of the Silver Flame stands slightly to the west of the main market. A large warforged with a badge featuring the royal crest of Breland pinned to the front of their cloak is watching the arrivals disembark the train. As Kalli and the Gray Dogs enter the town they nod at the familiar crew and then they see you newcomers. Drawing near they introduce themself as the local law, “M’name’s Sherrif….”

… After finding a place of respite at the Gray Beyond our adventurers investigate the jobs they gathered and purchased supplies. In the market, goblin salvage broker Belaluur requested they find her associate who went missing in the Gray after setting out along the lighting rail line. Beneath “Big Moe,” the large warforged colossus in Irullan Karnach’s scarpyard, there was a tunnel passing underground into the Mournland where a Karnnathi scientist was doing necromantic experiments on dead members of the Order of the Emerald Claw. Following up on a job offer from Mother Jahanah at the Chapel of the Silver Flame led to confrontation with shifter smuggler Zodor Tarev. The culprit’s identity uncovered the adventurers tracked a changeling, Whist, into the Gray but found him and his crew caught by mutated goblins and performing a strange ritual. We join the party with the rescued Whist in custody, having regained the Arrow of Truth. … The heroes save Whist, rescue the goblin daughter, and uncover a Karrnathi undead lab under the warforged colossus.

DDAL-EB-02 VOICE IN THE MACHINE

We join our characters back at the Gray Beyond… the heroes bravely enter the Gray, going to the city of Kalazart to save the salvage band, the Gray Wolves, led by Kalli. On doing so they discover a strange artifact that can interpret the Draconic Prophecy, giving battlefield advantage to overcome warforged loyal to a certain Lord of Blades.

DDAL-EB-03 WHERE THE DEAD WAIT

We join our heroes a few days travel out from Kalazart, moving back towards Salvation, camped for the night. A beam of light extends towards the heavens from a nearby shack as undead close in. A strange Kalashtar runs into the group and helps them fend off the attack. Retreating into the shack, mysteries point to Karrnathi experiments on undead. The heroes find the foci of the spell and reverse it, repelling the undead just in time, while also fending off betrayal by the Gray Wolves and convincing Kalli to remain faithful to her friends from long ago.

SALVAGE MISSION TIER 1 - HUNDRED-SHARD STASH

We join the adventurers, deciding on a new base of operations, and searching “the Gray” for useful materials for enhancing their base. They meet an elderly couple, who become staff at the newly refurbished inn.

Rewards: TSI gains 1,000 salvage to use in upgrading their base, Ye Olde Thunderpath, an abandoned House Ghallanda inn.

SALVAGE MISSION TIER 1 - THIS LITTLE PIGGY ATE NONE

Current Salvage 1000 - > Salvage spent: Ballista (500), Explosive Bolt (200) 6x Standard Bolt (300) = Starting Balance: 0 Salvage

We join our adventurers in Ye Olde Thunderpath with Kili Aztec making an impassioned speech to the other crew members, letting them know how she appreciates them and how their kindness is causing her previously frozen heart to melt. We panned across to the elderly couple giving devotion to the Sovereign Host, and Mauriana, to the Dark Six as well… before Sherrif showed up at the door deputizing Drego as a dragonmarked heir of House Denieth to investigate the dissapearance of a child in the woods near Salvation starting with the Toranzo Monastery, known for its wine and salted pork, found on the far side of the wood…

WARNING: DEVILS ARE BAD (IN A BROTHERS GRIMM KIND OF WAY… The heroes uncover the plot of a wereboar pretending to be a priest of the Sovereign host, actually a follower of the Lords of Dust seeking to free the overlords by strengthening a fiend named Brother Baunsen children turned into piglets through the curse of wereboar lycanthropy enhanced by alchemy. The heroes save most but not all of the children.

Rewards: TSI gains 1,000 salvage.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EBEP-01 - THE IRON TITAN

While Drego, Hammer and Kili visit Salvation, the town comes under the attack of the warforged colossus, Big Moe… suspiciously missing, Irrulan Karrnach.

DDAL-EB-04 - THE THIRD PROTOCOL

The Oracle of War continues to spout “THIRD PROTOCOL ACTIVATED”… In response to the “Third Protocol” assassins descend upon the town of Salvation, killing Sheriff and many locals before the heroes are able to stop them.

The Fortunes of War

Tier 2 Advancement & Character/World Development

Let’s find out what characters chose at level 5 as they advance from “Local Heroes” to “Heroes of the Realm”

How were the characters affected by the Battle of Cairn Hill?

Who is someone that had a major influence on the character when they were adolescent?

What are three major regrets of the character? Or choose one regret and draw a secret….

Salvage Mission Tier 2 - Skeletons in the Closet

Breaking a peaceful afternoon, Kali screams as a phantasmal Ghallandan Halfling comes out from her room. See the video above.

Having earned 1,000 more salvage, 2,000 salvage spent on upgrading the base to Tier 2. Ye Olde Thunderpath is now home to phantasmal blink dog Momo. Saying “that’s a good boy” in halfling makes Momo open a portal to the tower hidden in the edge ethereal above the hill.

… Join us next time for …

Salvage Mission Tier 2 - Order and Progress

Drego is sent by his mentor Endira d’Deneith to do a background check on the potential replacement for Sheriff in the nearby town of Vathirond. Bilge Tally was a sergeant in the “Big Company,” a Brelish force consisting of ogres, half-ogres and goliaths, that participated in the Battle of Cairn Hill. Normally, this would be handled by Brelish intelligence forces, but they are tied up at the moment and have hired the Sentinel Marshals to perform this task. Our heroes arrive in Vathirond on Candlemass Eve, a festival celebrated by Silver Flame adherents in memory of the sacrifice of the couatls to trap the overlords many millennia ago that formed the Silver Flame itself.

The investigation uncovers the past of Bilge. While Fighting honorably at the Battle of Cairn Hill, a separate force attacking Vathirond killed his wife. Bilge’s son, Junior never forgave this chain of events and joined the Swords of Liberty, a radical splinter group within the Brelish military that was disbanded for war crimes but continues to secretly push for a more “hawkish” stance among the leaders of Breland, including threats of terrorism and overthrowing the throne. Tracking down Bilge, the heroes interfere with the operations of the local Swords of Liberty, defeating the local cell, but not before they set off an explosion of their local cache of arms, destroying the cathedral above on the cliff and many adherents to the Silver Flame within.

Rewards: 2000 salvage!

Join us next time for …

Salvage Mission Tier 2 - Mind Games

Arriving in Sharn, Kili Aztec is attacked by an agent of the Dreaming Dark, a dreamily addict who was taken over by a roach thrall. As Kili fought off the attacker in the realm of dreams, Hammer and Drego destroyed the roach. This turned out to be too late however, as Aztec, Kili’s quori was poisoned by a dark quori. Returning to Sharn, the heroes were met by twin sister Sentinel Marshals, Lalia and Tasra d’Deneith of the Sharn branch of House Deneith. Tasra directed the team to “The Lullaby”, a new dreamily den in the Precarious district of Sharn that is at the heart of this new outbreak of roach thralls in the city.

At The Lullaby, Riedran agents have a portal to Dal Quor that uses an artifact from the Age of Giants, an ancient giant face in stone that allows passage of a Quori to the material realm. After defeating the Riedran agents, Aztec, Kili’s Quori, brings them into the realm of dreams where they recover the antidote.

Rewards: Ring of Mind Shielding (Kili Aztec), 2,000 Salvage

Join us next time for …

SANDBOX MISSION TIER 2 - To Seek and To Save

Hammer leads as the heroes follow the information in the Sharn Star, to the beautiful villa of Nonaq ir’Tonclin in the wealthy Platinate district of Upper Menthis. Gaining an audience with the young master of the house, the heroes discover the influence of a fiendish cult and go in search of “the sanctum” below the manor.

Rewards: Infernal Puzzle Box (Drego)

Join us next time for …

SANDBOX MISSION TIER 2 - IT GOES DEEPER

The heroes encounter a strange wolf that leads them through the sewers to a lair of fiends where they are reunited with Brother Baunsen from the monastery. After a “collegial exchange” they enter a large theater where a short cephalopod exits leaving them with the Master of Cruelties. After a long and arduous battle they send him back to Khyber and are met by the wolf… An orcish druid named Korg of the Gatekeepers who tells them about the seals being maintained by the druids to keep back the forces of the Overlords. Further contact with the Gatekeepers is available through the a shifter named Keln in Stoneyard (Lower Northedge).

Rewards: 4,000 salvage! Rescued Karrnathi Husky “Flint” (Hammer)

Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-05 - A Century Of Ashes

We see a flashback 12 years ago to an ancient ruin as team Graystrife stumbles upon a crystal skull, only to be shortly thereafter destroyed by a powerful necromancer, a slightly younger Irullan Karrnach.

Back in the present, Drego receives a letter from the spy they sent to track down Irullan, while Kili composes a poem about meeting with Zell Mar, one time crush but also professor at Morgrave University and expert in artifacts related to the draconic prophecy.

He shares information about research his laboratory performed during the Last War into developing technology that could read the draconic prophecy and give advantages on the field of battle. He recognizes a mark on the box of Sulring Mroranon, a dwarven artificer. He offers to connect the party to the sphinx Flamewind who lives in Morgrave University, in exchange for help impressing Jia, a student on a date.

A successful date later, the heroes enter Lareth Hall and are ambushed by a raiding party before meeting Flamewind. Flamewind will look into the prophecy and contact you to help you understand it more. That evening, Kili composes another poem and the latest edition of the Sharn star arrives.

Join us next time for ….

SANDBOX MISSION TIER 2 - What Goes Bump in the Night

Drego recieves a letter from Endira. The party assembles with the notable lack of Falko ir’Kessler, and then is sent by Tasra d’Deneith to investigate an attack on a gambling den in Callestan. The characters received Feather Tokens and use of one skycoach equipped with crossbow turrets.

On arrival at the scene of the crime, it is found that most of those killed did not defend themselves. Among the fifteen bodies, nearly half were heavily armed halflings with a tattoo of a dragon perched atop a tower on their neck. One, with scars instead of ears hidden by his long hair, was killed by lightning bolt and had a press pass by the Sharn Star slung around his neck. Investigating further at the Sharn Star, the heroes are contacted by the leader of the Boromar Clan, who wants to point them at the targets they want to hit anyway, as long as those targets also benefit the Boromar… As a first example, he points them at the perpetrators of the hit on the gambling den, saying he knows they have a meet at The Red Hammer, an establishment servicing the local Warforged community in Blackbones (Upper Cogs). The editor of the paper, a D. Danno Dameson, wants information about an ir’Kessler, and calls him a “menace”.

In Upper Cogs, Hammer is asked about ideology. Whether he would stand with creating races, or fight against them to form a nation of Warforged under the banner of the Lord of Blades. By rejecting this idea twice, he gains the confidence of Smith, a priest of Onatar who tends the Pool of Onatar’s Tears, and Blue, one of two proprietors of The Red Hammer, who has grown uneasy with the subversive nature of many of her current clientelle. She points the party at a meeting happening right now in the cellar accessed from the back alleyway of the Red Hammer between agents of Daask and the Lord of Blades.

Defeating the Daask and Lord of Blades Warforged troops after several rounds of vicious combat (although the leader of the Warforged, named Cudgel escaped), a lull in the music occurs, allowing them to hear footsteps on the stairs down to the cellar. There before them, a grinning Falko ir’Kessler.

… Join us next time for …

SANDBOX MISSION TIER 2 - THE MANY SHADES OF GRAY

Falko leads the party post haste to an abandoned warehouse with a body left within, and then slams the door and locks the party in. As Hammer and Kili bash down the door, Drego inspects the body and finds that it is a bloodied and bruised Falko ir’Kessler. Returning to their hotel, they get directed to Kurala’s House of Healing, a House Jorasco facility next to the inn. Their attendant nurse knew the real Falko before Cairn Hill, and is working for the Boromar Clan. She passes on a message to the team to interrupt a shady deal going on at the docks.

During the short ride by elemental skiff across the Hilt, the party discovers that the organization that they’re covertly working for have ties to the cult of the Daughter of Khyber. It almost gets violent when loading the vessel with large pieces of a druidic binding stone are loaded in chunks onto the boat, but the elvish pilot of the craft convinces them that he’s not with the cult and the party decides to follow the cultist to the site where the excavation was taking place.

On arrival, Hammer and the party suddenly attack and kill the cultist while he is alone. Exploring the ruin they find the broken seal was part of a fountain and then discover a secret passage to the cultist’s living quarters. The episode finishes as they discover that where there should be five pillars representing five colors of dragon, one is missing… the green pillar.,,

… Join us next time for …

SANDBOX MISSION TIER 2 - A POPPED SEAL

According to Falko: Explored the ruins, was confused by all the hints, fought a large slime, was confused by all the hints, heard/saw demon claw.. run run run run run, road boat back to Sharn, went to see a rude newspaper guy, went to go see a nurse about a thing. :3

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-06 The Last Word

The sphinx Flamewind deciphered the prophecy spoken by the Oracle of War and sent you to Wroat to foil a Thranish spy’s strike against the King’s Dark Lanterns. You infiltrated a royal armistice ball to identify the spy and uncover their mission.

… Join us next time for …

SANDBOX MISSION TIER 2 - WHERE SLEEPING DOGS LIE

Two days earlier in Sharn, Falko met with Nurse Tetzel and learned about the mission that the real Falko failed on. A coffin-sized, purple box with a House Kundrak seal was picked up from near the Mror Holds for delivery to an arcane laboratory of a wizard with a knack for opening things at Black Pit. Bad luck found Falko in the middle of the Battle of Cairn Hill where he dumped the cargo and the smugglers attempted to run…

Falko convinces the party to return to Cairn Hill to find the dumped cargo. Passing the heavily militarized border between Breland and Thrane, the party journeyed to the site of the battle. It seems that the garrison stationed at Cairn Hill has been corrupted, but there’s a back way into their stash, through the cairn beneath the hill… oh, and Hammer got a gelatinous cube dropped on his head.

Rewards: (salvage session), Falko found gold on the bodies of the “garrison” soldiers, and Kili got a glowing gemstone engraved with Dwarven runes that say “powerlessness”

… Join us next time for …

SANDBOX MISSION TIER 2 - S.A.M. I am

The party climbed up into the floating fortress and retrieved their “box”, a purple coffin-shaped box covered with House Kundrak seals, while their guide grabbed his father’s sword and ran away. On the way out, a freaky monster came out of another plane of existence and Hammer ended it in one massive hit, but not before Kili got a piece of dragonshard embedded in her shoulder.

They brought the box to the lab at the Black Pit and found it was a magically animated facility. Advancing towards the center of the Structure for Assisted Magic (S.A.M.), they encountered a variety of magical oddities including a greenhouse that attacked them.

… Join us next time for …

SANDBOX MISSION TIER 2 - Hello, my name is…

Making their way to the heart of the lab, the party eventually met S.A.M., the magical intelligence granted to the lab, being lonely and hungry for adventure had constructed a mobile body for itself. It wanted to test its abilities to survive in the greater world before heading out and challenged the party to a battle, which Hammer indulged him in. S.A.M. seems able to learn the spells used in its presence and turn them against the weilders… finally seeking adventure, Falko gave it a map and pointed it in the direction of the Mournland…. nothing could go wrong with this…

In the workshop, the party found a tool for opening the box, Amari Bacci’s Universal Opener, and uncovered its mechanism. Inside they found a statue of a woman that was melting, and dwarven messages saying “Maximum Security”.

The party brought the mysterious box and its contents to the edge of Sharn and pursued multiple avenues for gaining information about the occupant, and confirming that Nurse Tetzel could in fact break the petrification. Nurse Tetzel discovered an aberrant dragonmark on the body, and Kili researched the War of the Mark. Drego and Hammer gained intel on the Tyrants, the second largest criminal cartel in Sharn, and their whereabouts.

Finally, the party removed the curse of petrification. The woman statue did a changeling transformation into a male statue. When asked who he was… “My name is Ek” …

… Join us next time for …

SANDBOX MISSION TIER 2 - Ja’Shaarat

Dealt with Ek in mausoleum and learned some stuff about Falko….

Entered Ja’Shaarat beneath Sharn and found the Tyrant arena, complete with a bee breathing tyrannosaurus, the King of Feathers… Ek escaped and disappeared…

The party was coopted by Phileas… Elemental ship pilot… no… dragon. He demanded that the party undertake a mission in Q’Barra to recover artifacts for him.

The party split… Drego bought some daggers and had a verbal showdown with the Sharn Deneith twins. Meanwhile Kili was finding out that the Sharn Deneiths have been overwhelmed by dark quori. Hammer shadowed Falko on a date more or less… actually less successfully.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-07 Song of the Sky

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EBEP-02 Rolling Thunder

 DOGS OF WAR

Our party has returned home at last after a solid month away researching the mysterious verse of the draconic prophesy and uncovering its secrets.

“When dark lanterns flicker
in the light of the silver torch,
the King in Green rides north on a bolt of steel.
Two nations prepare for war,
as all eyes turn to Sky Blue.”

The Dark Lanterns and Silver Torch were engaged in a heavy game of spy vs. spy, unfortunately distracting from the true enemy within, the Swords of Liberty that struck against Lord Kor ir’Wynarn’s personal train, while causing the blame to fall on warforged operating out of the Mournland…

SALVAGE MISSION: THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The sun rises lazily over Ye Olde Thunderpath. A rare sunny and bright day in Khorvaire. The short dry season has come to Breland bringing a gently muggy heat as the sun dispels the remnants of morning fog. How do you like to spend your morning?

… Hammer awakes to a pain in his back … Using the new ability of their base to send messages he contacts Blue from the Red Hammer in Sharn. On his way the pain becomes unbearable, and they open him with the universal knocker finding a strange mechanism, a newly formed docent and a letter from his mentor Alaistair. Hammer’s body is made to create new docents!!!

Meeting with Blue at the Red Hammer, Hammer arranges a meeting with Merrix d’Cannith II, leader of House Cannith South.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: WHICH CAME FIRST?

Meeting back at the Red Hammer, the team meets Blue and her companion (?) Crucible. They learn that Crucible is a “forged”, created after the war and a collector of ghulra imprints. She leads the team through a secret lava tube tunnel into the heart of the Cannith Forgehold in Sharn. She introduces them to Tim, (don’t pay any attention to Tim) and then leads them to Merrix. Merrix seemed most interested in the docent and the mechanism inside Hammer that produced the docent, and while he’s able to incubate the docent so it does not lose its arcane charge, his creation forge lacks certain key materials in the production of a warforged host: Siberys dragonshard dust, celestial tears, Xoriat-touched ore, an arcanodynamic flywheel and dragon guano. Some supplies must certainly be located at Whitehearth, the seat of power of House Cannith before the Mourning… He would like to take back the location if possible, or at least secure as much materiel as he can from the fortress, and has tried before to no avail.

