Campaign Idea: A Topsy-Turvy Eberron - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Campaign Idea: A Topsy-Turvy Eberron

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Omnirahk_half-Rahkshi
Nov 23, 2009 21:33:20 So, this idea randomly came to me today, and I'd like feedback on it. As a campaign, it would turn on its head some of the basic premises of Eberron.

1) The focus is not on Khorvaire. The campaign is set in Argonessen.
2) I'm using kalashtar as the main villains. The Dreaming Dark is a potential ally. Wtf???
3) High level adventures. Epic Eberron just feels so wrong.

With those basic differences out of the way, here's the more in-depth concept. The Xoriat has recently gained huge influence throughout much of Argonessen. The influence of the realm of madness is warping much of the land. Dragon eggs are being warped into foul abominations (dragonspawn and draconians) and are going about slaughtering their surprised parents. (Yes, I realize this is going to require some more powerful draconians and dragonspawn to seem believable. I'm going to suggest the advantages of surprise and superior numbers helped). Dragon society is at risk of coming crashing down, and with that, all the meddling of dragons in the Draconic Prophecy may soon cease. Or at least become a much smaller part of the current state of affairs. A sect of kalashtar have gotten wind of these invents, and have decided that the collapse of dragon society is a big enough thing to herald the next Age - especially once draconic hands stop trying to mold the current state of things. A militant sect is trying to help bring down Argonessen in an effort to herald in the next Age and defeat the Dreaming Dark - even if it means bringing in an age of chaos rather than an age of light. Obviously not mainstream among the kalashtar, but enough of a following to provide villains. And thus we may find traditional kalashtar and Dreaming Dark working together with the PCs - the first to prevent the ushering in of an Age of Chaos, the latter to prevent the ushering in of a new age.

What do you think? I think that if I'm turning Eberron so much on its head, I should leave room for the comedy of improbable PCs that similarly turn our conceptions of Eberron on its head.
#2
stringnlightswitch
Nov 29, 2009 0:58:18 If the strengthening of Xoriat is what's causing argonessan's collapse, perhaps its also swaying more Kalashtar towards this militant sect, with it's madness?
#3
m4kitsu
Nov 29, 2009 6:32:30 Excellent concept.

What, though, is so unusual about it? The confluence of events is a little strange, yes, but the reactions of the various groups involved seem rather reasonable to me, given their various beliefs.

A sect of the Kalashtar have come to believe (maybe thanks to whispers from the Lords of Dust?) that the destruction of the dragons is what is necessary to usher in the next age -or at least upset the balance of the world badly enough to get things rolling in that direction. The Riedran empire doesn't care one whit about the dragons (and vice versa, it seems), but they DO care about the Adaran rebels and their aims, and whether or not the Kalashtar are right is immaterial -the Empire cannot afford to take the chance that they are, and since their influence among the dragons is likely about nil, they will need to seek capable allies on Argonessen by other means -the PCs.

So what you end up with is a four-sided war with only one clear "bad guy" group (the daelkyr), and three other groups, none of whom like each other, each trying to swing the war in their favor without doing enough direct damage that it unifies the war's other participants against them, and the PCs caught in the middle of it, being played as pawns by all four sides of the way and likely a couple more groups besides.

I hate to bust your bubble if "wacky and different" was what you were going for, but this seems like a perfectly appropriate Eberron campaign to me -and a wonderfully interesting one. I think I shall add this to my folio of campaign and adventure ideas, in fact.
#4
Omnirahk_half-Rahkshi
Dec 03, 2009 20:17:47 Thanks for the feedback.

@ M4kitsu, I guess what struck me as strange was kalashtar as villains. Maybe it's just my partiality showing, but since they're aiming to usher in a new age of Hope and Light, the collapse of a civilization seems counter to that purpose. Basically, I won't deny that destroying Argonesen could usher in a new age, but I don't think that new age would be a good one. It would probably mark the beginning of an age of chaos and conflict.

... Actually, that sounds a bit like the current age (which ran during the Last War too). An age where old systems have collapsed and it's a free-for-all grab for power. Maybe... it's all a Dreaming Dark plot. They believe the collapse of Argonessen would extend their age, and rather than their usual approach, they've somehow planted the idea in the minds of kalashtar (and I wasn't necessary talking about mind seed. Mundane trickery). So their own efforts to defend Argonessen are a token effort, just enough to let the kalashtar think they're right.

