Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lalato 02-03-05, 03:27 PM	Is there a group amongst the Adaran/Kalashtar community in Sharn that polices them... or do they completely rely on the government and guard of Sharn for protection? Is there anything like this detailed in City of Towers? Thanks, --sam
Cloud Divider 02-04-05, 09:46 AM	Is there a group amongst the Adaran/Kalashtar community in Sharn that polices them... or do they completely rely on the government and guard of Sharn for protection? Is there anything like this detailed in City of Towers? The Adaran/Kalashtar community in Sharn is in...Underlook? If I remember correctly, it's roughly a middle-class neighborhood. So presumably the Sharn Watch handles the majority of the policing. The Kalashtar and the human Adarans are certainly covered by the Code of Galifar. Granted, that then makes for an interesting conflict of interest, considering the Inspired may have some influence over the Watch. So it's quite possible that the Adaran/Kalashtar neighborhoods get a little less policing than other ethnic neighborhoods, and the authorities may get orders to "look the other way" from time to time. However, it'd still need to be generally subtle - if too much interference occurs, it may catch someone's attention. That said, there probably is a cadre of "concerned citizen" residents that form a "neighborhood watch" of sorts. But it would not quite be the "organized gang of thugs" that the Riedrans have in Precarious (a low-class neighborhood). If you haven't picked up Sharn yet, it's really worth it. It's a fantastic supplement, easily one of the best I've picked up in years (including non-d20).
ieattrollsforbreakfast 02-04-05, 10:14 AM	The Adaran community is in Overlook, not Underlook. As Cloud Divider said, its a middle class apartment district in Upper Dura, paid for by the ir'Tains. Its a pretty drab place, but the Adarans like to add a bit of colour here and there.
Lalato 02-04-05, 10:42 AM	Thanks... My DM has the book, and I agree it's a great supplement, but not exactly something a player should be reading behind the DM's back. ;) Cloud Divider... that's an interesting take on how the Watch might police the area. Speaking of Riedrans... I suppose it's likely that the Kalashtar community keeps its eyes open for possible Riedran/Inpired infiltration. Would it be likely that Adaran/Kalashtar community have a shadow group that would keep tabs on suspicious activity? From what I gather... nothing like this is detailed in the Sharn book... I'm just bouncing some ideas off for one of the PCs in our group. Thanks again for the thoughts and ideas... --sam
Gurv 02-04-05, 11:03 AM	Cloud Divider... that's an interesting take on how the Watch might police the area. Speaking of Riedrans... I suppose it's likely that the Kalashtar community keeps its eyes open for possible Riedran/Inpired infiltration. Would it be likely that Adaran/Kalashtar community have a shadow group that would keep tabs on suspicious activity? From what I gather... nothing like this is detailed in the Sharn book... I'm just bouncing some ideas off for one of the PCs in our group. Any of that is possible. My read on Overlook suggests to me that the kalashtar keep a very low profile. Although they're not totally secretive, it takes a DC 20 Knolwedge (local) check just to find Adaran cuisine! Keep in mind that the kalashtar are generally viewed as exotic humans from a far away land, complete with very strange beliefs, rather than a seperate species of human. The Watch might be willing to look the other way given incentive, but they're willing to do that pretty much anywhere.
