Assuming that they'd use the same methods (manipulating the people of Khorvaire into infighting until they can sweep into one country, become the "saviors" of Khorvaire, and then incorporate the whole continent into a singular fascist state), which state do you think they'd use as their eventual puppet ruled by Khorvaire's own version of the Inspired?
So....
It is to note that there IS a riedra 'colony'/enclave in Khorvaire, if i rememebr well one of the 3,X books. The name of it, however, I forgot.
So....
I always thought that any sort of direct rule over Khorvaire by the Riedrans isn't what the Quori would want to do, rather that they'd set up something new using the same overall model that they used in Sarlona. They'd create some new religion the focus of which would be a new batch of Inspired based in the Galifaran nobility. This new state would have very close relations with Riedra, but it wouldn't be ruled by Riedra. That way, no one would notice the connections between the Inspired of Sarlona and their analogous group in Khorvaire.
I imagined that the Quori wish to create a stable, unchanging world, not an actual world empire.
Hellcow, COME HERE!
If you have access to the old Shadowrun Adventure-Book "The Universal Brotherhood" give it a read! Well worth your time!
Assuming that they'd use the same methods (manipulating the people of Khorvaire into infighting until they can sweep into one country, become the "saviors" of Khorvaire, and then incorporate the whole continent into a singular fascist state), which state do you think they'd use as their eventual puppet ruled by Khorvaire's own version of the Inspired?
While there is an honest-to-goodness governed-by-Riedrans quarter in Newthrone, I completely agree with you, Jaster. The Riedran forces in Q'barra are their to acquire dragonshards for Riedra - not as a foothold for conquest. While the Inspired certainly aim to conquer Khorvaire, physical conflict using Riedran troops would unite the people of Khorvaire against a common foe and be a difficult and hard-to-maintain occupation... which isn't how they work. In the Sundering, the Dreaming Dark turned the nations of Sarlona against one another, and then created the Inspired within Sarlona as saviors - uniting the people behind this force of order as opposed to being seen as conquerors. They want people to forge their own chains. I've done a "Villains of Eberron" seminar a few times, and what I say with the Inspired is exactly the question asked here: Pick the force that the Dreaming Dark has chosen to serve as the Inspired of Khorvaire - the force they will try to set up as the saviors. As a side note, this is why it's unlikely the Inspired had anything to do with the Mourning - because the Last War served their purposes perfectly. In all likelihood, they'd like the Mourning solved so that people can stop being afraid of it and get back to fighting. So adventurers who solve the mystery of the Mourning may actually be helping the Inspired.
Aurala of Aundair is an obvious easy choice for the Inspired because hey, she wants to go back to war and has dreams of how wonderful Galifar would be under her rule. This ties to "how can a good purpose believe war is a good path?" Because in her dreams, it is. She has visions of a perfect world under her rule - of how much happier EVERYONE would be if she could restore the order of Galifar. Yes, it will be a hard and ugly road, but in the end, people will realize it was for the best. If you've seen the movie Inception, it's exactly how the Inspired work: planting ideas in the subconscious that grow and become driving ambitions.
The anti-monarchy movement of Breland could easily be part of an Inspired agenda, but it may be more about causing chaos in a stable nation than becoming the new Inspired. Ditto for the restless warlords of Karrnath who are growing angry with Kaius. The Inspired can't manipulate the undead - but they can stir up distrust and fear of the Blood of Vol to turn people against the undead; and they can turn warlords against Kaius' peace agenda to see if someone will overthrow him.
A strange choice would be Thrane. After all, Riedra is essentially a theocracy. Create new Inspired of Khorvaire who are "filled with the spirit of the Flame" and you could literally have them operate in the same manner as the Inspired of Riedra, with this "vessel of the Flame" aspect explaining their psionic abilities. However, the risk is that the Silver Flame IS a true divine force, and Thrane is a nation with a high number of exorcists; it's a dangerous game to play. It might be easier to break up the church by encouraging corruption to break ties to the divine and zealotry to turn outsiders against it... breaking down a dangerous foe instead of usurping it.
Another option is to avoid nations entirely and look to the Dragonmarked houses. In many ways they can be seen as the future; how much longer can the divided monarchies exercise control over them? The Twelve could become the new dominant force. It wouldn't resemble Riedra - but it could still result in a united nation in which the Dreaming Dark controls progress.
Hellcow, COME HERE!
While I'm still checking on things when I have spare time, the best way to ask my direct opinion on something is at my website, where I'll be answering Eberron questions in the future. You can post questions on existing Eberron threads, or ask me on Twitter (HellcowKeith).
Hellcow said:
It's always exciting for me when you weigh in on a thread. That's one of the primary reasons why I enjoy Eberron so much; getting into the thoughts of the author makes the setting that much more real to me. Thank you.
The more I think about this, the more I keep thinking I should use the Quori as the primary antagonists in my upcoming campaign... I just love the whole subtle manipulation angle and there is something especially sinister about psionics and nightmares that literally follow you back into the waking world. Makes me shudder every time.
The plan I've been developing recently has shifted the antagonists from the Lords of Dust to the Quori; honestly, I think that the Quori are more dangerous because it's difficult for people to even know when they are behind something. As you said, they want people to forge their own chains. Although openning up the Sealed Evil In A Can that is the Overlords is a frightening prospect, at least when they happens you'll know about it and everyone will come together to oppose it. With the Quori, your friends and family may actually believe the lies that they spread, and so they have the capacity to turn your closest allies into bitter enemies. Yikes.
I am trying to make the campaign very much so politically driven, with the Quori attempting to re-ignite the last war. The only major problem I have had for the campaign is writing for the Epic Tier. I always seem to have that problem for Eberron. I mean, really the only idea I have for that is to have the players take the fight to the Quori in Dal Quor and overthrow the Dreaming Dark after they have taken control of the world.