The adventurers decide to head to Whitehearth by sea, and as they move through Sharn to the docks they encounter ugly anti-warforged racism resulting in a fight. After killing three out of the five sailors, the Sharn Watch intervenes. Reports of hate crimes against warforged seem to be on the rise. On the ship to Darguun, they meet Big Bara, a warforged captain in the Brelish military, leader of Bara’s Breakers, an elite scouting unit. Her team is headed to the frontier with the Mournland ahead of the floating fortress Argonth. She’s agreed to use Ye Olde Thunderpath as lodgings for her troop.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: DID SOMEONE CALL FOR SCAVENGERS?

The party is met in Darguun by a Deneith mercenary sent to meet them by Endira d’Deneith, who aids them and provides information. The coastlands of Darguun are subject to raids by the elves of Valenaar. Lyrenton, hometown of Bellota, is now completely abandoned due to a wasting sickness that seems to radiate from powerful magics of Whitehearth altered by the Mourning. Rose Quarry is late on shipments of marble. A group of Karnnathi House Cannith members passed through Darguun heading towards Whitehearth two weeks ago but has not bee seen…

A brief travel overland to Lyrenton later they find the remains of a recent campsite in the ruins, and glimpses of a furry creature.

They proceed to Rose Quarry and find the abandoned mining camp at the mouth of the mines, with a mission log by the House Cannith expedition leader. It seems they succumbed to illness and perished.

Proceeding into the mine to investigate, they find the goblin miners have been infected (?) by artifice that makes them sleep walk…

Deeper within the mine they interact with the ghost of the Cannith expedition leader and overcome his magically altered guardians, before reaching the true secret of Rose Quarry, a Siberys Dragonshard geode. They find the magically mangled body of the the expedition leader and defeat the gasseous elemental “Monoxide” and are able to claim the Siberys Dragonshard dust.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: The Temple of Kha-Shazul

The party takes up the task left to them by the dragon they stole from, Phileas. An attack on the cult of the Daughter of Khyber at a Q’barran temple with ancient relics, a scepter, an amulet and a crown.

… WHAT AN ADVENTURE PACKED SESSION … I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU MADE IT!

Discovering two of the three items, Kili and Hammer receive aberrant dragonmarks, while Drego’s mark of the sentinel grows and changes. Returning to Phileas, he has the following information.

“In the course of previous research, I once uncovered a tale of a group of explorers of the Q’barran peninsula. Five of the members of this group were said to have all simultaneously developed the so-called aberrant dragonmarks in the course of an expedition. Such an event would be rare enough, but one true dragonmarked among their number claimed to see her mark change in shape at the same time.

This group of explorers of which I spoke were led by one named Jheamast, a Sarlonan. No direct account hints at Jheamast or his band having visited the Temple of Kha’shazul, but the congruence of his party’s manifesting the same strange marks that you have manifested seems clear.

“Jheamast was said to have sought a weapon for use against some foe in his homeland of Sarlona. It is my belief that he must have claimed the missing relic—the one called the Dragon’s Eye—from the Temple of Kha’shazul prior to your arrival. More than a thousand years prior, to be precise. If you are amenable, I would like to procure your services for another few weeks. I will increase your wages, providing you with an additional 500 gp (worth of salvage) each.”

“The full truth of what happened to Jheamast and his party is long since lost, but I have heard one rumor that I must share with you. Jheamast is said to have died in the Lhazaar Principalities some years after his time in Q’barra, but the Sarlonan’s companions who manifested these new and changed marks were all dead within a year of their entering Kha’shazul. It is said that at least one was apparently consumed from within by the power of the mark she bore. Dark legends surround many who carry the so-called aberrant marks, and these tales of Jheamast’s party could be no less fanciful.

However, if the legends are true, discovering why Jheamast lived might be your only chance for survival.”

“Seeking clues of Jheamast’s activities in the principalities will no doubt take some time. This galleon remains chartered for your use, and I will leave a supply of sending stones by which you can keep me apprised of your progress.

I cannot accompany you, for I must make my way east in order to undertake further research on your new marks.”

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: THE VORGAARD ESTATE

The players are sent by Phileas via a magical ship in a bottle to the Montulet, currently in Port Verge, to investigate the aberrant dragonmarks and Jheamast with the help of Elivello.

Finding a lead in the local tavern after wining a game of dragonchess against a local, they learn the story of one who sought and found the tomb. Unfortunately he is no longer to be found anywhere, but the journal of his adventure was sold to a collector of historical artifacts, a Karrnathi wizard named Vorgaard with an estate found across the Bay of Eels. Unfortunately, the information was overheard by a member of the cult of the Daughter of Khyber.

Racing by boat across the Bay of Eels, the party arrives at the estate too late. It is up in flames. But the cultist attackers are still present.

The party successfully defeated the cultists and their undead minion raised from the archaeological artifacts in the estate, recovering the journal.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-08 - A Parliament of Gears

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: Zikran’s Zephyrean Tome

Within the book Kili took from the Vorgaard Estate was a map to a “Throne of Talons”, images of a majestic ki-rin, and a poem.

On the journey to the Shrine they met a pilgrim. Inside they overcame various trials to reach a golden master.

Finally, the cloud giant swung out to deal a killing blow to the pilgrim, the ki-rin statue intervened and saved it’s life. As Zikran died in their arms, the celestial’s tears enabled the party to experience a memory of the Day of Mourning. The ki-rin was also in possession of a locket with the royal crest of Cyre on the outside and a portrait of Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn dated to 10 days before the Day of Mourning with him in Metrol inside, and an ornate jeweled key with the inscription, “an heir of Jorat must complete what he started.”

Rewards: Salvage, celestial tear, ornate emerald key, royal Cyran locket.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: “In Zilargo We Trust”

The party stepped off the train in Zolanberg and was met by a member of the Trust, the secret police of Zilargo. Seeing the Sentinel Marshal, Special Inquisitor Delby offered to show them to a local artificer. Wandering through the Zolanberg Industrial Park they happened upon Wooly Wallace’s Wonders of Artifice. Unfortunately, their request for the warforged component was exactly the code phrase used by the underground society that Wooly Wallace was a member of. After some hijinx, they barely escaped being blasted into either space or smithereens.

Rewards: Arcanodynamic flywheel, salvage, spell books, and El succeeded in their mission.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: “MINE YOUR OWN BUSINESS”

Returning to Port Verge, the party searched for information about Thraxis, the artificer mentioned in Eliam’s Journal who has the missing journal pages. Doc Grimm at the Bilge & Bulwark was able to connect the party with the Sea Wyverns, a once fearsome band of pirates fallen on hard times and their leader, Captain Damog Hellscurvy. He had information that Thraxis and another of his crew, Jukkeam, were captured by the Cloud Reavers and put to work in mines under the Dreadhold, a maximum security prison facility run by House Kundrak. His plan is to capture a supply ship in harbor at Port Verge, disguise as Cloud Reavers and sneak the party into the facility in boxes past their main defenses. Once inside, he has a map to the cell block where Jukkeam is being held…

Unfortunately, Thraxis perished in the mines below the Dreadhold. The party goes to find the body and encounters mutant flesh-warped Dolgaunts. Fortunately the content of the missing pages of the journal were tattooed on the body. Also, this mine is a rich source of Xoriat-touched ore! Meanwhile, a prison riot distracted the guards allowing them to move freely back through the prison to the port and cleaning up the guards there, to escape.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: “The Prince’s Map”

The session begins with a Phileas outlining what you have achieved, and revealing that although you now know guideposts for your journey on Trebaz Shinara, and instructions for when you reach the tomb, you lack a map of the island that will allow you to trace the path. The only known map of this island of mystery is in the possession of Ryger ir’Wynarn, pirate prince of Regalport. You’ll need to approach him to gain his favor to access the map… at the same time he sends El on a parallel mission: the Prince has one of the keys of the ir’Wynarns. Five in all, the draconic prophecy tells us, the Chamber, you will need them to fulfill your destiny.

Exploring the Pirate Exchange in Regalport, both El and the party discover that Ryger likes to hangout with the boys at the Rusty Anchor…

Despite failing to gain the Prince’s attention through performance or feats of dexterity and strength, Falko impressed the Prince through persuasive interaction and gained a letter granting access to the maps in the war room of the Dragoneye, the Prince’s flagship.

El, setting out early in the morning got work as a new steward for the officer’s chambers.

Aboard the ship… well… everything didn’t go exactly as smoothly as it could have… on the upside, the party gained the map and El found a key. Avoiding a run in with the cultists of the Daughter of Khyber on the docks of Regalport on the way back to the Montulet, the party sets sail for the haunted isle, Trebaz Shinara.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: “THE SAILOR’S TOMB”

With the completed journal and map in tow, the team heads to the haunted isle of Trebez Sinara. Overcoming a zombie killer whale and fierce dragonne to make landfall, the party followed the journal’s directions hiking overland through jungle, first to an airship caught in the canopy and then on to the statue of a maiden dressed in ancient Sarlonan garb and marked with an aberrant dragonmark pointing the way to the tomb of the long forgotten sailor.

Inside the cave, the party braved the perils of the undead before reaching the sarcophagus, defended by an evil being of living nightmare. With its defeat, the now serene ghost of Jheamast revealed that the curse of the dragonmark was released from him as he ascended the Orrery of Vortuum in northern Argonnessen.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-09: Lord Bucket

El does some investigation and gets suspicious about Big Bara’s motivation. As the party prepares the township of Salvation for war, there is a lot of grumbling about General Karol Tyresh.

Battle ensues… significant to the story, Drego saves Sky Blue and Falko saves the General.

Endira d’Deneith arrives and meets with Drego.

1.You’ve been making quite a name for yourself. I figured it was time I paid a visit to my star protégé and see for myself this ragtag group you’ve managed to pull together. Thank you for meeting and exceeding my expectations in your abilities.

2.Uncovering that illicit mine under the Dreadhold has turned into something of a diplomatic affair between the council of the Twelve. At some point you’re going to have to stop making me look so good or the house will “promote” me to sit with the other representatives in Tower, at least that’s the rumor. Trust me, if they assign me to that frozen pillar hanging over Korth like some sick icicle, I’ll be dragging you along.

3.There’s been a lot of interest in your comings and goings in Karrlakton. First that odd artifact in the Gray, and according to your latest reports, the Chamber getting in on it. What do you know about the Chamber?

4.I have a job for you. Recently we were contacted by a merchant tycoon and known Aurum member. He would like to contract you for a security job coming up in a few weeks. He’s a member of the Aurum, and an investor. He bought a piece of military hardware from Breland that he’s converting into a luxury sky liner and wants you to be on board, expenses paid, for its maiden journey to Xen’drik and back.

5.There will be a large number of celebrities, the wealthy and powerful on board. A real who’s who. Often Narcy of Xandra would subcontract to us for this kind of high-profile job, but there’s a couple reasons why we’d like to assign you to this case. For one thing, Narcy has not been seen since the lightning rail fiasco. For another, the client has asked for you by name. What can you tell me about, Zed Plinled Burgenhind (Jukkeam’s father).
Well... For one thing he’s a member of the top echelon of the merchant elite in Khorvaire.

6.After the Battle of Cairn Hill and the tragic loss of the flying fortress there, the Brelish were looking to maintain aerial superiority but with fewer resources tied up in a single hull. This airship, the Golden Dragon, was among the largest airships ever built, but after the war

7.He’d like to discuss the terms, either at his office in Highest Towers or at his estate in Platinum Heights in the Upper Central Plateau of Sharn. There’s a little time until the first voyage if you have a little unfinished business to take care of first, but the sooner you get there, the sooner you can conduct interviews with the crew and any other preparation you deem necessary.

… Meanwhile …

KILI Story: “Book Worm”

Killi researched at the library at Ye Olde Thunderpath and found out:

(1) The Great Turning of the Age

The Quori organization known as the Dreaming Dark fears nothing greater than the turning of the Quor Tarai (the spirit of this age). The Dreaming Dark has been at work in the world for thousands of years to prevent this turning. If the age were to come to an end, all the quori would be reabsorbed into Dal Quor and the cycle would reset, except that while the current cycle of Dal Quor is ruled over by the Darkness that Dreams, according to legend, the next cycle shall be under the dominion of the Light that Dreams.

(2) The Sarlonan Secret

The Dreaming Dark believes that by controlling enough mortals in nightmares, they can prevent the turning of the age. That is why they invaded the kingdom of Riedra on the continent of Sarlona. Even today, Riedran humans known as "the Inspired" are under the domination of the quori of the Dreaming Dark.

(3) The Kalashtar

The Kalashtar are similar to the Inspired in that they are influenced by quori, but not coerced like those under the Dreaming Dark. The Kalashtar follow a path of light acting as hosts and hiding places for quori resisting the Dreaming Dark, and work towards hastening the great turning of the age.

(4) Quori and Dal Quor

Dal Quor, is the realm of dreams, visited by mortals as they sleep. The quori are generally unable to leave this realm of dreams but there are rumors that they taught the early Sarlonans technologies and secrets for bridging this gap during their initial invasion of Riedra. There's a footnote on this section, it's a quotation taken from a book titled "Bridging Dal Quor and the Material Plane" by Professor Aztec published by Morgrave University.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: “A Soirée in The Sky”

Billowing clouds escape the forge. “It” advances, ghulra gently glowing azure like its eyes and the gem in its chest. Mostly wooden features are accented with plates of bronze rather than steel. Gazing around the room, every feature novel information, it finally unblinkingly settles on you. A smooth, medium-register voice addresses you in Common, “What is my designation?” … “What should I do now?” …

Ushered in, you’ve been expected. Checking your arms with the receptionist in the cavernous lobby, you are led to a caged, indoor soaring sled which closes around the party, before gradually ascending to the top of the Burgenhind Building. A chime indicates your arrival at the pinnacle of the Khorvairan financial world. The tricorned and ten-ringed magnate, “Zed”, poses for another portrait before panoramic windows overlooking all the small people in the world below.

• Thanks for rescuing Jukkeam. I hope the reward was enough.

• This new hull cost quite a pretty penny.

• Tonight’s gala will be quite the event. A maiden voyage to Xen’drik and back should be just the thing to get people’s minds off this dreadful war in the East.

• War is quite profitable...

• Captain Alastair will answer any other questions you have.

… Meanwhile …

KILI Story: “Professor Aztec”

At the Morgrave University Sharn Campus, Kili avoids interaction with Zell Mar and continues her research. She finds the book written by Professor Aztec, her father. Some interesting passages therein include.

(1) Attachment of Quori to Hosts

The initial attachment phase of quori of light joining with human hosts that would become the Kalashtar in Adar, and the much greater number of quori of the dreaming dark that joined with the humans that would become known as the Awakened in Riedra, took place more than a thousand years ago. First the quori interacted with the dream of their chosen host day after day until the vividness of the dream lasted beyond their sleeping hours until the dream of the quori could be held by their host even while the host was awake. This was the first generation of our people.

(2) Inheriting the Dream

When hosts had children, they could pass on the dream of their quori to their children, and the one quori would be hosted by multiple Kalashtar, sharing the dream of their one quori. When a child was born to two Kalashtar parents, the child would tend to gravitate to one or the other parent's dream, no single Kalashtar holding the dream of two quori. All told, our people, the Kalashtar have only 63 quori shared among us all.

(3) The Death of the Host

When a Kalashtar dies, it no longer holds the dream of a quori. Some have questioned what would happen if there were means possible to keep the soul of a Kalashtar in a state of stasis, preventing it from moving on to Dolurrh, if the dream could continue beyond the physical life of its host.

(4) Dreams in Reality

The quori are the natives of the realms of dreams, Dal Quor, and are, to our best knowledge unable to manifest themselves in the prime material plane. Rumors persist that the giants of Xen'drik once held powerful magics that could bring dreams into reality, and some say the savage drow in the jungles still have these artifacts. Stormreach is our only point of contact with these peoples, however, and attempts to ask them to part with the relics they consider to be sacred have failed up to the present.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: “The Red Carpet”

After preparing for the evening gala event and getting in position, the guests arrived. Drego and Ellivelo were standing by the Captain to greet the guests as they arrived. In terms of interactions of note, Drego nearly had a run in with the Karrnathi delegation, in particular their skeletal bodyguard. Many of the guests, both men and women, seemed interested to meet the charismatic pirate prince, Ryger ir’Wynarn.

As guests settled in for the evening’s entertainment, Ghel the goblin wait staff noticed Ryger making advances on the female entertainers. Drego tried to get a seat at the table gambling with Danno Dameson and pirate baron Paldrith Malinko, but was brushed aside due to the presence of the ir’Tonklin heir.

Moving out to patrol the halls and check on the cargo arrangements, Drego ran into an extra crew of hobgoblins “working” on the engineering room. Confronted, the would be saboteurs attacked, with reinforcements coming from the cargo space below. Ghel’s positioning due to the Draconic Prophecy saved many of the guests, but Leery ir’Kinly met her end at the end of the claw of Kray.

As the dust settled, a device was discovered, a blast cylinder, set to cast Banish on the elementals holding the ship aloft at the end of the timer. Time ticked down, but Falko was there to counterspell the blast with dramatic flair.

As Zed Burgenhild and the Lord Mayor of Sharn returned to the city by skiff, the guests settled in for an uneasy rest to start their cruise.

Before retiring, Hammer checked on Shepherd who is getting better at not breaking dishes and staying out of the way of the chef. Speaking of which, Drego noticed the chef spying on the situation in the steam pipe room. El took the form of Valencia and made a personal approach to Ryger ir’Wynarn and was able to deduce that the one on this cruise is most likely Ryger’s First Mate, the changeling Syn. Drego visited the spa, and through clever use of his spell to read thoughts, discovered that spa master Zan is on the run from the Tyrants, the Sharn crime syndicate made of up changelings and led by Ek. Yes, that Ek. Hammer flexed at Dameson, and then called it a night, collecting two trophies: an adamantine warhammer and +1 battleclaw.

… Meanwhile …

KILI Story: “THE SUMMER OF LEMONADE”

Zell, finding Kili researching asks Kili what she's looking for in the library and if he can help her look. Getting a cold response from Kili, he just says that it was good to see her and just so you know, that he broke up with Jia ... and then begins to walk away to leave Kili alone ...

“Wait.. why did you break up with her?” Kili sends telepathy to Zell. (She assumes it’s because he wasn’t interested in others except his research.)

He thought about it a lot... she was cute in some ways, but not very intelligent. She liked to hang out with questionable people at Detention.... He was attracted at first to how outgoing she was, but as an introvert, it got to be tiring going out all the time to meet her friends... He thought they could never be fully happy together because she would want more social activity and he would want more quiet/private time...

