Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Pallin Rahl 08-03-06, 07:11 PM	NOTE: If either of my players (Kevin & Matt, I'm lookin' at you) happen upon this post... kindly press the "Back" button and disregard. NOW! :) ----- Yes... this is going to be an odd question. ;) How do you feel the various nations / significant powers of Eberron would react to a continent thought lost long-ago (possibly 1500 or so years ago) ...re-joining the world of Eberron (as the planar rift that had cut it off from the rest of the world weakens and collapses)? ----- I've been working on a homebrew continent for an upcoming campaign I'll be running. It's a traditional-feeling D&D setting, if you will. While working on it, I finally started to read up on Eberron and have found myself really liking the setting. ...and wanting to run a campaign in it. So I got to thinking... What if this homebrew continent & its surrounding islands have been cut-off from the rest of the wider world for quite some time (I'm thinking around 1500 years or so) ...by a planar rift/barrier that lies far out in the surrounding oceans. From the homebrew side there is nothing beyond the breech/barrier but open ocean ...and so too from the Eberron side there is nothing beyond the breech/barrier but open ocean. ...and while those on the homebrew continent will have gradually forgotten about the outside world (there will be ruins here or an odd scrap of knowledge there ...that hints that this continent is not the extent of the "world"... but overall it will be a mystery) - the rest of Eberron has generally forgotten about them as well, considering the continent "lost" long ago. However, the rift/barrier is weakening and even Dragonmarks have begun to appear on a handful of people once again (though no one is certain what they are any longer). Likely early in the campaign, the rift will dissolve... allowing this "cut off" continent to essentially re-join the world of Eberron. I see this homebrew continent being West of Khorvaire (NW of Xen'drik) in the Barren Sea. ------ Yeah... I very well might be nuts. ;) So what do you think? ...might this make for some interesting contrasts and a fun introduction of these characters into a world they're unfamiliar with (at the same time I introduce my players into a new campaign setting they know very little about)? ...or is this a trainwreck waiting to happen? ...would it be best if I just put my homebrew on hold indefinitely and just start them off in Eberron as we know it? How might the major powers / nations of Eberron react to such a significant event? NOTE: After much war and strife in the past, the major civilized nation of this homebrew continent has been experiencing a time of general peace. Holding the monsterous nations at bay, while enjoying a fair amount of unity between the common races. So at least from that side of the equation, they would probably approach any interation with the outside world in a cautious, but positive manner. ----- BIG NOTE: See my post below for an additional idea of mine to critique/discuss. :)
amysteriouswhisper 08-04-06, 05:52 AM	What you’re going for seems to be the base of two things, Atlantis and Eberron itself. With the human nations at a time of peace and monstrous nations rising up to grasp power. Though in Eberron, the human nations are at peace but not really friends. Though by adding Though adding a new island can be done if you want to do your homebrew idea to its full extent. The Lhazaar pirates have always told of tales an island shrouded in a mist as dense as that of that which encloses the Mournlands. (Look up Mournlands in the campaign setting) Ships prefer to avoid this area, but some sail through it. Most of those brave enough to go through simply pass through the mist; but some vanish for all of time, others disappear for years. When they go back to port, they bring back goods from an exotic land and sing of their tales in this land. This leads others in search for it. They enter the mist looking for it. Most never come back, sinking at sea, hitting reefs and finding it but not being able to make it back to home ports. Others just sail straight through it. The guardian forces that watch over this island do not allow its existence to be widely known. These guardians are from a plane of existence not of normal Eberron. They are from some sort of elemental plane or something you choose, they look over the island because it is a very strong manifest zone. Most of the island is at least. This also causes the mist. Those that live on the island are the decedents of sailors that crashed onto the island and the original spawning from the blood of the dragon Eberron. The human population is from the fleet the original human settlers that eventually settled the five nations. They entered the mist, and crashed along the shore. Here they decided to settle. Other common races could be from when there was a mass exodus from Xen’Drik. The fleets passed Aerenal and Khorvaire looking for other areas to settle. They ran into the mist and had no choice but to settle. All other creatures of sorts can be basically placed in here by saying they crashed into the island and had no choice but to settle to survive until they could make new ships. But could they pass through the mist again is the question or is the guardians of this island toying with them. The guardians could see that they are protecting the creatures from other side forces. Or they could possibly be keeping the settlers as some sort of pets. There are many possibilities for the motives of these guardians, but it should be noted that they should generally let the “lesser” races do as they please. This will allow the nations and others things you wanted in the first place. I went a little carried away, but perhaps this helps in fitting the island you wanted in the first place into the Eberron setting. Remember, it’s just my idea of how to set it in. But you should look into Atlantis and try to add that. I didn’t add too much of it in there, but it seems to be a really good source of inspiration. Mine was from an island I read about in the early years of Merlin series when I was younger. Hopefully this will be of some value to you.
