Zarash'ak (The Shadow Marches) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Zarash'ak (The Shadow Marches) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DarkPawn
07-20-07, 06:38 PM Going to be starting a campaign soon and will be set in The Shadow Marches. I'm looking at making the small city (and only one) Zarash'ak as the base of operations.

Wondering if anyone has done any work on the city? Any ideas and such. It is on stilts, and in the swamp....I can work with that.

One idea I thought of is since it is mostly inhabited by orcs, that the city mostly sleeps during the day, and the markets open when the sun sets. Basically flipping things around from the average city. Any thoughts or ideas would be helpful and appreciated beforehand.
DarkPawn
07-21-07, 09:35 PM Some other ideas I'm toying with for Zarash'ak. What about some of the clans having mobile makeshift barges that they can float along to act as hunter/gatherers.

Picture a clan pushing them along with poles or the more advanced and wealthy (using a bound water elemental) to move the floating barge. They could periodically arrive at Zarash'ak, and connect long enough to trade goods and stock up on what they need.

Then disconnect and float back out. They could harvest eberron shards, hunt, fish, etc...

...thoughts?
DarkPawn
07-21-07, 09:54 PM I picture times when multiple clans arrive and connect to Zarash'ak. Often this will result in Zarash'ak increasing their watch (or whatever will substitute) to prevent mass warfare.

Since many opposing clans can arrive at any time, you never know what will happen. Most clans are fined for fighting on Zarash'ak but it is rare for them to be completely banned. Even when a clan is banned for behavior, it generally is forgotten or forgiven when they show up with baskets of eberron shards or rare daelkyr relics.
Syltorian
07-22-07, 06:56 AM I'd recommend reading Don Bassingthwaite's The Binding Stone. A large part plays in the Shadow Marches, and some of it in Zarash'ak. I'm not sure, as it was some time after I read it, whether they return to Zarash'ak at the end of that book or the beginning of The Grieving Tree, but in the latter case, I'd check that out too.
DarkPawn
07-23-07, 04:13 PM One of my players is already grumbling and I'm curious what you think about something I decided for Zarash'ak.

Being a frontier town in the middle of nowhere, I feel many goods not native to the area are going to have prices marked up over market value.

Since adventuring classes are far more rare then in forgotten realms, most people making magical items are magewrights or adepts. Since there are very few of them in Zarash'ak they obviously charge a bit more for services. I also see most magewrights working for House Cannith, and therefore kicking a 5% charge that goes directly to the house coffers.

Now the issue came up with an everburning torch, the player was against buying an everburning lantern for 210gp so wanted an everburning torch. Of course they want it on a metal rod though not torch.

I told them it would cost 150gp instead of 110gp. For one thing it is a custom order, not being on a torch (like usual in the PHB), and since there are few magewrights, they are charging a bit more because frankly they can.

With 5% kicked to house cannith as a member, 10% to fund the militia, this is a profit over market value of 21% roughly. The player is having a tantrum about it? Anyone else see anything wrong with suggesting prices can vary from place to place?
Wymarc
07-24-07, 09:20 AM nope, don't see a problem with it
Revvecor
07-24-07, 09:39 AM I agree with the price markups.
DarkPawn
07-24-07, 02:05 PM Thanks for the input. The player is literally ranting about it. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't like unheard of to adjust prices depending on location and what the item is. :D
Nerdicus
07-24-07, 04:36 PM I like to think of the cities or tows of THe SHadow Marches as having a large influence from Huose THurashk. Just wanted to throw that out there for you. I mean, it is their base of operations I believe.

As to the orcs on floating barges, I couldn't agree more. Given the swampy terrain, and the lengthy amount of time that orcs have lives there, it is very likely that they would have taken to using the waterways for transport and more. At least some of them would.
DarkPawn
07-24-07, 05:23 PM I like to think of the cities or tows of THe SHadow Marches as having a large influence from Huose THurashk. Just wanted to throw that out there for you. I mean, it is their base of operations I believe.

As to the orcs on floating barges, I couldn't agree more. Given the swampy terrain, and the lengthy amount of time that orcs have lives there, it is very likely that they would have taken to using the waterways for transport and more. At least some of them would.

