This is my plan.
Basically Eberron has decided that my player's group has strayed from the purpose they were meant to fullfill. Sensing interference from the Dragon Below and being a vital piece of the puzzle in the prophecy (as I am sure most groups in Eberron Campaigns are ;)), it has started the "ragnarok" of the world before it's true time, and reignited the battle between the 3 great Dragons. This battle causes cataclysmic upheaval as the world returns to it's true nature. It is a ruse though, as it uses the distraction of the other two Dragon's great battles to enhance the abilities of an artifact that the heroes currently have (specifically Olidammara's Dice which I imported from FR and renamed the Eyes of Eberron).
Here is the intro I will be reading to my players. Hopefully not knowing the characters won't affect the reading. Warning it's a bit long.
The Cataclysm
The shaking was subtle at first, like being at sea during a gentle swell. You were so engrossed in your studies you almost didn’t notice, least until the howling started. It sounded like Rorsa, but much more feral than what you had come to expect from her. Getting up from your experiments, you barely have time to get to the door when all hell breaks loose. Every window in the house shatters at once and the whole structure begins to collapse, debrie falling around you like hail from the sky. Running out, you yell for your friends, staggering a bit as the world shakes around you. In the main room Rorsa, growling, howling, and running in circles, tears up everything that gets in her way. For a moment, she eyes you, snarling madly, looking as though she is about to pounce. Her expression then changes to sheer abject terror as she turns around, running straight through the balcony doors, smashing through them and jumping down to the ground below. Rushing out the front door, you see Fist standing motionless in the foyer, seeming to be oblivious to everything happening around him.
“Fist! We have to get out of here!”, you scream, the din so loud you can barely hear yourself think. When he doesn’t answer or move you reach out, trying to drag him with you.
“Fist, come on! We have to…” your words are cut off as Fist’s head turns looking down at you and then slowly, horrifically, the plates that make up his face begin to dissolve and fall from his form. The wood-like sinew of his body begins to unravel, his whole form seeming to lose cohesion. You desperately try to help, literally holding him together, but it’s a losing struggle. Still you fight to save Fist, but at the last moment, with, what must be a surge of unimaginable will, he pushes you out the front door, the ceiling coming down, crushing what is left of his deteriorating form.
There is no time to morn however as eruptions begin flowing from the ground mere feet from where you’re standing. Pulling back, you realize that the whole world seems to have gone crazy, the sky withering and shifting like a thing alive. Trees are bursting into flame while the mountains in the distance seem to be disconnecting from the land and floating into the sky. A bone-chilling crack draws your attention up, and you watch in morbid fascination as the moons themselves appear to shatter into a million pieces, raining death down upon the land. Screams come from everywhere, though one in particular calls your attention to the street. As pieces of shattered moons come smashing down into the ground, you see poor young Cedric, wandering confused and crying, his house already a victim of the maelstrom of devastation all around him. You watch in horror as a moon shard shoots towards him, sure to obliterate his small form. At the last second a mysterious figure moves like a blur, grabbing the young boy and rolling out of the way with seconds to spare. As he gets up, boy in hand, you realize it’s Gimon, and you feel a sense of relief come over you. He sends Cedric running to you as he gets up, the boy jumping into your arms in a panic. Relief is short lived however as another giant shard streaks from the sky, heading straight towards Gimon. You yell out a warning, though you realize it was unnecessary as he looks up and begins to move. Only too late do either of you realize that saving Cedric caused him to become entwined with warped roots that have been ripped from the ground by the great cataclysm around you. There is no time to react, and he knows it. Looking at you one last time, he gives you a small smirk, shrugging slightly, his lips forming something seconds before he disappears in a blast that send both you and Cedric fifteen feet though the air behind you.
Your whole body begins to shake, as shock settles in, but looking down at Cedric you have no time to pity yourself. Running to the backyard, you scream for Jaxer, hoping to the gods that at least he is still alive. Behind the ruins that were the house, the situation is no less dire, as the cliffs themselves begin to disintegrate before your eyes. The sun blinks in and out of existence like a giant eye winking at the death of the world below. Rorsa and Dolgo are running around each other and fighting as though mortal enemies. Jaxer is pleading with them to stop, as he’s thrown back and fourth on the ground from each tremor. He turns to see you, running towards you both saying something you can’t hear. Before you can react, however, the actions of both animals draw your attention. Giving up on their battle, they both stare off into the distance for a brief moment then charge headlong off the edge of the cliff, sending their bodies down to certain doom below. Jaxer’s eyes well, his expression one of sheer horror as he loses his friend to the madness going on around you.
“What is happening!!!? Why?” Jaxer yells, looking to you for some sort of answer.
