In the history of Eberron we know why the Mark of Death no longer exists. In -2600 YK the House of Vol and the Mark of Death bloodlines were wiped from the face of Khorvaire at the hands of the combined Dragon/Elf armies. Now this is a very cool piece of history and adds to the flavour of the Blood of Vol and Erandis d'Vol. But it also has a small problem...
... what about the rule I've mentioned in the opening paragraph. Throughout the centuries a few (very) rare individuals have manifested dragonmarks outside of the usual racial/bloodline rule. These individuals are obviously unable to pass on their manifest dragonmark, but due to their rarity and relevant uniqueness I'm sure that history has them well documented. So what about the Mark of Death. Surely in the last 3000 or so years someone, somewhere has randomly manifested the Mark of Death?
It's an interesting thought. Have these rare scions of a rare and now lost mark simply been removed by Aerenal assassins or attending dragons? Have their powers been (falsely) attributed to their more common Aberrant cousins? Maybe the Lady of Plagues was such a rare individual? We're never given a true background on this women, only that she was one of the younger races (we aren't even given her race) and had great power over vermin and plagues. Perhaps she was such an invidual, a bearer of the Mark of Death truly by accident and cursed as such?
We know that any scholar or House scion can recognise a true dragonmark with a quick glance. So even with it's destruction quite a few people would instantly recognise the mark of death as a true dragonmark (and be perplexed that they know it's a true mark, but also recognise that they don't know what mark it is since it's does match any of the 12 true marks). This tends to rule out the possibility of mistaken identity (in regards to aberrant marks).
Anybody's thoughts?
Anybody's thoughts?
I think since the "every race can have a dragon mark" thing is a new invention and never existed in the years of 3e Eberron, you should not read too deep into it.
It's probably more of a gameplay decision than a real story element.
I think since the "every race can have a dragon mark" thing is a new invention and never existed in the years of 3e Eberron, you should not read too deep into it.
It's probably more of a gameplay decision than a real story element.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not attempting to point out inconsistencies, far from it. I love the idea that for whatever reason the Mark of Death hasn't spontaneously appeared in the last 3000 years. Maybe the dragons when they helped the Aerenal elves wipe out the House of Vol placed a curse upon that dragonmark, forever barring it from remanifesting. Perhaps it's some strange repercussion of the Moonbreaker Doomsday device that the Giants used when fighting the Quori.
In fact that idea of the Dragons having some control over the dragonmarks is a great plot device. The Twelve know about the Chamber and what they represent. Perhaps they are afraid that if the dragons did this to one dragonmarked bloodline they could to it to the rest. That wouldn't rest well upon the shoulders of the Dragonmark Barons that their families and fortunes could be destroyed on pure draconic whim. It adds a whole new level to the cold-war front between the Twelve trying to keep the Chamber from meddling too much and the Chamber (especially some of the more militant/conservative sorts) itching to wipe out these blasphemous younger races who bear the dragonmarks.
I think the answer to this question is intrinsically linked to another similar one: why in the last 3000 years have no Death foundlings appeared?
Now, the dragons and elves were said to have removed all trace of the blood of Vol (that's lower case blood ;)), but were they really so powerful that they could actually find all the people descended from the original Vol family? Even if they had divination powerful enough, they'd then actually have to go out and kill them all. Clearly, powerful magic is at work, and the very spells that the dragons and elves used to isolate and destroy the Mark of Death's carriers may be the very same ones that prevent it from reappearing. Perhaps some artefact on Argonnessen has locked away the Mark of Death for good. Perhaps it cannot reappear while Dal Quor and Crya are remote (though it appeared for the first time while this was the case, so that'd be odd).
The plot hooks write themselves, really.
Surely in the last 3000 or so years someone, somewhere has randomly manifested the Mark of Death?
I'll just note that if you accept the theory, there's nothing random about dragonmarks - especially those that go against race and house. If the premise is that a PC can develop such a mark due to his epic destiny and role in the Prophecy, then it could happen... but there's nothing "random" about it.