Kili thinks, it makes sense… Kili will try to enjoy tea with him after researching. She still can’t understand why the time could be fun though she has no interest in having food and drinking… Kili is interested in what Zell will order…

Zell orders iced mint lemonade and a light bread like "melon-pan"… he seems happy. but quiet. At peace, but too nervous and forgets his food and minty lemonade.

Without meeting your gaze, he stirs his drink with his straw and says, "I've followed your group in the newspaper. It sounds like you are doing important and dangerous things out there in the world. I'm just glad your are safe. How long will you be in Sharn?..."

Kili orders same things as him.. and She looked down in embarrassment. “I didn’t know that we could be such popular in news.. but I’m sure most of all are about my party except me. You know I’m not so interested in others except researching.. and pursuing for knowledge. I’ll stay until next week Thursday possibly.”

“That soon... " he sounds disappointed. Then smiles, "Of course. The world and your friends need you... "

He pinches off a bite of the fragrant bread and slowly sips at his mint lemonade looking off into the distance, pensively…

“I haven’t thought the world needs me. The world hasn’t welcomed me. You know my past and why I left the university, but well.. as for the world, Morgrave University is top university in the world and you work there. The world needs you, right? I’m proud of you. What research do you involve with now? “ she smiles innocently.

At the mention of his research he brightens. “Ever since you brought me that Oracle of War, I’ve branched out from my major in artifice to start joint research in a new hybrid field of applications of artifice to the Draconic Prophecy.”

…

Kili goes on to research into the modern history of the Cyran royal family, living spells, and the quori’s understanding of the great turning of the age. And the relationship between the Sovereign Host and the Dark Six.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: “Murder, He Wrote”

The mysterious Oracle of War gave vague hints from the Draconic Prophecy:

• “Mortal force is often optional.”

• “An imposter is among us.”

• “Every drop of blood can have a ripple effect”

• “Mysteries abound, but the most significant are bound in mineral, alchemy and ink”

• “There’s more than one way to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”

Various interactions between the party and guests transpired. Notable events include: Hammer meeting the Karrnathi secretary, Falko meeting with Jovi “Tony” ir’Graccen, Uta getting talked at by Halas, Ellivelo meeting Zan “sneaking” away from the spa, a debate on the use of undead between the Cardinal and the Karrnathi Ambassador, the Karrnathi Secretary dropping some papers, Dameson and Resham ir’Kessler rolling up on the scene to do some investigative reporting, Ellivelo breaking into the secretary’s room and finding the secretary dead with a poisoned goblet by his side and Uta finding a strange ruby amulet on the body with necromantic magic aura, a collision between the diplomatic courier and goblin wait-staff leading to fisticuffs over a missing diplomatic pouch, one of the elvish entertainers blaming it on Palinko, Zan warning Ellivelo to stay away from Palinko and his associate Azango ir’Tonklin, Uta noticing Jenks trying to hide the diplomatic pouch, Hammer confronting the pirate, Ellivelo or Hammer notice that Azango ir’Tonklin was not present, and Uta and Falko meeting with Jenks and the chef who bring them in on the plot to intercept and replace the diplomatic writings on behalf of Breland…

Falko replied: “For king and country”… important developments include: Elivello talking with Meena to identify that the necklace was acting as a Magic Jar, Drego meeting with the delegation from New Cyre and being asked by the halfling representative about his “crows”, Falko avoiding detection by Dameson and Resham, some rough diplomacy causing the body guards to be detained, Hammer dispelling the necklace and catching Gunter and then healing the Cardinal of poison, with the letter written by Gunter in guise of the Cardinal found on the desk, an interaction with the Morgrave University professor who talked about his collection of Giant-Age artifacts, some discrepancies in the movements of Azango ir’Tonclin above deck, the discovery of the sabotaged laboratory, and stopping the explosion with some quick thinking.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: “The Heart of Darkness”

At the request of Captain Alaistair d’Lyrandar, Uta d’Medani joins the party in escorting Halas Martain, explorer extraordinaire, to uncover a ruin of an ancient giant empire and recover invaluable artifacts of the past. Flying over the jungle, Halas expertly identifies fluora and fauna of the Xen’drik wilderness as the party catches glimpses of dinosaurs and lizardfolk. Landing in a clearing near the ruin, the team crosses a steamy field of burping mudflats, and are attacked by vicious worms and steam creatures before ascending the man-sized steps leading up to the colossal statue of a cyclops.

Inside the temple showed signs of two cultures … in the very ancient past the giants built a temple, which has been destroyed and damaged later by dragons and left for ages… until now.

The adventurers first reach a sealed hub room, with six side chambers outlining the process by which an ancient powerful evil was overcome.

Text in the hub room:

GIANT: In time before time, the three great progenitor dragons spawned the gods. The gods in turn spawned the godspawn. The godspawn warred for the hearts of the mortal races. To ensure their victory, some representatives received the gifts of the godspawn. The Dark Lady presented Gyrothrax the chosen with her own heart. Great is the Keeper of Secrets. With her Heart, who dares defy Gyrothrax. Long may he reign.

DRACONIC: The Chamber has recovered the gifts of hand and eye, heart and shroud, staff and crown. Gyrothrax is no more and the godspawn is lain low by her own power. Here lies her darkened heart, sealed until its power is needed to strike down another of Khyber’s terrific spawn. May it not fall into corrupt hands.

SIDE CHAMBERS:

Chamber 1: Seal of Power

Giant: Murals depict temples and texts praise the might of their religion of shadow which spread from western desert to eastern jungle and from southern ice flows to northern isles

Dragon: We defiled their altars, cast down their idols, and slayed their priests. Their faith shattered; the people awoke from their nightmares of shadow to see the light.

Rune: Power

Chamber 2: Seal of Omniscience

Giant: The murals depict eyes. Praise the spawn, all seeing and all knowing. None can hide from the sight of the godspawn.

Dragon: In her hubris, the godspawn gifted us with a shroud. Hidden from her view we moved against her with impunity.

Rune: Omniscience

Chamber 3: Seal of Ascension

Giant: Praise be to the invincible godspawn. Who can defy the all-mighty? No mortal thing can harm her.

Dragon: Her own might was turned against her, piercing her divine protection and making the way for others.

Rune: Ascension

Chamber 4: Seal of Secrets

Giant: The inscrutable, whose ways cannot be fathomed, and no one can know.

Dragon: We laid bare her private parts and uncovered her inner thoughts, we discovered the roads she travels and the place she could be found

Rune: Secrets

Chamber 5: Seal of Arcana

Giant: She dwells in places that cannot be reached and none can come before her unannounced, her courts are distant and sealed to mortal flesh

Dragon: Her secrets ours, we opened a gate, her dwelling was only a wish away

Rune: Arcana

Chamber 6: Seal of Eternity

Giant: She was before we were, she will be when we are gone, her power knows no limits and is not reduced by the sands of time.

Dragon: She is no more, her power broken, her followers scattered. One Spawn of Khyber, not sealed but slain.

Rune: Eternity

The inner sanctum containing a large pit, the throne room of the king of the cyclops, a room of the guards and a final room with an illusory “creation forge” hiding “the Heart of Darkness”. Warned that such great power comes at a price by an enormous wraith, the party wraps it carefully and proceeds to the exit where they are confronted by a wraith dragon with the animated skeletons of the king of the cyclops and his guards before returning to the Golden Dragon.

… Join us next time for …

SALVAGE MISSION: ALL MY HEXES ARE FROM XEN’DRIK

Mr. Linntorm meets you at the pier at Falconer’s Spire and explains that many of the guests and staff have made alternative arrangements, and outlines the replacement crew and new passengers including Kili Aztec, and a large collection of “specimens” … A House Tharashk bounty hunter asks the party if they know the whereabouts of Halas Martain and is brushed aside.

The players interacted with various NPCs: Shepherd seems to have a handle on the kitchen, El has a way with the ladies, Drego finds Diraz d’Jorasco to be rather slippery in his responses, Jovi ir’Graccen has his eyes and ears peeled for Egen, a rich investor is looking for a powerful crew to help him recover lost investments if they are ever in Korth, Lathe is a mysterious warforged representing the Iron Watch, Dameson and Resham fail to see through Falko’s disguise, and a special entertainer shows up to keep the guests laughing.

A drow druid treesteps through a wooden idol and frees the animals. Her crew and dragon attack the captain. The party has several clutch moments and brings down their foes, saving the day. Arriving in Sharn they grab the evening edition of the Sharn Star as they board the lightning rail back to Salvation.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-10 JUDGEMENT OF IRON

Back Ye Olde Thunderpath, the party settles in for some well earned rest and relaxation. A moment to catch their breath after weeks away. As each reflects on the events that transpired and considers the ominous clouds gathering around Khorvaire, their hired innkeep, Mauriana Teskelyndros offers to provide the party with a reading into their future.

Endira d’Deneith shows up with news that a mysterious group, calling itself the Feeders of Crows is searching for the Sentinel Marshal known as Drego d’Deneith. She suggests formally organizing and recruiting agents that can help them face larger foes…

Determining to go their own independent path, the party officially forms a mercenary team with Endira there to guide them through the process of creating articles of incorporation and recruiting agents.

So many loose threads remain….

… Join us next time for …

The Orrery of Vortuum: Landfall

Aberrant dragonmarks begin to inflict pain and the party heads to Argonnessen following the lead from Jheamast the Sarlonan sailor.

En route, the party found a gnoll druid, Kryx Bloodgnash, adrift at sea. Arriving at the shore, they met the lone survivor of a native village fighting with dracotaurs and save Daros Winterhammer of the White Walkers.

Between these persons encountered, the party learns the following:

• Kryx Bloodgnash belongs to a group called the Grim Accord that was hired by the Sons of Galifar to perform espionage and other duties.

• Kryx was on a boat that was part of a convey of 4 ships traveling to Argonnessen.

• The Sons of Galifar met with the White Walkers first and then with the Bringers of Flame to try to gain access to the Orrery of Vortuum to install their artifact therein.

• The Bringers of Flame are part of the domain of a blue dragon named Khurystas.

• The Vast is a large area of Argonnessen that is a proving ground where younger dragons are sent by the Conclave.

• The White Walkers are originally from the Demon Wastes.

• The Bringers of Fire are led by a dragonborn sorceror chieftain. They also are known for their fearsome twin brother axe hunters and an order of monks able to manipulate storms.

• The White Walkers are in the domain of a white dragon named Icewing who was captured when the Bringers of Flame started warring against the White Walkers after meeting the Sons of Galifar

• The Sons of Galifar use a five pointed insignia like the cult of the daughter of Khyber.

• Daros knows how to access the Orrery of Vortuum and will show the way if the players help free Icewing.

At an occupied White Walker village, the party confronted the Chieftain of the Bringers of Flame and rescued the white dragon, Icewing.

During this sessions’ intrigues Uta d’Medani cast Legend Lore to find out more about the quori…

… Join us next time for …

The Orrery of Vortuum: Making an Entrance

The party is offered the chance to receive one item from the hoard of the dragon Icewing from her hoard if they will attack the Orrery of Vortuum to retake it. In a tenday, there will be a conjunction of three of the moons of Eberron. On that day, as Sypheros, Vult, and Zarantyr align, the party conducts a raid together with the attack on the camp of the Bringers of Flame by the White Walkers.

During the intrigue leading up to the assault, the party discovers that the group hired by the Sons of Galifar to provide protection consists of four humanoids, a halfling sorcerer, a gnoll druid, a elvish shadow warrior and a half-orc ranger. They go by various names including, “The Feeders of Crows”.

The White Walkers, led by Icewing, clear a way to the base of the Orrery and the party intrudes into the sanctum of the enemy. Inside they discover a Crystal Ball of Mind Reading among the hoard of Icewing. In the Hall of Terrestrial Offerings, they defeat the Axe Brothers and discover a book belonging to the Sons of Galifar, with a hymn and heavily marked map of Khorvaire.

… Join us next time for …

The Orrery of Vortuum: Conjunction

In the Hall of Celestial Offerings, a lightning cage of sorts, the party faced monks that could draw the electricity in the air into their attacks, a large blue storm drake and a warlock, whose patron awaited above. After ascending the ramp they found themselves in a familiar space where they had been before…

Finally, atop the Orrery of Vortuum, they found an altar with a body left hanging above. Lightning flashed, revealing the mutilated face of Phileas, and unlocking memories trapped within Egon Marktaros, of the day his father was hanged by an angry mob. The memories he had blocked out for so long came into focus as he remembered the faces and names of the ones that stirred up the town and conducted the attack on his family. Nathaniel Krozen and Torazun Johira.

Another flash of lightning, returned the focus to the present as the blue dragon Khurystas attacked! His lightning breath washed across the party and hit Bilge and Kalli who both took the brunt of the blow. Hammer smote the dragon mightily and it fell… just as the moons came into conjunction healing the threat of the aberrant dragonmarks and causing the dragon to transform. Drego embiggened himself and wrestled it to the edge, casting the monster down upon the magma ridden floor of Fang Crater.

On the body of Phileas, El discovered a note…

Uta d’Medani researched more Legend Lore… about “Il-Lashtavar”… the Great Darkness that Dreams.

… Join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: TONGUES OF FLAME

The curtain opens on the team in the lightning rail car deep in thought on their way from Salvation to Flamekeep…. The screen fades to black and then the text: “Two days earlier…” returning from their adventures in Argonessen, the adventurers reflect on what they learned. Then, El gathers the team together to share some of her thoughts….

El’s Speech (Elivello persona)

Thank you for gathering together. I am sorry about my outburst during our last encounter. I want you to know, that as much as I am able, I trust you. There are things that have come to light which compel me to tell you more about myself and, about Phileas.

It must be clear to you that Phileas’ death shook me. On many levels actually. I know that many of you were not fond of Phileas. I, however, knew him better than most of you, and I can say now that Korvaire has lost a great hope. Im sure you realize that my nature allows me advantages for certain kinds of work. I was born of Cyre and it holds special meaning in my heart. Yet during the Mourning I was on mission with the Argentum, which you may recognize as a covert operations arm of the church of the Silver Flame for Thrane.

….We were operating inside the edge of Cyre. The rest of my team at the time died around me as the gray mists expanded, I alone managed to outpace the mists. As I stood in shock looking back at the destruction, Philias found me claiming to have been led there by the Draconic Prophecy. I stayed with him for a short time. He pulled me back from the brink of my utter despair and began to train me in the way of the Ascendant dragon. I lost my family, my country, my everything that day. ..But Phileas …offered me some hope.

Before much training could occur, I had to return to Thrane. I wasn't ready though. Still processing the events in Cyre and the immense loss, I revealed the fact that I was acting as double agent to someone I trusted so that I could unload some of my hurt. They betrayed that trust. I was taken in for questioning and a great deal of torture…. I don't know what he had to do, or who he had to pay, but somehow, Phileas made arrangements to have me released. In many ways, I owe him my life. The Argentum does not take kindly to their secrets being passed along.

From that point on, Phileas became a mentor and a sort of father figure to me in the absence of other family. What I learned about him was that he was powerful, he was good, and he believed in the Draconic prophecy. Phileas put me in your path because he believed in you. At first, you were a means to an end. I did not know why, but Phileas had you on missions that would allow me access to certain artifacts.

When we found that map, I began to understand.

(DROP KEY)

You may recognize this. Im sorry Falco, but I was instructed to collect these whenever I came 1across them. I obtained this from you as a certain Lieutenant with “The Trust”. This one in particular holds special meaning to me because it bears markings from my homeland. I thought at first, Phileas wanted me to have something that reminded me of home and of why I fight.

But it was more than that. Please, come into my chambers. I have more to tell you, and to show you.

(show detective board)

If you recall, during our run in with Captain Ryger Ir Wynarn, you created an epic distraction which allowed me to obtain the map of Trebaz Sinara we were after. That was not the only thing I got.

(DROP KEY)

When we had our cards read, I realized that there must be 5 keys and that somehow fate has tasked me to find them. Mirianna spoke of five heads and five locks. I really don't know anything about the draconic prophecy, but I do know, that we few, have the pieces to stop something terrible from happening to our world. I do not really know that much about you, but I do know that you are resourceful. My trust in people has been shattered in the past. Phileas and you have begun to heal some of my many hurts, but, after seeing this map, the danger is immanent and cant wait. So I choose to trust you. Phileas final note confirmed to me my next mission.

I believe that what we saw in the chamber of Kirin was a vision of the past and a part of the ceremony that somehow brought the mourning. I also believe that it is the goal of this group or groups calling themselves, the Daughters of Khyber, and Sons of Galifar, to do the same thing to the whole of Khorvaire. I believe that this map indicates Thrane is next. While I am reluctant to return to the place I was last betrayed, I would never wish what happened in Cyre on any of the other people in this beautiful land. I believe that our next mission should be to locate and obtain the key before the Daughters of Khyber do something with another gate. No one else knows what we know. And without Phileas, who will hold back the grey?

There is more to my story, but that I think will suffice. I have perhaps spoken enough, please discuss amongst yourselves. My fate, and perhaps the fate of our world, are in your hands.

Each member of the team shared their thoughts… it was decided to leave the keys in the ethereal tower at Ye Olde Thunderpath.

Returning to the “present” the characters each shared a moment of their thoughts on the train as they headed into the station at Flamekeep.

They were bombarded with propaganda about joining the military campaign to come against Breland. Drego, back in his home town, led the party to meet his dear friend, Autumn, in the Safe Harbor inn. Autumn bonded with the party immediately and flirted a little with Drego, but also remarked about the current situation in Thrane. The kingdom is gearing up again for war but High Cardinal Krozen hides himself.

The party found out the Grim accord is planning an ambush and may have visited Queen Diani before them. But before they gain access to the palace they need permission from the Cardinal of Protocol… Jaela meets them out of protocol and says, “this reminds me of a dream I once had” … and then looks across the group… to Kili and El she says, “I hope you find what you are looking for” … to Drego, “One day you’ll save me” … and to Egen… she gasps and a tear runs down her face and she says, “I’m so sorry….” and then she tells Torazun to write them a letter to visit Queen Diani.

Diani really wants to be Queen regent and is overformal. She says a lot without saying a lot…. but the Grim Accord has also visited. The key is probably with her family estate in Silvercliff Castle … but she could give it if there was proof that the monarchy had no guilt regarding Shadukar… or you could try to intercept the key at Duskaran…

Finally, the party decides to try to rob Slivercliff Castle. This is gonna be good!

… join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: THE SILVERCLIFF Job

The session begins with Drego’s dream of the Keeper of the Flame looking into his eye, saying “one day you’re going to save me.” The Silver Flame grows and fills his vision and then it is interrupted by crows, and Drego wakes in a sweat.

Downstairs Egen interacts with Autumn with people asking about Falko ir’Kessler staying at the inn. Hammer reads the paper and El receives a report from Zee about Silvercliff Castle.

