2 new to Eberron questions [Archive] - Wizards Community

2 new to Eberron questions [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Melvin the Mediocre
01-09-06, 01:14 PM So I just bought the main book and am going to DM a game soon. The players will be brand spankin' new to the setting as well.

My thoughts for a campaign are that the Lords of Dust (if I am remembering the correct group) wants to weaken the Gate Keepers. Once those pesky druids are soundly thrashed, they hope to reopen some ancient gates and let in armies of abberations.

So in the first game, they will have hired some changelings to impersonate orc druids and crash the lightning rail the PC's are riding. I want the PC's to think that the Ashbound were impersonating the Gate Keepers. I have some ideas of "clues" to leave behind, but I'd like more ideas to make it more obvious since everyone is going to be so new to the game.

My second question is a call out for any advice to make the rail ride seem Eberronian, as oppossed to being more like an old west or modern train ride.

Thanks!
LugWrench
01-09-06, 01:19 PM The Lords of Dust want to release their Rajas from captivity. Im still a bit fuzzy on where these Rakshasas are being held, but I think it has something to do with Khyber Dragonshards. The Daelkyr are the ones with armies of aberrations.

As for the Lightning Rail, whats wrong with a good, old-fashioned train heist? Maybe it IS the Lords of Dust trying to steal a Khyber Shard thats holding a Raja..... :D
Melvin the Mediocre
01-09-06, 01:29 PM As for the Lightning Rail, whats wrong with a good, old-fashioned train heist? Maybe it IS the Lords of Dust trying to steal a Khyber Shard thats holding a Raja..... :D

To clarify: What I'm trying to figure out is how to double cover their tracks. The idea is that the characters will say "Hey look, druids are attacking civilization... it must be the Ashbound!" But then take a minute and say "Now wait, it was the Gate Keepers! Kill the Gate Keepers!"

But I want the changelings to purposely leave behind red herrings to frame the Gate Keepers. The evil plot afoot is to start an unjust war to weaken the druids guarding the gates.
astute1
01-09-06, 01:42 PM Perhaps the one of the Lords of Dust want to let an army of abberations into the world because that's the only way to complete a 40,000 year-old prophecy that will break the seal on one of the Raja's tombs. Remember, the Rakshasha are immortal, and they think in the long term. Heck, perhaps they only want to let the Aberrations in because they think it will cause a great hero to emerge in one of the human nations, a hero who will go on to begin the bloodline of a certain noble house which might be incidentally crucial to the release of a Raja 1500 years from the present time. You can make the plot as crazy and convoluted as you like with these guys.

The big question you have to deal with is: "why crash the lightning rail?" Is it carrying something that these changelings need? Are they assassins after a certain target? Are they trying to frame the real druids, thus provoking a war between the druids and House Orien? Maybe there are a few reasons.

Some good clues to leave behind:
a stone, covered in Gatekeeper runes
one of the dead druids is known to be associated with the Gatekeepers (maybe the changelings tricked him to work with them)
the changelings, posing as members of the Gatekeepers, claim responsibility for the attack (in the same way that terrorist groups do today)

To make things feel Ebberon, I would suggest using as many noir/pulp references as possible. The presence of magic should be overtly felt, especially since the players are riding on a train that floats above the ground on a bed of lightning.

Since the players don't know the setting very well, I'd strongly suggest that you give them some background material. Photocopy the appropriate sections of the ECSB, and check out the Dragonshards articles on the Eberron site for useful information.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Melvin the Mediocre 01-09-06, 01:14 PM	So I just bought the main book and am going to DM a game soon. The players will be brand spankin' new to the setting as well. My thoughts for a campaign are that the Lords of Dust (if I am remembering the correct group) wants to weaken the Gate Keepers. Once those pesky druids are soundly thrashed, they hope to reopen some ancient gates and let in armies of abberations. So in the first game, they will have hired some changelings to impersonate orc druids and crash the lightning rail the PC's are riding. I want the PC's to think that the Ashbound were impersonating the Gate Keepers. I have some ideas of "clues" to leave behind, but I'd like more ideas to make it more obvious since everyone is going to be so new to the game. My second question is a call out for any advice to make the rail ride seem Eberronian, as oppossed to being more like an old west or modern train ride. Thanks!
LugWrench 01-09-06, 01:19 PM	The Lords of Dust want to release their Rajas from captivity. Im still a bit fuzzy on where these Rakshasas are being held, but I think it has something to do with Khyber Dragonshards. The Daelkyr are the ones with armies of aberrations. As for the Lightning Rail, whats wrong with a good, old-fashioned train heist? Maybe it IS the Lords of Dust trying to steal a Khyber Shard thats holding a Raja..... :D
Melvin the Mediocre 01-09-06, 01:29 PM	As for the Lightning Rail, whats wrong with a good, old-fashioned train heist? Maybe it IS the Lords of Dust trying to steal a Khyber Shard thats holding a Raja..... :D To clarify: What I'm trying to figure out is how to double cover their tracks. The idea is that the characters will say "Hey look, druids are attacking civilization... it must be the Ashbound!" But then take a minute and say "Now wait, it was the Gate Keepers! Kill the Gate Keepers!" But I want the changelings to purposely leave behind red herrings to frame the Gate Keepers. The evil plot afoot is to start an unjust war to weaken the druids guarding the gates.
astute1 01-09-06, 01:42 PM	Perhaps the one of the Lords of Dust want to let an army of abberations into the world because that's the only way to complete a 40,000 year-old prophecy that will break the seal on one of the Raja's tombs. Remember, the Rakshasha are immortal, and they think in the long term. Heck, perhaps they only want to let the Aberrations in because they think it will cause a great hero to emerge in one of the human nations, a hero who will go on to begin the bloodline of a certain noble house which might be incidentally crucial to the release of a Raja 1500 years from the present time. You can make the plot as crazy and convoluted as you like with these guys. The big question you have to deal with is: "why crash the lightning rail?" Is it carrying something that these changelings need? Are they assassins after a certain target? Are they trying to frame the real druids, thus provoking a war between the druids and House Orien? Maybe there are a few reasons. Some good clues to leave behind: a stone, covered in Gatekeeper runes one of the dead druids is known to be associated with the Gatekeepers (maybe the changelings tricked him to work with them) the changelings, posing as members of the Gatekeepers, claim responsibility for the attack (in the same way that terrorist groups do today) To make things feel Ebberon, I would suggest using as many noir/pulp references as possible. The presence of magic should be overtly felt, especially since the players are riding on a train that floats above the ground on a bed of lightning. Since the players don't know the setting very well, I'd strongly suggest that you give them some background material. Photocopy the appropriate sections of the ECSB, and check out the Dragonshards articles on the Eberron site for useful information.