Are there any couatl left in Eberron? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Are there any couatl left in Eberron?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Scrinoverlord
Nov 26, 2011 16:23:36 I don't have the 4th Edition Eberron Campaign Guide, and the old 3.5 Campaign Setting has been lost, so I wasn't able to figure this out, but just how rare are couatl on Eberron? I read online that most, if not all of the serpeants that sacrificed themselves to imprison the rajah joined with the Silver Flame. Is this true? Are the couatl regarded as extinct, even by the Conclave?
#2
Lugnut171
Nov 27, 2011 11:55:37 The way I understand it is that most Couatl are locked up similar to the rajahs. Not that someone locked them up but in the sense that they are the prison in many cases that hold the rajah back. In short free roaming Couatl are probably nonexistent, but you can probably find and interact with them in ancient temples, and other such places.
#3
Ogiwan
Nov 27, 2011 16:08:30 My question for you is....how many do you need?

Sure, the Raksasha and other fiends were bound. But, there's enough free to cause a crapload of trouble. There could, just as easily, be a handful of Couatl free....especially if one needs to bind a Big Bad Overlord.
#4
Starsomava
Nov 28, 2011 0:48:24 just as it would only take 1 rakasasha to ruin khorvaire's day, it would only take one couatl to save the day... just remember how big of an event it was the last time that happened. An entire religeon sprouted up aroung the sacrifical couatl.

Recently the party I DM for started researching couatls in game, and I decided that everyone (on khorvaire at least) thought couatls to be exticnt for thousands of years before the silver flame was created, and its the only couatl sighting in recent recorded history. this may or may not change.

The important thing is that if you do include couatl into your game that it be for an important reason and that if you include multiple it should still stay a small number(single didget preferably)
#5
Siberys
Nov 29, 2011 9:11:55 Hell, at least four religions were born of the couatl sacrifice...

The direct religion os the Shulassakar
Xen'drik serpent cults
The Kalok Shosh
The Silver Flame

Of course, they're all very similar in doctrine, but that's still some rather wide diversity.

I'm sure I'm missing one or two, as well.

I like the 'everyone thought they were extinct' angle. Maybe it could be done as a sort of cryptid, too? Rare, unconfirmed sightings and all that?
#6
Madfox11
Dec 01, 2011 6:58:28 The fact that there are/were feathered yuan-ti in Sarlone probably muddles the matter even more. The typical person in Eberon would be hard pressed to recognize the difference between a couatl and a feather yuan-ti (it is a reptile with feathers), so who knows how many couatl sightings are of actual couatls ;)

Having said that, I would go for that most people consider them to be extinct, but that there still are a handful of them wandering around. If I would use canon 4e material as a basis (which does make it easier to use non Eberron material), I would have had the survivors retreat into the Astral/Syberis where they lost touch with Eberron itself, changing them into the "weaker"* isolated fanatics of the core setting.

* In as far as you can call upper paragon/lower epic level monsters "weaker" ;)
#7
Chiba_Monkey
Dec 01, 2011 19:50:00
The majority of the couatl race sacrificed themselves to create the original force of Silver Flame that bound the Lords of Dust and ended the Age of Demons (this is mentioned in Dragons of Eberron). There were a handful of couatls that survived, as evidenced by the fact that Tira Miron and a demon were joined by a couatl in the event that created the Silver Flame in Flamekeep (and subsequently founded the Church of the Silver Flame). But the Silver Flame as a force that binds evil existed before the Xendrik's giant empire.

As to the OP's questions:
How rare are couatls? Very, according to the books.
Is it true that most of them sacrificed themselves to bind the Rajahs/demons? Yes.
Are the couatls regarded as extinct? Well, very, VERY few people have ever seen one, but since one was sighted only a few hundred years ago in Thrane, it seems unlikely that they are regarded as extinct.