And, of course, one reason you may never have heard about it is because the Light of Siberys/Chamber/Deathguard may have quietly eliminated any deathbearers that appeared...
Although I will call out again my point that Erandis Vol was no normal scion of her house, and her mark was something beyond even a Siberys mark. As a half-dragon and the product of generations of arcane research, Erandis was in essence a living eldritch machine, whose mark had the potential to tap into powers far beyond any other heir of her house. The Mark of Death was largely exterminated to ensure that no one else like Erandis could be produced... not because every heir was utterly deadly. Given that the "touched by the Prophecy" out-of-race markees can't pass on their marks to their offspring (unless the offspring are also touched by the Prophecy, etc), it's possible that they would be safe from persecution... or, if they had a role to play in the Prophecy, that the Chamber might actually act to protect them.
With all that said, you've certainly presented lots of interesting ideas that could be developed into interesting plot hooks; all of this is just my thoughts on the matter.
I'll just note that if you accept the theory, there's nothing random about dragonmarks - especially those that go against race and house. If the premise is that a PC can develop such a mark due to his epic destiny and role in the Prophecy, then it could happen... but there's nothing "random" about it.
For some average joe human wizard, it would seem like a very random occurence. The gold dragon sage on the otherhand notes in his spellshard and mutters "another one, the prophecy can get a little repetitive sometimes" :P .
Cheerski for the insight Hellcow. I was never aware that Erandis was "that" powerful a person. I knew that as a half-breed she had powers above and beyond that norm, but to the extent that both sides wished her dead... hmm when the Eyes of Chronepsis choose to act people should look up and take notice.
I had a similar feeling Mr Trolls (typing your full name everytime time is a pain :P ) in regards to what the dragons might have done to the bloodline of Vol. The idea that the dragons are wiping out every Death foundling and being so thorough about it, it's more than a little scary. So as a foundling you can either be annihilated (and probably all your parents/siblings) by the dragons or chill with Vol and pray she doesn't disect you in an attempt to figure our how to acquire her former power... I love a morton fork.
Cheerski for the insight Hellcow. I was never aware that Erandis was "that" powerful a person.
She wasn't. If she had been, the war of extermination might have had a very different outcome. The point is that she COULD have been... and that's what makes her a tragic figure. She was bred to be the ultimate expression of her dragonmark, to be able to accomplish feats others couldn't imagine. But she never mastered her powers, and because of her existence, her entire line was eradicated and her allies driven from Aerenal. And for thousands of years she's simply had to ponder on her failure and its terrible cost. The mark on her dead flesh mocks her, reminding her of what she COULD have been but now can never be... unless she finds a way to break the rules.
It wouldn't surprise me if she finds a way to break the rules sometime soon. After all she's found that nice little Qabalrin chap down in Stormhome. One step closer to teaching the dragons and elves what revenge really means.
Oh and I suggest Draino for clearing your intertubes if they get blocked ;) .
So how have players and DM's alike described their Mark of Death (assuming you have had the Mark of Death in your campaign)? I'm intrigued because I am yet to find any hint of what it could possibly look like. There seems to be some baseline criteria for what the mark could look like, usually with a magical beast (at least in 3e) used to help give it a definite form. So for the Mark of Death in my home campaign I assume the Mark of Death would appear as a raven. This is a quiet homage to the Shadowraven Swarm (they follow Shadowsworn's around the Shadowfell and tie nicely into the imagery of death). As the players mark grows it will take on more definite appearance of a swarm of ravens.
Anybody's thoughts?
So how have players and DM's alike described their Mark of Death (assuming you have had the Mark of Death in your campaign)?
Anybody's thoughts?
Maybe it looks like the Blood of Vol symbol - a dragon/demon head (but in a dragonmark-ey way).
What about the Sibery's Mark of Death btw?
That's a valid question and a conundrum I'd probably leave for another day. I'm guessing a full-blown Siberys Mark would (as I've envisinged it) appear as a great swarm of ravens upon the bearers skin, with the original shadowraven mark etched out in opposition (as most marks appear when in Siberys form) at the centre of the dragonmark.