As she shares the report, we hear that the Safe Harbor will be quarters for an Aerenal elven brigade being transferred from Arcanix to Flamekeep.

Egen scries on the members of the Grim Accord, Ump’kash Fik, and “the daughter”.

Before heading to Silvercliff, the party decides to confront the ambush. They capture the mysterious elven woman and discover another hymn of the Sons of Galifar.

As Drego rests that night he has another dream of the Silver Flame… he hears the Keeper say “one day you’ll save me” and as the Silver Flame fills his view, he hears a song in the distance. Unable to make out the melody or harmony, he nonetheless is haunted by the rhythm of the Song of Silver Flame (Cry of the Couatl)….

By choosing to confront the ambush, and capture an Elven prisoner the party has given the Grim Accord time to muster forces for a larger scale attack on Silvercliff Castle.

…. join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: THE Siege of SILVERCLIFF

The party begins by considering their questioning of Athlonia, “the Moon’s Eclipse” (a little pretentious don’t you think). She wore a locket with the faces of an adult human and adult half-elf man engraved inside that El took a rubbing of. She’s from the area no known as Valenar, but holds no ties to either it nor Cyre. She didn’t seem to know much about their employers… She seemed happy to leave that to Irae. “Kryx said you were gentle, if naïve with your prisoners… one can tell a lot about someone by how they treat a helpless person. Irae… don’t take this personal, but I don’t think she’s got a grudge on you… She’s a real professional killer, even if she enjoys her work too much, I don’t hold it against her. Her sorcery awakened more violently than most. Sometimes, it’s harder to tell if she’s in control or the flame in her blood is.”

Scrying on Irae, the halfling sorceress, they are on the road and catch Kryx returning from Thronehold with the news that they are no longer needed for the assault on Silvercliff, Commander Baunsen will lead the attack. They have a new contract in Sharn. Uldun will go get Athlonia and they will meet up again at the Diamond Theatre in Downstairs, Lower Menthis, Sharn.

The party catches a quick supply ship to Silvercliff and arrives before the enemy forces. While most of the party goes to chat with Captain Fauchard, Elivello takes a more subtle approach. And not a moment to soon. An army approaches.

Falko “thrice hero of Thrane” ir’Kessler got off some wicked fireballs evening the odds while Hammer and Drego took care of their fiendish leaders including a newly upgraded more powerful Brother Baunsen. Using the siege as a distraction Elivello accessed the inner hidden chamber, picked the lock on a chest and retrieved the Thrane key, leaving behind a note.

Key in hand, the party made their way to the boat and got away after the battle was decided but before the battle was complete.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-11: MY UNDYING HEART

… Join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: ECHOES OF CAIRN HILL

The camera pans up on a lone man wandering along a road through the woods… his thoughts wander back to a letter received a few days earlier…

After an encounter with an unfortunate guard, the party meets up with Galleri before entering the ruins of the flying fortress Chydris. All signs show that the cultists were more worried about something escaping than about something getting in. It seems a cathedral has been built at the back of the flying fortress over the place where Kili gained sorcerer abilities. At the entrance to the flying fortress a tract is found by Belthazar.

CULTIST:

He’s actually watching for people running away... He’s supposed to kill anyone
He’s just finishing digging a grave..
Halt in the name of Thrane and of the Silver Flame
This area is off limits ... Unless ... Were you sent here to join us?... We had a bunch come in from Sharn just the other day...
Welcome brother... You should hurry along, the rite should be underway at the cathedral we built at the back of the flying fortress Chydris. If you get tired along the way I’ve been told there’s refreshment available at the rally point for you to help yourself to.

TRACT:

An End to War – After 100 years of war, the corruption of the elites of Khorvaire cannot be denied. Willing to sacrifice the common man at their whim without risking themselves. ... (*flip* artwork of scary shadowy forms reaching over the world on flames *flip*) ... We the people of Khorvaire are the true Sons of Galifar and we propose a new way. We come together and to create a paradise for the people, free from the shackles of so-called nobles and the influence of the wealthy elite. ... (*flip* artwork of varied humanoids standing arm in arm with a wheat field ready to harvest behind them *flip*) ... sharing and coming together to help one another. While alone we cannot hope affect change, by joining together, brothers and sisters, we can take hold of the power to make a difference. Join the Sons of Galifar and create FUTURE WITHOUT WAR, LIBERTY FOR THE COMMON MAN & TRUE PARADISE ON EBERRON.

Moving forwards through the flying fortress the party encounters a screaming man who tells them that Marthissa is performing a rite… a square with a cauldron of suggestion juice and cages hanging the corpses of heretics being eaten by crows. A man drunk and passed out that did not drink the kool aid. They came into the hoard of Philias, where in addition to finding some useful potions, Belthazar got coated in sprinkles by a Hoard Scarab …. and then they entered the cathedral where they faced Marthissa and discovered another hymn.

MARTHISSA:

You cannot stop us
Ump’Kash will unite Khorvaire in a reign of terror
Once we recovered the lost relics of Galifar not even a god could defy our power
You’ve gained his interest. Fik now has his eye on you... There’s nowhere you can hide from the coming wave of darkness
I will harvest souls as Kotharel did before me.
You may have bested me, but now you will face one of Fik’s champions!

Finally they faced off against a dracohydra!

The hoard of Philias consisted of:

2900 platinum, 2000 gp, 4 x 250gp worth of art (tapestries depicting the end of the war, portrait of Oargev ir’Wynarn, obsidian statues depicting a person aging, a helmet of a dwarf lord) 12 x 1000 gp gems, a potion of healing (supreme), a potion of speed, a spell scroll of Fizban’s Platinum Shield, a spell scroll of Power Word Stun, and a +1 holy symbol of the sovereign host.

KALLI’S REPORT ABOUT DASKARAN GATE

The ancient capital of Thrane is now a small countryside town by today’s standards that still draws history tourists to the older walls of the old city and the facing churches in the central plaza. The plaza features a large statue of the paladin Tira Miron holding her sword aloft that also functions as a sundial that covers the whole northern half. To the east and west of the plaza are facing churches one of the Silver Flame and one more ancient church of the sovereign host. The faith community of the sovereign host is small here but stronger than most cities in Thrane and local followers of the Flame are proud of the architecture of the church of the sovereign host representing as it does ancient Thranish design that is a symbol of Daskaran.

As tourist landmarks, Kalli was able to gain access to both churches, and on a tour guided by the priest of the sovereign host through the crypts that extend from under the church to under the plaza, at a point under the large statue above, the first king of Thrane, Thrane I, (for at the time it was conquered by Galifar the country was named after its capital Daskaran) lies at rest in a stone tomb carved to match his face. King Thrane’s tomb is in a small alcove, the rear wall of which has been worked by stone workers to appear like a large door. The priest tells Kalli that the first ir’Wynarns all built tombs like this and he is told that the door symbolizes their ascension in death. While the souls of most of those who die go to Dolurrh, the ir’Wynarns thought they could experience a different afterlife.

BILGE’S REPORT ABOUT SKY’S FATHER

Bilge uses his contacts from the Big Company in Vathirond to pull up the military service records of Sky's father, Jara Blue. Jara Blue was a decorated officer in the 12th Brelish Infantry, who fell from fame when he was court-martialed for desertion. Bilge was able to chat in a more casual setting with one of his ol' buddies who fought in the 12th and heard a little more of the story: Jara was unjustly convicted: in fact, his teenage daughter Sky had smuggled herself onto the front lines to be with her father, forcing him to desert the infantry to take her home. After his charge of desertion was handed down Jara was sentenced to join the vanguard of his regiment and was later presumed dead on a battlefield near Eston in 988, but his body was not recovered.

… Join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: The Merchant of Korth

We join the party on the deck of a ship sailing Scion’s sound. Hammer and El having a fishing competition, Egen considering the words of the angel and a letter from Zed Bergenhind, and below decks, Drego inviting Galleri to join the party. (Galleri already had a letter to that effect from Armundus.)

Arriving in Korth, Drego and Falko go to meet Naeberos Sarris while the other three check out the cathedral across the street. Sarris would like to hire the team to collect a prototype he and his business partner, Dalan Osserak, were researching under direct contract from Queen Dannel at the end of the war. Dannel was interested in victory at all costs and gave them a very large budget to develop a “Final Solution to the Undead Problem”. The lab, located in Metrol, was assumed lost completely in the Mourning, but recently a beacon reactivated. In return for collecting the prototype Telluric Synapses he will give 10,000gp, help Falko rank up among the Aurum, and find some information about the gate/key they are looking for. He has an airship ready to take them to Metrol and back.

In the crypts their skeletal guide tells them the history of the kings of Karrnath, and El discovers that the “gate” carved into the wall behind the stone coffin of King Karrn was shattered and has been rebuilt.

They fly into Metrol noting the Vermishards, sitting warforged Colossus, S.A.M. walking lonely down the street, and past the Cathedral of the Sovereign Host before approaching the armory district.

Inside Bastion Steel Works, it is immediately apparent that the experiments that were going on inside this research facility tower were on living things and vivisected warfoged … and as they progress there are various things out of sync with what they know. There seems to be a close copy of this facility in Mabar and they are interacting with echoes that cross the planes.

1, A chill down your spine.

2, The door opens and closes.

3, “The shepherds have a new delivery, Karrn was out in force last night... Go downstairs and help.”

4, Thudding, and wet slapping sounds on the stairs

6, Kitchen … the gloop…

8, A view out of a window where you can see one of the Vermishards toppled, cathedral statues in a different configuration, warforged Colossus in a different position, a damaged portion of the city.

9, Poster: Dannel is watching published in 998 by order of Queen Dannel

10, A small piece of stiff paper bearing a House Sivis seal to prevent forgery. “1 Ration: Redeem for one Serving of Ghallanda Ragout at any Ration Depot. THE QUEEN WILL SAVE US”

11, Poster: Do your duty

12, Smell of rot

13, “a new arrival … “

14, “news of the Unbroken has reached Dannel”

15, Interrogation … “where is Dalen Osserak”

16, There’s a struggle on the other side

17, Blood spray appears

18, A dead wererat … badge of the Queen’s Vigilant Wardens

19, “What did you tell the rats … “

20, “For the sake of the Unbroken … you know what needs to be done … do it to me Vesile …”

The party recovers the artifact and returns it to Naeberros after damaging it. He gives them information about a Karrnathi facility in Frostfell, Fort Frostbite, that was all the information he could gather about a key and planar gate.

AGENT ACTIONS:

Falko: Jovi (looking into the ir'kesslers 12)
The ir'Kesslers have holdings in both Breland and Thrane and suffered major losses during the war as the battle front moved back and forth across their lands with armies regularly commandeering livestock, horses, lodgings and other supplies. They are wary of the mustering forces in Thrane and would like to use their influence somehow to stop the breakout of new hostilities.

Hammer: Qiao watching Naeberos
Business is good for Mister Sarris. He's meeting regularly with representatives from all Five Kingdoms. It seems he's taking in supplies and expertise from the dwarves of the Mror Holds.

El: Kalli finding out about Fort Frostbite (12)
Looking up war archives, Fort Frostbite was a fallback shelter for the nobles of Karrnath in case Korth fell during the Last War. There's not much more information about it than the announcement of its initial construction some 30 years ago, the records did include a map of its precise location.

Drego: Sky Blue heads to Sharn to dig up information about Lord Kor (14)
Sky Blue messages Drego with a recorded message.

Hey Cap’n, it’s me, Sky. Slumming it up with my gal Carla in Cogsgate... woooo... so anyway, I went to Sharn to check out that Kor guy for you. You remember, right? I was there with you on the train. Like. I know the truth... like that the attack was not warforged or something... like, I saw the Swords of Liberty doing it for myself. So I went to talk to my friend Buck at the griffon stables in Hollow Tower. He’s helped me in the past, and despite the other bridges I burnt when I skipped town, I made sure to pay off that debt. Plus, he told me before that one of the riders in the Race of the Eight Winds who has this really cute mare-griffon called Windsome with white plumage, it always has a little ribbon tied around it’s claw, don’t you follow the race? It’s only Sharn’s biggest event... anyway, the rider, what was his name again... oh it ends with an “o” or something... anyway, one day he, like, comes into the stable, like, and starts chatting with other riders about what they did in the war and how awesome it was to ride into battle and not just for show... and he was saying to the other riders that if they wanted to join, there was going to be this meeting at some place called The Gold & White in Daggerwatch. And it’s Daggerwatch, right and there are people who know my face among the watch, right, so I sent Stormflower, and he like, shows up with his new lute which is really sweet, and is like showing them his latest song, it’s bonkers, really... It’s got this sweet hook... *singing* something something nanana until the feather falls... Anyway, it’s great and they said they could use a song writer for recruitment and stuff. That’s when Earl came back to meet me at Carla’s from our old place under Skyway and told me there’s been people looking around for me to come, and that he thinks someone’s after me and ... hey who are you ... get your hands off of me... let me go...

The recorded message stops.

… Join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: Finding Lord Kor

The party heads to Sharn, to rescue Sky Blue and to follow up on the Swords of Liberty. On the airship from Korth to Sharn, Falko scries and discovers that Sky Blue is in a warehouse, and that Earl is watching a warehouse from the outside in what appears to be a middle class semi-residential neighborhood in the middle layer of Sharn. After arriving, their first stop is Sky’s old hideout. Not much was found except to note that the place was being monitored… by the Sharn Deneith twins!

Next, the Cogsgate refugee camp. As they wander through the camp, a gaunt shifter catches their attention.

Hey... Hey you... You were here that day... I got a good memory... The day Sky Blue came down here and some jerks on soar sleds tried to blow up the place with alchemist’s fire. Don’t ‘spose you could help out a veteran who’s down on his luck ...

Don’t have much left in me worth calling by a name... Call me “Underfoot.” That’s all I am, and all I got left in me.

Dreamily helps with my shudders and takes away the nightmares... Some things no one ought to see...

Carla ... Hmmm I don’t know a Carla, and most of us around here don’t see bad things going down if you know what I mean... But I’ll keep my eyes open...

Falko gave him 300g and invited him to make a change in his life by coming to Salvation. He asked around and said a girl who was with Sky Blue when she was taken headed to Khyber’s Gate.

Then on to the stables of Team Vadalis where they met with Buck. His rider for Team Vadalis that was recruiting for the Swords of Liberty was a certain Alonzo ir’Kessler. We learn that Galleri is actually a fan of the Race of the Eight Winds.

Coming out of the stables, Elivello notices a woman across the street in front of a fruit stand who was watching them go in and come out. She’s working for the Boromars. She provides information about a warehouse in residential Stormhold, two districts over.

In Stormhold they locate the warehouse, and Earl. Inside they find Flamewind who demands the Oracle of War and has Sky Blue hostage. A fight breaks out and in the midst of it a warlock breaks in and demands they surrender the keys for Ump’kash Fik. Finally, they are joined by the Deneith twins who thought their house members would need a hand but then stood back and watched as the party cleared up the enemies, although Flamewind teleported away.

AGENT ACTIONS

Blue and her mostly warforged patronage at the Red Hammer can’t provide much information on Ump’kash Fik, but she did manage to find newspaper articles outlining how Fik was once on the council of the Gatekeeper orc druids of the Shadow Marches, but then was declared a heretic and exiled. He tried to make some kind of power play by summoning a massive hydra to threaten Zarash’ak but the hydra was defeated by a team led by Duragak Aashta of House Tharashk. He went into hiding and showed up once with a similar plot to perform some kind of ritual at a druidic site in the Eldeen Reaches which was also foiled. Since then, there’s only been rumors, but some people think it’s possible that he might try to strike at Sharn one day.

… Join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: The Hunt Must Go On

The party recovered from the battle against the Ump’kash Fik warlock and Flamewind’s assassins… The next morning, Sky Blue asks about how they found her so fast and suggests they try the same approach for finding whatever they are looking for. She also vows to go looking for Carla. Egen scries the key and discovers a mysterious man in a well furnished apartment overlooking a part of Sharn with a good view of the racers of the Eight Winds. Using the mind reading abilities of the crystal ball he uncovers that he’s worried about “Mercutia”.

A man stands in a well furnished room, staring out a window facing a wide gap between towers that seem to stretch a long distance both upwards and downwards. The key sits on a fancy desk made of exotic wood and finely inlaid with precious metal. ... How long do you watch him ... A white plumed griffon wearing a red ribbon on its foreclaw and ridden by a rider dressed in green dives past the front of the window, and the man follows it with his gaze, pulling out a spyglass to watch its flight. ...

Mercutia ir’Gontali was a spy they met before that was saved by Narcy of Xandra using Time Stop… Scrying on Mercutia, they see her in the Gold & White in Daggerwatch, and reading her thoughts, discover she’s trying to find out how to get Stormflower out of there, while concerned about three persons looking at her from across the room.

The party arrives at Daggerwatch and Egen discovers that Galleri was dishonorably discharged from Brelish forces during the war. They arrive in front of the Gold & White as Mercutia and Stormflower exit the building and split up, followed closely by three strange agents. A chase ensues across Upper and Middle Dura, ending as all the factions collide in Broken Arch.

After defeating the fiendishly empowered forces of the Sons of Galifar, uncovering a new hymn and gaining a few interesting magical items, Mercutia brings them to a safehouse where they meet the mysterious man, who introduces himself as Lord Kor ir’Wynarn.

After hearing their story, Kor trusts the party, shares what he knows and pledges to give them access to the key that he holds if they prove themselves. Some of what he shares is:

This key is an heirloom in my family. I cannot entrust it to others. However, if what you are saying is true, then my brother and the whole kingdom is in danger, from the Swords of Liberty and these Sons of Galifar. My survival of the train crash has afforded me some room to breathe. Time to plan and then to act.

What we know: (a) the swords of liberty are plotting to overthrow the monarchy (b) the Sons of Galifar seem to have someone close to my brother (c) the sons of Galifar have mustered forces somewhere in western Breland (d) the defenses in Wroat should hold, so they will probably wait until an opportunity presents itself...

Mercutia and I will work with people we can trust in the Kings’ Dark Lanterns, to monitor their plans, when the time is right, can I count on you? In return for your loyalty during this upcoming confrontation I will grant you use of the key and access to this gate at the Tomb of King Brey.

AGENT ACTIONS

Drego, Falko and Hammer send Korky, Tetzel and Qiao to find the Sons of Galifar base in western Breland.

Qiao Kung consulted the bones and felt to follow the Dagger River northward. Along the way some clever questioning of townsfolk revealed that a group of four, one of whom is a gnoll, led by a halfling with “fire in her eyes” passed this way heading upstream.