You wish you had one, as you cling tightly to Cedric, the strength slowly leaving your body. As you stumble, your pack opens, spreading the contents all over the ground, everything you’ve been studying now worthless at your feet. Jaxer struggles to get to you as flames and explosions occur all around. It’s the end, you can feel it, as Eberron itself seems to twist and turn in horrific death spasms. Clutching Cedric, you try your best to comfort him, knowing it won’t be long now. As the world continues to shake, your eyes catch a glimpse of something on the ground, something that fell from your bag. With a sudden bout of inspiration, you realize what it is and desperation takes hold in your thoughts. The Eyes of Eberron! Maybe they could help! You struggle to get to them, but a rift opens between you and Jaxer, molten lava pouring out. Looking towards your halfling friend, you scream over the noise of the surrounding disaster.
“Jaxer! The dice!!!! ROLL THEM!!!!!” You plead, your voice cracking as you gesture wildly toward them
Jaxer looks to where you are pointing, crawling to the dice and picking them into his small hands. He looks at you in confusion, and then nods slowly. He throws them, not truly understanding what this could do, but his trust in you is complete. As they roll across the ground, the world seems to move in slow motion, each turn of the dice tumbling as though through a morass of water. When they finally come to a rest, you notice the images on each one match. More so, they move, and look to be the eyes of the dragon themselves. As you stare, they seems to look back at you meeting your gaze with a deep one of their own. The world begins to fade to darkness, and a silence erupts around you, one even more staggering than the cacophony that existed mere moments before. As thought itself begins to leave you, you hear a deep gentle voice echo between your ears, though the language is one you are sure you have never heard.
“Be still…your time is not done…”
You wake with a start, sitting upright in your bed, panting as though you had just run from here to Sharn itself. “Damn that dream!” You curse loudly. Does it have to keep happening! And these names, Rorsa…Fist….and Gimon…..especially Gimon..who are they? Hell, even Jaxer doesn’t look right in those nightmares, he can’t be more than 3 feet tall, how ridiculous is that! And Dolgo?!? Since when is he a full grown raptor? Last she checked the sweet lizard was barely able to carry her best friend.
They’re the same questions you ask yourself every time and before you can dwell any father you hear your mother call from downstairs. Her voice cements the fact in your mind once more that it all was just a dream and this is your life, not that very odd one.
“Fist! We have to get out of here!”, you scream, the din so loud you can barely hear yourself think. When he doesn’t answer or move you reach out, trying to drag him with you.
“Fist, come on! We have to…” your words are cut off as Fist’s head turns looking down at you and then slowly, horrifically, the plates that make up his face begin to dissolve and fall from his form. The wood-like sinew of his body begins to unravel, his whole form seeming to lose cohesion. You desperately try to help, literally holding him together, but it’s a losing struggle. Still you fight to save Fist, but at the last moment, with, what must be a surge of unimaginable will, he pushes you out the front door, the ceiling coming down, crushing what is left of his deteriorating form.
There is no time to morn however as eruptions begin flowing from the ground mere feet from where you’re standing. Pulling back, you realize that the whole world seems to have gone crazy, the sky withering and shifting like a thing alive. Trees are bursting into flame while the mountains in the distance seem to be disconnecting from the land and floating into the sky. A bone-chilling crack draws your attention up, and you watch in morbid fascination as the moons themselves appear to shatter into a million pieces, raining death down upon the land. Screams come from everywhere, though one in particular calls your attention to the street. As pieces of shattered moons come smashing down into the ground, you see poor young Cedric, wandering confused and crying, his house already a victim of the maelstrom of devastation all around him. You watch in horror as a moon shard shoots towards him, sure to obliterate his small form. At the last second a mysterious figure moves like a blur, grabbing the young boy and rolling out of the way with seconds to spare. As he gets up, boy in hand, you realize it’s Gimon, and you feel a sense of relief come over you. He sends Cedric running to you as he gets up, the boy jumping into your arms in a panic. Relief is short lived however as another giant shard streaks from the sky, heading straight towards Gimon. You yell out a warning, though you realize it was unnecessary as he looks up and begins to move. Only too late do either of you realize that saving Cedric caused him to become entwined with warped roots that have been ripped from the ground by the great cataclysm around you. There is no time to react, and he knows it. Looking at you one last time, he gives you a small smirk, shrugging slightly, his lips forming something seconds before he disappears in a blast that send both you and Cedric fifteen feet though the air behind you.
Your whole body begins to shake, as shock settles in, but looking down at Cedric you have no time to pity yourself. Running to the backyard, you scream for Jaxer, hoping to the gods that at least he is still alive. Behind the ruins that were the house, the situation is no less dire, as the cliffs themselves begin to disintegrate before your eyes. The sun blinks in and out of existence like a giant eye winking at the death of the world below. Rorsa and Dolgo are running around each other and fighting as though mortal enemies. Jaxer is pleading with them to stop, as he’s thrown back and fourth on the ground from each tremor. He turns to see you, running towards you both saying something you can’t hear. Before you can react, however, the actions of both animals draw your attention. Giving up on their battle, they both stare off into the distance for a brief moment then charge headlong off the edge of the cliff, sending their bodies down to certain doom below. Jaxer’s eyes well, his expression one of sheer horror as he loses his friend to the madness going on around you.