Just my guess, but still a funky one.
I'm intrigued because I am yet to find any hint of what it could possibly look like.
As a side note, the Mark of Death was actually developed by Lee Moyer, the artist who created the other 12 marks, and I believe it appears on the covers of the "Marked For Death" novels. I know he sold the artwork, and I thought someone had posted it online (SaveVsDM?), but I'm not finding it with a quick google search. Not that this should stop discussion, but there is at least one version of it out there.
I know I have the artwork saved on my PC at home. I'll post a link to my Photobucket account later!
Excellent... (Mr Burns style)
I know I have the artwork saved on my PC at home. I'll post a link to my Photobucket account later!
Nice. I lost my DL of the image and I've been trying to find it.
-Joni
* a small crowd begins to gather *
We wants the picture Mhac, we demands it, our own, our precious!
This plot arc is based partly on information from this forum, from many authors and many posts. I hope the campaign will be memorable :-)If anybody had any other ideas, I'd appreciate them, of course.
It's a hard act to follow and a very fine line as a DM to balance upon, but it is doable. Best of luck and perhaps we should tap the greater D&D community for ideas as to why the player isn't smooshed by the Eyes of Chronepsis the moment the Mark of Death makes a reappearance.
But, unsurprisingly :-) , Erandis's "mother" happens to be one of the PCs. She doesn't know, neither her player, of course.
Sounds like Rosemary's Baby (the PCs should quest for an Elemental-powered 'day after' pill ;)).
Maybe Vol enlisted Mordain the Fleshweaver to make the "mother" PC compatible similar to what they did to Ripley in Alien: Resurrection - making clones of the PC until they reached the current version (Then the PCs can venture to Mordain's forest and find the clones, just as the Dragons come and burn the forest down).
(Well, it was me and ten full years of Shadowrun campaigning but that would be another story...)What I have on mind: The dragons are powerful, well-connected and all but they are by no means a one-point-of-view-monolith. There are frictions, subtle manipulations, personal grudges and secret agenda. What if the MoD IS a part of the Prophecy? Or if at least some of the dragons believe it to be and want to watch it develop and show them another (until now unnaturally suppressed) aspect of the Prophecy? Such dragons, if knowing the right pieces of information, could try to hide the truth from their more traditionally aligned relatives. I think, the party can enjoy the support and protection of such a dragon, without knowing it, of course.
The right word you used is "balance". If the GM balances the interests of various powergroups then the PCs can walk this fine line. It's not easy and it's certainly not with impunity - the balance is always a fragile thing and once it breaks... Well, the PCs will have to make some very hard decisions to preserve the balance, the only one thing protecting them.
It all works well because another PC is an Eldeen shifter with strong druidic ties who would also do almost anything to save his homeland.
Good to hear your players a decent bunch, you're a lucky fellow. I sometimes have to beat mine over the head with a Tarrasque to get them to pay attention *sigh* .
Oh and you're absolutely right in regards to the Dragons. They aren't monolothic, far from it. But elements within the Lords of Argonsessen (The Light of Siberys and the Eyes of Chronepsis) work as very powerful and singular voting blocks, meaning many of the smaller factions get steamrolled under when they bring their forces to bare.
Oh and Gilo, I am seriously disturbed (and awed) by what goes through your mind. Perhaps we should officially ban you from going anywhere near Mordain, kinda like keeping Henry the VIII's away from an execution order :P . Who knows what other disturbing concepts you could conjure up (you're not secretly a Quori are you?)
My players don't let me run a Sarlona campaign- so I have to vent somewhere
(I'm not a Quori- but I'll clue you in, sleep tight).
At first I'd thought you linked a rick-roll, but the ensuring video... that was much scarier than anything Mr Astley could possibly conjure...
I'm beginning to get a broader image of the whole plot arc. I mean, if the PCs manage to save "Aundair" at one stage, they'll have much to answer for at the next one, when some of the dragon hard-liners start asking unpleasant questions. Ahh, life's good