Reaching the smallish logging town of Woodhelm in the Dragonwood, the town was unusually busy as the local “river folk” halflings came to town. Nurse Tetzel was able to hear from them about their local feud with a band of goblins over access to a highland swamp in the forest which has ancient orc-druidic ruins. Meanwhile, around the town there are stacks of religious tracts similar to those you found at Cairn Hill.

Korky using her connection with the spirits of nature communed with the Dragonwood and confirmed with local avian life that many humanoids have gathered in the swamp on the plateau deep in the Dragonwood and have cut down many trees to create an encampment of some kind.

Galleri recruits a Ex-Special Forces Karrnathi Swordsmaster, Alyusha Frolov.

El recruits a Darguuni Hobgoblin Conjurer, Patrycja Kollataj, who served as a camp entertainer during the war.

Before heading off on your next adventure, Falko did manage to get a few minutes in with Zed Plinled Burgenhind. This is what you learned: Zed’s regulatory issue is first that they’ve replaced the nurse on King Boranel’s staff, changing out the Jorasco halfling Zed had placed there with some Brelish woman, but before they so viciously plucked out his eyes and tore off his ears from the inner workings of the Brelish crown he did learn that as Breland gears up for war again and having suffered the loss of the Argonth, they’re planning to repossess the Golden Dragon simply by eminent domain. They wouldn’t try that with a noble from a named house... So, to spite the crown Zed wants to sell it to your operation before they take it for the heavily discounted price of 500,000 gold.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-12 THE WAITING GAME

After a long time of trying, the code was finally cracked and the party could make sense of the dossier they obtained on the train.

Aphira came with some news about the interrogation of Widmund, a letter from Sulring Mroranon, and an invitation from the Keeper of the Flame.

• Under interrogation, Widmund confirmed that the Order of the Emerald Claw used an artifact called the Crystal Skull to bind the spirits of the dead to the Oracle of Bones.

• As payment, the Lord of Blades gave the Emerald Claw a map to the Creeping Nave, an ancient daelkyr sanctuary buried deep underneath Metrol. This sanctuary supposedly contains a cache of symbiont weaponry.

• Widmund has sent an expedition into the Mournland to excavate the sanctuary and loot the weapons. They’re led by Trez Zul, a high-ranking Emerald Claw agent.

• In addition to this, Widmund has been tracking the movements of the Cairdal Knot, a pair of Undying paladins from Aerenal, who are searching for the Oracle of War using a secret sleeper agent program code-named “Stonefire.” The Emerald Claw doesn’t know the paladins’ current whereabouts.

Avoiding flying over the Thrane-Breland border, Aphira took a route through Aundair. Passing near the town of Arcanix, a storm arose, a bolt of lightning struck from the clouds and then the elemental ring collapsed causing an explosion… the released elementals attacked the falling passengers but they managed to find a way to safely land.

Searching for survivors, Narcy of Xandrar arrives on a flying broomstick. After confirming their safety she suggests transport to the Arcane Congress nearby for a safe place to rest. Investigation of the wreckage reveals tampering with the elemental ring.

At the Arcane Congress, another familiar face greets them. Meena shares about the political situation in Aundair with Elivello.

The arcane congress itself is focused on four towers plus the Starpeaks Observatory. I’ll have to give you a full tour someday.

The Arcane Congress devotes two of the towers, Glarehold and Amberwall, to training the next generation of magewrights and wizards. Nocturnas and Skyreach, the other two towers, are the residences, libraries, and laboratories of Arcane Congress members. The White Arch, the Library of Robideur, the Gate of Xabra...

The Arcane Congress is led by the Mosaic Committee.. But few know the true membership. One member everyone is sure of is Lord Adal ir’Wynarn, Aundairs First Warlord and Minister of Magic, brother of Queen Aurala.

Things were looking pretty bad for Aundair later in the war. Aurala became queen in 980 and immediately sought a ceasefire... It takes a lot more time to replenish lost wizards and griffon riders than to raise the dead... And while the pace of war slowed through extended negotiations, she went looking for mercenaries from all neutral nations, Talenta halflings, Valenar elves, and Lhazaar pirates... Some say she paid the Lhazaar in something more valuable than gold... Rygar supplied troops and ships in return for legitimacy as a true ir’Wynarn.

Arcanix was part of Thrane and Thaliost was part of Aundair...

The people of Thaliost have lost so much...

So here we are ... Aundair is technically ruled by Aurala, but in practical terms it is a triumvirate. Lord Adal ir’Wynarn wants to invade Thrane, Lord Darro ir’Wynarn wants to take back western Aundair (the so called “Eldeen Reaches”), and Queen Aurala ir’Wynarn wants all of it... So nothing really gets done.

Over dinner the party learns some information about the Gate of Xabra. Drego is drinking too much, and then the Oracle of War warns, “Local Threat Level Increased: Stonefire Activated” before suddenly the Aerenal elvish undying servants in the room have their eyes roll back in their heads… they repeat “Stonefire… Stonefire…” a few times in elvish and then randomly attack the people in the room. Narcy goes away to see what’s going on and there seems to have been an attack on the Command Center. An undying paladin is trying to bring down the towers, yelling, “I’ll destroy you all and the Oracle with you. No one should have such power!!!”

AGENT ACTIONS

Galleri recruits Meena. While at the Arcane Congress he also visits the shrine devoted to Aureon.

As a cleric of Aureon, the local chaplain welcomes you to join him for a time of fellowship and communing together. The shrine does have a minor relic, the Gavel of Justice. The chaplain is willing to part with the relic for a suitable donation for the upkeep of the chapel.

You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic warhammer. It also counts as a spellcasting focus for a cleric of a lawful alignment. Additionally, it gives access to the Mind Sliver cantrip. It can be cast normally and also applies automatically when hitting an appropriate target. The Mind Sliver granted by the Gavel can only target a creature that breaks the natural order such as an aberration or undead, or a target obviously in the process of breaking the law.

Falko recruits a gnomish ambassador. Grigo Grammarwrit Harlian is from Trolanport, Zilargo and has strong business ties related to shipping and trade around the port. His clan is among the prominent extended families in Zilargo with significant holdings in banks across Khorvaire.

El asks Patty to look into information about Mabar and whether Queen Dannel could be trapped there.

Mabar is a plane of utter darkness and entropy, antithesis of all life. There, no light shines, its starless night sky persisting for eternity. Mabar is a well of negative energy, fueling decay and empowering the undead, and necromancers from Karrnath and Aerenal have learned to use its power for their own gain. Yugoloths, cruel angels, and creatures of shadow claim Mabar as their home—if they can resist the life-draining darkness. When Mabar is coterminous with the Material Plane, shadows grow darker and the nights are long and cold. In the deepest blackness, a hapless mortal might accidentally stumble into Mabar itself.
It is said that within these planes, there are “fragments” resembling locations in the material plane where life is trapped and slowly drained. The Mourning had many effects on the people trapped in the mists. Most died, some were warped by incomprehensible forces, some remain as ghosts and shadows to this day. It is possible that any number of the people of Cyre and possibly even whole cities or regions became shifted to the plane of darkness. If that’s the case, I can’t imagine that any are still alive today as the dark planar forces must have drained all life from a fragment after all this time.

Drego asks Bilge to find out information about the “lost forge” referred to by the Oracle, in particular with Merrix d’Cannith if possible.

Even with his contacts, Merrix doesn’t just meet with anybody. Bilge found more luck with his contacts in Vathirond. The local Cannith enclave did a lot of interaction with the other House Cannith facilities in the Mournland before the Mourning. In a sense, all of them are now lost, but the biggest blows to House Cannith’s production of warforged were the creation forges at Whitehearth (where the first warforged were created by Aaren), Eston (seat of then house baron, Starrin d’Cannith), and Making (home to the largest production facilities). Perhaps one of these is the forge you are looking for?

Hammer asks Blue to find out information about the Lord of Blades.

Recruiters for the Lord of Blades have been coming through the Red Hammer fairly regularly and Blue’s business partner Crucible keeps having to chase them out. But the warforged population in the Cogs of Sharn is divided between those that have a positive, or at least neutral opinion of their current circumstances in Breland, and those that have unfortunately faced the darker side of the purely organic races.
At the same time, some political warforged refugees have been sneaking into Sharn from the Mournland. A hidden movement, calling itself the Parliament of Gears, does have growing support, but any that question the methods and authoritarianism of the Lord of Blades that is exposed faces brutal public torture and then execution. Blue and Crucible have been looking for places to hide these escapees, as even in Sharn, there have been killings and the Sharn watch, not reliable at the best of times, doesn’t seem particularly interested in this internecine violence in the local warforged community.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-13 Stonefire

The party arrives in Flamekeep and meets with Jaela. She asks a lot of questions trying to figure out whether she will use her influence to try to stop Thrane from going to war with Breland and to help if there is a coalition against the Lord of Blades.

Hammer gets along well with her guardian, and gets early warning that Stonefire agents are activating! It turns out, Cardinal Torizun was a sleeper agent!

The party saves some civilians but not all in a thrilling sequence of events including a falling airship! They make their way to the Keeper’s mansion and escape through a secret tunnel. Then, rather than heading to safety, Jaela starts walking towards the port.

People are running past you towards the garrison now behind you. From up ahead in the city, flames rise and smoke billows. As you walk forwards hand in hand with the Keeper of the Flame towards the danger, people run past, but all you hear Drego is the growing sound of that rhythm... The cry of the couatl... As you reach a turn in the street, ahead of you a highly arcing stone bridge. Jaela suddenly stops, looks up at you and nods that you should go on. She slowly reaches up and holds the hand of the nearest person, Hammer, and stands still watching you advance.

As you climb the bridge from one direction, a figure comes over the peak on the other side.

“Drego d’Deneith... I challenge you to a duel. You have what I want, and have taken from me what cannot be replaced. I will kill you for Immeral, and then I will take the Oracle for the undying court.” She tosses onto the bridge a gem encrusted eyepatch.

The musical accompaniment to the cry of the couatl comes a little into focus... In addition to the rhythm you now hear the harmony or chords part of the song but cannot make out the melody...

You arrive at the Safe Harbor, to find Autumn, alive but having bled a lot.

Her skin is white and waxy... Her left side from shoulder down soaked with blood. She sits still, leaning against the wall with a tourniquet around the stump that is left of her right arm that she was unable to hold tight enough with her left arm. She’s alive... She looks at you and it must be the voice of someone in shock... She looks and says weakly, “Oh good, your all there... And now I’ve lost something so we match... But your eye is back... I really must have lost a lot of blood ”... “is this what it takes a modern gal to get a ring... If I knew sooner I’d have done it myself ... *cough*”

See “The Golden Dragon” for more information.

AGENT ACTIONS

Underfoot goes to the Dragonwood disrupt supply lines (14)

Underfoot fits right in with the kinds of people drawn to the cult and infiltrated their outer camp in a large swamp. There’s plenty of local food and water, but he intercepts some 500gp worth gold donations and gets out of there before too many people recognize him. Underfoot wants to pay Falko back the gold you gave him in the Cogs. He’s thankful for the new start in life you’ve given him and wants to be able to one day hold his head high again by paying off as many of his debts as he can.

Patty goes to sabotage (21)

Patty visits the goblins of Dragonwood and finds that they are under the thumb of the cultists. Their chief was killed and one of their number was assigned as the new leader. As a smart hobgoblin, she represented a natural threat to their ability to control the tribe. She thinks she may be able to turn the goblins against the cult, given a little more time to assert herself and undermine the new pro-cult leadership.

Meena researches Gate of Xabra and Uli (4)

Meena found out that Uli Blackthatch knows there is a spell that can be cast only by the most powerful of magic users to reach a specific point in another plane using a forked, metal rod of some value attuned to a vibrations of the particular plane of existence, while inscribing the correct sigil sequence in a circle. He thinks the Gate of Xabra can be used to create the effect of such a spell without the requirement of the "tuning fork" since it seems already attuned to many planes, but he doesn't have the sigil sequence of a place on another plane yet, even though he thinks he has figured out the activation procedure.

Bilge asks around Woodhelm (20)

The town seems a little spooked from a great uptick in the travelers passing through. Woodhelm has always had some traffic in those headed to the Twin Lakes, Gloam and Gleam that sit upstream. The lakes are both fed by streams that come from an ancient obelisk called the Eruunstone and one of the lakes helps your wishes to come true while the other twists your wishes into something awful. Desperate people have often come to try their luck.

But the woods have their dangers. Besides the river folk halfling natives and their rivals the goblins, there are also clever kobolds that make up for their small frame with mechanical traps and weapons, and they are said to serve a moonstone dragon from which the forest got its name long before the town of Woodhelm was settled.

This new uptick in traffic, was first a small group (Bilge identifies them by description as the Grim Accord) that was followed by people arriving in groups of tens or more, all heading deep into the woods and handing out pamphlets about the new movement they are a part of. As they passed through town they were also asking for donations of gold, precious feathers, furs and fish scales. Kept going on about a massive acorn or something. Bilge wonders if that means anything to you.

Also, with Bilge’s connections (and that great roll) I think one other concrete piece of information he could gather is that someone in town is actually secretly an intelligence agent of the King’s Dark Lanterns.

Blue tries to find out the whereabouts of the Lord of Blades (19)

One of the most recent Parliament of Gears refugees to sneak out of the Mournland tells her they have shifted southwards towards a feature now known now as the Glass Plateau.

… Join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: WOODHELM

The party shows up in Woodhelm, meets the locals and learns some things:

Golden acorns are material components for druids to summon beasts

The River Folk halflings (Sarai Whispermouse) feud with the goblins is long and ancient… the halflings took their idol as a prank… they like a good joke

The Toadwhelm goblins have the best knowledge of access to the Eruunstone

The Moontosser kobolds sometimes come to trade, they’ve said their master has a great horde of treasure… and it’s probably true because they are dirty thieves.

About the river is haunted by nixies … and worse … warped creatures that invade your dreams…

About the Grim Accord: they seemed to be having an internal dispute...

About the stone at the center of this forest: it is covered with texts unreadable to even magic. People say it has been there from the beginning of the world

Galleri has been court marshalled

Galleri was an orphan at the orphanage of Father Eustace … there’s another one of the orphans in town.

The ir’Kesslers own the lumber yard (specifically Resham), but no one’s been by recently. The lumber yard makes good business. There’s a warforged ranger, Snare, that manages for the ir’Kesslers. Resham offered them a living wage.

The next morning, after a tour of the Forestry Company, the party head upstream to find the River Folk halflings. They found the source of the dispute and negotiated a new state of affairs that is a win-win-win: the halflings got a great new prank, the goblin Chonka got the idol back and became a “mighty Chonka”, and the party got a goblin guide to the cultist party deep in the forest.

Upon arrival they made their way into the crowd, but at one point they were recognized and mobbed. After defeating some stronger cultists, they saw some that had been merged with dragons! …

… join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: UMP’KASH FIK

After facing down the dragonflesh aberrants, the party advanced deeper into the center of the swamp leaving cultists fleeing for their lives.

Encountering the Grim Accord, they agreed to let each other go on to other things.

Arriving at a clearing with a waterfall, they engaged a fey dragon in a game of riddles.

Finally, they confronted Ump’kash Fik. The vile altar set up at the center of the swamp offered a hint at the name of the Daughter of Khyber, inscribed in Infernal, “Ravilvost”. Fik died claiming to be merely a pawn and threatening the wrath of even higher authorities, and then his massive hydra materialized.

Making short work of the hydra… El saw in her mind’s eye the Seal of Power from the temple in Xen’drik and could almost hear Phileas saying:

On the way out, Galleri solved the riddle for the dragon and was granted an item from its horde. He also recruited Margaret Fisher as an agent.

… with the Stonefire project unraveled and the link between the Emerald Claw and the Lord of Blades coming into focus…

… and with the defeat of Ump’kash Fik and the destruction of his cult following …

our story continues in

Arc 5: ENGINES OF WAR

 Engines of War

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: FORT FROSTBITE

The adventurers enjoy some well deserved time off… and then fly to the far north to Icefell, a land of volcanos and tundra. Arriving at the place indicated on the map they uncover a bunker complex that appears mostly abandoned… except for the rows upon rows of corpses that appear mummified by the frozen cold. Deep within, they uncover what appears to be King Kaius III in his youth frozen in a wall of ice together with the Karrnath key and a tin soldier, as well as a large treasure horde. Sensing danger, the party carefully extracts the key and only the key, escaping safely.

Returning to the surface, they get the distinct impression that they are being watched. There are heavy footprints ending in a rounded divot that extended away and into a crevasse. Mazzia d’Lyrdandar says she saw a tall, thin figure wrapped in a snow suit with disproportionately large hood on it.

Back aboard the Golden Dragon, El meets with Drego:

As I have come to get to know you, I have learned that you too have lost your family. It is a terrible thing to find oneself alone. ……. My family were the only ones who knew my full identity. after the mists took Cyre, I longed to see my mother…even my older brother just one more time. I wanted the feeling of belonging back. That terrible day when my family was lost, all my possessions and everything that connected me to them was lost. That is until…. (pulls out locket but doesn't take it off - holds dangling from chain around neck)

This. When you found this, it was just another piece of salvage from another mission to you. But you see these…these are the marks of Cyre…. and this:
(opens locket) This is my family. I was born Prince Orgev irWynarn. So you see, when I took the locket, at least from my perspective, I was taking back what was rightfully mine from a bunch of graverobbers. Of course, I do not see any of you in that light now. This locket , and the key are the only posessions that I know of, that remain of my family. I want you to understand their value to me. These are the most precious objects I have. (unclasps chain with locket) So you will understand what this means. (Grabs hand and places locket in Drego’s hand)

While this may be the most precious THING I have, YOU are now my family. You may keep this as a token of my friendship, and to know that PEOPLE matter more than things. There may come a time when I ask to borrow it back for some purpose, but it is yours.

When asked further about myself as Ir’Wynarn: The man who is using that name, I dont know who he is, but he is not who he says he is. Nevertheless, he seems to be doing a decent job caring for the people. This leaves me free to deal with actually saving people. I was never raised to be king. My brother was in line for the throne. Because of my nature, it was decided that I should serve best in other, more background means. I am doing what I know best how to do. In doing so, I have become many people in our realm, I have come to care for all the peoples of Ebberon. More than just Cyre. One thing I do believe, is that we can perhaps stop something terrible from happening to all peoples. I truly believe that we, as a group are truly The Saviors of Eberron.

… join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: THALIOST

The team arrives in Thaliost and it’s a place where sad things are taking place. But the team is on a mission and is helped in accessing the gate here by Drego’s ex-apprentice Glamorgan, also former leader to Galleri.

Through the gate they find themselves in Thelanis… having taken on slight appearance changes of animals: Drego beaver, El sugar glider, Hammer stegosaurus, Galleri goat, Egen jaguar. Following forest sprites, they found a large spider, Yarnspinner, who told them the sad story of a bard who became corrupted and was the only one able to see a beholder, and they could finish the story.