“What is happening!!!? Why?” Jaxer yells, looking to you for some sort of answer.
You wish you had one, as you cling tightly to Cedric, the strength slowly leaving your body. As you stumble, your pack opens, spreading the contents all over the ground, everything you’ve been studying now worthless at your feet. Jaxer struggles to get to you as flames and explosions occur all around. It’s the end, you can feel it, as Eberron itself seems to twist and turn in horrific death spasms. Clutching Cedric, you try your best to comfort him, knowing it won’t be long now. As the world continues to shake, your eyes catch a glimpse of something on the ground, something that fell from your bag. With a sudden bout of inspiration, you realize what it is and desperation takes hold in your thoughts. The Eyes of Eberron! Maybe they could help! You struggle to get to them, but a rift opens between you and Jaxer, molten lava pouring out. Looking towards your halfling friend, you scream over the noise of the surrounding disaster.
“Jaxer! The dice!!!! ROLL THEM!!!!!” You plead, your voice cracking as you gesture wildly toward them
Jaxer looks to where you are pointing, crawling to the dice and picking them into his small hands. He looks at you in confusion, and then nods slowly. He throws them, not truly understanding what this could do, but his trust in you is complete. As they roll across the ground, the world seems to move in slow motion, each turn of the dice tumbling as though through a morass of water. When they finally come to a rest, you notice the images on each one match. More so, they move, and look to be the eyes of the dragon themselves. As you stare, they seems to look back at you meeting your gaze with a deep one of their own. The world begins to fade to darkness, and a silence erupts around you, one even more staggering than the cacophony that existed mere moments before. As thought itself begins to leave you, you hear a deep gentle voice echo between your ears, though the language is one you are sure you have never heard.
“Be still…your time is not done…”
You wake with a start, sitting upright in your bed, panting as though you had just run from here to Sharn itself. “Damn that dream!” You curse loudly. Does it have to keep happening! And these names, Rorsa…Fist….and Gimon…..especially Gimon..who are they? Hell, even Jaxer doesn’t look right in those nightmares, he can’t be more than 3 feet tall, how ridiculous is that! And Dolgo?!? Since when is he a full grown raptor? Last she checked the sweet lizard was barely able to carry her best friend.
They’re the same questions you ask yourself every time and before you can dwell any father you hear your mother call from downstairs. Her voice cements the fact in your mind once more that it all was just a dream and this is your life, not that very odd one.
Secondly though, since I doubt that we will be seeing the article to shows how KotS fits into Eberron before June 6th, I want to know if anyone had any ideas about how they may do it? My biggest concern was the BBEG, and this an idea I am very lightly playing around with. I just mentioned it on my No KotS update yet thread(Otherwise known as how impatient is this guy?!?). Figure I will throw it up here too.KotS BBEG
Since the BBEG is trying to open a portal anyhow, I was thinking that he could actually stay a high priest of Orcus, who is trying to spread his influence to the Eberron dimension. Then even if the PCs fail, the repercussions could be the addition of a new player in the great prophecy and deitic challenger to the Dragon Below.
They ran an inquisitive service in Sharn for the last few real-time years which, in their absence, has been taken over by their landlady in Clifftop.
The new party of inquisitives are answering an advert. to go to work for the original agency. It's kind of a Star Trek TNG kind of thing.
This will allow the story and relationships we've developed so far to remain in place.
If I was going to spend money on 4ed I would probably shoot for something new. Maybe, as the campaign was wrapping up the PCs find themselves forced to use a magic mirror to escape from the BBG's crumbling HQ. Play on as normal for awhile but start introducing 4ed stuff slowly as they get closer to civilization. Basically, 4ed Eberron is a parallel world that they entered by way of the mirror. Some old friends are enemies and some enemies are friends, but they won't find out who is what until it's too late.
And from the world's point of view, the PCs are acting really weirdly about 'normal' things. "Thrag Goe has always been a Dragonborn, what's your problem, Flastag? Are you feeling ok?" And what happens when the mirror-mirror versions of the PCs show up in Sharn?
After nearly three years of playing the characters up to 12th level, we wrapped up our 3.5 campaign in grand fashion a few weeks ago. The party has gone missing between Korth and the Talenta Plains. Their loss has been reported in the Chronicle, and the Sharn Inq.
They ran an inquisitive service in Sharn for the last few real-time years which, in their absence, has been taken over by their landlady in Clifftop.
The new party of inquisitives are answering an advert. to go to work for the original agency. It's kind of a Star Trek TNG kind of thing.
This will allow the story and relationships we've developed so far to remain in place.
This idea is sweet too, I just wish they weren't so set on remaking themselves at 1st level, but ah well.