Order of the Emerald Claw? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Order of the Emerald Claw? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Adamaro23
06-01-07, 01:44 AM i've always been under the impression that the Order of the Emerald Claw worked for the Blood of Vol, and they were part of the elves of Aerenal.... i guess i just got really confused, so what i'm asking is; is there any type people who do the grunt work for the elves of Aerenal?

See, in the campaign i'm DMing the elves of Aerenal want a certain child in Khorvaire, i'm guessing that the Undying Court themselves would'nt trek across Khorvaire to get him. Do they have any type of militia-type people? you know the people that do all the grunt work, the guys who do all the errands for the Undying Court.

So...any ideas, is there anyone like this?
Wizardman
06-01-07, 02:58 AM The EC have no analogue in Aerenal. That said, the Deathguard probably comes closest, but their mandate doesn't cover snatching children (and the paladins in the Deathguard would probably refuse unless there was a compelling reason beyond "We want this child."). The UC would probably dispatch trusted Aereni adventurers to find and retrieve this child.
Rechan
06-01-07, 04:05 AM The Blood of Vol is a religion that glorifies Undead as a way to circumvent death. That's a front for the real organization, which is a lot of powerful undead who serve Erandis dVol, the sole survivor of the House of Vol. House Vol was destroyed in Aerenal a long time ago.

The Order of the Emerald Claw is the right hand of Erandis dVol. If the lich wants something, the Emerald Claw goes and gets it.
Need_A_Life
06-01-07, 12:23 PM Actually, the Blood of Vol is a religion dedicated to escaping Dolurrh, undeath is certainly a way but it is not the preferrable one.

A typical worshiper of BoV would rather strengthen the "Divinity Within" to a point where they become a god when they die rather than going to Dolurrh. Undead lose this ability, as they no longer have the blood of the living and while they are respected for having given up this chance at divinity they are also pitied for it.
Nuclear_Buddha
06-01-07, 03:25 PM In terms of an errand boy for the Undying Court, wasn't there that PrC in Magic of Eberron that was about spying for Aerenal?
Bluebrush
06-01-07, 06:08 PM For the moment, I'll assume you're a player to avoid spoilers.

The Blood of Vol is a religion followed by many people who seek to put an end to death by unlocking the secret of personal divinity.
(Depending on what book you go by, or perhaps which sect you ask, Blood of Vol followers believe the gods cursed humanoids with mortality, keeping them from maturing into divinity.)
Followers of the Blood of Vol see blood as they key to divinity. The undead are the champions and martyrs of the religion, as they essentially give up their chance of divinity (however slim) to seek a way to put an end to death for the sake of the rest of the world.

The religion has it's roots in ancient the elven civilisations of Xen'drik and is followed in different forms primarily by exiles from Aerenal and the people of Karrnath.
The traditons of the religion are based on those of the now-destroyed dragonmarked line of Vol. (Note: They didn't have a "house" as the modern dragonmarked families do, sicne they developed outside Khorvaire.)

The Order of the Emerald Claw are the modern remnants of a knight order of Karrnathi fanatics which had links to the Blood of Vol religion.
King Kaius III outlowed the order when he rose to power and now they're a terrorist organisation which fights for Karrnathi supremacy.
Need_A_Life
06-01-07, 07:04 PM Well... the Deathguard have been used by the Undying Court in Marked for Death, when Esprë seemingly manifested the Mark of Death, attacking her companions in Valenar (IIRC) in order to seize her. Though, granted, the Mark of Death is a special circumstance.

For a general task force in Khovaire, I'd say that anyone who respected the Undying Court would be willing to use a few decades to serve them, especially when glory might be seized at the same time, possibly earing yourself a place amongst the Undying.
mhacdebhandia
06-01-07, 07:55 PM In terms of an errand boy for the Undying Court, wasn't there that PrC in Magic of Eberron that was about spying for Aerenal?
You are correct. Magic of Eberron has the vigilant sentinel of Aerenal prestige class (p. 85), described thus:

Vigilant sentinels of Aerenal perform an important function for their island nation. Part spy, part assassin, and completely loyal to the Sibling Kings and Aerenal's undying rulers, the sentinels roam across Eberron. Their duty is to keep their eyes and ears open for any rumour or whisper of a threat to their nation, as well as to perform the tasks and missions requested by their leaders. The vigilant sentinels of Aerenal are essentially roving sleeper agents, focused on their nation's well-being over any other consideration.