I've pretty much added that House Tharashk is basically funding the local militia. They are collecting a tax from everyone doing business in Zarash'ak to pay for this.

House Tharashk may actually start to irritate the PCs by how much assumed authority they are claiming in the area. I mean, what gives them the right to claim an eberron shard field, in a land that orcs have controlled for 20,000 odd years?

I see some conflict between the gatekeepers, cult of the dragon below and House Tharashk in the near future. :D
OctaviusIII
07-25-07, 03:36 AM Look into the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq - they definitely live in someplace like the Shadow Marches, and they have some interesting ways to cope. The primary differences are the lack of wood in the marsh and its connection to the sea (it's a salt marsh). The boats are made of reeds; structures are also built of reeds with some wood on manmade islands of shell; that sort of thing.

House Tharashk may actually start to irritate the PCs by how much assumed authority they are claiming in the area. I mean, what gives them the right to claim an eberron shard field, in a land that orcs have controlled for 20,000 odd years?
Isn't Tharashk an orc House? And if it's not, aren't they basically orc run?
DarkPawn
07-25-07, 09:52 AM Look into the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq - they definitely live in someplace like the Shadow Marches, and they have some interesting ways to cope. The primary differences are the lack of wood in the marsh and its connection to the sea (it's a salt marsh). The boats are made of reeds; structures are also built of reeds with some wood on manmade islands of shell; that sort of thing.

Isn't Tharashk an orc House? And if it's not, aren't they basically orc run?

Dragonmarked members of House Tharashk are half-orc and/or human. The house originated from The Shadow Marches. There are no dragonmarked orcs.

What I see happening over time is the half-orc and human members of House Tharashk basically running it, with orcs as members albeit honored ones, they still aren't in charge.

Hence where conflict can start to brew. As an orc native to The Shadow Marches, I might start getting a bit ticked off that bastard half-breeds (half-orcs) and humans are trying to run everything.
okaynowa
07-26-07, 01:21 PM OctaviusIII's comment about southern Iraq has some good leads: check out pictures of the mudhif longhouses. Longhouses have a lot of advantages for a Shadow Marches campaign: they're architecturally distinct from the other nations, they can house a lot of people with less building material, and they're perfect for what is essentially still a clan/tribal society.

Different clans could have different styles of longhouse-- so could different regions. In Zarash'ak they go for the reed walls, while in Yrlag to the north they have more of a wattle-and-daub style. House Tharashk longhouses have images of their heraldric beast at the end of the roof pole, while Clan Jhaashak longhouses hang snake skins.

Old School: "You enter a 10x10 room. An orc is guarding a chest."

Shadow Marches: "You enter a 20x100 room. Seventy-two orcs, half-orcs, and humans are guarding a reed hamper."
DarkPawn
07-31-07, 01:22 AM Still looking for some extra ideas on this area. If anyone has used this area I would be interested to hear other ideas.
Troy812
07-31-07, 09:09 AM Back to the markups….
In marshland, I would say there is very little metal around.
I would think about marking up metal weapons and armor.
In fact, anyone in metal armor would have a very high recognition… either via a status symbol (ooo he’s tough) or …or just stupid (if he falls off his stilts, he’ll drown!).
Also rust…
Finally get Standstorm, it’s gotta be hot, humid and nasty there. Who would want to wear metals there?

To offset this I would offer some sort of “natural” option. Armor/weapons made out of reeds, bones, scales, turtle shells… shards

As far as Magewrights and Arts., I wouldn’t put so many restrictions, just put a druid twist on them. H*ll there are all those dragonshards around there. They gotta be using them.

Players will whine at first but… I think after a while, they will get used to it, and it will help the game feel deeper.
okaynowa
07-31-07, 10:05 AM In marshland, I would say there is very little metal around.
I would think about marking up metal weapons and armor. On the other hand, one might be able to find byeshk items cheaper here than in the rest of Khorvaire. Droaam is a major byeshk source, but the closest it gets to normal trade relations is with House Tharashk. Between the Dragonmarked middlemen and Gatekeeper orcs (who'd want the metal for anti-aberration purposes), I can see Zarash'ak being the best market for byeshk.