...Even by the Conclave? The Conclave's thoughts on the matter are not specified in the books. So, the answer is: If, in your game, you want to have the Conclave believe they are extinct, then go at it. Or maybe the Conclave believes a few are left. But the books say that only a handful remain.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Scrinoverlord Nov 26, 2011 16:23:36	I don't have the 4th Edition Eberron Campaign Guide, and the old 3.5 Campaign Setting has been lost, so I wasn't able to figure this out, but just how rare are couatl on Eberron? I read online that most, if not all of the serpeants that sacrificed themselves to imprison the rajah joined with the Silver Flame. Is this true? Are the couatl regarded as extinct, even by the Conclave?
#2 Lugnut171 Nov 27, 2011 11:55:37	The way I understand it is that most Couatl are locked up similar to the rajahs. Not that someone locked them up but in the sense that they are the prison in many cases that hold the rajah back. In short free roaming Couatl are probably nonexistent, but you can probably find and interact with them in ancient temples, and other such places.
#3 Ogiwan Nov 27, 2011 16:08:30	My question for you is....how many do you need? Sure, the Raksasha and other fiends were bound. But, there's enough free to cause a crapload of trouble. There could, just as easily, be a handful of Couatl free....especially if one needs to bind a Big Bad Overlord.
#4 Starsomava Nov 28, 2011 0:48:24	just as it would only take 1 rakasasha to ruin khorvaire's day, it would only take one couatl to save the day... just remember how big of an event it was the last time that happened. An entire religeon sprouted up aroung the sacrifical couatl. Recently the party I DM for started researching couatls in game, and I decided that everyone (on khorvaire at least) thought couatls to be exticnt for thousands of years before the silver flame was created, and its the only couatl sighting in recent recorded history. this may or may not change. The important thing is that if you do include couatl into your game that it be for an important reason and that if you include multiple it should still stay a small number(single didget preferably)
#5 Siberys Nov 29, 2011 9:11:55	Hell, at least four religions were born of the couatl sacrifice... The direct religion os the Shulassakar Xen'drik serpent cults The Kalok Shosh The Silver Flame Of course, they're all very similar in doctrine, but that's still some rather wide diversity. I'm sure I'm missing one or two, as well. I like the 'everyone thought they were extinct' angle. Maybe it could be done as a sort of cryptid, too? Rare, unconfirmed sightings and all that?
#6 Madfox11 Dec 01, 2011 6:58:28	The fact that there are/were feathered yuan-ti in Sarlone probably muddles the matter even more. The typical person in Eberon would be hard pressed to recognize the difference between a couatl and a feather yuan-ti (it is a reptile with feathers), so who knows how many couatl sightings are of actual couatls ;) Having said that, I would go for that most people consider them to be extinct, but that there still are a handful of them wandering around. If I would use canon 4e material as a basis (which does make it easier to use non Eberron material), I would have had the survivors retreat into the Astral/Syberis where they lost touch with Eberron itself, changing them into the "weaker"* isolated fanatics of the core setting. * In as far as you can call upper paragon/lower epic level monsters "weaker" ;)
#7 Chiba_Monkey Dec 01, 2011 19:50:00	The majority of the couatl race sacrificed themselves to create the original force of Silver Flame that bound the Lords of Dust and ended the Age of Demons (this is mentioned in Dragons of Eberron). There were a handful of couatls that survived, as evidenced by the fact that Tira Miron and a demon were joined by a couatl in the event that created the Silver Flame in Flamekeep (and subsequently founded the Church of the Silver Flame). But the Silver Flame as a force that binds evil existed before the Xendrik's giant empire. As to the OP's questions: How rare are couatls? Very, according to the books. Is it true that most of them sacrificed themselves to bind the Rajahs/demons? Yes. Are the couatls regarded as extinct? Well, very, VERY few people have ever seen one, but since one was sighted only a few hundred years ago in Thrane, it seems unlikely that they are regarded as extinct. ...Even by the Conclave? The Conclave's thoughts on the matter are not specified in the books. So, the answer is: If, in your game, you want to have the Conclave believe they are extinct, then go at it. Or maybe the Conclave believes a few are left. But the books say that only a handful remain.