I have an idea for a ship that is like a satelite/deathstar that is high above Eberron and it is shoots radiant energy down onto the planet. It is powered by dragon temples that were all attuned with different planes. Each temple is in a location that is cotemerous with a plane. The temples were supposed to be used to channel the powers of the stars to create a Continentwide Prophecy Mark ( stole the idea from a 3E book I think) but the Cult of Tiamat has reworked the concept a developed a doomsday device.
How would an orbital skyship work in 4E? Would it be on the Astral Plane or just high in EBs sky? I know I could just make it be whatever I wish but I was just trying to figure out some of the new cosmology. I hope that Planes Article is coming out soon Hellcow.
The impression I got is that the Astral Sea is beyond the "solar system" of Eberron, or at the very least beyond the 12th moon's orbit. If you wanted an orbital skyship, you'd have to decide how close it is. Is it between Eberron and the Ring of Syberis? Between the Ring and the 1st moon's orbt? Somewhere amongst the moons?
In either case, I think once you get to the Astral, there ceases to be a real object to orbit around.
There's a difference between the Astral Plane and 'outer space'. If you follow the crystal sphere/phlogiston cosmology, the astral exists beyond the edge of Eberron's solar system, whereas if you follow the conventional cosmology, there is outer space and then there is Astral space, which are coterminous but non-overlapping.
An orbital platform like you suggest would have to either be within the atmosphere (if it isn't mechanically or magically sealed) or in geosynchronous orbit--both of which are still well within the Material.
We really have no idea what Eberron's "star system" is like, but I'd guess it's nothing like ours. Somehow, Eberron manages to maintain both a stable moon system and a pretty striking ring system despite being smaller than Earth. I'd say it's not regular gravity going on here.
So how do you keep something floating way above Eberron, presumably when the air is too thin and you want the great view? My first thought - angelic binding. Instead of elementals, which won't work when you don't even have the element of air, you bind actual angels into your ship to keep it flying. Angels are creatures of the astral sea and known for flying. Sure, it's an act of terrible hubris to do this, but so is dragonmarking a continent, so what have you got to lose?
I was thinking about just having it be right at the point where there is no air. Angels are elementals arn't they? Hmmmm... I guess they could be used in construction with a new form of skyship. Since the Talon's of Tiamat are involved I guess all ethical issues are really out the window.
Archons are elementals - angels are immortals. That said, if you wanted to sustain it in low Eberron orbit without a life support system, forcing a manifest zone to Syrania would be an option (and I'm sure there's a way to extract power from immortals like there is from elementals).
(and I'm sure there's a way to extract power from immortals like there is from elementals).
3.5 Eberron pretty much directly ported the rules for possession of creatures and objects from the Book of Vile Darkness 3.0 supplement. Under that system, a fiend could possess an object and effectively turn it into a magic item. The more powerful the fiend, the more potent the item.
I would imagine angels can be forced into doing some similar. Heck, you might even be able to do it with couatls, since they seem prone to turn themselves into binding energy. If you're treating Tiamat as a rajah and not a dragon god, well, turnabout is fair play. Perhaps the skyship appears in the sky like a gleaming beacon of silver light - because a couatl has been enslaved within it.
Perhaps it comes back in place of the missing 13th moon? Perhaps it even opens up the 13th temple that wasn't open when there wasn't a "placeholder" for the last moon. If you are playing with the prophecy bringing back the 13th moon or an approximation thereof is definitely within limits... and if the moon happens to have had a giant death ray added in... well, who's gonna tell you no?
Instead of elementals, which won't work when you don't even have the element of air, you bind actual angels into your ship to keep it flying.
Why would elementals not work? Is this something in Eberron lore?
As a fan of Spelljammer I see no reason you can't have elementals in space. I kinda think 4E is doing away with space and instead you reach the astral sea but I haven't seen a definitive source that says so. I'm keeping spelljammer physics and space in my game either way.
Why would elementals not work? Is this something in Eberron lore?As a fan of Spelljammer I see no reason you can't have elementals in space. I kinda think 4E is doing away with space and instead you reach the astral sea but I haven't seen a definitive source that says so. I'm keeping spelljammer physics and space in my game either way.
There may not be an outer space in Eberron, but it's still true that air thins as you go up. Airships are made from soarwood, which is a lighter (less dense) material than regular wood. The advantage of lower density decreases as you go up because the atmosphere becomes less dense.
There's also a case to be made for "right elemental for the right job." Earth elementals are in land carts, water elementals are in sea ships, and air and fire elementals are in airships. As the air gets very thin, no elemental can really do a good job up there.
Cosmologically, as you suggest, it seems one starts to leave the prime and get into the Astral. Going back to 2E and 3E, the Astral far removed from the elements. In any edition, the Astral doesn't suit elemental creatures. It's a great place for 4E angels, though.
Is there a reason a Fire elemental would stop working? What if your ship had a larger enough bonfire "reactor" to sustain a fire elemental capable of lifting the station?
Fire Elementals are magic. They burn underwater, they burn buried in the earth and they burn in an oxygen free environment. They are the mystical essence of fire, not a mathematical equation based on physics or whatever.