Other marketable commodity in Zarash'ak: alligator boots! And jackets, belts, bags...
Troy812
07-31-07, 04:21 PM Other marketable commodity in Zarash'ak: alligator boots! And jackets, belts, bags...

...with very high heels. :D
DarkPawn
07-31-07, 04:59 PM I like the low metal concept (especially for armor). Thanks for the ideas. I see the militia at Zarash'ak wearing armor but very little others. At the most maybe chain shirts too.
Burningspear
07-31-07, 05:07 PM Back to the markups….
In marshland, I would say there is very little metal around.
I would think about marking up metal weapons and armor.
In fact, anyone in metal armor would have a very high recognition… either via a status symbol (ooo he’s tough) or …or just stupid (if he falls off his stilts, he’ll drown!).
Also rust…
Finally get Standstorm, it’s gotta be hot, humid and nasty there. Who would want to wear metals there?

To offset this I would offer some sort of “natural” option. Armor/weapons made out of reeds, bones, scales, turtle shells… shards

As far as Magewrights and Arts., I wouldn’t put so many restrictions, just put a druid twist on them. H*ll there are all those dragonshards around there. They gotta be using them.

Players will whine at first but… I think after a while, they will get used to it, and it will help the game feel deeper.

I think here you are going a bit overboard with the ideas, a world like Athas (Dark Sun) then yes, all kinds of differend types of materials to sustain the need for alternatives compared to iron, here in Ebberon this difference is not so great.
Therefore the impact should be much less as well.
Troy812
07-31-07, 05:29 PM I think here you are going a bit overboard with the ideas, a world like Athas (Dark Sun) then yes, all kinds of differend types of materials to sustain the need for alternatives compared to iron, here in Ebberon this difference is not so great.
Therefore the impact should be much less as well.

Oh yessss Dark Sun.... Yummy Yummy

But what about the souvenir factor?

Finding/buying those strange unique items is what makes the game more fun... this armor I got over in the marshes... (of course).