That sounds pretty much perfect for Adamaro23's needs.
Adamaro23
06-02-07, 01:57 AM You are correct. Magic of Eberron has the vigilant sentinel of Aerenal prestige class (p. 85), described thus:

Vigilant sentinels of Aerenal perform an important function for their island nation. Part spy, part assassin, and completely loyal to the Sibling Kings and Aerenal's undying rulers, the sentinels roam across Eberron. Their duty is to keep their eyes and ears open for any rumour or whisper of a threat to their nation, as well as to perform the tasks and missions requested by their leaders. The vigilant sentinels of Aerenal are essentially roving sleeper agents, focused on their nation's well-being over any other consideration.

That sounds pretty much perfect for Adamaro23's needs.

Wow, i don;t know how i over looked that, thanks.

and @ Bluebrush, I'm DMing so if there was somrthing else you wanted to say go ahead.

Also, now i'm sorta confused. According to Bluebrush the Order of the Emerald Claw are not supported by Kaius lll, or the Blood of Vol... so are the Order of the Emerald Claw and Blood of Vol working hand-in-hand or not?

because according to Rechan if Vol want's something she has the OotEC to do it for her.
Need_A_Life
06-02-07, 07:57 AM The Blood of Vol are officially unaffiliated with the Emerald Claw.

The Emerald Claw has been branded a terrorist organisation, usually religious members of the Blood of Vol.

Now, the true picture is this:

Erandis d'Vol controls the very top level of the Blood of Vol religion, who in turn give orders to the religious leaders of large areas, who then pass on orders to local priests.
On the side of the religion, outside of this hierachy, the Emerald Claw exists. Only the highest-ranking members of the Blood of Vol are aware of their direct connection. Likewise, only the highest-ranking members of the Emerald Claw know of this, while the Joe Schmoe of the Emerald Claw merely believe he's a patriot of his country (Karrnath), who simply happens to be religious.
Bluebrush
06-02-07, 08:26 AM and @ Bluebrush, I'm DMing so if there was somrthing else you wanted to say go ahead.

Also, now i'm sorta confused. According to Bluebrush the Order of the Emerald Claw are not supported by Kaius lll, or the Blood of Vol... so are the Order of the Emerald Claw and Blood of Vol working hand-in-hand or not?

because according to Rechan if Vol want's something she has the OotEC to do it for her.Okay then, here's the skinny:
The Order of the Emerald Claw has always been at the beck and call of Erandis d'Vol. During the war, in addition to helping Karrnath develop necromantic magics to create undead troops, the Order was loaned to/formed within Karrnath as an order of elite warriors to fight for Karrnath in all nations.

Now Kaius I is back as Kaius III, he wants to break Erandis' influence over his nation, so he outlawed the Order of the Emerald Claw and worked to reduce her influence througout the government.

The OotEC ultimately follow Erandis' commands through a network of intermediaries.
I think by the Eberron Campaign Setting book, their links to the Blood of Vol aren't supposed to be widely known (Though it could be reasonably inferred that most members would be Vol followers, since most Karrnathi are Blood of Vol followers) but the links are something you could probably turn up with just a little digging. (Or by seeing a cleric of the Blood of Vol fighting alongside the order.)

As an important note, Erandis isn't master of the Blood of Vol religion.
Unlike the Church of the Silver Flame, the religion is not based around a single powerful figure.
Most Khorvaire worshippers follow it individually and aren't even aware of Erandis' existance. They're following a varient of the Vol line's traditions.
(Some may believe they're following the unconcious national spirit of Karrnath instead.)

Erandis, however, is in a good position to use the religion to influence followers for her own benefit.
tallric_kruush
06-02-07, 01:54 PM Also, now i'm sorta confused. According to Bluebrush the Order of the Emerald Claw are not supported by Kaius lll, or the Blood of Vol... so are the Order of the Emerald Claw and Blood of Vol working hand-in-hand or not?

because according to Rechan if Vol want's something she has the OotEC to do it for her.

I think the simplest way to answer the question is as follows:

The Emerald Claw is the paramilitary arm of the BoV. It's not public knowledge that EC is connected to BoV. Many of the EC itself don't even know of this connection. The EC's public face is that of an ultra-nationalist Karrnathi group, dedicated to Karrnathi supremacy. This is what most assume them to be, including many EC members.