Cloud Divider 02-04-05, 11:28 AM	Thanks... My DM has the book, and I agree it's a great supplement, but not exactly something a player should be reading behind the DM's back. ;) Uh oh! Have we said too much then? I'll have to go figure out how that spoiler code works now... Cloud Divider... that's an interesting take on how the Watch might police the area. Speaking of Riedrans... I suppose it's likely that the Kalashtar community keeps its eyes open for possible Riedran/Inpired infiltration. Would it be likely that Adaran/Kalashtar community have a shadow group that would keep tabs on suspicious activity? From what I gather... nothing like this is detailed in the Sharn book... I'm just bouncing some ideas off for one of the PCs in our group. While they might, I think that's strictly left as "Something for the PC's to do." As the text goes, the Adarans in Overlook seem more interested in just going about their normal lives as refugees in a place that's much more peaceful (generally) than their homeland. I figure that while many of the Kalashtar NPCs in Sharn (and Khorvaire as a whole) are supposed to be out hunting the Inspired and Dreaming Dark influence, I don't think all of them are doing so. There's probably quite a few that have "settled down" to enjoy the easy(/ -ier) life in a comfortable Sharn neighborhood... It'd be quite fitting of the noir feel to have many of these Sharn kalashtar as being essentially "burnt out" from fighting the good fight and living on the run, and want nothing more than just to live out a quiet, peaceful life in comfort. Now, you can always bring them back to activity later (it'd be quite dramatic and apropos to have the Grizzled Old Veteran suddenly have his need to fight the good fight come back after some major turning event). Mostly I say this because as written, there certainly doesn't appear to be any indications of such a group (the highest level Kalashtar NPC seems to be more interested in the whole "hermit wise-man on a skyscraper" thing, dispensing wisdom and the occasional precognition as he deems fit). Furthermore, if there WERE such a group, they are either intentionally not acting on any of that information (and are biding their time for...something...like a group of PC Heroes of Destiny), or are totally inept. The talons of the Dreaming Dark have already cut mighty deeply into Sharn... The foxes have come, while the dogs sleep...
Xyrcai 02-04-05, 11:30 AM	Hm, my DM likes that I read it. He runs a few campaigns, so I get to toss ideas at him for his other ones I don't play sometimes. It also makes it a lot easier for me to create a characters background story(Or help someone else) since I know a lot more organizations and such from Sharn. Such as, the Kalashtar in Sharn being a possible source of Psionics training.. Rather than strictly from Sarlona.
Lalato 02-04-05, 12:28 PM	Cloud Divider and Gurv... thanks again. I'll give you an idea of what I have in mind. One of the PCs in the group is an Adaran Human Rogue... while my character is a Kalashtar Soulknife... I thought it might be interesting if the Adaran Human Rogue belonged to the shadow group... it would help explain some things about him that aren't properly explained by his current background. It might also give him a reason to learn more about the other members of the group... and perhaps even change his "thieving" ways. Anyway... it's just an idea... but your responses have been most helpful and will go a long way to helping me in the game. Thanks, --sam
Cloud Divider 02-04-05, 12:45 PM	Cloud Divider and Gurv... thanks again. I'll give you an idea of what I have in mind. One of the PCs in the group is an Adaran Human Rogue... while my character is a Kalashtar Soulknife... I thought it might be interesting if the Adaran Human Rogue belonged to the shadow group... it would help explain some things about him that aren't properly explained by his current background. It might also give him a reason to learn more about the other members of the group... and perhaps even change his "thieving" ways. Anyway... it's just an idea... but your responses have been most helpful and will go a long way to helping me in the game. What you've got is most definitely doable. Consider the possibility that this Adaran "Watcher" group exists, heading by some older, crotchety, conservative Adarans and Kalashtar. They've been biding their time for decades, collecting information on the Dreaming Dark in Sharn. Your Adaran colleague could quite possibly be a member of this organization, but one of the more "progressive" members. The leadership is basically at the point where they realize that the Dreaming Dark have insinuated themselves, they feel it's far too dangerous to act on their own now. But it's their hubris that's led them to this point. They had the option to act decades ago, when solving the problem would have been far easier. But they failed to act (for some reason...perhaps as simple as cowardice, or perhaps they erred too much on the side of caution "...We do not want to show our hand, yet."). And their pride (...and admitting their cowardice) is preventing them from acting now. They're unwilling to admit they made that mistake long ago, and they're smart enough to notice that acting now would be a deadly proposition nigh unto suicide. So they're content to stay in the shadows, and track the Inspired. Safe in their mansions, apartments, and Caves-on-the-Skyscraper-Top (their Ivory Towers, if you will). [And I am *so* going to use "Ivory Tower" as the name of the tower that the Adarans occupy in Overlook] ...But secretly, they're hoping for a champion to entrust their knowledge to. To make right their wrongs. That's where your friend comes in. He's young and (presumably) inexperienced. He's a safe hedge bet for the Watcher leadership. If he gets himself killed, he's just an "overenthusiastic and misguided youth." And if he pulls it all off, they always "knew he had potential..." I loves me the moral ambiguity of Eberron... :)