My favorite characters are those that have items like that.... and I think it is the same for my players.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DarkPawn 07-20-07, 06:38 PM	Going to be starting a campaign soon and will be set in The Shadow Marches. I'm looking at making the small city (and only one) Zarash'ak as the base of operations. Wondering if anyone has done any work on the city? Any ideas and such. It is on stilts, and in the swamp....I can work with that. One idea I thought of is since it is mostly inhabited by orcs, that the city mostly sleeps during the day, and the markets open when the sun sets. Basically flipping things around from the average city. Any thoughts or ideas would be helpful and appreciated beforehand.
DarkPawn 07-21-07, 09:35 PM	Some other ideas I'm toying with for Zarash'ak. What about some of the clans having mobile makeshift barges that they can float along to act as hunter/gatherers. Picture a clan pushing them along with poles or the more advanced and wealthy (using a bound water elemental) to move the floating barge. They could periodically arrive at Zarash'ak, and connect long enough to trade goods and stock up on what they need. Then disconnect and float back out. They could harvest eberron shards, hunt, fish, etc... ...thoughts?
DarkPawn 07-21-07, 09:54 PM	I picture times when multiple clans arrive and connect to Zarash'ak. Often this will result in Zarash'ak increasing their watch (or whatever will substitute) to prevent mass warfare. Since many opposing clans can arrive at any time, you never know what will happen. Most clans are fined for fighting on Zarash'ak but it is rare for them to be completely banned. Even when a clan is banned for behavior, it generally is forgotten or forgiven when they show up with baskets of eberron shards or rare daelkyr relics.
Syltorian 07-22-07, 06:56 AM	I'd recommend reading Don Bassingthwaite's The Binding Stone. A large part plays in the Shadow Marches, and some of it in Zarash'ak. I'm not sure, as it was some time after I read it, whether they return to Zarash'ak at the end of that book or the beginning of The Grieving Tree, but in the latter case, I'd check that out too.
DarkPawn 07-23-07, 04:13 PM	One of my players is already grumbling and I'm curious what you think about something I decided for Zarash'ak. Being a frontier town in the middle of nowhere, I feel many goods not native to the area are going to have prices marked up over market value. Since adventuring classes are far more rare then in forgotten realms, most people making magical items are magewrights or adepts. Since there are very few of them in Zarash'ak they obviously charge a bit more for services. I also see most magewrights working for House Cannith, and therefore kicking a 5% charge that goes directly to the house coffers. Now the issue came up with an everburning torch, the player was against buying an everburning lantern for 210gp so wanted an everburning torch. Of course they want it on a metal rod though not torch. I told them it would cost 150gp instead of 110gp. For one thing it is a custom order, not being on a torch (like usual in the PHB), and since there are few magewrights, they are charging a bit more because frankly they can. With 5% kicked to house cannith as a member, 10% to fund the militia, this is a profit over market value of 21% roughly. The player is having a tantrum about it? Anyone else see anything wrong with suggesting prices can vary from place to place?
Wymarc 07-24-07, 09:20 AM	nope, don't see a problem with it
Revvecor 07-24-07, 09:39 AM	I agree with the price markups.
DarkPawn 07-24-07, 02:05 PM	Thanks for the input. The player is literally ranting about it. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't like unheard of to adjust prices depending on location and what the item is. :D
Nerdicus 07-24-07, 04:36 PM	I like to think of the cities or tows of THe SHadow Marches as having a large influence from Huose THurashk. Just wanted to throw that out there for you. I mean, it is their base of operations I believe. As to the orcs on floating barges, I couldn't agree more. Given the swampy terrain, and the lengthy amount of time that orcs have lives there, it is very likely that they would have taken to using the waterways for transport and more. At least some of them would.
DarkPawn 07-24-07, 05:23 PM	I like to think of the cities or tows of THe SHadow Marches as having a large influence from Huose THurashk. Just wanted to throw that out there for you. I mean, it is their base of operations I believe. As to the orcs on floating barges, I couldn't agree more. Given the swampy terrain, and the lengthy amount of time that orcs have lives there, it is very likely that they would have taken to using the waterways for transport and more. At least some of them would. I've pretty much added that House Tharashk is basically funding the local militia. They are collecting a tax from everyone doing business in Zarash'ak to pay for this. House Tharashk may actually start to irritate the PCs by how much assumed authority they are claiming in the area. I mean, what gives them the right to claim an eberron shard field, in a land that orcs have controlled for 20,000 odd years? I see some conflict between the gatekeepers, cult of the dragon below and House Tharashk in the near future. :D
OctaviusIII 07-25-07, 03:36 AM	Look into the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq - they definitely live in someplace like the Shadow Marches, and they have some interesting ways to cope. The primary differences are the lack of wood in the marsh and its connection to the sea (it's a salt marsh). The boats are made of reeds; structures are also built of reeds with some wood on manmade islands of shell; that sort of thing. House Tharashk may actually start to irritate the PCs by how much assumed authority they are claiming in the area. I mean, what gives them the right to claim an eberron shard field, in a land that orcs have controlled for 20,000 odd years? Isn't Tharashk an orc House? And if it's not, aren't they basically orc run?