As a side note: I would say virtually any operatives serving Aerenal's Undying Court, most notably the Death Guard, would be fully aware of the EC's true nature. They are also aware of the truth behind the BoV. That would make them the purest of enemies.

There is definitely no amicable connection between Aerenal and the BoV. The Aereni are the ones who destroyed the line of Vol (along with draconic "allies"), and they would no doubt be the first to taste Vol's wrath were she ever to achieve the power she covets.
gaerfindel
06-02-07, 07:25 PM So are the Order of the Emerald Claw and Blood of Vol working hand-in-hand or not?

Yes, they are. Unless they're not. :confused: :incog:

As Tallric points out, the Emerald Claw is--was originally--the paramilitary arm of the Blood of Vol; a stolidly dedicated order of Seeker knights. Most members of the Order are ultra-nationalists who believe (1) Karrnath should rule the Five Nations (and by extension, all of Khorvaire), and (2) the Order does the work of Vol, who is reveared as a saint-like figure--not "saintly", more in the sense that she is said to be the one who codified the religious practices (it's not called the "Bood of Vol" for nothing, y'know!)--and is the religion's foremost champion against the Host and the curse of death they put upon mortals. Furthermore, the accomplishment of #1 will aid in the completion of #2.

Or so it may seem. If told who Vol actually is and what she actually wants (a matter of no small speculation, mind you), I don't believe every EC member would agree that working directly for Erandis fits with Karrn sovereignty of the Five Nations. While the DM can do what she wants, I can easily see a situation wherein, upon discovery that they're being duped, the bulk of the EC throw their lot in with King Kaius. Imagine the Order of the Emerald Claw aiding the King's Dark Lanterns in thwarting a BoV plot. (Recall, Kaius & Boranel have signed a peace accord above and beyond the Treaty of Thronehold!)
The Dreaming Duck
06-03-07, 12:47 AM Do they have any type of militia-type people? you know the people that do all the grunt work, the guys who do all the errands for the Undying Court.