Seghan 08-04-06, 10:32 AM	I bet they would be all freaked out.
Pallin Rahl 08-04-06, 12:29 PM	I bet they would be all freaked out. LOL True :P --- Hmm... not a bad idea (the above) :) Mechanically it would work ...but I think I was looking for something a tad different in feel (though as a flavorful suggestion I can see it being nifty). Using the Atlantis analogy, I do intend for this continent to be almost thought of, in Eberron, as Atlantis is... only lesser-known to the general populous. Scholars and loremasters very well might have heard of this mysterious land that supposedly did exist... but is now lost. ...did it really exist? ...if it did exist, what happened to it? ...where is it? etc. :) --- As I was thinking more on it last night... I'm thinking I might take a different approach... it seems like it might work and might solve my problem - while avoiding a significant alteration of the common Eberron powers/nations to accomodate... What if a particularly powerful/troublesome Rakshasa Rajah is imprisoned beneith this continent? What if 1500 years ago or so his bonds were somehow weakened and he nearly broke free ...likely the work of demons attempting to free him. (...hell, I could tie this to a large geographical change that occurred in the past) Fearing the worst, were this particular Rajah to to break free... some powerful force (the Dragons of Argonnessen possibly?) sealed off the entire continent (which isn't that huge, relatively speaking) via the planar rift... possibly even leaving behind a few trusted to ensure the Rajah is never freed (and that the barrier holds). Now a new power works to free the Rajah. The adventurers might stumble upon the plot (even though they won't know all the details of it, I should get the point across that seriously BAD stuff is going down and will get MUCH worse if unopposed) and will hopefully somehow thwart it. ...however, even thwarted, the "near escape" of the Rajah can cause the rift/barrier to fall ...and shatter the continent in the process. This leaves the continent a scattered/divided collection of islands (having much of the continent sink into the ocean ...gone). Sure, there would be refugees to the mainlands, but there wouldn't be this big continent all of a sudden to contend with. ...and beyond the refugees (something not unfamiliar to the world of Eberron), the creation of some scattered islands (even more "adventure sites"), and the knowledge of another powerful Rajah sealed away below the islands/seabed/whatever - things could carry-on as normal in the greater world. How does that all sound? Cool and solid way to make this work without messing with the overall integrity of the established Eberron world? Thoughts? :)
larry_the_titan 08-04-06, 02:22 PM	What do you plan to have both your island and Ebberon to do when your island just pops up? I mean what would be your island reaction to a Warforged Shifter Changling or Kalashtar just showing up on the island with no idea of what they are. Or the an approaching AirShip heading for the Capital. Or an inventor(Artificer) who can make change and dismantle magic Items but uses a new kind of magic no one has seen before. Also what would some of the organizations of Ebberon do when the island become accesible? I am sure that a Cult of the Dragon Below might try to free the demon or gain access to its power. You might also have The Church of the Silver Flame come in and try to purge the island of Undead, Demons, Devils and Lycanthropes And possible mistake a party member as evil. And dont forget to look at the effects Dragonmarks might have when they come into play.
Pallin Rahl 08-04-06, 03:06 PM	That's one of the interesting interactions I plan on having... Dragonmarks are just now starting to re-appear on the common races of the continent... very few have them and no one knows what they are. I gave my two PCs a least dragonmark for free... (though I didn't use the name "dragonmark" ...just called them "birthmarks" for now). They have no clue what they are and the ability associated to them haven't even triggered yet. ;) ...I figure it could make for some interesting social encounters when they show up on Khorvaire, having no clue what being dragonmarked even means... :D
DoveArrow 08-05-06, 11:01 AM	I think a lot of how the Five Nations would react would be based on what kind of world this new continent is. If it's essentially a country like one of the Five Nations, I foresee them trying to establish trade with the new continent. If it's more of an open country kind of continent, with maybe a few nomadic tribes, I foresee them trying to conquer it. Finally, if it's a culture that is far more advanced than those of Khorvaire, I could see the Five Nations being a little wary, but still wanting to somehow establish peace so that they can learn some of the secrets that this continent possesses. In any case, I have to agree with Seghan on this one, I think their first reaction would be to freak out.