Dang, that's an awesome idea.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Omnirahk_half-Rahkshi Nov 23, 2009 21:33:20	So, this idea randomly came to me today, and I'd like feedback on it. As a campaign, it would turn on its head some of the basic premises of Eberron. 1) The focus is not on Khorvaire. The campaign is set in Argonessen. 2) I'm using kalashtar as the main villains. The Dreaming Dark is a potential ally. Wtf??? 3) High level adventures. Epic Eberron just feels so wrong. With those basic differences out of the way, here's the more in-depth concept. The Xoriat has recently gained huge influence throughout much of Argonessen. The influence of the realm of madness is warping much of the land. Dragon eggs are being warped into foul abominations (dragonspawn and draconians) and are going about slaughtering their surprised parents. (Yes, I realize this is going to require some more powerful draconians and dragonspawn to seem believable. I'm going to suggest the advantages of surprise and superior numbers helped). Dragon society is at risk of coming crashing down, and with that, all the meddling of dragons in the Draconic Prophecy may soon cease. Or at least become a much smaller part of the current state of affairs. A sect of kalashtar have gotten wind of these invents, and have decided that the collapse of dragon society is a big enough thing to herald the next Age - especially once draconic hands stop trying to mold the current state of things. A militant sect is trying to help bring down Argonessen in an effort to herald in the next Age and defeat the Dreaming Dark - even if it means bringing in an age of chaos rather than an age of light. Obviously not mainstream among the kalashtar, but enough of a following to provide villains. And thus we may find traditional kalashtar and Dreaming Dark working together with the PCs - the first to prevent the ushering in of an Age of Chaos, the latter to prevent the ushering in of a new age. What do you think? I think that if I'm turning Eberron so much on its head, I should leave room for the comedy of improbable PCs that similarly turn our conceptions of Eberron on its head.
#2 stringnlightswitch Nov 29, 2009 0:58:18	If the strengthening of Xoriat is what's causing argonessan's collapse, perhaps its also swaying more Kalashtar towards this militant sect, with it's madness?
#3 m4kitsu Nov 29, 2009 6:32:30	Excellent concept. What, though, is so unusual about it? The confluence of events is a little strange, yes, but the reactions of the various groups involved seem rather reasonable to me, given their various beliefs. A sect of the Kalashtar have come to believe (maybe thanks to whispers from the Lords of Dust?) that the destruction of the dragons is what is necessary to usher in the next age -or at least upset the balance of the world badly enough to get things rolling in that direction. The Riedran empire doesn't care one whit about the dragons (and vice versa, it seems), but they DO care about the Adaran rebels and their aims, and whether or not the Kalashtar are right is immaterial -the Empire cannot afford to take the chance that they are, and since their influence among the dragons is likely about nil, they will need to seek capable allies on Argonessen by other means -the PCs. So what you end up with is a four-sided war with only one clear "bad guy" group (the daelkyr), and three other groups, none of whom like each other, each trying to swing the war in their favor without doing enough direct damage that it unifies the war's other participants against them, and the PCs caught in the middle of it, being played as pawns by all four sides of the way and likely a couple more groups besides. I hate to bust your bubble if "wacky and different" was what you were going for, but this seems like a perfectly appropriate Eberron campaign to me -and a wonderfully interesting one. I think I shall add this to my folio of campaign and adventure ideas, in fact.
#4 Omnirahk_half-Rahkshi Dec 03, 2009 20:17:47	Thanks for the feedback. @ M4kitsu, I guess what struck me as strange was kalashtar as villains. Maybe it's just my partiality showing, but since they're aiming to usher in a new age of Hope and Light, the collapse of a civilization seems counter to that purpose. Basically, I won't deny that destroying Argonesen could usher in a new age, but I don't think that new age would be a good one. It would probably mark the beginning of an age of chaos and conflict. ... Actually, that sounds a bit like the current age (which ran during the Last War too). An age where old systems have collapsed and it's a free-for-all grab for power. Maybe... it's all a Dreaming Dark plot. They believe the collapse of Argonessen would extend their age, and rather than their usual approach, they've somehow planted the idea in the minds of kalashtar (and I wasn't necessary talking about mind seed. Mundane trickery). So their own efforts to defend Argonessen are a token effort, just enough to let the kalashtar think they're right. Dang, that's an awesome idea.