In the town… it was clear that something strange was going on, but with help from a small merchant, they approached the manor.

Inside, they found the beholder. During the fight, a large scale dropped from its central eye. They discovered the real Quill trapped inside a painting. Convincing him to allow himself to be cut, the world faded away and they found themselves back in Thaliost.

As they made their way out, they came across a petrified man, and El saw in her mind’s eye the Seal of Omniscience shatter. …

AGENT ACTIONS

• Hammer: uses Blue to find out the strength of the Lord of Blades from her customers… Runaways speak of thirteen legions although no one seems to have ever had any contact with the thirteenth legion.

• Galleri: (from last time) Alyusha reports back about Ump’kash Fik in Thronehold. It seems he was there for a while recruiting the Sons of Galifar, but since he left there’s not been any activity from the group. Thronehold seems more on edge than ever.

• Galleri: Margaret returns to the orphanage near Salvation. It is abandoned. With your funds she can reopen the orphanage.

• Egen: Sent Jovi to Arcanix to check on Chandra. She is there and is safe. She's doing post-grad research at the Arcane Congress focused on the relationship between arcane power and living spirits. She seems to have disavowed her family and had no contact with them for quite some time. Jovi seems quite impressed by her manners, but would like to recommend a more colorful wardrobe that might better complement her complexion.

• El: Sends Kalli to recruit a new agent… Kalli starts pulling on connections and getting word out that she’s looking for an expert on Thelanis and other obscure topics. A few days later she receives an anonymous message via a House Sivis messaging station from a party interested in helping “the cause of the Prince of Cyre” and asking if there’s something in particular you would like more information on. The letter is signed “L.S.” and includes instructions for returning an encoded message via House Sivis messaging stations.

• Drego: Ask Skye to visit Autumn Aurelius in Flamekeep with 500 gp and stay the night at her establishment and do a security check on the location. Then tell Autumn that Drego met up with Glamorgan and that they spoke, and that Autumn should get Glamorgan to get out of Thaliost for a day trip to see Autumn, because it would do the younger Captain of House Deneith some good.

Drego received a job! Go investigate the Thorn Expedition. They’ve gone missing in the Mror Holds. Drego sends in Korky in advance to meet with Sulring and then look for the Thorn Expedition.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-14: FROM DUST

The party discussed the events that have come up to this point as they flew across county to the Mror Holds.

On arrival Korkanna presented them with her report of investigating the Thorn Expidition Camp. She found a letter, a rune and a spellbook. She was able to confirm the following:

• Gisaul and Drago are bringing supplies to their leader Trez Zul, the death knight who’s heading excavations at the Creeping Nave; a daelkyr sanctuary deep beneath Metrol.

• Trez Zul learned the sanctuary’s location from the warforged renegade, the Lord of Blades. It’s said to hold symbiotic weaponry that could help Trez Zul build an army of super soldiers.

• On arrival in Salvation, Gisaul received a letter from Trez Zul explaining that the excavations had stalled due to the presence of spectral wards inside the sanctuary. Accompanying the letter was a sigil tablet that Trez Zul believes is vital to bypassing the wards.

• Trez Zul is convinced that the dwarves of the Mror Holds can identify the sigil on the tablet. He’s worried that its powers will be turned against him—if his enemies find out how to use it before him, they could prevent him from unearthing the armory.

• “I know that sigil, though I haven’t seen it in a very, very long time. It’s the mark of Spinweave, an ancient, monstrous sage who resides in Sol Udar, the Realm Below, under the Ironroot Mountains of the Mror Holds. In centuries past, dwarves would seek her counsel on esoteric matters, but it always bore a heavy price. I know a dwarf from Clan Soldorak named Rolforror who led such an expedition and should know how to find Spinweave. Or at least I knew him . . . I haven’t seen him in over a century, but I can tell you he might be found in Krona Peak.”

The Oracle of War released a prophecy: “When the voice under the mountain speaks, those who listen shall loosen the grip of the Emerald Claw on the gates to doom.”

After searching Krona Peak for Rolforror, the party decided to rest for the evening at the Stone Golum tavern. There they exchanged stories with the dwarves over ale late into the night, until Rolforror appeared, telling his tale of visiting the sage Spinweaver, and asking the party to recover for him the banner of Clan Soldorak. He provided other information about Spinweave. Egen negotiated for the ability to learn about symbiont weapons rather than cash.

With the map provided by Rolforror in hand, the party descended into Sol Udar, the Realm Below. (In the early days of the Last War, Mror miners made an astonishing discovery: the ruins of an ancient dwarven empire, vast halls deep within the Ironroot Mountains. Explorers uncovered mines still brimming with jewels and precious ores and vaults filled with riches and powerful artifacts. The Mror restored these ancient fortresses and worked to reclaim the secrets of their ancestors. One question remained: What had become of the ancient dwarves? The answer soon became apparent. As the Mror delved deeper into the Realm Below, they woke an ancient evil: Dyrrn the Corruptor, a daelkyr lord of madness. Hordes of aberrations and derro rose from the depths to challenge the explorers. For decades, the Mror lords have been fighting a battle in the depths, struggling to drive the darkness from their ancestral halls.)

After overcoming several physical obstacles, the party reached the realm of Spinweave. They learned the following:

• The tablet that the Emerald Claw found was taken from her old lair. Spinweave was once a priest of Valaara, the Crawling Queen, one of the daelkyr from the plane of Xoriat.

• Nine thousand years ago, Valaara was imprisoned deep underground by the Gatekeeper druids, who erected powerful seals to keep her in place.

• For years, Spinweave dwelt within the Creeping Nave—a sanctuary built around one of the old Gatekeeper seals—where the faithful of Valaara could consult with their queen.

• Spinweave abandoned Valaara’s service thousands of years ago and came here to serve another imprisoned daelkyr, Dyrrn the Corrupter.

• The gatekeeper seal at heart of the Creeping Nave is powered by soul energy drawn from Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead.

• If the seal is damaged, the negative energy of Dolurrh could leech into the world, with terrible results. Destroying the seal entirely could free Valaara and permanently open a portal to Dolurrh, potentially bringing about the end of the world.

• To fortify this seal, one must find a way to empower the bound spirits. There is one mortal living nearby who could help: an orc bonecaster called the “Dream Eater.” She can be found among the halflings of the Talenta Plains.

• Destroying the Gatekeeper seal will release Valaara permanently, but the Gatekeepers installed a safeguard to temporarily release the daelkyr without breaking the seal. Inside the Creeping Nave, there’s a particular tile on the floor, shaped like a dragon. Remove it and trace the name “Vvaraak” in Druidic in the sand beneath, along with three drops from a potion of healing. Once freed, Valaara is sure to punish any miscreants pillaging her sanctuary.

After sharing her information, her shadow attacked the party, while a kraken attacked those on the bridge away.

After defeating their enemies, the party returned the banner, revealing Rolforror to have been a ghost.

Meanwhile, the actions of the Emerald Claw seem to have affected the connection between the realm of the dead and Eberron.

The party carefully considered their next steps.

AGENT ACTIONS

• El to L.S.: Thank you for your aid. Seeking expert information regarding the Fey realm. Such useful information includes: Special rules regarding key figures, time, arcana, methods of travel, persons or peoples who may be helpful or harful to outsider. Adittionally, any research on artifacts held by Galifar described as a scale, tooth,. claw, horn and breath Finally, any connections to Thalliost and Mabar would be welcome. A meet up or drop off location would also be useful. 500gp will be made available to aid persons participating in this research and to ensure their discretion. Any groups claiming connection to the daughters of Kyber, sons of Galifar, Feeder of Crows or Ump’kash Fik are working at cross purposes and information regarding their interest would also be welcome.

• Falko sends some letters:

• To my dear cousin Resham,

  My deepest appologies cousin. I had heard through the grape vine that you were hired by Danno to look for me. It seems our paths have yet to cross. However, with Danno being on the case, it seems it may yet be some time. I do not trust that little runts angle on whatever it is he wants from me.

  I did have the pleasure of visiting your logging operation out past the other side of the bay. It appears to be operating in tip top shape and your foreman requested that I put in a good word.

  According to them the operation could use with the inclusion of a mill. I would worry about our connections with the mill down the river if such work would be taken from them, but they seemed adamant. Perhaps a small mill would suffice and surplus could continue to go down river. We wouldn’t want to burn any bridges with our partners too fast now. I send this letter through my associate, he is trustworthy.

  If you have need to contact me you may do so through him.

  With my deepest regards,

  Falko

• Response from Resham:
  Dearest Falko,

  Thank you for writing me. Danno is quite the handful isn’t he. I’m glad to hear you are well. You can be difficult to get ahold of.

  Thank you for your visit to Woodhelm. I received a report from Snare. He seemed impressed by your attention to his work. The family businesses are seeing an uptick in sales as political tensions increase. I will consider his proposals with your advice in mind.

  Speaking of which, little birdies tell me that you’ve managed to advance among the Aurum and have conducted business deals with such prominent merchants as Baron Plinled and Naeberos Sarris. Such business connections should not go to waste. Our next annual general meeting of shareholders in the Kessler estate is coming up in the next month. Perhaps you would grace us with your presence?

  I’d love the opportunity to catch up and find out what you’ve been up to since you disappeared during the war.

  Warmest regards,

  Resham

• To Miss Chandra Johira,

  I do pray this letter finds you well. At the first, a short introduction of sorts is in order.

  This letter is penned by Falko ir'Kessler, purveyor of the Thunderpath Inn and member to Thunder Salvage Incorporated, once venerated "Hero" of Breland, and rising Silver Aurum member,.. but I digress, names and heroic titles are just... decoration.

  Though it comes to me that you are no longer close to your family, my condolences at the loss of your father. I was able to meet him again at Flamekeep before the events that transpired there. He was when I met him as he was before, but now I hope he is at last free of his jailers. His jailers on the other hand...

  To the "Heart" of the matter and purpose of this letter. Through certain twists of fate, the shade of ignorance on certain knowledge has been pulled away, and an artifact of unknown potential has found its ways into my hands. Through mutual hidden acquaintance, a son to one of the "pirates" whom may have assaulted the Dreadhold itself, I verily know that you are a trustworthy seeker of knowledge and not one to dismiss knowledge as safe or dangerous purely upon the dogma of others.

  Therefore, I wish extend to you an opportunity. I have need of the discrete uncovering of understanding of the nature of said artifact. In return I am at liberty to make available to you any resources at my disposal for your use, whether monetarily or through the operations of my associates and connections, no questions asked. If this is agreeable to you, you may contact me through my associate, Jovi, whom you already have had the pleasure of meeting.

  With all sincerity,

  Falko ir'Kessler.

  PS: Jovi did mention that your wardrobe could do with a splash of color. I hope this finds you well.

  Falko will included a pair of fine clothes, a simple red dress, and a multi colored ring and the wizards spell book he has been carrying around. - Wizards Spellbook *K*

• Sir Kessler

  Your greetings are well received. Until Sir Graccen contacted me recently, it had been a long time since I had much communication outside of my academic circles, and the surprise was a pleasant one. Thank you for the gifts as well. It’s only fair I suppose to attach a likeness, since at the moment I am at a loss for what else I could possibly send in return.

  I thank you for your condolences, although I was quite estranged from my father and his way of thinking. I only hope that his penance in death is not overly burdensome.

  A dear friend once told me that knowledge and artifacts are merely tools. It is the hands that wield them that require mastery to ensure there is no misuse. It was this pursuit that brought me to this place of research, and while I can’t promise anything, I would be delighted to have the chance to inspect the artifact you mention.

  With anticipation,

  Chandra Johira

… Join us next time for…

GODSLAYER ARTIFACTS: GALLERI: GALLERI’S DAY IN COURT

The party recovers from their journeys into Sul Uldar… gathering together a strange gate appears before Galleri

After meeting the warden archon, Infrom Echelon, they traverse Daanvi to the Hall of Justice and are checked in by a chain devil who provides them with an advocate.

After consulting with the advocate they confront the case laid out by the prosecution.

After arguing against the prosecution they consult in private to present a defense. After closing arguments the justices hand down a not guilty verdict, but charge the defendant with destroying chaos and bringing law, and provide Galleri with a copy of the Book of the Law, the Nomonomicon.

The party defeats the representative of chaos and returns to the material plane.

AGENT ACTIONS

A letter arrives from L.S.

I am closely familiar with Thelanis, for that was once my home, although now I may never return. Be careful about making any agreements or contracts, for there may be unintended consequences. If you must journey therein, try to keep the journey brief. One may easily forget why they came or how to return home as they become involved in the stories being played out.

Mabar is in many ways the opposite of Thelanis. A dark brooding place where inescapable stories of sorrow repeat, dooming those that enter to suffer the same tragedy over and over until the conflict at their core can be resolved.

King Galifar I was known during his fighting years for fighting with two blades in hand, rallying his troops with the call of his trump, and wrapping his neck with a mantle. Perhaps these could be some of the artifacts you mention?

I am not interested in funds. Against all hope I remain faithfully your servant. L.S.

Hammer asks Smith about agents of the Lord of Blades in Sharn:

There is a cell of warforged agents aligned with the Lord of Blades. Smith has heard a rumor that they are in league with the Droaamish criminal organization "Daask" trading for war materiel and even are giving indirect support for the Swords of Liberty as a way to undermine the Brelish throne.

Drego sends Bilge to Making in the Mournland. He is captured by forces loyal to the Lord of Blades.

Egen would like to send Inigo Townsend to the Arcane Congress to assist Chandra in collating any information about the "Heart of Darkness" before making plans to meet if she requires any physical observations of the artifact.

While they lack information on this specific artifact, with Inigo’s help they find some descriptions of similar artifacts in the possession of the church of the Shadow in Droaam. Chandra has a contact in Graywall that could prove useful. She’d be willing to meet you there to make the introduction.

Galleri will send Meena to the Orphanage and ask Meena to collaborate and help strategize ways to make and increase the revenue for the orphanage income. (Such as fundraisers, door by door donations, government collaboration, and making and selling vegetables from a garden that they could make). With this request, I will give Meena 800 GP to use for anything the orphanage needs (100 GP of that will go to the Meena for helping). I will also supply a map of the city with my knowledge and experience of the best places for donations and where to avoid.

With 800gp you are able to set up the orphanage to become self-sustainable. As Meena and Margaret make their way through Salvation, they are able to find many interested in supporting the effort. One in particular, the local priestess of the Silver Flame gives Meena and Margaret her request to meet with you in person someday.

… Join us next time for…

Cyre is not beyond Salvation: Daskaran (Oleg In The Summer)

The party arrives in Duskaran, and while Galleri and Egen take a little time to recover from their ordeal in Daanvi, the party is joined by Patty and Korky. They take a moment in the Cathedral of the Sovereign Host to venerate those enshrined therein before proceeding to the crypt and gate.

Finding themselves in a land of permanent winter, they follow some chwingas to gain a charm.

Ascending a hill they meet Duncan, a large walrus who asks them a philosophical question before entrusting them with his friend, Oleg, to go on a quest to bring back summer by breaking the curse of the Frozen Queen.

Ascending a snow-covered slope and chasing off some frost giants, the party arrives at Rimeskalle.

They defeat the queen, restoring summer, and as ice and snow melt away, Oleg gives way to the trapped fairy queen within, who thanks the party and bequeaths them with the fang of the daughter of Khyber before returning them to the crypt below Thaliost.

AGENT ACTIONS

Hammer has Blue conduct a mission to interrupt the Lord of Blades cell in Sharn… Blue fails, and the Lord of Blades cell has identified the Red Hammer as a source of opposition.

Drego sends a message to Athlonia, what makes her work with the halfling sorcerer and the other two cowards.

Drego also uses Dream to contact Bilge.

Drego will appear in Bilge's dream in the Safe Harbor. Both are standing in their work uniforms, by the inn's hearth. No other occupants are there, except the beautiful Innkeeper with dark golden flowing hair who brings two full drinks out for each of the men before leaving the common space with a smile that can warm the night as good as any fire. "Got time for a drink?" Drego helps himself to what tastes like his favorite beer as Bilge acclimates to his surroundings Within those moments, Drego attempts to override his own dark thoughts and concern over the dutiful half-orc before him. "Stay alive. That's your half of the deal. I'm coming for you."

"Tell me what happened..."

"... They got me. There's just far too many of them. An army stretching as far as I could see. They have little patience for creatures of flesh, but are providing me with food so I can continue to perform labor for them, mostly shoveling coal into their forges... Although I failed you in this mission I succeeded in another. A little ironic come to think of it. They have me working beside the one you sent me to find before, Jara Blue..."

The dream ends as Bilge awakens.

El: I want to ask Zed to work on infiltrating the close circle of the imposter Oargev ir’Wynarn to be eyes and ears in case action needs to be taken down the road and to find out their motives in taking up that persona.

Zed sends a letter: There’s a reason we haven’t heard much news from New Cyre recently. Conditions are far worse than I could have imagined. New Cyre is little more than a refugee camp. Plague and famine spread among tents and makeshift huts that house as many rodents as people. A people’s revolt was crushed with brutal violence only just recently and there are strict curfews as well as checkpoints restricting entry and exit. House Jorasco maintains a presence to help, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. I’m making connections to find an in with the local law enforcement, Comissioner Gebbler. Will be in touch again soon.

Galleri is still in his room but slides out a paper and the DAANVI tuning fork to be delivered to Uli Blackthatch. He asks Meena to deliver the tuning fork along with the letter:

Uli sends word that he was able to open a gate and is now fast friends with Infrom Echelon. There's just so much to learn...He also returns your tuning fork as he was able to procure one of his own.

… Join us next time for …

CYRE IS NOT BEYOND SALVATION: KORTH (GALIFAR’S QUEST)

The party journeys to Korth and returns to the grave of the first ir’Wynarn ruler of Karrnath. As with the previous time, the door was cracked before they arrived. Using the key and entering the portal, they find themselves in tall grass only an inch high.

Nearby, they hear a young boy crying. Poor little Galifar has a story book telling him he should rescue five toys from the toymaker’s shop ahead but has had his sword stolen by a man that came with a young woman. The party traverses the yard and learns about the Joysmith, a toymaker that captures lost children and turns them into toys.

Entering the shop, the party climbs some shelves and finds Mr. Weaver, a spider that tells them about a glass case on the workbench. Avoiding contact with the Joysmith, the party rescues the five toys.

Meanwhile, Falko makes his way into the Joysmith’s room, to rescue Clara, a ballerina toy. She was left here by the man who took the boy’s sword, but feels like the one that made her, left a piece of himself inside her, and that she is but one of a pair that he made.

The party escapes the Joysmith’s house with the toys, and returns to Eberron, tin ballerina toy in hand.