DarkPawn 07-25-07, 09:52 AM	Look into the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq - they definitely live in someplace like the Shadow Marches, and they have some interesting ways to cope. The primary differences are the lack of wood in the marsh and its connection to the sea (it's a salt marsh). The boats are made of reeds; structures are also built of reeds with some wood on manmade islands of shell; that sort of thing. Isn't Tharashk an orc House? And if it's not, aren't they basically orc run? Dragonmarked members of House Tharashk are half-orc and/or human. The house originated from The Shadow Marches. There are no dragonmarked orcs. What I see happening over time is the half-orc and human members of House Tharashk basically running it, with orcs as members albeit honored ones, they still aren't in charge. Hence where conflict can start to brew. As an orc native to The Shadow Marches, I might start getting a bit ticked off that bastard half-breeds (half-orcs) and humans are trying to run everything.
okaynowa 07-26-07, 01:21 PM	OctaviusIII's comment about southern Iraq has some good leads: check out pictures of the mudhif longhouses. Longhouses have a lot of advantages for a Shadow Marches campaign: they're architecturally distinct from the other nations, they can house a lot of people with less building material, and they're perfect for what is essentially still a clan/tribal society. Different clans could have different styles of longhouse-- so could different regions. In Zarash'ak they go for the reed walls, while in Yrlag to the north they have more of a wattle-and-daub style. House Tharashk longhouses have images of their heraldric beast at the end of the roof pole, while Clan Jhaashak longhouses hang snake skins. Old School: "You enter a 10x10 room. An orc is guarding a chest." Shadow Marches: "You enter a 20x100 room. Seventy-two orcs, half-orcs, and humans are guarding a reed hamper."
DarkPawn 07-31-07, 01:22 AM	Still looking for some extra ideas on this area. If anyone has used this area I would be interested to hear other ideas.
Troy812 07-31-07, 09:09 AM	Back to the markups…. In marshland, I would say there is very little metal around. I would think about marking up metal weapons and armor. In fact, anyone in metal armor would have a very high recognition… either via a status symbol (ooo he’s tough) or …or just stupid (if he falls off his stilts, he’ll drown!). Also rust… Finally get Standstorm, it’s gotta be hot, humid and nasty there. Who would want to wear metals there? To offset this I would offer some sort of “natural” option. Armor/weapons made out of reeds, bones, scales, turtle shells… shards As far as Magewrights and Arts., I wouldn’t put so many restrictions, just put a druid twist on them. H*ll there are all those dragonshards around there. They gotta be using them. Players will whine at first but… I think after a while, they will get used to it, and it will help the game feel deeper.
okaynowa 07-31-07, 10:05 AM	In marshland, I would say there is very little metal around. I would think about marking up metal weapons and armor. On the other hand, one might be able to find byeshk items cheaper here than in the rest of Khorvaire. Droaam is a major byeshk source, but the closest it gets to normal trade relations is with House Tharashk. Between the Dragonmarked middlemen and Gatekeeper orcs (who'd want the metal for anti-aberration purposes), I can see Zarash'ak being the best market for byeshk. Other marketable commodity in Zarash'ak: alligator boots! And jackets, belts, bags...
Troy812 07-31-07, 04:21 PM	Other marketable commodity in Zarash'ak: alligator boots! And jackets, belts, bags... ...with very high heels. :D
DarkPawn 07-31-07, 04:59 PM	I like the low metal concept (especially for armor). Thanks for the ideas. I see the militia at Zarash'ak wearing armor but very little others. At the most maybe chain shirts too.
Burningspear 07-31-07, 05:07 PM	Back to the markups…. In marshland, I would say there is very little metal around. I would think about marking up metal weapons and armor. In fact, anyone in metal armor would have a very high recognition… either via a status symbol (ooo he’s tough) or …or just stupid (if he falls off his stilts, he’ll drown!). Also rust… Finally get Standstorm, it’s gotta be hot, humid and nasty there. Who would want to wear metals there? To offset this I would offer some sort of “natural” option. Armor/weapons made out of reeds, bones, scales, turtle shells… shards As far as Magewrights and Arts., I wouldn’t put so many restrictions, just put a druid twist on them. H*ll there are all those dragonshards around there. They gotta be using them. Players will whine at first but… I think after a while, they will get used to it, and it will help the game feel deeper. I think here you are going a bit overboard with the ideas, a world like Athas (Dark Sun) then yes, all kinds of differend types of materials to sustain the need for alternatives compared to iron, here in Ebberon this difference is not so great. Therefore the impact should be much less as well.
Troy812 07-31-07, 05:29 PM	I think here you are going a bit overboard with the ideas, a world like Athas (Dark Sun) then yes, all kinds of differend types of materials to sustain the need for alternatives compared to iron, here in Ebberon this difference is not so great. Therefore the impact should be much less as well. Oh yessss Dark Sun.... Yummy Yummy But what about the souvenir factor? Finding/buying those strange unique items is what makes the game more fun... this armor I got over in the marshes... (of course). My favorite characters are those that have items like that.... and I think it is the same for my players.