So...any ideas, is there anyone like this?
Check page 217 of the Eberron Campaign Setting. The group you're looking for are the Cairdal Blades, which "provide Aerenal with a highly effective force that can operate across Eberron." Presumably this is the basis for the MoE prestige class.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Adamaro23 06-01-07, 01:44 AM	i've always been under the impression that the Order of the Emerald Claw worked for the Blood of Vol, and they were part of the elves of Aerenal.... i guess i just got really confused, so what i'm asking is; is there any type people who do the grunt work for the elves of Aerenal? See, in the campaign i'm DMing the elves of Aerenal want a certain child in Khorvaire, i'm guessing that the Undying Court themselves would'nt trek across Khorvaire to get him. Do they have any type of militia-type people? you know the people that do all the grunt work, the guys who do all the errands for the Undying Court. So...any ideas, is there anyone like this?
Wizardman 06-01-07, 02:58 AM	The EC have no analogue in Aerenal. That said, the Deathguard probably comes closest, but their mandate doesn't cover snatching children (and the paladins in the Deathguard would probably refuse unless there was a compelling reason beyond "We want this child."). The UC would probably dispatch trusted Aereni adventurers to find and retrieve this child.
Rechan 06-01-07, 04:05 AM	The Blood of Vol is a religion that glorifies Undead as a way to circumvent death. That's a front for the real organization, which is a lot of powerful undead who serve Erandis dVol, the sole survivor of the House of Vol. House Vol was destroyed in Aerenal a long time ago. The Order of the Emerald Claw is the right hand of Erandis dVol. If the lich wants something, the Emerald Claw goes and gets it.
Need_A_Life 06-01-07, 12:23 PM	Actually, the Blood of Vol is a religion dedicated to escaping Dolurrh, undeath is certainly a way but it is not the preferrable one. A typical worshiper of BoV would rather strengthen the "Divinity Within" to a point where they become a god when they die rather than going to Dolurrh. Undead lose this ability, as they no longer have the blood of the living and while they are respected for having given up this chance at divinity they are also pitied for it.
Nuclear_Buddha 06-01-07, 03:25 PM	In terms of an errand boy for the Undying Court, wasn't there that PrC in Magic of Eberron that was about spying for Aerenal?
Bluebrush 06-01-07, 06:08 PM	For the moment, I'll assume you're a player to avoid spoilers. The Blood of Vol is a religion followed by many people who seek to put an end to death by unlocking the secret of personal divinity. (Depending on what book you go by, or perhaps which sect you ask, Blood of Vol followers believe the gods cursed humanoids with mortality, keeping them from maturing into divinity.) Followers of the Blood of Vol see blood as they key to divinity. The undead are the champions and martyrs of the religion, as they essentially give up their chance of divinity (however slim) to seek a way to put an end to death for the sake of the rest of the world. The religion has it's roots in ancient the elven civilisations of Xen'drik and is followed in different forms primarily by exiles from Aerenal and the people of Karrnath. The traditons of the religion are based on those of the now-destroyed dragonmarked line of Vol. (Note: They didn't have a "house" as the modern dragonmarked families do, sicne they developed outside Khorvaire.) The Order of the Emerald Claw are the modern remnants of a knight order of Karrnathi fanatics which had links to the Blood of Vol religion. King Kaius III outlowed the order when he rose to power and now they're a terrorist organisation which fights for Karrnathi supremacy.
Need_A_Life 06-01-07, 07:04 PM	Well... the Deathguard have been used by the Undying Court in Marked for Death, when Esprë seemingly manifested the Mark of Death, attacking her companions in Valenar (IIRC) in order to seize her. Though, granted, the Mark of Death is a special circumstance. For a general task force in Khovaire, I'd say that anyone who respected the Undying Court would be willing to use a few decades to serve them, especially when glory might be seized at the same time, possibly earing yourself a place amongst the Undying.
mhacdebhandia 06-01-07, 07:55 PM	In terms of an errand boy for the Undying Court, wasn't there that PrC in Magic of Eberron that was about spying for Aerenal? You are correct. Magic of Eberron has the vigilant sentinel of Aerenal prestige class (p. 85), described thus: Vigilant sentinels of Aerenal perform an important function for their island nation. Part spy, part assassin, and completely loyal to the Sibling Kings and Aerenal's undying rulers, the sentinels roam across Eberron. Their duty is to keep their eyes and ears open for any rumour or whisper of a threat to their nation, as well as to perform the tasks and missions requested by their leaders. The vigilant sentinels of Aerenal are essentially roving sleeper agents, focused on their nation's well-being over any other consideration. That sounds pretty much perfect for Adamaro23's needs.
Adamaro23 06-02-07, 01:57 AM	You are correct. Magic of Eberron has the vigilant sentinel of Aerenal prestige class (p. 85), described thus: Vigilant sentinels of Aerenal perform an important function for their island nation. Part spy, part assassin, and completely loyal to the Sibling Kings and Aerenal's undying rulers, the sentinels roam across Eberron. Their duty is to keep their eyes and ears open for any rumour or whisper of a threat to their nation, as well as to perform the tasks and missions requested by their leaders. The vigilant sentinels of Aerenal are essentially roving sleeper agents, focused on their nation's well-being over any other consideration. That sounds pretty much perfect for Adamaro23's needs. Wow, i don;t know how i over looked that, thanks. and @ Bluebrush, I'm DMing so if there was somrthing else you wanted to say go ahead. Also, now i'm sorta confused. According to Bluebrush the Order of the Emerald Claw are not supported by Kaius lll, or the Blood of Vol... so are the Order of the Emerald Claw and Blood of Vol working hand-in-hand or not? because according to Rechan if Vol want's something she has the OotEC to do it for her.