AGENT ACTIONS:

El: I send Kalli with 2000g to find a herbalist and start a not-for-profit organization called "Phileas' Hope" amongst the refugees of New Cyre which gives out food and medicine (healing potions) to those in need, with an emphasis on non discrimination. (it doesn’t have to be a herbalist but rather someone with the ability to make healing potions and with a heart to help people but needing funds and a network) Kalli would be responsible for finding the person and organizing connections to create the group.

Kalli is denied official access but they will accept deliveries of supplies. How would you like her to proceed?

I would like Kalli to begin to create an underground network of people who can get help to those who really need it but under the radar of “official channels”. I will offer her some trusted contacts from my own spy network as a place to start but ask that she look for rising leaders in the community who are doing it out of care rather than a seize for power and suggest she carefully approach them. … She knows what she’s doing.

… Join us next time for …

GODSLAYER ARTIFACTS: Egen: Unlocking the Secrets of the Heart

Some background…

The party flies to Graywall to meet Chandra… She takes them to meet the “Weeping Angel”… what the weeping angel proposes is found to be distasteful to the party, but interested in the fighting arena, they go take on the local champions before leaving.

DDAL-EB-15: Dream Eater

Resuming the hint they received from the spider monster under the Mror Holds, the party travelled to the Talenta Plains in search of the orc shaman, Dream Eater. Helping her to complete a ceremony to put a dragon to rest, she teaches them how to repair a gate keeper seal.

Meanwhile, two letters arrive. One for the party and and one for Egen’s eyes only.

FOR EGENS EYES ONLY:

Sir Falko ir’Kessler,

We know what you and your companions have... The Oracle... It only serves you because of us. Together, if you take it from your friends, you could go far in the Aurum... We could raise the merchant class above the so-called nobles. For nearly a thousand years the heirs of Galifar have shown their ineptitude and incompetence. Inherited authority can only go so far... The age of the Capitalist will come. Why should we be ruled by those that claim merely heritage. Why should a squirt of their fathers into the entrails of their mothers give them inherent value? They are weak. And dumb. Real power should derive from the most able. Those that can see opportunity and seize it best. We believe in MERITOCRACY, and you are proving most meritous. The last war has shown that might does not make right. Wealth gathers where there is worth. Add your value to us and usher in a new millennium. When the time comes, strike. Take the Oracle and bring it to us. There is a place on the Shadow Council waiting.

S.M.

DDAL-EBEP-03: The Rising City

Sent by new sheriff of Salvation, Zodor Tarev to investigate “the scraplord,” a strange representative of New Cyre who is recruiting salvage parties to gather materiel from the ruins of Metrol, the party races through the city to collect requested items before nightfall, meeting allies old and new, before attacking the Emerald Claw forces holding Metrol Station. Along the way, Galleri discovers brain juice!

DDAL-EB-16: The Dragon Below

The party delves beneath Metrol station, uncovering the hidden weapons cache and uncovering the true identity of the necromancer Trez Zul, the original Falko ir’Kessler!

Along the way, there was a breakdown of the Oracle as the power radiating from the seal gave way…

The device trembles as hatches on its sides suddenly retract, releasing a trio of mechanical pigeons. These constructs swoop through the hallway and fly off into the sanctuary, only to reappear a few moments later and return to their compartments. As the hatches slide shut, the device speaks.

“Preparing tactical . . . preparing tacti . . . preparing tac . . . prrkhzzz . . .”

Three distinct voices, two female and one male, speak in unison from the speaking trumpet:

“Bound together, we are three. A gift from you is our plea: Something kept but rarely shared, For once it’s given, it’s forever impaired.”

Join us for the next arc: DREAD METROL!

 DreaD Metrol

The adventure starts with people enjoying a festival in the Bull Market of Metrol, 20th Olarune, 994YK. After after doing some shopping and interacting with children, suddenly disaster strikes. Waking up, there are screaming voices! The city is under attack by Karrnath! Running through the chaos with many dying around their sides, they escape to Metrol station, where we will meet the survivors again, 4 years later.

Our new party meets to commiserate on the fourth anniversary of that fateful day. Some have undergone many horrors, including one suffered recently by Vesile. As they toast the memories of those lost, suddenly the tavern comes under attack by House Vedalis. They are taken as new “volunteers” to “the Kennels”. Fortunately, as they are herded towards intake facilities, their block comes under attack by a resistance movement and they flee into the night.

Escaping into the shelter of a friend of Janbert’s, after resting briefly they feel like they’ve been trapped. Attempting to escape southwards, they are met by a woman that offers to show them the way out in return for taking her “aunt” with you to Southshore. Reaching the checkpoint for the bridge across No Man’s Land, another of their acquaintances from the Day of Mourning is there, this time as a Shepherd. By helping him escape notice, he gets you through the bridge. In the Bull Market, the party makes contact with the underground resistance, “The Unbroken.”

Meeting the leader of this local cell, the team is offered a mission to gain the trust of the organization, rescuing a double agent that was caught by House Vedalis named Crane. After resuing the agent, the team is brought to a higher level cell safehouse where they meet resistance leader and former Aurum member, Dalen Osserack. Unfortunately this meeting is interrupts as Crane shudders, heaves and mutant flying creatures burst from his chest.

The party defeats the chest bursting creatures and with his dying breaths, Crane speaks of a “cure” that must be captured or destroyed, and transfers(!) his dragonmark to Malone. Dalen commissions the team with this task, but Ping decides to stay back. The team passes through the checkpoint and enters the Vedalis compound again. Inside they find a very confused halfling that looks maltreated and perhaps experimented on. Having cleared the first floor of the lab, the basement awaits.

Exploring the basement the party encounters grotesque experiments, and the researchers. Killing one they gain a key to access the advanced high security lab. Within they find the “cure”. A young boy, while living, made able to feast on the corpses of undead, and notes revealing that this condition is infectious. The team burns it all down… as they do so a large commotion arises outside. Running away, Janbert turns and sees a gigantic dragon and his allies facing off against five figures…. one of whom turns on his friends!

Join us for the next arc: FLAMES OF WAR

Flames of War

 DDAL-EB-17 The Final TRIBUTE

The party regathered for some rest at their base in Salvation after the ordeal at the gate under Metrol. Egen wakes up to find a mysterious letter from El, who has gone on ahead to New Cyre. The ambassador from Breland to New Cyre, Pater ir’Gyrard shows up and asks the party to be his entourage to Prince Oargev to assist in negotiating the release of information about the location of the facilities in Making where the Lord of Blades is likely based so that a coalition of nations can take on the threat. Arriving in New Cyre, it is in bad condition. Hammer and Galleri try to help, and El has an encounter with a member of the King’s Dark Lanterns before they meet up at the Prince’s Villa. Over dinner, negotiations are held. That evening, El enters the dream of “Prince Oargev”, A.K.A. Happy, and learn what is the real secret behind this pretender. Egen uses the crystal ball to scry on Diraz d’Jorasco, the curiously high ranking representative of New Cyre. And not a moment too soon! He catches Diraz in the act of poisoning Pater. Rushing to the Ambassador’s suite, they arrive in time to save him. The Ambassador requests the party to search the town to find proof that they can use to convince Prince Oargev that Diraz is not what he seems. Visiting the Dark Lantern operative, they find him dead with just a scrap of paper outlining the active members of the plot. The party finds the source of the rats and the real Diraz. This information in hand they return to confront Diraz in his lair behind the Villa. Diraz however, senses the confrontation coming and reveals his true form, that of a massive dragon! The cavern’s magic activates and the entire party finds themselves in a compound in Dread Metrol, with one of the buildings burning down and five figures in the background… Entering the realm of Shadow caused the heart of darkness to advance to third degree of attunement and Egen released a massive time ravage spell on the dragon, who responded by disintegrating Egen. A kirin showed up to save Drego from being enchanted by the dragon. After some epic combat, the dragon warned the party that they would face the wrath of the Chamber when the Daughter of Khyber rises.

DREAD METROL - FALL FROM GRACE - THE FIRST MESSENGER: PESTILENCE

The parties meet up, and Janbert declares her service for Prince Oargev ir’Wynarn (El). The Dread Metrol group leads them to the Unbroken safehouse in Southshore where they learn that Ping is losing her memory. El identifies Ping as her mother, Queen Dannel ir’Wynarn. It seems the work done on her to create her reconstructed form was an early attempt and botched. As long as she wears the cloak with the clasp that is the gift of the Daughter of Khyber she cannot die, but as her memory fades, can she live? The only hope is to access the house Cannith facilities under the Vermishard of the Forge to attempt to more fully reconstruct her.

… join us next time for …

DREAD METROL - FALL FROM GRACE - THE SECOND MESSENGER: WAR

Dalan gives an overview of the facility.

The first level is a school for training new apprentice artificers. We have a contact on the inside that has provided student uniforms and access through a ventilation shaft to get you in past security. Posing as students, without raising the alarm, you'll need to gain access to their manufactury below. From the information we have, the next floor down is where the professional artificers live and conduct normal operations, and below that is a floor specifically for logistics and moving materials. Somewhere below that is the main operating theater where organic and warforged components are combined.

The party sets out for the Cannith facilities in Metrol and are shown in by Wargoyle on the outside and Vesile on the inside. In the student dorms, they dress up with House Cannith first year tabards and explore the facilities. As classes start they follow other students down a hall highly decorated with past facilities, tournament trophies and art, including an installation that shows symbols representing elements. The symbol for the elemental symbol of “radiance” reacts as Hammer walks past, while the one of “earth” reacts when Janbert and Ping pass.

Entering the lecture hall, El and Hammer are inducted to the secrets behind the construction of the Warforged. In Metrol, normal supplies have been replaced by living specimens. We also learn that the forges and the magic of the Age of Giants necessary to operate them was supplied by the Chamber, which the professor indicates using a five-pointed mark familiar to the party. Furthermore, it seems that docents cannot be produced by the artifice of House Cannith but are provided by the Aurum, and fortunately they’ve managed to continue their supply here in (Dread) Metrol! The professor indicates that docents are closely connected to the elemental plane of earth… It is these elements that House Cannith combines with the artifice empowered by their dragonmark to create the warforged. He also informs the new Cannith apprentices that Aaren d’Cannith, while credited with the “invention” of the warforged is now an outcast from the house and not to be revered.

After the lecture the party enters the teacher only section of this academic facility, discover the dead body of Starrin d’Cannith and then through social manipulation and keen investigation find a secret stair to the levels below.

… Join us next time for …

DREAD METROL - FALL FROM GRACE - THE Third MESSENGER: FAMINE

The party continued deep into the Cannith facilities, eventually finding the large room where a three-headed mechanical dragon was at work creating warforged, being directed by suspicious fellows. A fight broke out and the party defeated the Aurum member and nephew of Sulring Mroranon, Tellarak Natharon, and a wasteland dragon who claimed the Daughter of Khyber has already arisen in Argonessen and is coming for the Oracle of War. The three headed mechanical dragon was possessed with a throuple of dao (earth genies). In conversation we learned some things:

1. The Aurum trapped us and forced us to do their bidding.
2. Docents are dormant genie eggs. Earth are Dao.
3. Genies reproduce as throuples called trinities. We are dao trinity, and the docents of almost all the warforged are ours.
4. There are rare cases of non Dao docents. Such an occurrence would have unpredictable results.
5. We have heard of one such a case. The dragons of the chamber that come and go from this place speak of a powerful warforged that must have tapped into its docent power called the Lord of Blades, but we do not think he is one of ours. Based on their descriptions, it probably has the docent of efreet.

The dao throuple, in return for setting them free from their captivity by the Aurum, awakened Hammer and Janbert’s inner genie soul, contained in their docents, and transferred the soul of Queen Dannel into a new docent. Taking up Queen Dannel’s cloak and gaining a third gift of the Daughter of Khyber, El gains divine reach. As the terror holding the Queen was released, “Dread Metrol,” remerged with Eberron, and the people saw the sun shine down on them for the first time in years.

… join us next time for..

DDAL-EB 18: Scales of War

A busy three weeks pass… the Metrol “returnees” settle in Salvation. El works out a new situation with the now awakened “Happy” Prince Oargev. The armies of the Five Kingdoms gather in the Mournland using the information provided by the Prince Oargev to march against the Lord of Blades. The party is invited to attend the meeting in the command tent as they prepare for what will be remembered in the history books as The Battle of Broken Tower.

Advancing across the battlefield, the allies appear to be gaining victory as the party moves along the front leading armies to victory when a strange encounter occurs.

“Know that I am no enemy. I am Gaarvin ir’Gelios, apprentice to the grand artificer Aaren d’Cannith. Time is short and you must believe my words.”

“When we first met, you gave me this. You said that if I returned it to you, it would help prove my words. Soon after we met, we lost Aaren, and with him, all hope of saving the Five Nations from his wayward children.”

Gaarvin’s limbs begin to dissolve into silvery gray mist. The dragon behind shudders as its own limbs start to disintegrate. Gaarvin speaks through gritted teeth.

“They said we can’t change time. But perhaps, in whatever existence comes next, you can change my past. Defeat the forces here and go to the Crucible of Making. Save Aaren. Save your world.”

With these words echoing around you, Gaarvin and the dragon break apart and swirl away into the mist

Just then, the Broken Tower bursts apart and from within a massive Warforged Colossus takes the field. The party using their advanced magic gets inside on advice from Norr, and wrecks that thing up. As it collapses, we hear a message from the command tent.

“Return at once to the command tent! We have been betrayed by—”

… join us next time for the thrilling conclusion to Scales of War….

The betrayer was… Narcy of Xandrar, who turned out to be an ancient gold dragon of the Chamber. She tried to control Drego, but the Song of the Silver Flame broke through the control. Defeating her, the party found a box of pigments with living wood patterns showing the Daughter of Khyber headed from Argonessen to Khorvaire. With this information, another seal is broken.

DDAL-EB 19: Back to the Mud

The next day, the party is invited to the command tent and is told that the allies are having difficulty advancing into the cave complex beneath Making since all of their moves seem to be countered by the Oracle of Bones. The Lamnian Triune inside the Oracle of War asks the party to promise to help them and in return, they will send the party back in time, so they can be inside the cave before the Lord of Blades arrives. Time travel carries with it the potential of horrific time paradoxes though, so they must try not to change the timeline of what has already been until they are back at the present.

Entering the cavern in the past, they meet Aaren d’Cannith and convince him to leave his work and come with them to avoid being killed by the Lord of Blades and incurring a paradox, causing the party to gain a level of exhaustion. Moving onwards they find the man that warned them in the future, that they should come to the past?

Hiding in the forest overlooking the cavern, the next day they saw a convention of the Parliament of Gears. Sneaking into their midst the party heard one among them announce that he would assassinate a House Cannith heir at the pillar to prevent the Lord of Blades from constructing new troops. They convinced him privately to do otherwise.

Day -2, the Karrnslayer is being constructed to have weapons systems not present during the Battle of Broken tower. The party infiltrated their midst and created a diversion while working with the Parliament of Gears members to sabotage the weapons system. Meanwhile, using illusion and deception, Drego interrupted the communications between the Creation Forge and the Argonth.

Day -1, the main force of the Lord of Blades together with the Karrnslayer march out against the allied forces of the Five Kingdoms. The party decides to try to save the prisoners on the Argonth and in the process learn that the Oracle of Bones is there. They set free the prisoners and cause an uprising of the Parliament of Gears, storming the Argonth and recovering the Oracle of Bones.

As the party comes gathers themselves together to finally face down the Lord of Blades, Lathe approaches the party. Engraved in his arm, a piece of the draconic prophecy that he’s been carrying for millennia… A verse all too familiar to the party.

When dark lanterns flicker
in the light of the silver torch
The King in Green rides north
on a bolt of steel
Two nations prepare for war
as all eyes look to Sky Blue

He shares his interpretation, that the pillar in the center of the cavern is the “silver torch”, and the dark lanterns are the docents that must awaken if they are to come together, “two nations” of flesh and of steel, to face the enemy coming to Khorvaire through the “sky blue” of the air between continents… He performs an ancient ritual from the Age of Giants, fully awakening the docents of Hammer and Janbert.

The armies line up, the Lord of Blades rallying the remaining forces of the Battle of Broken Tower, no longer in possession of the Oracle of Bones, to face off against the allied forces of the Five Kingdoms now bolstered by the Argonth and the Parliament of Gears. As the battle rages, the Lord of Blades falls, only to reveal the efreet within. With mighty blasts of fire, the Lord of Blades blasted the field of battle, but with powerful healing Galleri kept the party alive enabling Janbert to claim the final killing blow.

In the aftermath of the battle, Lathe approaches, the draconic prophecy is changing.

When dark lanterns flicker
in the light of the silver torch
The Queen in Green rides again
in a shell of steel
Two nations prepare for war
as all eyes look to Sky Blue

He uses the forge to create a new warforged shell for Queen Dannel. El catches up their mother on the events of the last four years… Dannel shares how Narcy tricked her into taking the gift… Finally, Haftspear approaches.

“The war between the Lord of Blades and the five kingdoms has shown us that if we warforged are to found a nation without violence, we need representation the fleshling nations will also recognize. Lathe told us this day would come and we’ve already put it to a vote.”

HAIL DANNEL IR’WYNARN
HAIL QUEEN OF CYRE
HAIL HEIR OF GALIFAR
HAIL QUEEN OF GEARS

… join us next time for …

DDAL-EBEP-04 The Last War

The party rests in the command tent after the fall of the Lord of Blades reflecting on the momentous events that have transpired, considering what it could mean for the future. Galleri is deep in thought about the resolution of a major injustice…

An amber mist fills the tent, pouring from the Oracle of War. Lantern light creates shadows in the mist, and three silhouettes flicker into view, along with three familiar voices speaking in unison:

We can see the future through the draconic prophecy.

“When dark lanterns flicker
in the light of the silver torch,
the Queen in Green rides again
in a shell of steel.
Two nations prepare for war,
as all eyes turn to Sky Blue.”

These words speak of a time soon to come. A threat approaches this place that threatens all of Khorvaire, and beyond.

Ravilvost, the Daughter of Khyber, is coming. Her horrible radiant breath is able to wipe out entire settlements in a single blast as she draws upon great stores of power.

With scales stronger than any mortal blade, even the most mighty of weapons and powerful of magics cannot pierce her hide unless they can weaken her first.
We see that you have a role to play, but the future beyond is unclear. We also see that we are to play a role as well. We can grant you access to the true lair of Ravilvost, so you can defeat her true essence before her avatar arrives, but you will need to set us free from our bonds. As long as we are bound to the oracle of war, we are unable to grant your wish or to tell you how we may be freed. Although we are prohibited from telling you how to free us, there is a tome, a codex that if captured together with the three codes can reveal how to set us free. We would like to send you back in time to the day the Oracle of War was tested on the front lines of the Last War, just outside the city of Kalazart. To the Day of Mourning.

