Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 skritz_the_lizardmen May 01, 2010 20:45:30	I was reading the "Grand History of Eberron" pdf (nice ressource, not sure if 100% legal but since its just background and no actual game mechanics im assuming it is) and I found something had never heard of before; the Qabalrin. So, if I get it right the Qabalrin are necromancer elves (a dark precursor of the aerennal elves and their undying court?) and it mentions that they created the first vampires. Vampire seems rather rare in Eberron, and seems to be aligned with the Blood of Vol. Aside from Kaius, I have barely heard of vampires in Khorvaire. For that matter, I have barely heard of vampires anywhere in Eberron at all. After looking around a bit, I found the Eberron Expanded article about Libris Mortis. It also make a short mention of vampires beign linked to Katashka. So yeah. Did the elves create the vampires all by themselves, or did they somehow "learn" it from Katashka? The article also mention how the evolved undead template can be used to represent the sheer power of ancient Qabalrin vampires. But really, what DOES remain of the Qabalrin? Who where they? And how different are these supposed vampire lords? Are they all sealed up, or is there a vampire population deep in Xen'drik?
#2 connortheconman93 May 02, 2010 18:08:56	The Grand History of Eberron is a great resource. It is 100% legal. The Qabalrin were a sect of elves that were never enslaved to the giants. There were many sects in the Qabalrin, and one was the Shapers of Night. THEY were the great necromancers you're thinking of. Another sect, the Unspoken, had a feud with the Shapers of Night, and they warred for years. Finally, the Unspoken killed every living member of the Shapers and bound the great lichs, vampires, and other undead created by them into ancient catacombs to suffer for eternity. Less than a week later, the entire Qabalrin civilization was destroyed, shattered by magical and physical forces as a Siberys dragonshard the size of a castle landed on the exact spot of the greatest temple to the Shadow in the Qabalrin capital city. The Heart of Siberys bound the souls of every Qabalrin, and drew positive force from the Silver Flame to balance the evil now bound within it. The dragons created a storm around the boundary of their mountain city-state, effectively blocking passage back and forth. They populated the so-called Ring of Storms with lizardfolk, charging them with protecting the Ring. All that remains is steaming jungle and decaying ruins. I took this from the Ring of Storms backdrop in Dungeon #122, so if you want to read more you should pick up that issue. It's worth it. As to the rest, the House of Vol used Qabalrin necromantic techniques, and since the House of Vol was an offshoot of the Undying Court, its safe to assume the Undying Court has at least a basic knowledge of the Qabalrin techniques. i don't remember vampires having any special connection to Katashka, although he created the first dracolich.
#3 Hellcow May 03, 2010 0:27:36	As to the rest, the House of Vol used Qabalrin necromantic techniques, and since the House of Vol was an offshoot of the Undying Court, its safe to assume the Undying Court has at least a basic knowledge of the Qabalrin techniques. Yes and no. Aerenal was settled by elves drawn from all the different tribes and cultures of Xen'drik. In particular, the Line of Vol was descended from the last survivors of the Qabalrin. But the key point there is "descended from". The fall of the Heart of Syberis devastated the Qabalrin and the vast majority of their lore and achievements were lost in that cataclysm. So the Line of Vol was inspired by the work of the Qabalrin - but they were largely reconstructing and coming up with their own innovations. The point here being that there may be secrets in the Ring of Storms that have yet to be rediscovered by necromancers of other cultures... and that there could be an ancient lich trapped below the Ring whose skills dwarf those of Erandis Vol. Or, it could be that Erandis has transcended the work of her Qabalrin ancestors; certainly, if she could harness the full power of her mark she could become something the Qabalrin only dreamed of.