Need_A_Life 06-02-07, 07:57 AM	The Blood of Vol are officially unaffiliated with the Emerald Claw. The Emerald Claw has been branded a terrorist organisation, usually religious members of the Blood of Vol. Now, the true picture is this: Erandis d'Vol controls the very top level of the Blood of Vol religion, who in turn give orders to the religious leaders of large areas, who then pass on orders to local priests. On the side of the religion, outside of this hierachy, the Emerald Claw exists. Only the highest-ranking members of the Blood of Vol are aware of their direct connection. Likewise, only the highest-ranking members of the Emerald Claw know of this, while the Joe Schmoe of the Emerald Claw merely believe he's a patriot of his country (Karrnath), who simply happens to be religious.
Bluebrush 06-02-07, 08:26 AM	and @ Bluebrush, I'm DMing so if there was somrthing else you wanted to say go ahead. Also, now i'm sorta confused. According to Bluebrush the Order of the Emerald Claw are not supported by Kaius lll, or the Blood of Vol... so are the Order of the Emerald Claw and Blood of Vol working hand-in-hand or not? because according to Rechan if Vol want's something she has the OotEC to do it for her.Okay then, here's the skinny: The Order of the Emerald Claw has always been at the beck and call of Erandis d'Vol. During the war, in addition to helping Karrnath develop necromantic magics to create undead troops, the Order was loaned to/formed within Karrnath as an order of elite warriors to fight for Karrnath in all nations. Now Kaius I is back as Kaius III, he wants to break Erandis' influence over his nation, so he outlawed the Order of the Emerald Claw and worked to reduce her influence througout the government. The OotEC ultimately follow Erandis' commands through a network of intermediaries. I think by the Eberron Campaign Setting book, their links to the Blood of Vol aren't supposed to be widely known (Though it could be reasonably inferred that most members would be Vol followers, since most Karrnathi are Blood of Vol followers) but the links are something you could probably turn up with just a little digging. (Or by seeing a cleric of the Blood of Vol fighting alongside the order.) As an important note, Erandis isn't master of the Blood of Vol religion. Unlike the Church of the Silver Flame, the religion is not based around a single powerful figure. Most Khorvaire worshippers follow it individually and aren't even aware of Erandis' existance. They're following a varient of the Vol line's traditions. (Some may believe they're following the unconcious national spirit of Karrnath instead.) Erandis, however, is in a good position to use the religion to influence followers for her own benefit.
tallric_kruush 06-02-07, 01:54 PM	Also, now i'm sorta confused. According to Bluebrush the Order of the Emerald Claw are not supported by Kaius lll, or the Blood of Vol... so are the Order of the Emerald Claw and Blood of Vol working hand-in-hand or not? because according to Rechan if Vol want's something she has the OotEC to do it for her. I think the simplest way to answer the question is as follows: The Emerald Claw is the paramilitary arm of the BoV. It's not public knowledge that EC is connected to BoV. Many of the EC itself don't even know of this connection. The EC's public face is that of an ultra-nationalist Karrnathi group, dedicated to Karrnathi supremacy. This is what most assume them to be, including many EC members. As a side note: I would say virtually any operatives serving Aerenal's Undying Court, most notably the Death Guard, would be fully aware of the EC's true nature. They are also aware of the truth behind the BoV. That would make them the purest of enemies. There is definitely no amicable connection between Aerenal and the BoV. The Aereni are the ones who destroyed the line of Vol (along with draconic "allies"), and they would no doubt be the first to taste Vol's wrath were she ever to achieve the power she covets.
gaerfindel 06-02-07, 07:25 PM	So are the Order of the Emerald Claw and Blood of Vol working hand-in-hand or not? Yes, they are. Unless they're not. :confused: :incog: As Tallric points out, the Emerald Claw is--was originally--the paramilitary arm of the Blood of Vol; a stolidly dedicated order of Seeker knights. Most members of the Order are ultra-nationalists who believe (1) Karrnath should rule the Five Nations (and by extension, all of Khorvaire), and (2) the Order does the work of Vol, who is reveared as a saint-like figure--not "saintly", more in the sense that she is said to be the one who codified the religious practices (it's not called the "Bood of Vol" for nothing, y'know!)--and is the religion's foremost champion against the Host and the curse of death they put upon mortals. Furthermore, the accomplishment of #1 will aid in the completion of #2. Or so it may seem. If told who Vol actually is and what she actually wants (a matter of no small speculation, mind you), I don't believe every EC member would agree that working directly for Erandis fits with Karrn sovereignty of the Five Nations. While the DM can do what she wants, I can easily see a situation wherein, upon discovery that they're being duped, the bulk of the EC throw their lot in with King Kaius. Imagine the Order of the Emerald Claw aiding the King's Dark Lanterns in thwarting a BoV plot. (Recall, Kaius & Boranel have signed a peace accord above and beyond the Treaty of Thronehold!)
The Dreaming Duck 06-03-07, 12:47 AM	Do they have any type of militia-type people? you know the people that do all the grunt work, the guys who do all the errands for the Undying Court. So...any ideas, is there anyone like this? Check page 217 of the Eberron Campaign Setting. The group you're looking for are the Cairdal Blades, which "provide Aerenal with a highly effective force that can operate across Eberron." Presumably this is the basis for the MoE prestige class.