You must locate the Oracle’s test team and acquire the arcane codex: a secret operation manual.

We believe the test team head, Rumeo d’Cannith, holds the codex.

To read the codex, you will need three secret codes, each of which is held by a different operative serving under Rumeo. Locate each operative and interrogate them for their secret code. Once you have all three codes, locate Rumeo and claim the Oracle of War’s arcane codex. When you have deciphered the codex, we will return you to the present.

The party is sent hurtling into the past, to the Day of Mourning. Kalazart, the town where the Oracle of War was first encountered by them, where the town is under siege by Karrnathi forces. The Cyran defenders are reinforced by Brelish mercenaries. Through the smoke, the party catches glimpses of other groups of the party members, trapped in the same time loop, headed off to accomplish other tasks.

Galleri notices something! SPOILERS! || There’s something odd about the other Galleris ... They seem more confident, assured, standing straighter, with a larger build and proud shoulders. One looks you in the eye, smiles warmly and nods to the west. ||

The party proceeds to the east and encounters a necromantic minefield. Cyran soldiers set off one of the mines and rise as wraith lords that attack the party. Further to the east, the party crests the hill holding the arcane artillery and breaks their assault on the gates of the city before turning the artillery on the Karrnathi supply train. The wave of clouds marking the Mourning approaches and Janbert realizes this was they day she became trapped in Dread Metrol, as yellow mists surround them again bringing them back to the first place they arrived on the battlefield.

Heading west, the party encounters a crush of soldiers. Galleri is struck with familiarity. This is it, the battlefield he abandoned all those years ago. Looking down the line he sees the mercenaries he led into battle struggling and failing to hold the line against the Karrnathi forces. As he approaches the line, one of the goblinkin mercenaries shouts, “It’s Galleri, he’s back! We thought you had left us here to die.” Galleri rallies the troops, leading them to victory. As he does the party experiences a flashback. In this new timeline, Galleri was never the slump-shouldered unsure of himself bearer of years of guilt. No, this victory turned the tide of the battle. After the war he was granted a medal of heroism by the military tribunal and Glamorgan was correctly judged for war crimes. Galleri spent the four years between the end of the war and being called into service as a trainer of Sentinel Marshals. When Armundus called up Galleri to check on Cairn Hill, it wasn’t because he was short handed, but because there’s no one else he would trust with the mission. Galleri has been assertive and a bold in leadership as he travelled with the party. When he was eventually brought to Daanvi. it was not to answer a warrant, but a summons to recognize this hero of justice and he was awarded with the Nomonomicon to face the challenges ahead as protector of Eberron. Having righted a terrible injustice, Galleri has gained third level attunement to the Book of the Law.

The party proceeds west to the gate of Kalazaart where the arcane artillery suddenly stops. Looking back across the field of battle they see the iron golem smashing arcane artillery and one piece of artillery turn on the supply wagons. Carrying on to the observation platform, they meet the first agent of the test team and learn a code before the time resets.

Next the party heads north. Clever use of spells allows Galleri and Drego to save Haftspear for the future without allowing him to recognize you. Hammer and El proceed to the command tent where they encounter Flamewind. Flamewind explains that they will meet again on the brink of Landfall, and at that time to not discount the girl Sky Blue. Also in the command tent the party gains the second code word before backtracking and saving the life of a Karrnathi messenger before the time resets.

In the fourth loop the party heads south and makes haste to the medical tent. Drego stops a fireball and Hammer heals the third agent while El collects the third code.

Three codes in hand, when the next time loop occurs, the party finds themselves in Kalazart at the Flameweave Bazaar. They encounter Rumeo d’Cannith running from Imerral the Elven Undying Paladin. The party intercepts both and recover the codex. Speaking the code words the codex reveals its secrets:

• The genies in the oracle of war are trapped as long as Sulring Mrorannon has their child kidnapped.

• There’s a self destruct sequence for the Oracle.

• The codex contains the first scrap of draconic prophecy that the Oracle ever interpreted.

When rebel blades strike against a king,

A thief leaves their prize in a high tower,

And dragons burn by night.

… Join us next time for …

DDAL-EB-20 Old Scores

WHEN DARK LANTERNS FLICKER IN THE LIGHT OF THE SILVER TORCH

The party returns to Salvation in time for a celebration of the victorious armies. Heading into town they see that the local temple of the Silver Flame is being upgraded with a large silver torch being mounted on it. An agent of the Argentum, the intelligence service of Thrane, signals to El and explains that there is a lot of spy vs. spy action going on in Salvation this night… The Argentum want to capture the information that the Dark Lanterns are trying to get first, in order to prevent possible hostilities between Thrane and Breland. The party hunts the spy, running into many old familiar faces while uncovering a plot by the Swords of Liberty to make an attack supported by mercenary forces from Droaam on the Excelsior, the royal train bearing the king headed on its way to Salvation. Meeting up with Flamewind, it becomes clear that the girl Sky Blue yet has a role to play in preventing the Landfall of the Daughter of Khyber. Perhaps at last, the meaning of the draconic prophecy will become clear.

The Queen in Green Rides Again in a Shell of Steel

We join the party stepping off the Golden Dragon onto skiffs to make an assault on the Excellence, the royal lightning rail train. Swooping into the rear they find a soarsled and Alyusha gives entry to the caboose. Drego, Hammer and Alyusha move to secure the helm while El examines the first class cars from the roof with her Ring of X-ray Vision, and Galleri and Janbert find disguises and start to work their way forwards from the back of the train. A message from the Golden Dragon, “We’ve got company!” Breaking through the heavy and low rain clouds, an elemental airship with gnolls and harpies unleashes an assault, starting with a magic bombardment on the bridge the train is on. The train crashes to a halt and the game is on.

Drego and Hammer assault the enemy airship while Alyusha continues to try to reach the pilot of the train. Galleri and Janbert, in a car that has fallen to the river and is sinking begin to try to sort out between friend and foe and make a rescue. El checks that the king is safe and then hears the voice of Sky Blue hanging precipitously on the end of a carriage dangling over the gap.

After dealing with the airship, Hammer goes to the burning galley to rescue the chefs. Drego creates a wall of force to prevent the collapse of crumbling section of the rail. Galleri uses a spell of immovability to stop a teetering carriage from falling. El saves sky blue and uses powerful breath of lightning attacks to take out the harpy assailants.

Two nations prepare for war as all eyes turn to Sky Blue

The elvish ambassador, angered at the risk and attack of King Boranel teleports away to inform his nation of the human insults and threats. Drego arrives in the first class carriage to receive the iron flask containing the genie child from Sky Blue, and Janbert throws Sulring Mroranon out a window.

Now free from their captors and child returned, the genies stop time in this moment, and grant three gifts: Foresight, Wish (immunity to the breath of Ravilvost), and a portal for the party to the true lair of Ravilvost.

The party steels themselves for the fight ahead and finds themselves in an endless sky, surrounded at a far distance by a ring of stone. Looking down is an infinitely tall mountain that seems to grow taller the longer it is observed. Activating divine sight, Ravilvost, the Daughter of Khyber becomes visible. As they engage, Ravilvost draws strength from the stone ring and unleashes her breath… 114d10 (637) points of radiant damage…

The party engages. With their divine reach, for the first time in its existence, Ravilvost feels pain… confusion turns to rage as mighty blows rain down upon this chief of fiends. Finally, forced to draw in more strength to maintain its life, it draws new strength from the stone ring, stretching it to the limits and causing it to shatter.

Now without a source of power, the party goes to real work causing immense damage and pain. Rage gives way to fear, fear to terror. Finally, Hammer strikes with energies threatening to tear apart the fiend stacking banishing smites on massive divine smites creating an opening. Janbert charges ahead and strikes true with the adamantine six-blade taken from the Lord of Blades, and the divine essence of Ravilvost scatters into the sky.

The portal draws the heroes back to Eberron, where they see the clouds of the mourning recede, and the sun rises over the desert plains of the new Cyre. …

FIVE YEARS LATER

Janbert Goblincrippler

Janber Goblincrippler, born a lawyer in the city of Metrol and later reborn as a "reforged" during the ongoing seiges on Metrol of Karnathi forces during the dark days it was trapped in Mabar she found herself propelled into the spotlight of a much bigger war to save the whole of Korvaire. After having her life saved through the "reforging" process, she gave up hope that the Sovereign Host would come to the rescue of Metrol. Instead she turned her worship to Queen Dannel and defined her "reforged" identity on the ideal of her servitude to the holy crown. "Queen Dannel will save us!" It was not to be, as it was infact the prince of Cyre, Orgev Ir'Wynarn, that came to the rescue of Metrol, as well as coming to the rescue of the Queen. Janbert turned her focous to server under prince Orgev, maintaining her identity in her servitude to the crown, but every day with the prince and the group of heroes he journeyed with proved to disillusion Janbert further and further. Janbert quickly learned that Karnath was not to blame for the dark days of Metrol, the Queen of Cyre was equally vulnerable as any other mortal to the wiles of fate, and especially after the fateful battle with a dragon god, the infamous "Daughter of Khyber", it was Janbert herself that saved Metrol, Cyre, and Khorvaire. She found herself unsure what her identity was based on. For several months after the victory against the dragon god, Janbert served the Ir'Wynarn house of Cyre, but every day felt like a lie. She couldn't shake the feeling that her very existence, not quite human, and not quite warforged, was a mar on the future of Khorvaire. The reforged were born from a lie, from the very machinations of the dragons upon Khorvaire that had thrust Metrol into Mabar. She severed her bond with the spirit that fueled her paladin powers and abandoning all her equipment to the crown, she quietly left Cyre. She disappeared into the post-Mournland wastes to find her purpose for existence, or find a place to disappear. Even now, 5 years later, her "reforged" body still operating at its peak in performance does not so easily let her die, she wanders Khorvaire looking for something to believe in, a reason to exist.

Hammer Murphy

Hammer, along with Sheperd, Flint, and Milanee, open "The Marktaros School of Defense" in the former Mournalnds, with the approval of El and their Kingdom of Cyre. The school is almost completely funded by the spoils gained by Hammer's adventures, and some financial backing from the Church of The Sovereign Host. The school is situated in the most remote part of the former Mournlands, and applicants cannot instantly travel to it. They must make the sixty mile journey on foot, without the use of animals, magic or other means of transportation. During that time, they must survive the Mournlands and reach the steps of the school. When the steps are reached, the applicant must then begin mediation on the steps. After meditating for three days without consumption of food or water, the applicant is then taken to the arena, where they face one of the instructors, (Milanee, Shepard, or Hammer).

This is to teach Survival, Patience, Readiness, and tests their willpower. If all these tests are passed, the applicant is then allowed to train at the school.

The building is quite basic. Stone and some ornamental pillars here and there. The building has a weight room, dojo, arena, weapons storage, blacksmithing (for repairs) and a 1/4 mile track and field area. There is also a meditation pond and a large garden for vegetables and herbs, which the applicants tend.

The one distinguishing feature of the school is the statue out front. A solid bronze statue of Egan Marktaros, with his signature smirk and a readied Firebolt in one hand. The placard underneath reads as follows:

This school is hereby dedicated to the memory of EGAN MARKTAROS,
who gave his life to defend not only Cyre, but to restore peace to the entirety of Eberron and it's people.
By his sacrifice, this we shall defend, until the end of time.

And signed underneath

THUNDER SALVAGE, INC

Galleri d’Deneith

Galleri walks down the hall of a bustling, and rather successful, orphanage. He walks towards an office labeled with a “G” on the door. The room is well organized, with a left and right wall filled with paperwork and books. Opposing the wall with the door are two gigantic windows that overlook the entrance of the orphanage.

A desk is placed in the middle of the room, which is currently riddled with papers that are stamped with an icon that resembles two letter “D”s that are interlocked such as chains would be. As Galleri sits down at the desk, he ponders his eyes towards some of the items he has saved during his past adventures.

- [ ] A painting of our first team fight together. The painting depicts two Galleris. One hides as the other joins his companions and attacks.
- [ ] A tuning fork labeled “Dread Metrol”
- [ ] The sword of Ump Kash Fik, which has been incredibly dulled so it may not hurt another being again.
- [ ] An Urn labeled with an E that resides on the desk. The Urn sits in the shadow that comes from a statue of auron that resides in the window seal

As Galleri begins to focus on paperwork, he takes on last look away from the desk at a painting above the door. The painting depicts Both Galleri and Margaret in a field of flowers. In the painting, galleri hugs Margaret while a young girl plays in the flowers

Galleri let’s out a sigh of relief and starts to read the first set of papers on his desk. This paper is stamped with the “DD” icon and is labeled “Mission Statement Debrief”, which has been made by a team of his orphans, which are called “The Decendants of Daanvi”

The debrief describes a missing persons report. As boring as it might seem, it is not just a missing person, it is a list of most of the town as missing persons. These missing people have started to disappear the day that the mournland merged with ebberon.

After reading the debrief, Galleri sends Decendants of Daanvi Agents to figure out what has been causing this. After reading this report, Galleri starts to reminisce of all the missions he and his companions had gone through. Galleri starts to write four letters to send for a bash and discussion of the past five years at the old thunder path inn.

These letters are sent to: El Hammer Drego Janbert

Otherwise known as: The Heroes of Eberron

Drego d’Deneith

5 years and one morning later, Drego d'Deneith and Autumn Aurelius meet with his mentor at The Safe Harbor Inn in Flamekeep. Drego's usual mane has been rejuvenated if not tamed, and a simple leather band holds the dark hair together in the back in a slightly less wild ponytail. His bright blue eye's twin has made a reappearance, although it bears a deep gash across the cornea giving away that the inside is made of glass or some other artificial material. It actually helps him look more dashing than dire, all of which was Autumn's doing in their recent time together.

"How have you been, Drego? What have you been up to..." Endira d'Deneith inquires as one friend to another. The years have been kind to Endira as she enjoys the approach of a relatively peaceful mid-life. Her Sentinel Marshal training and avant garde approach to life during this peacetime look good on her, surprising to everyone. "And please, leave out the details from the past 8 hours."

Drego respectfully keeps his comments to himself. "As you know, Autumn's not the only one doing makeovers. With new agents at Thunder Salvage Inc. helping to reclaim and rebuild the land and lives lost since The Mournland recovered, I've been thinking about how to honor the dawn of New Cyre and the future of the Warforged.

"I will keep an eye out for them. But I have another mission, same as my first one. To look after my friends... and be ready to help. The Aurum's sinister side still lurks behind the curtains, pulling strings attached to Khorvaire's most influential and powerful people. I've got magic, and learned that mine comes from Siberys... but it's only one side of the coin and the other side, the magic that lives in the shadows, had a master named Egen Marktaros. I'll find him. And to do that, I will need help from an ancient source."

"And I won't let him go about it alone. Not this time." Autumn lays a hand on Drego's arm with a light squeeze. They share a small smile for a moment. "Are we... taking on another apprentice." Endira muses aloud more than asking.

Drego and Autumn break their gaze and he motions for them to follow. The three step out from The Safe Harbor Inn entryway into the brisk morning air. Drego faces the sunrise barely breaking beyond the still quiet structures of Flamekeep. In the early hours before light beams reveal their forms, he plays the Song of the Couatl. Autumn's silhouette begins to change and grow as the transmutation magic takes hold.

Autumn's new form speaks telepathically, her voice echoes in their minds. Dragons and Shapeshifters and secret societies pulling the strings behind other organizations. If Drego has taught me anything with his stories, it's that the world is full of myths and conspiracies. Why not get a fresh start on another mythical creature to watch over Eberron? A flying serpent with feathered wings and claws that glitter like gold soars up into the clouds.

Endira breaks the silence, "Where is she going?"

"Same place we are. Her home in Eston," Drego replies. His mentor's eyes narrow, now piercing him with insight sharper than any blade.

"She wants us to start our new lives there," Drego continues. "Once I have concentrated long enough on her new form, I will rest... and repeat the same transformation on myself. And then I too will inherit the form of the children of Siberys."

Endira's gaze softens, enlightening her features. Wordlessly, she nods with understanding. "You always did have a soft spot for the epic of Tira Miron and that couatl helper of hers."

Drego smiles, a look he often only had when amongst close comrades. That's when Endira smiled too, knowing he had made up his mind to change his own fate. His hands and words form another casting that makes the two Sentinel Marshals lighter than dust.

In the moments before the casting has completed, a proud feeling for her apprentice strikes Endira and her smile tightens as she gives voice to her thoughts. "This time, they'll write a story about you and your friends," Endira says while looking at her apprentice with tears in her eyes.

Drego laughs.

Their forms changed into clouds flying in the wind of a brightening purple sky.

El

Emboldened by their Journey and adventures with Drego, Hammer, Egen, Galleri, and Jambert and many others along the way, El finds that they no longer need to hide their nature from others as Prince Orgev or as a changeling. Sharing with the troupe their concerns regarding the gifts of the daughter of Khyber, El travels back through the gates and visits old allies and makes a few new ones in Thelanis, Mabar, Danvi and Dolurrh. El finds new places to hide the Gifts of the Daughter of Khyber with the help of Jambert.

Once done, El returns to Ebberon. El has a green pendant made for each of his companions and promises each that they will always be welcomed and supported. On the back they have engraved: “Savior of Ebberon, Family of Cyre”. El then returns the key they took to Queen Diani Ir Wynarn, as promised, and begins the hard work of building ties with the other nations as Prince Orgev, now openly in changeling form. During his visits to the other nations, he works on behalf of his mother to secure alliances between Aundair, Thrane, Breland, and even Karnath. Cyre heralds in a new kind of allience borne out of economic alignments and mutually beneficial agreements. Cyre has many new residents who are building new innovations and Cyre begins to experience an influx of wealth and collects many new residents as all are now accepted in the new nation lead by the industrious and intent warforged queen.

Whenever El meets another changeling, El invites them to Cyre, promising a place of acceptance and the hope of a life of openness. For those who seem to have an adventurous spirit, El recommends they attempt entry into Hammer’s school. Graduates are invited to join the Cyre new network of spys. El continues to keep watch through old and new spy connections against movements of the Chamber.

As this is an enormous undertaking, Happy continues to work on Els behalf while they are abroad.

El’s hope is to have a united Eberron, that is ever open to new alliances. An open minded Ebberon that makes space for and appreciates difference. El has gone from feeling alone and having no family, to creating an interconnectedness with all of Ebberon and feels a deep relationship to the soul of the world.

Five years later, we find El on a cliff face at the edge of Cyre. As they look over the landscape, El thinks back to Phileas who found them broken nearby all those years ago. El smiles knowing that not every dragon soul is corrupt, they then shift thier iridescent and golden scales that now manifest sometimes when they are not paying attention, raises their wings and flys over what was once part of the Mournland but is now a verdant landscape dotted with signs of industry and prosperity.