So: I have a gumball machine, and I want to fill it with stories and dice. I'm especially interested in Eberron stories - hearing how you came to the world, your greatest adventure, what you've changed, or what you enjoyed. If you're a regular poster here, there's a good chance I've heard some of your stories already, but I'm always interested in hearing more - and I hope you'll pass this link along to anyone who might be interested in taking part.
I can't rightly remember how I came to Eberron. I do remember that I was not thrilled by it originally; there was the kneejerk reaction of not wanting a train and robots in my fantasy - but thankfully, I overcame that first impression and took a closer look. The setting convinced me utterly (including the lightning rail and the warforged). I am not sure what I like most, though somewhere amongst the main reasons is that Eberron manages to provide a good background history and setting, while leaving a lot of freedom.
Not necessarily the big questions like the cause of the Mourning or the dragonmarks connections to the prophecy, though I like how they are intentionally unresolved, but more fundamentally, the idea that there is no absolute truth. There are various ways of worshipping a god without him showing up and putting an erring congregation right. There are no clear alignment rules - dragons (and elves) aren't, to quote the Order of the Stick, "colour coded for your convenience" and social, political and historical factors take precedence over a detect evil spell (especially in the tense period after the Last War, though everyone really knows it's probably a period between wars). There are events which generate real historical and philosophical debate in game: whether the Lycanthropic Purge was justified, or whether the giants were all Titans before the Draconic Attack is left to each PC and NPC to decide. Thus, this freedom allows us to create characters and stories without immediately running counter to canon, as would happen in many other settings - it would be difficult, though perhaps interesting, to analyse Lord of the Rings from the point of view of an Easterling.
There are factions in my Vadalis who have special ties to the fey of the Eldeen Reaches, and another branch (the one nobody talks about any more) who were werewolves. I've created a tribe of drow who worship the Qaltiar pantheon, but have included the couatl amongst them, and protect the ruins so nobody disturbs the evil buried there. I've built Rekkenmark up into a massive fortified city along the pentagonal-fort system (my home city was one of the most important fortified cities of Europe, until it was granted neutrality and the fortifications were raised in 1867, so that may have influenced me); I've also changed the general idea that Karrnathi undead are hidden from view or moved as far away from public attention as possible (Fort Bones/Zombie) in that they are keeping watch over the quarters of Rekkenmark which were destroyed in the Thrane air-raid, because those parts are so haunted that only things that are already undead can exist there safely and keep vengeful spirits and the taint from spreading. I've mentioned in other threads that I've created a schism amongst the Blood of Vol between royalists and covenant-loyalists. I've also ammened parts of Forge of War - not only the presentation of Thrane in general, but the events in the later years of the war, as they don't match up other sources (a story of the Thrane company betrayed to Karrnath, but rescued by Cyre, appears in Five Nations, but Forge of War has Cyre and Thrane as enemies; as I'd already used the story from 5N, I decided not to retcon). I'll post some of the ideas outlined above very soon, to share and to get some ideas on parts where I am stuck.
I'm afraid that I cannot tell much more. Despite the fact that I like Eberron, and imagine and create campaigns, backdrops and characters (and debate the setting, hope for more information, and read whatever novels are published), I hardly ever get to play these days, for a variety of reasons and circumstances. But the setting is interesting enough to keep my interest despite this (and to eagerly await new publications). I'm not sure whether that's the kind of stories you are looking for: the ones you mention on your site hold great human interest, and it's fantastic to keep them tied to dice in your gumball machine. By the way: do you keep a record of the stories and the dice? I'm by training a historian - like the Korranberg gnomes, I like stories like the dice situation in Bulgaria or the improvisation by soldiers in Iraq to be recorded for postery (and not merely in electronic format)! ;)
Syltorian wrote:
Thanks for the link. It's a very interesting story, reminding us not to take everything for granted. Best of luck with collecting your stories!
I've just posted my first story for the year:
I hope you'll send a story and a die my way, and pass along the link to anyone who might be interested. There's still a lot of space in the gumball machine!
I remember quite well how I came to Eberron.
It was GenCon Indy 2004. I was working as an RPGA judge. Eberron was pretty new at the time. I'd browsed the book in the stores, and the Warfoged seemed kind of overpowerd at first glance, and I had some trepidation as far as how different the setting was from what I was used to (I'm a big fan of classic fantasy).
Well, the night of the 30th Anniversay D&D party came about and I attended. I wore a black and gold Chinese-style shirt and hat (that I bought in China a few months prior). The bouncer let me in to the VIP area of the party because I had my RPGA badge, and I got to meet a lot of the 3.5e design team (Bill Slaviseck, Andy Collins, Gwendolyn Kestrel to name a few). I also got to meet Keith Baker. I talked with him for at least an hour, picking his brain about Eberron. We got a whole bunch of ice cream sandwiches brought to us. The Night of a Hundred Ice Cream Sandwiches, we dubbed it.
The next day I won a prize at a game on the convention floor. My choice of a prize was either a 3.5 PHB, DMG, or MM (all of which I had), or the Eberron Campaign Setting. I chose the Eberron book, got it signed by Mr. Baker, and when I got home I read the whole thing cover to cover. Fell in love with Eberron right there. Although I must admit that I don't like 4e Eberron as much (Dragonmarks for everybody made them feel less special, for example). Eberron always seemed better to me in 3.5e.
I would not be surprised if the Infernal Bovine still remembers the Night of a Hundred Ice Cream Sandwiches, or the weird little guy with a million questions about Eberron. But that guy went on to eventually purchase every Eberron product he could get his hands on (I think of all the 3.5e and 4e products, the only single thing I am missing is City of Stormreach). I've run a few Eberron games, and played in a few myself, but I can't seem to find people with the same burning interest in it that I do.
I've also written a short story (years ago) set in Eberron that I never quite finished. I may just send that and a die to you, Hellcow. I'll include this little anecdote to jar your memory, too. ;)
That would be great, CM! And thanks for jogging my memory on the Night of a Hundred Ice Cream Sandwiches - it's the sort of thing that makes Gen Con awesome. As for Dragonmarks for Everyone, all I'll say is that *I* don't play that way, and I fought to get the text included that while it's mechanically possible (to make the book more useful for people not playing in the setting), IN THE SETTING it's never happened and a human getting the Mark of Warding would be a shocking, likely Prophetic event.